Good day Warriors! When I was in the beginnings of my bodybuilding journey, I had no idea what the bodybuilding stages were. But I did some research and learned from a few buddies of mine who are gym rats.
I learned that if you’re looking to start transforming your physique, then you have to do it with proper timing. Meaning, you have to know which bodybuilding stage you’re in. Yes, bodybuilding comes in multiple stages. Each stage is unique because you will take on different eating habits and some different exercise patterns as well. I briefly talked about the 3 stages in my post about starting bodybuilding in your 20s, you can find it here: Bodybuilding in Your 20’s – How Do You Start?
There are 3 stages in bodybuilding, each one lasting 4 months in length.
- BULKING
- SHREDDING/CUTTING
- MAINTENANCE
Read on to learn more about the stages of bodybuilding and how they will help you on your fitness journey to get in the best shape of your life!
Why are There Stages Anyway?
Bodybuilding is split into multiple stages because each stage has its own unique benefits that will help you get that killer physique you’ve been dreaming about.
How is Each Stage Unique?
Each stage of bodybuilding is unique because like I said before, they have their own unique perks that will help you. One of them is all about eating to your heart’s content. Another is all about cutting out the carbs. And the last one is all about maintaining so you can look good when the shirt comes off.
Bulking: October, November, December, January
During the holiday season, what is it that most people want to do? You guessed it…eat! They want to eat to their heart’s content. In 3 of the 4 months of the bulking stage, you have holidays that involve excessive eating: Halloween, Thanksgiving (US and Canada), and Christmas. You got candy for Halloween, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, and for New Year’s, who knows? Maybe you’re someone who likes to eat a large special meal as a New Year’s tradition.
This is the stage in your fitness journey where all of your macro intakes are going to be higher (especially carbs). Your protein intake should stay the same all the way through the entire year, 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. That number could go higher or lower depending on how many pounds of body weight you gain or lose throughout the process.
As for the lifting, you might want to consider lifting heavier weight. Lifting heavier weight will really help with adding more muscle mass to your physique in this stage, as it is all about gaining size.
Shredding/Cutting: February, March, April, May
After you’ve eaten all that food during the bulking stage, there’s definitely a chance you got bigger and thicker in size during the 4 months of pigging out on high-carbs and low to medium fat. Next comes the stage where the extra unneeded fat on your body is going to shred right off, hence the name of this stage.
This is where your carbs intake is going to be a lot lower than your fat intake. To find out how much fat you should be eating while shredding, check out my formula on my Calculating Macros post.
Also check out Christian Guzman’s formula on calculating your macros, here: Ultimate Diet Hack: The Easiest Way To Calculate Your Own Macros
Since this stage is all about getting ripped and shedding the unwanted fat off, you’ll want to implement more cardio in your weekly routine. I would personally recommend you shoot for 30 minutes to an hour per day, twice or 3 times a week. You don’t want to do cardio every single day, otherwise you will drain your stamina faster than you can say Bob’s your uncle!
In the gym, I would personally recommend you lift lighter weight and at a faster pace, which can help with bringing out the cuts.
Maintenance: June, July, August, September
Okay, this is the time when you can ease back on the super clean eating throttle and not have to worry too much about what you eat. Your macro intakes should be right in the middle between your bulking and your shredding macros. Check out the original formula I made myself on how to calculate your macros for each stage. Calculating Your Macros for Bodybuilding – How do You do It?
The reason that maintenance is in the Summer months is because that is the time when people want to spend time outside, maybe at the pool, the beach, anywhere where you can wear your swimsuit. It is in the perfect spot after shredding, because it is the time when you can take off your shirt and your muscles will be popping, the 6-pack will be rocking, and you’ll feel more proud of yourself than ever before because you put in the work. And that body you worked hard for? You earned it!
And then the whole cycle all starts all over again with bulking in October.
Remember…
In order for the process to be a success, you have to train on top of your eating. If you eat all the right foods but don’t train, you won’t get the results you’re dying to get. In fact, the nutrients you take in will be stored as unwanted fat. So you have to remember to get to the gym and train.
The eating takes up a large chunk of building a physique. Remember that old phrase, “You are what you eat?” Well, that phrase definitely applies when you’re making the ultimate body transformation, especially when you’re cutting. When you’re bulking, you don’t have to worry about it as much.
If you don’t get the results you were hoping for right away, don’t get discouraged. This whole thing is a journey. And trust me, the only way you won’t get the results you want is if you quit. Now, if you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up. But don’t make it a habit.
My Experience
In my experience with the 3 stages of bodybuilding, I gained 20 pounds in 3 months of bulking. I went from 200 pounds to 220 pounds. My body fat % stayed at 15%, which is very healthy for a male. When I switched to shredding, even though I was meeting my targets for my macros, my body weight and body fat % did not change. I could see a little bit of cuts coming in, but I still have a ways to go.
Closing Words
Now you learned how the different stages of bodybuilding work, how they stand out from one another, and why they’re in said order. I have struggled finding momentum to keep myself going with my fitness journey in the past, but now I’m locked in. I have been making sure I get to the gym and following my macro needs all year long. If I can do it, so can you!
What’s your experience with the 3 bodybuilding stages? Share your story in the comments!
So, are you ready? Grab your frying pan and LET’S GO INTO BATTLE!