The ideal bulking strategy is to focus on whole foods and eat as healthily as possible, while increasing your carbohydrate intake and preferably consuming more protein as well.
However, depending on your bulking style—whether you are focusing on a slow bulk or a dirty bulk—you can incorporate fast foods like McDonald’s.
There are also alternatives to McDonald’s that can provide the same caloric and protein content, while being healthier options that will not sabotage your progress and results.
Let’s dive deeper into the topic and find out whether McDonald’s is good for bulking, including its advantages and disadvantages, effects on the body and health, and healthier alternatives that could be a great fit for you.
Is McDonald’s Good for Bulking?
Fast foods like McDonald’s are full of trans fats, processed carbohydrates, refined sugars, and dozens of additives that can negatively affect your health.
You may have noticed that after eating fast food like McDonald’s, your stomach can feel heavy, making you more tired or less functional.
To answer whether McDonald’s is good for bulking, the short answer is no, as eating fast food often will result in more fat accumulation than lean muscle.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a Big Mac every now and then, but the key is moderation so you don’t sabotage your results. Let’s discuss how fast food like McDonald’s affects your bulk, whether you’re doing a lean or dirty bulk.
Lean vs Dirty Bulk
Lean bulk and dirty bulk are two popular approaches when trying to gain weight, but there is a significant difference between them. We can also say that lean bulk is stricter than dirty bulk, so eating fast food like McDonald’s would be less permissible during a lean bulk than during a dirty bulk.
- Lean Bulk – A lean bulk occurs when you eat slightly above your calorie maintenance. For example, eating 300-500 calories more than your maintenance can be considered a lean bulk.
- Dirty Bulk – A dirty bulk is when you consume more than 800 calories over your maintenance. During a dirty bulk, people may even eat over 1,000+ calories above their daily maintenance.
As you can see, there is a significant difference in calorie consumption between a lean and dirty bulk. Naturally, a dirty bulk comes with the cost of a higher fat accumulation percentage compared to a lean bulk.
When doing a lean bulk, you have more time to review and evaluate your progress. You can clearly see how you’re gaining and whether you like the direction you’re headed.
On the other hand, a dirty bulk progresses quickly. You will gain weight rapidly, and it’s easy for the bulk to get out of hand. Therefore, you need to be mindful of your weight gain and the foods you’re consuming.
During a dirty bulk, many people eat fast foods like McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, and others. Overconsumption is more common than you’d think, and many people end up getting fat instead of bulking effectively.
Fast foods are a big reason for this, as they contain trans fats, refined sugars, low-quality protein (often injected with soy), and processed carbohydrates, which can disrupt your hormonal balance and cause weight gain instead of lean muscle development.
With a lean bulk, since you’re only slightly above your daily calorie maintenance, it’s harder to lose control. You have more control over the process, gain less fat, and build more lean muscle.
In both instances, it is crucial to stay mindful of the foods you eat, as they will determine how well you gain weight. Ideally, you should track your progress by taking pictures and appropriate measurements, for example, with an app like Workit.
How Much Fast Food During a Bulk?
This is a good question, as it is important to know how much fast food is allowed during a bulk.
First of all, everyone is unique, and every body handles weight gain differently. Some might store fat in the belly area, while others may accumulate it in their legs, arms, or even cheeks and chin.
To properly understand how bulking food affects you, it’s essential to take measurements along with progress pictures, ideally using an app like Workit.
The golden rule of 80/20 refers to eating healthy foods 80% of the time, focusing on protein-rich and whole foods, while 20% of the time, you can enjoy the foods you love, but in moderation.
If you’re doing a dirty bulk, it can be okay to eat a little junk food, but definitely less than 20%. You will see better results if you ‘healthify’ your junk food cravings by recreating them at home or finding healthier substitutes that satisfy you without harming your body as much.
So, to answer your question about how much fast food you can eat during a bulk, we recommend following the 80/20 rule. However, try to eat junk food in moderation, as the less you consume, the better your bulk will be.
The Bulking Foods At McDonald’s
If you decide to eat at McDonald’s to meet your bulking goals, it is better to focus on healthier options and avoid foods like Chicken McNuggets and French fries. Instead, focus on healthier options.
You can eat burgers like the Big Mac, Cheeseburgers, Big Tasty, etc., but there are ways to make McDonald’s burgers healthier by removing certain ingredients.
The healthiest burger you can make at McDonald’s is a double or triple Cheeseburger, where you remove ingredients like pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard.
Simply put, eating a plain cheeseburger that contains only the bun, beef, cheese, and salt is the healthiest option. To make it extra tasty, you can ask for added cheese and salt, ensuring that your burger is freshly assembled and tastes better.
You can also experiment with your own versions of burgers and try them out—we promise they taste extra good.
McDonald’s Alternatives
You can make your favorite burger at home with store-bought or homemade ingredients, and it will definitely match or even exceed the calorie and protein content of your favorite fast food joint.
You can look up simple burger recipes, as they are easy to make, take less than 20 minutes, and taste amazing. You can also access hundreds of recipes in Workit for FREE. All the recipes are super easy and take less than 20 minutes to make.
So, if you’re feeling hungry or having trouble meeting your daily calorie requirements, download Workit to access tasty recipes and meal plans.
Alternatively, there are other ways to help you ramp up your calorie and protein intake. If you’re working out and bulking, you might already have whey protein at home. With whey, you can make simple smoothie shakes that provide an easy 500 calories and 30g of protein.
For example, if you add a scoop of whey to a smoothie made of bananas, peanut butter, milk, and honey, you’ll have a very easy 500 calories in liquid form, which are easier to consume.
Conclusion
So, is McDonald’s good for bulking? The answer is no, but can you enjoy a Big Mac every now and then? Absolutely yes.
Since fast food and junk food generally contain a lot of refined sugars, processed carbs, trans fats, and low-quality protein, they largely contribute to fat accumulation instead of lean muscle gains.
If possible, you should aim to limit your fast food intake and focus on high-quality protein, healthy carbs, and whole foods. You can also recreate your favorite burgers at home, which will be healthier, tastier, and have a better nutritional profile.
You can also access hundreds of healthy recipes in Workit and request personalized nutrition plans where you can track your daily calorie and protein intake, as well as your burn.
If you need help properly structuring and executing your bulk, Workit is an ideal tool. You can log your progress pictures along with measurements to track how much weight you’re gaining and how effectively you’re progressing.