Dirty Bulk Results:
21 Days, Tested
Everyone in the gym says "bulking season." My brother and my sister, both college athletes, use the phrase constantly, and when I ask what they eat it's processed food and a protein powder with about 50 ingredients. So I asked a simple question: is a dirty bulk really the best way to gain muscle, and is it even healthy? I tested it for 21 days while I was working on the ship, then got a blood test to see what it did to me.
The strength numbers, my weight, and the full blood test walkthrough are in the video.
What is a dirty bulk?
Bulking season is a period, usually in winter, where you eat roughly 500 calories over maintenance, mostly protein, and lift as heavy as you can to build muscle fast. After about three months you "cut" to burn off the extra fat and keep some of the muscle. The dirty version drops the food rules: it doesn't matter whether the protein comes from lean chicken, fried chicken, beef jerky, protein powder, or a couple of McDoubles. Hit the number.
The rules I set
- Eat a high daily protein target, about 142 grams, no matter where it comes from
- Work out every day and actually try to get stronger
I kept my usual lifting program: a three-day rotation of back and biceps, chest and triceps, then legs and shoulders, with cardio and abs about every other day. Most days I landed between roughly 142 and 181 grams of protein, so I was usually over the target.
How it felt
Bad, honestly. In week one I was tired after breakfast, tired after lunch, tired after dinner, and low on energy in the gym. Normally on the ship I skip breakfast, drink black coffee, and eat a big lunch and a lighter dinner. Here I was eating three meals plus snacks all day and feeling like I was constantly overeating. I said in the video I'd rather go back and do a 7-day water fast again, and by week three I still felt like I was overeating. A practical problem too: on a ship you eat what the galley has, so I couldn't shop for what I wanted.
My results after 21 days
- Strength: I did get stronger, but at the same rate I was getting stronger before the challenge. Of course I got stronger, I was lifting. It didn't come any faster, and my workouts were worse because I felt tired. I called it a neutral.
- Weight: I finished two pounds lighter. Not much of a bulk.
- Blood test: I used Function Health, which I paid about $500 a year for. Of the markers it tested, 97 were in range and 7 were out of range. My triglycerides were high, which can mean too much fat in the blood. My total cholesterol of 191 was technically in range, but the HDL and LDL numbers weren't where you'd want them, and my read was that the bulk put me at higher risk.
Keep in mind what this is: one person, three weeks, one blood draw, on a ship with limited food choices. It's a data point, not a study.
What I think after doing it
My hypothesis going in, and the opinion I came out with, is that you can probably build muscle faster by eating nutrient-dense, unprocessed food and lifting heavier for fewer reps than by dirty bulking and then cutting. My reasoning is that the higher your body fat, the slower your muscle recovery, so staying lean means you can recover faster and hit the gym harder. That's my argument, not settled science, so make up your own mind. I don't see a version of this where gaining fat is a good deal.
FAQ
Is a dirty bulk worth it? Not for me: same strength gains as usual, worse workouts, a weight drop, and a blood test I didn't love.
Is it unhealthy? My bloodwork after 21 days had seven out-of-range markers, including high triglycerides. One test isn't a diagnosis, so see a doctor if you're thinking about changing how you eat.
Keep reading
- Can You Get Strong at Planet Fitness? — my 100-day attempt at a 1,000 lb total
- David Dobrik 75 Day Challenge Review — the app, the workouts, the $25 a month
I'm a YouTuber in Charleston, South Carolina. I played college baseball, have lifted for years, and film my experiments myself so you can see what actually happens. More about me.
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