What are mini bulks?

Mini bulks are a bodybuilding strategy that involves shorter periods of increased calorie intake to build muscle, followed by mini cuts, where calories are reduced to lose fat. This cycle helps avoid excessive fat gain during bulking phases and excessive muscle loss during cutting phases, aiming for more optimized and sustained muscle growth. Studies have shown that shorter cycles of bulking and cutting can result in more muscle gain and less fat gain compared to longer traditional bulking and cutting periods.

In practice, mini bulks usually last for a few weeks, after which a mini cut of shorter duration follows to shed any unwanted fat gained during the bulk. This approach is praised not only for its effectiveness in physical transformation but also for its psychological benefits, preventing the tediousness associated with prolonged dietary phases and maintaining motivation and metabolic responsiveness 1 2.