Should I Buy Clothes While Bulking? (4 Factors to Consider)

A fantastic and very topical question, “Should I Buy Clothes While Bulking?”

There are many things that most people want to know about bulking.

However, it’s not until you’ve actually been through a bulking phase yourself that you realise how sensible a question this is.

I mean, the main aim of a bulk is to put on weight and add muscle mass to your frame.

So, it stands to reason that your current wardrobe won’t fit as well, or does it?

Allow me to reveal all.

Should I Buy Clothes While Bulking?

You shouldn’t have to buy new clothes specifically for bulking. Realistically, lean bulking takes a lot of time, and when done correctly you’re unlikely to add more than 2-3lbs of muscle mass per month. Most people should be able to fit comfortably into the same clothes with a 10lb muscle gain. However, if you are struggling to fit into the same clothes after just a few weeks you’re probably not bulking correctly, i.e. you are gaining more fat than muscle.

1. Bulking Shouldn’t Happen That Quickly

I think many of us have delusions of grandeur when it comes to bulking.

By this I mean that we start off with a fairly decent physique, typically lean with some good muscle mass.

However, we then expect to eat everything in sight, hit PRs in the gym daily, and suddenly a month later we’ve transformed into Dwayne Johnson’s long-lost twin.

Time for a wake up call – it simply doesn’t work like that.

In fact, bulking is a long, slow, and arduous process.

And this is especially true if you’re doing it correctly.

Realistically, your aim shouldn’t be to add more than 0.5lb lean muscle mass per week.

Okay, I know that probably sounds pathetic.

But, this adds up to 26lbs over the course of a year.

And trust me when I say that ANYONE who adds 26lbs of lean muscle mass to their frame will completely transform their physique.

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So, if you’re one week into your bulking phase and your clothes are already starting to feel tight, you’re doing it wrong (more on this in a moment).

In fact, you should still be able to fit perfectly well into your current clothes even with a 10lb lean muscle gain.

And working on the 0.5lb per week gains theory, that’s 20 weeks to get to that point.

Admittedly, once you’re into the realms of 15-20lbs PLUS in lean muscle gains then your clothes are definitely going to start to feel tighter.

However, that is 30-40 weeks into the future.

I would hazard a guess that most of us naturally buy more items of clothing during a 30-40 week period anyway.

Plus, we’ll typically have a complete wardrobe overhaul after another 30-40 weeks.

So, if you’ve just started your bulk then you still have a long time to go before you start worrying about whether your clothes fit.

2. Are You Bulking in the Right Places?

I’ve alluded to the fact that you could potentially be bulking incorrectly.

In fact, this is unfortunately the path that the vast majority of bulkers seem to follow.

Basically, food becomes a free-for-all, as in you literally eat everything in sight.

I mean, the aim of a bulk is obviously to put weight on.

However, in truth, bulking is actually about slowly adding muscle mass, while keeping fat gain to the bare minimum.

Admittedly, if you’re eating at a calorie surplus then you may end up adding fat as well as muscle.

But realistically, if you’re following the correct protocol this should be hardly noticeable.

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If you’re putting on fat as a guy this is likely to be around the waist, lower back, and hips.

Whereas for a woman, you may find that your bras are tighter, and you’ll typically add fat to the hips, thighs and glutes.

In other words, if you are mainly adding fat when you’re putting on weight you’re most likely to feel a tightness in your lower body.

It’ll be harder to slip into a pair of jeans.

Probably even more difficult to zip up your flies and do up that top button.

As I’ve mentioned, if you’re noticing these difficulties after just a few weeks then you’re definitely doing bulking wrong.

Okay, you may eventually find that shirts and tops become tighter, but once again this shouldn’t be an issue for over 6 months.

So, if you are struggling to get into your clothes within a short space of time I urge you to relook at how you’re bulking.

3. Do You Need a Bulking & Cutting Wardrobe?

I’ve noticed on various online fitness forums that the question of whether you should have a separate bulking and cutting wardrobe is often asked.

However, if this is the case, then once more you’re not doing it right.

Okay, I’ll admit that if you are specifically cutting and bulking for competitive purposes then your weight can fluctuate wildly.

It’s not unheard-of for a competitive bodybuilder to put on 40-50lbs during the off-season.

But, if you’re not a pro-bodybuilder your weight definitely shouldn’t be so interchangeable.

In fact, in many of the forum conversations that I read it seems that most lifters were on a constant cut and bulk cycle.

By this I mean that they were bulking for around 3-4 weeks, putting on a great deal of fat, so they would cut for 2-3 weeks, before returning to bulking again.

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As I’ve mentioned numerous times, this is not how you should be doing it.

Yes, you will eventually need a new wardrobe as you add muscle mass.

But, as I say, this is probably 6-12 months down the line.

Plus, if you are constantly swapping in-between bulking and cutting cycles you certainly won’t be doing your health much good.

My advice is stop thinking about making massive, sweeping changes when it comes to bulking.

Take your time, aim to add not much more than 0.5lbs a week, and you won’t have to worry about constantly changing your wardrobe.

4. What Clothes Do You Prefer Wearing?

I guess the type of clothes you prefer wearing will also make a big difference to your requirement for a new wardrobe.

If you’re someone who likes wearing sweatpants and hoodies then you don’t really have much to worry about.

You know as well as me that casual wear typically offers a lot more give-and-take.

With that being said, if you’re wearing suits during the day and prefer to be in jeans and dress shirts at other times then things are a bit different.

However, I’ll reiterate that this realistically shouldn’t be a problem for a good few months if you’re bulking correctly.

A commonly-asked question is whether you should buy clothes that are slightly larger in order to fit into these as you get bigger yourself.

Personally, I would always recommend that you buy clothes that fit you now.

Remember, the aim is not to make huge changes, and the clothes you buy now should easily still fit you in a few months’ time.

Additionally, even most smart and smart-casual clothing now comes in stretch fit material.

This means that the clothes are meant to hug your body.

So, even if you do get ever so slightly bigger, your clothes will stretch in line with your gains.

Bulking Up and Larger Clothing

Final Thoughts

So, hopefully you can see that it isn’t necessary to buy clothes while bulking.

Realistically, your aim should be to add lean muscle mass and minimal body fat.

Therefore, you should plan to add approximately 0.5lbs a week.

Most of us will still be able to fit into the exact same clothes even with a 10lb muscle gain.

However, once you get into the realms of 15-20lbs muscle gain you’ll need to start looking at new clothes.

In other words, new clothes while bulking shouldn’t be a concern for at least 30-40 weeks, as long as you are bulking correctly.

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