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Is pizza good for bulking? A lot of people say it’s not, but I’m going to tell you why I think it is and how you can make sure that your pizza intake doesnt have to derail your fitness goals.
Pizza is one of the most popular foods in America and with good reason too: It tastes amazing! But, like every food we eat too much of (or at all) there can be negative effects. The question is this is pizza good for bulking and can it really be a good option for those of us looking to bulk up our frames and add muscle?
Table of Contents
- What Is the Definition of Bulking?
- The Breakdown – Is Pizza Good For Bulking?
- How Pizza Can Be Good For Bulking?
- Think about the toppings
- The Problem With Pepperoni
- Is Pizza Good For Bulking? – Conclusion
What Is the Definition of Bulking?
Bulking is the idea of adding body weight for the purpose of building more lean mass. It typically starts off with eating above maintenance level calories and progressively bringing those calories up as time goes on to push your body into a state where it can build muscle easier.
The Breakdown – Is Pizza Good For Bulking?
So is pizza good for bulking? Let’s look at calories first: A slice of cheese pizza typically comes in around 250 calories and a slice of pepperoni usually is about 325. If we ate just one 12″ pizza then we would be looking at roughly 1000 calories and that’s not even taking into account a side dish of garlic bread, which can add up to quite a few more hundred depending on how big your slice of bread is.
So its safe to say that if you choose to eat pizza then you’ll be getting quite a few more calories than your standard diet plan. So the calorie content of it is good for bulking that’s obvious, but because there are so many fats in the meats and dairy products being used, this could mean adding some bad weight around your mid section which could hurt your overall symmetry and goal.
The fats in pizza are saturated fats which is definitely not what you want to see if you’re trying to build more lean mass. These saturated fats can also lead to increased LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and decreased HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).
Now I don’t want to totally discount the benefits of eating pizza during your bulk, because it can definitely provide some positive aspects to it…
How Pizza Can Be Good For Bulking?
The idea is to not treat carbs like they’re evil: Carbs in and of themselves are not bad for us they contain energy. The problem comes when they’re consumed in larger than normal quantities. If we’re talking about pretty much anything other than vegetables and fruits, these carbs will be converted into sugars in our system and can lead to weight gain (the bad way).
So if you’re going to have a pizza, go with a thin crust. The thicker the crust the more of that flour-y bready stuff there is! Another tip for people looking to bulk up is that if you’re going to choose to go with a thicker crust, do not go with the stuffed crust. This is where they’ve taken strips of dough and folded it around the cheese, so you’re basically getting twice as much flour! And of course if you can avoid added oils and greasy meats that’s even better.
Think about the toppings
Now for our discussion on protein: Protein in itself is important to help repair and build muscle. So any foods that are rich in protein are great for bulking and building that lean muscle to your frame as you train!
Pizza can be a great source of protein, a basic pizza made with mozarella cheese is going to have good protein, but it’s also not a bad idea to add toppings that have good quality protein, think about adding chicken breast or beef to your pizza. If your pizza is vegan or vegetarian you can add extra tofu or even black beans.
The great thing with pizza toppings is you can be creative and add a whole bunch of stuff, as long as you check the label you can be sure to get lots of healthy nutrients added to your pizza.
The Problem With Pepperoni
Pepperoni is a popular option , but my problem with pepperoni is it has zero fiber and is very greasy and fatty, so try to go outside of your comfort zone and experiment with your ingredients, try to go for pizza topping ingredients that have a little more nutrients to your pizza.
Is Pizza Good For Bulking? – Conclusion
So is pizza good for bulking? It can be, but it definitely all comes down to moderation. Dont just go for any pizza, think about what base you go for and what toppings you choose and how much you eat. Pizza can be a great addition to your bulking diet, just don’t go overboard!
