Bodybuilding - Bulking Up On a Budget

Being a recent graduate from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!), I’m lucky enough to have a job, but I would still classify myself as a poor college student (with loans, rent, bills, the usual stuff) trying to survive in the world of bodybuilding. It’s not impossible to bulk on a budget—you just gotta be smart about what you’re putting in your body so that you’re not wasting any efforts as well as the money that you’re trying to save! Below is my big 3 rules for bulking on a budget:

1. Carbs are King—the first thing you should be thinking about is how to get clean sources of carbs into your diet when bulking.  Dried carbs are usually the cheapest; minute brown rice (or white for that matter, depending on which one is cheaper), rolled oats, wheat germ, etc.  Check out discount deals on white and sweet potatoes during the week as well.

1. Beans and Beef will be your Best friends—buying chicken breast can get pricey at times; and if you’re a penny pincher like me, steak comes once in a blue moon in the form of “Manager’s Special”.  I like to  have chicken for 2-3 of my meals, but one of my go-to meals is ground beef with beans and some tomatoes or salsa—the poor man’s chili…packed with protein and fiber, you’re pretty much forced to get bigger eating like this!

1. To answer the question, the EGG comes before the chicken—in this case anyways.  Like I said, chicken breasts can be expensive, and you might not want the poor man’s chili first thing in the morning.  Eggs when bought in bulk can be one of the cheapest forms of protein you can get, as well as the most versatile.  Boil them up for easy access, scramble them in the morning for breakfast, throw the whites in a shake, have brinner (breakfast for dinner); honestly the possibilities are endless with these lil baby chickens.

Hope y’all found this information useful.  If you did, or if you have any other money saving tips for people trying bulk on a budget, leave a comment below or send me a tweet: @DANIMAL_Beast Danny Quach is a graduate of the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) where he got his Bachelors of Science in Health Promotion and Behavior.  He is currently a corporate fitness and wellness coach as well as a wellness coach.  Having a background in powerlifting, he currently holds some records for USAPL Georgia in the raw junior divisions.  He took the leap to do a bodybuilding show in the Summer of 2011 and has been hooked ever since.  He's competed in many different natural federations, most notably placing 1st in the Novice Division as well as earning "Best Poser" in NANBF's Excelsior Classic in the Summer of 2012.  Goals and plans for Danny include competing in naturally sanctioned NPC shows and earning an IFPA pro card in the near future.