“Will increasing the protein content of my diet make me bulk up?”  I hear this A LOT, both because I work for a company that makes protein powder and because I’m a woman.  I’m not saying that men don’t potentially have the same misconception, but the idea that increased dietary protein will lead to huge muscles isn’t always a negative for men, where it is almost always perceived as a negative for women. For the purpose of this discussion, “bulking up” means  gains in muscle mass as opposed to gains in fat mass. This distinction is important because while both involve increases in total caloric intake, gaining substantial muscle mass also involves alterations to both your frequency and type of strength training.  First, let’s talk about why there may be the claim that protein supplementation leads to bulk, and then address why this claim is a misconception.  While we’re at