1.
Treat bulking like a long-term investment. That means:
- Track calories, macros, body weight, and strength weekly.
- Plan progressive overload and caloric increases over months, not just days.
- Use periodization: cycle between lean bulks and mini-cuts to manage fat gain while still progressing.
2.
- Start with a calculated surplus: ~250–500 kcal over maintenance.
- Prioritize protein (0.8–1.0g/lb), but don't undercut carbs—they're your primary energy for heavy lifting and recovery.
- Monitor weight gain: Aim for ~0.25–0.5% of your body weight per week.
- Faster = more fat gain.
- Slower = leaner bulk.
3.
Lean bulking is about
nutrient-rich food that digests easily:
- Carbs: Rice, oats, bananas, sourdough, granola, fruit juices.
- Fats: Avocados, olive oil, whole eggs, nuts, fatty fish.
- Proteins: Beef, chicken thighs, salmon, Greek yogurt, whey.
- Combine: Ex. rice + eggs + avocado + ground beef = calorie bomb with a full amino acid profile.
4.
- Pre-workout (90 mins out): Protein + complex carb + sodium (e.g., turkey sandwich + banana + salt).
- Post-workout (within 1 hour): Fast carb + whey + some fats (e.g., shake with banana + whey + almond butter).
- Bedtime meal: Casein protein or slow-digesting food to support overnight recovery (e.g., cottage cheese + peanut butter).
5.
These aren’t magic, but they
optimize your effort:
- Creatine monohydrate (5g/day): Supports strength and cell volumization.
- Whey protein: Helps you hit protein goals without excess volume.
- Digestive enzymes/probiotics: Aid nutrient absorption and reduce GI stress.
- Vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc: Support hormonal balance (especially testosterone).
️6.
- Focus on compound lifts: squat, bench, deadlift, OHP, weighted pull-ups, rows.
- Use progressive overload religiously—more reps, more weight, more sets.
- Incorporate volume blocks (8–12 reps) and intensity blocks (4–6 reps) to challenge muscle in different ways.
- Train legs hard—big legs drive systemic growth via hormonal response.
7.
- You don’t grow in the gym—you grow in sleep.
- 7–9 hours quality sleep per night.
- Take rest days seriously; overtraining kills gains faster than under-eating.
8.
- Eat, train, recover, daily—don’t let the weekends become calorie black holes or training voids.
- One bad day won’t ruin progress, but a pattern of inconsistency will.
9.
- If digestion is suffering, lower food volume and increase density.
- If you're not hungry, focus on liquid calories and smaller, frequent meals.
- If you're gaining too much fat, mini-cut for 2–3 weeks, then resume.
10.
- Food scale + MyFitnessPal or Cronometer = control over intake.
- Training log = data-driven progress.
- Weekly progress photos + measurements = more honest tracking than weight alone.
