Diet plan for bulking improves an athlete’s performance. I would be telling you a lie if I told you that there was a perfect diet for bulking and losing fat and that everyone who sticks to such a diet would succeed. However, I will tell you about the most common diets for bulking and what’s wrong and right about them.
Key Points On Bulking
- The bulk phase – the big feed. Bulk it out then lean up with a cut.
- To smash the bulk phase, you need to train like you mean it and feed like you need it.
- Bulking isn’t about eating as much, of whatever you want. It’s about feeding the muscle growth. Check out our top nutrition tips to support your bulking diet.
- Try the Maximuscle 4 week bulking diet plan.
Packing on lean muscle is tough for even the most seasoned athlete. Not only does your training have to be strict and well-structured around hypertrophy, your diet also needs to support your body as it grows.
To help themselves grow, most bodybuilders will perform a bulking and cutting cycle. The bulking stage focuses on packing on as much mass as possible. Time frames vary, but the plan below is for a four-week bulk – perfect for adding extra mass before a holiday.
However, to pack on size you need to be eating healthy food, and a lot of it. To help, use an online calorie calculator to work out what your calorie ‘maintenance’ is – which is the calorie intake you need to eat each day to maintain your weight. This will vary based on your height, weight, age and activity status. Typically, the guidelines state 2500 calories for men and 2000 calories for women. But in addition, you’ll need to add extra calories to ensure that you are feeding the growth. You should start with a surplus of +20%, (approximately 500 calories).
When you’re eating a surplus, your body will be able to use the extra energy (carbohydrate, protein and fat) to train harder and build muscle. An increase in calories goes hand-in-hand with an increase in muscle mass – but only if you eat the right food, i.e. packing in the protein. Speaking of training, click here for our Winter Bulk workout, to help get you started.
We’ve put together some nutritional information and some examples of foods to eat on your 4-week bulking diet, to help aid your bulking transformation and build a bigger body:
Hydration
When you’re bulking, you’ll need to keep yourself well hydrated. 1.5 – 2 litres per day or 6-8 glasses of water. To increase your caloric intake, you could also drink milk for additional protein – a perfect evening drink before bed to keep that protein synthesis in the black. You could consider a product such as Micellar Casein, for a tasty slow releasing protein powder. Fruit juices can add extra sugar which can be useful post-workout, but limit this to once or twice per week.
Carbohydrate
Unlike a cut, where you need to cut down on carbohydrates, those on a bulk can and should enjoy plenty of carbs. Hence, the harder you can train, the more likely you are to build mass. Stick to wholegrains as opposed to processed refined carbs which quickly spike blood sugar and can be stored as fat.
However, post-training simple carbohydrates are useful. They quickly spike insulin levels – and insulin increases protein synthesis and decreases muscle breakdown.
Protein
Protein is the key nutrient when it comes to bulking transformations, as it’s the nutrient responsible for supporting lean muscle development. On a bulk, every meal should contain protein and you should aim for 2g per kg of bodyweight per day.
Fat
Time to debunk the fat myth! Fat is energy dense and should be a firm part of your diet. It goes without saying of course, to limit the saturated or trans fat but bulk out the healthy fats – if you don’t already, grab for the peanut butter, nuts, avocado, coconut oil, oily fish.
Supplements
On a bulk, it can be tough to eat the excess calories when you don’t have an appetite. Thankfully, there are certain supplements that make life far easier. Mass gainers such as Progain or Progain Extreme can be just the support you need, as they can add calories to your diet without the need to force down a meal.
Creatine is another great supplement and is suited to our 4-week bulk. Your first week is a loading phase and the following 3 are ‘maintenance.’ Creatine helps aid short bursts of high intensity exercise, which means you can lift a little harder, which in turn increases hypertrophy. Creatine monohydrate could be added to any drink, such as a fruit juice or protein shake.
Meal Frequency
One of the fastest ways to increase mass is to increase the frequency of your meals. It’s easy to stomach and enjoy six to eight small meals per day than it is to pack all your calories into three. Eat more, more often, that’s the key to packing on the bulk!
Calorie Needs and Macronutrients
The goal for competitive bodybuilders is to increase muscle mass in the bulking phase and reduce body fat in the cutting phase. Hence, you consume more calories in the bulking phase than in the cutting phase.
How Many Calories Do You Need?
The easiest way to determine how many calories you need is to weigh yourself at least three times a week and record what you eat using a calorie tracking app.
If your weight stays the same, the daily number of calories you eat is your maintenance calories — in other words, you’re not losing or gaining weight, but maintaining it.
During your bulking phase, it’s recommended to increase your calorie intake by 15%. For example, if your maintenance calories are 3,000 per day, you should eat 3,450 calories per day (3,000 x 0.15 = 450) during your bulking phase.
When transitioning from a bulking to a cutting phase, you would instead decrease your maintenance calories by 15%, meaning you would eat 2,550 calories per day instead of 3,450.
As you gain weight in the bulking phase or lose weight in the cutting phase, you will need to adjust your calorie intake at least monthly to account for changes in your weight.
Increase your calories as you gain weight in the bulking phase and decrease your calories as you lose weight in the cutting phase for continued progression.
During either phase, it’s recommended not to lose or gain more than 0.5–1% of your body weight per week. This ensures that you don’t lose too much muscle during the cutting phase or gain too much body fat during the bulking phase.
Macronutrient Ratio
Once you establish the number of calories you need, you can determine your macronutrient ratio, which is the ratio between your protein, carbohydrate and fat intake.
Unlike the difference in your calorie needs between the bulking and cutting phase, your macronutrient ratio does not change.
Protein and carbs contain four calories per gram, and fat contains nine.
It’s recommended that you get:
- 30–35% of your calories from protein
- 55–60% of your calories from carbs
- 15–20% of your calories from fat
Here’s an example of the ratio for both a bulking and cutting phase:
| Bulking phase | Cutting phase | |
| Calories | 3,450 | 2,550 |
| Protein (grams) | 259–302 | 191–223 |
| Carbs (grams) | 474–518 | 351–383 |
| Fat (grams) | 58–77 | 43–57 |
These are general guidelines, so its best to consult with a registered dietitian to determine your individual needs based on your goals to make sure your diet is nutritionally adequate.
5 Bulking Foods
Just because you’re trying to gain weight doesn’t mean that you should load up on ice cream, cookies, chips, and milkshakes. Of course it’s fine to indulge from time to time, but making a habit of it can lead to low energy, physical ailments, and eventually chronic disease.
Instead, pack your day with good quality protein, healthy fats, whole carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables. Eating well will help give you energy to fuel your workouts and get you feeling your best
PROTEIN
1. EGGS
Eggs are considered a gold standard when it comes to protein. This is because they contain all of the essential amino acids (protein building blocks).
Eggs are highly bioavailable — digested, absorbed, and utilized efficiently by your body. As quoted in the Essentials of Food Science book, eggs have a biological value of 100%.
2. NUTS AND SEEDS
Nuts and seeds are nature’s perfect portable snack, especially when you’re trying to gain. They contain heart healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Keep them on hand to prevent an emergency situation when you don’t have something to eat. For some extra calories, aim for the versions that have been oiled. Limit the ones with salt, unless you’re sweating a lot and need the extra sodium.
3. BEEF
Beef gets a bad wrap for being fatty and leading to cardiovascular disease. But the trick with beef, is to have it in moderation, and eat the good quality cuts.
Some red meats are high in saturated fat which could increase blood cholesterol. However, new research has been showing conflicting results. To be safe, the American Heart Association recommends reducing saturated fat to no more than 5-6% of total calories, if you have high cholesterol.
Aim for grass-fed versions whenever possible because these contain more heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. And avoid the processed versions such as highly processed jerky and deli meats. Crowd Cow, in particular, has an excellent selection of grass-fed options that you can try — they can even deliver straight to your doorstep!
4. BEANS
Beans, beans are good for your heart; and also for hardgainers. They’re packed with nutrients such as iron, potassium, zinc, and folate. They’re also rich in plant-based protein and fiber.
If you’re new to beans, incorporate them slowly and drink plenty of water. This is because it can take your tummy some time to adjust to more fiber.
Depending on the type of bean, one cup contains about 200-300 calories. To make them even easier to eat, mash or blend them up.
5. YOGURT
Yogurt not only provides your gut with a boost of healthy bacteria, it’s also rich in good quality protein for muscles.
The variety of choices out there can be confusing. But if you’re looking to gain weight, go for the full-fat versions. Avoid the ones with lower fat contents (unless you have high cholesterol or heart health concerns) because these often contain added sugars to replace the fat.
Yogurt makes for an excellent snack with some fruit and nuts. It’s also a perfect base for a home-made smoothie or shake.
Bodybuilding Nutrition: Foods to Eat and Avoid
Like training, diet is a vital part of bodybuilding.
Eating the right foods in the appropriate amounts provides your muscles with the nutrients they need to recover from workouts and grow bigger and stronger.
Conversely, consuming the wrong foods or not consuming enough of the right ones will leave you with subpar results.
Here are foods you should focus on and foods to limit or avoid:
Foods to Focus On
The foods you eat don’t need to differ between the bulking and cutting phase — usually, it’s the amounts that do.
Foods to eat include:
- Meats, poultry and fish: Sirloin steak, ground beef, pork tenderloin, venison, chicken breast, salmon, tilapia and cod.
- Dairy: Yogurt, cottage cheese, low-fat milk and cheese.
- Grains: Bread, cereal, crackers, oatmeal, quinoa, popcorn and rice.
- Fruits: Oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, pears, peaches, watermelon and berries.
- Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, corn, green peas, green lima beans and cassava.
- Vegetables: Broccoli, spinach, leafy salad greens, tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, asparagus, peppers and mushrooms.
- Seeds and nuts: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds.
- Beans and legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, black beans and pinto beans.
- Oils: Olive oil, flaxseed oil and avocado oil.
Foods to Limit
While you should include a variety of foods in your diet, there are some you should limit.
These include:
- Alcohol: Alcohol can negatively affect your ability to build muscle and lose fat, especially if you consume it in excess.
- Added sugars: These offer plenty of calories but few nutrients. Foods high in added sugars include candy, cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, cake and sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda and sports drinks.
- Deep-fried foods: These may promote inflammation and — when consumed in excess — disease. Examples include fried fish, french fries, onion rings, chicken strips and cheese curds .
In addition to limiting these, you may also want to avoid certain foods before going to the gym that can slow digestion and cause stomach upset during your workout.
These include:
- High-fat foods: High-fat meats, buttery foods and heavy sauces or creams.
- High-fiber foods: Beans and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower.
- Carbonated beverages: Sparkling water or diet soda.
One-Week Sample Menu
The diets of bodybuilders are commonly described as restrictive, repetitive and boring.
Traditional bodybuilding diets typically contain limited food selections and little variety among and within food groups, which can lead to an inadequate intake of essential minerals and vitamins.
For this reason, it’s important to incorporate variety into your diet to ensure your nutritional needs are being met — especially during a cutting phase when you eat limited calories.
Each meal and snack should contain 20–30 grams of protein to optimally support muscle building.
When you’re in a bulking phase, your food intake will be much higher than when you’re in a cutting phase.
You can enjoy the same foods in the cutting phase that you would when bulking — just in smaller portions.
Here is a sample one-week bodybuilding menu:
Monday
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with mushrooms and oatmeal.
- Snack: Low-fat cottage cheese with blueberries.
- Lunch: Venison burger, white rice and broccoli.
- Snack: Protein shake and a banana.
- Dinner: Salmon, quinoa and asparagus.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Protein pancakes with light-syrup, peanut butter and raspberries.
- Snack: Hard-boiled eggs and an apple.
- Lunch: Sirloin steak, sweet potato and spinach salad with vinaigrette.
- Snack: Protein shake and walnuts.
- Dinner: Ground turkey and marinara sauce over pasta.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: Chicken sausage with egg and roasted potatoes.
- Snack: Greek yogurt and almonds.
- Lunch: Turkey breast, basmati rice and mushrooms.
- Snack: Protein shake and grapes.
- Dinner: Mackerel, brown rice and salad leaves with vinaigrette.
Thursday
- Breakfast: Ground turkey, egg, cheese and salsa in a whole-grain tortilla.
- Snack: Yogurt with granola.
- Lunch: Chicken breast, baked potato, sour cream and broccoli.
- Snack: Protein shake and mixed berries.
- Dinner: Stir-fry with chicken, egg, brown rice, broccoli, peas and carrots.
Friday
- Breakfast: Blueberries, strawberries and vanilla Greek yogurt on overnight oats.
- Snack: Jerky and mixed nuts.
- Lunch: Tilapia fillets with lime juice, black and pinto beans and seasonal veggies.
- Snack: Protein shake and watermelon.
- Dinner: Ground beef with corn, brown rice, green peas and green beans.
Saturday
- Breakfast: Ground turkey and egg with corn, bell peppers, cheese and salsa.
- Snack: Can of tuna with crackers.
- Lunch: Tilapia fillet, potato wedges and bell peppers.
- Snack: Protein shake and pear.
- Dinner: Diced beef with rice, black beans, bell peppers, cheese and pico de gallo.
Sunday
- Breakfast: Eggs sunny-side up and avocado toast.
- Snack: Protein balls and almond butter.
- Lunch: Pork tenderloin slices with roasted garlic potatoes and green beans.
- Snack: Protein shake and strawberries.
- Dinner: Turkey meatballs, marinara sauce and parmesan cheese over pasta.