In this blog post you’re going to get a proven bulk up diet plan that really works!
Bulking up and gaining muscular bodyweight is actually very simple. But most guys over think things and make the process more complicated than it needs to be.
The main reason for this is because we have so much information coming at us these days. With a few clicks of a mouse you can have access to thousands of websites, videos, and social media fitness gurus all telling you the “Best” program to follow.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of good quality bodybuilding information online. But there is also a lot of BS, hype, and folks who think they know more than they actually do.
I feel fortunate that I started my bodybuilding journey back in 1990 before the days of the Internet. This allowed me time to study and apply training and nutrition information at a much more manageable pace. Not only that, but the quality of information that was available back then was generally better because it had to came from a reputable source, not just any Joe Blow with Internet access.
The ironic thing that you’ll discover these days when searching for bodybuilding information online is that very often those who “talk the most, know the least”.
Social media outlets are flooded with eager young lifters who just started working out and are full of piss and vinegar.
They’ll jump in and shoot their mouth off (or type their fingers off) telling you everything they know based on their few months in the gym. While bitching and complaining about how wrong everyone else is that contradicts their narrow minded point of view.
The biggest challenge that you have when searching online is not finding information, because there is LOTS of it out there. But you have to determine if the source of the information you’re reading is credible or not.
In this blog post we’re going to get back to the basics with a tried and true approach to bulking up and gaining muscular bodyweight. What you’re going to get here isn’t fancy, nor is it overly complicated… But It Works!
Bulking Up 101 – Eating Big To Get Big…
In order to bulk up and gain muscular bodyweight you need to be in a caloric surplus. Now that simply means you have to consume more calories than you burn off over the course of the day. This will provide you with extra calories in your system for building new muscle tissue.
The rule of calories in vs calories out applies regardless of what type of diet plan you follow. No matter if you are following a 6 meals per day bodybuilding diet, IIFYM, Intermittent Fasting, High Carb, High Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, or whatever the latest diet trend happens to be by the time you read this… It still comes down to your overall calorie and nutrient intake.
There are many different calorie calculator formulas you can use to determine your caloric needs. Many of them go into detail by taking into account your age, sex, height, weight, lean body mass, body fat percentage, lifestyle, and activity level.
But the “Quick & Easy” way to get a really good estimate of your caloric needs is to simply multiply your bodyweight by the following numbers based on your fitness goal.
Calorie Calculator Formula:
- For Fat Loss = eat 12 calories per pound of bodyweight per day.
- For Maintenance = eat 16 calories per pound of bodyweight per day.
- For Weight Gain = eat 20 calories per pound of bodyweight per day.
This is the easiest way to estimate caloric needs. Now there are some obvious drawbacks to this method because it doesn’t take into account your activity levels or body composition. This formula may overestimate the caloric needs for someone who is obese and looking to trim down. However, for the majority of hard gainers who are looking to bulk up and gain weight, this simple calorie formula works very well.
To give you an example with some real numbers.
If a 150 pound man wants to bulk up, he should eat 3,000 calories per day.
(150 x 20 = 3000)
Macro-Nutrients – Protein, Carbs, & Fat…
Now that we know how many calories to eat, we need to divide those calories into the proper ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. It’s a good idea to try and maintain a fairly equal balance between the 3 macro-nutrients. But when bulking it’s ok to tip the ratios in favour of consuming a higher number of carbs.
Macro-Nutrient Split for Muscle Gain:
- 30% protein
- 40% carbohydrates
- 30% fat
Every gram of protein contains 4 calories per gram.
Every gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories per gram.
Every gram of fat contains 9 calories per gram.
In order to get the proper macro-nutrient split for a 3,000 calorie per day bulking diet you’ll need to eat the following:
225 grams of protein
300 grams of carbohydrate
100 grams of fat
Now that we have the basic numbers calculated out, let’s see what that actually looks like with real food.
Sample 3,000 Calorie Bulk Up Diet Plan…
This sample bulking diet plan is for a 150 pound man. Obviously you can adjust the food volume and portion sizes up or down based on your individual calorie and macro-nutrient needs.
Monitoring Your Progress & Adjusting Your Program…
A good rule of thumb to follow when bulking up is to strive to gain 1 pound of bodyweight per week. Now realize that it’s not always going to happen consistently every week. Some weeks you may gain more weight, other weeks you may gain less weight, but over the long term you should average close to a 1 pound per week weight gain. This is a realistic and safe bulking goal that is attainable for most people.
While you are following your bulking program you’ll need to monitor your progress and adjust your diet and training routine accordingly based on your actual results. If you are not gaining any weight, just increase your caloric intake by 500 calories per day. And vice versa, if you find that you’re gaining weight too fast and putting on excess bodyfat, just reduce your caloric intake by 500 per day. But give your body time to adjust to your new bulking diet plan before making any changes. I recommend that you follow a set calorie and macro-nutrient intake for at least 2 weeks to see how your body responds before increasing or decreasing your calorie intake.
If you’d like to get a complete mass building bulk up program, than you should download a copy of “Old School Bulking 101”.
“Old School Bulking 101” is a FREE 52 Page PDF Report that covers some of the best old school bodybuilding training & nutrition techniques that have been proven to work time and time again. You’ll learn how the Old School Bodybuilders trained and ate to build their classic muscular physiques!
This content was originally published here.
