Get muscular, make some more gains, build muscle, recruit new muscle fibers—call it whatever you want—but it only and truly happens while eating more.
How much more? More carbohydrates? More fat? More protein? How can I stay lean while building muscle? How can I put on muscle mass without gaining body fat?
How can I eat more and still have a six-pack?These all are questions that you may ask yourself, or should ask yourself, before going into a bulking phase.
Read on and find out how you can gain muscle without putting on more body fat than you need to, plus strategies that can help you support a lean bulk.
Jump to:
- Why Bulk?
- When to Bulk
- The 'Eat Big to Get Big' Theory
- Caloric Surplus for Building Muscle
- How Much Food to Eat When Bulking
- How to Lean Bulk
- How a Lean Bulk Can Support Abs
- Intermittent Fasting
- Top Supplements for Gaining Muscle
- Top Supplements for Gaining Weight
- Best Snacks for Weight Gain
- Meals for Bulking and Weight Gain
- Bulking Transformation: Gaining 15 Pounds in 30 Days
Why Bulk?
When it comes to men, the main reason you'll decide to bulk is most likely to gain muscle. This can be to improve your strength, aesthetic, enhance your performance, prep for a competition, or any combination of these. But for women, there are various reasons why one might decide to enter a bulking phase.
It’s probably not controversial to say that, generally, there is greater societal expectation for women to be ‘skinny’ or to not put on weight. For years, unrealistic ideals have been pushed, leading to self-esteem issues among many women.
But despite what you may have heard, gaining weight is not, and should not be, a goal that only men may follow. Women can put on weight if they want to, for any number of reasons. It might be for health, strength, performance, or simply because they feel like it.
Similarly to men, some women may wish to gain weight by building lean muscle mass, either for aesthetic or performance-related reasons.
Lean muscle mass can be built by following a consistent training program while in a positive energy balance, ie consuming more calories than needed for maintenance. Resistance training provides the stimulus for muscle growth and the additional energy enables the body to build muscle.
On the other hand, some women may wish to gain weight by putting on body fat. Women who have previously been on restrictive diets may be at risk of having low energy availability (LEA), a condition common in female athletes.
LEA happens when the body doesn’t receive enough energy to support its physiological functions. Female athletes tend to be at particular risk of it because they may not consume enough calories to cover the extra demand intense training puts on the body. This may be because of the expectation within some sports to have a certain physique.
When the body isn’t getting enough energy, it essentially prioritizes vital functions. This means that other systems—like the immune, reproductive, and thermoregulation systems—may not function normally.
To prevent LEA and its effects, increasing energy intake, body weight, and fat mass may be required.
Nutritionist Reveals Top 5 Vitamins For Women
Vitamins every woman should consider, from Myprotein Product Developer, Katie Brown.
When to Bulk
First and foremost, I think it’s a good idea to start by talking a little bit about whether you should cut or bulk first. This decision will depend on factors such as your current body fat level, your goal physique, and your level of experience with lifting weights, but here are a few guidelines you should follow.
Based on Body Fat Level
Generally speaking, the cutoff body fat percent for bulking is about 15-16% for males and around 22-23% for females. This means that if you're above these body fat levels, you should cut (lose fat), and if you're under, you should bulk.
Making the decision to bulk or to cut depending on body fat level has to do with the amount of time you'll need to get lean. The whole idea behind this is that you want to spend as little time as possible in a deficit (a catabolic state) and maximize the time you're in surplus (bulking), because that’s when you're actually building muscle and getting stronger.
If you get to really high body fat levels, you'll need to spend more time in a deficit, which hinders muscle growth (or can even cause muscle loss) and isn't optimal for your hormones. That’s why it’s recommended to stop bulking at a relatively moderate body fat level.
Based on Your Goal Physique
For some people, 8% body fat may look unappealing, while for others it may be the physique of their dreams. Some may want that beach body type of look while some may want the shredded superhero physique. That’s why the 15-16% body fat for males and 22-23% for females can be slightly adjusted with +2% or so, based on what your goal physique looks like.
Based on Your Lifting Experience
As you may or may not know, inexperienced beginners have a big advantage—they can build muscle at a very fast rate and they can do it while losing fat as well. This is an advantage you won't have forever, and there’s no point in not making good use of it.
That’s why it’s recommended that beginners should try to stay at least at maintenance level or even be in a mild surplus, even if they start a little bit above the body fat levels I mentioned before.
However, if you're seriously overweight like I was when I first started lifting, at a heavy 35% body fat, you definitely need to start off by cutting back on calories. Yeah, the gains will not come that easy and that fast, but that’s a compromise you need to make.
The idea is to strip off the excess fat as fast as possible (within healthy limits though) and then start bulking and putting on more muscle size.
These are pretty much the guidelines I recommend for making the decision to bulk or to cut. Now let’s see how bulking (or better yet—lean bulking) should be approached correctly.
The 'Eat Big to Get Big' Theory
You may have heard this before. In order to get big, you need to eat big. This is true to some extent, but you don’t really need to eat that much to maximize muscle growth. You need to put a cap on it, otherwise, you'll gain a lot of fat while building the same amount of muscle you'd build by following a more moderate calorie surplus.
As we're going to see shortly, you only need to be in a mild surplus and eat the right stuff in order to maximize muscle gain. As opposed to what many uneducated bodybuilders think, bulking does not mean eating pizzas and cookies all day long.
Bottom line, I don’t recommend following a “dirty bulk” type of diet.
Caloric Surplus for Building Muscle
As science tells us, muscle growth happens in a caloric surplus or in a positive energy balance. Unless you're an untrained beginner, there's no chance your body can build new tissue and recruit new muscle fibers if you aren't eating more calories than your maintenance level.
Caloric intake is the most important factor that determines muscle growth.
In a caloric surplus, protein synthesis is increased and our body is in an anabolic state for most of the time, as opposed to a caloric deficit, when we are in a catabolic state for the majority of the time.
On top of that, a caloric surplus will provide you with more energy, make your workouts better, and increase testosterone levels, all resulting in superior results in terms of muscle mass.
The tricky part of bulking is to do it smartly so that the amount of fat you gain (because you will gain some fat as well) is minimized. This way, if you start bulking at 9% body fat, for example, and you gain just 1 pound of fat per month, you'll be able to bulk for much more time than you would if you were to gain 3 pounds of fat per week. Bulking for a longer time means more muscle gains.
How Much Food to Eat When Bulking
This is where most people do things wrong and that’s why bulking is usually associated with gaining excessive weight and why so many are afraid to eat more—because they're afraid they'll gain body fat. As I said, this is partially true—if your caloric surplus is too large, you'll put on more fat than muscle. But if you do it correctly, the results will be impressive.
The sweet spot for a lean bulk is to gain no more than 0.5-1 pound of body weight each week. For most people, this will be split 50/50 between muscle and fat gain. So, basically, you'll gain one pound of fat for each pound of muscle—which is a good ratio.
All you have to do now is set your caloric surplus so that you stay within the 0.5-1 pound weight gain range each week. If you're a beginner, you'll build muscle faster, so you should be closer to the one pound per week rate. If you're more advanced, you should probably be closer to the half pound per week rate.
You'll be amazed to learn that a very mild caloric surplus of just 5-10% above your maintenance calories is enough to see muscle growth at the maximum possible rate. This is ‘peanuts’ basically. Think about it a little bit. If you’re maintaining at 2,500 cal, you only need to eat 125–250 cal extra each day.
Now you can see why many people gain more body fat than they aim to when bulking. They eat too many calories. You won’t build more muscle if you're eating 500 cal over your maintenance, you'll only gain body fat.
Bulking with just 5-10% extra calories is often referred to as lean bulking—maximizing muscle growth while minimizing fat gain.
What About Macros?
To keep things short and to the point, all the extra calories of a surplus should come from carbohydrates alone, maybe some fats if you want to make your meals tastier. There's no need to increase protein intake as long as you're getting your 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.
Carbs, on the other hand, will boost your energy levels, fill your muscles with glycogen, and improve your workouts.
How to Lean Bulk?
As we've seen, a 200 cal surplus is enough. This is not a lot by any means. A protein smoothie has more calories than that, so it’s very easy to overdo it. If you consistently eat just 200 cal above maintenance every day, it may not even seem like a bulk.
That’s why I find it clever to roll over the surplus calories each three to four days or so. Going back to our example above, if you stay at maintenance level Monday to Thursday, you can roll over your 200-cal-per-day surplus to Friday, which means that on Friday, you'll have 1,000 cal extra to eat. This could be treating yourself to a nice dinner with the family, a birthday party, or any other social event.
Calorie rollover is a cool and easy way of building your diet around your personal lifestyle and enjoying life and food by still eating right. That’s one way of doing it, I’m sure there are others, the important thing is to make sure your weekly average is on track and you'll be fine. Constantly measure your weight and stay within the 0.5–1 pound weight gain per weekly interval. If you're below, up your calories, if you're above, lower them.
Another cool and easy way of making sure you're not gaining too much body fat during a bulk is to measure your waist size, because that’s where we hold most of the fat. If the waist size is going up too fast, you’re eating too much.
How a Lean Bulk Can Support Abs
When you reach a low percentage of body fat, one of the most prominent muscle groups are the abdominals. It’s safe to say that a tight, blocky set of abs are possibly the most sought after muscle group for most of us who aim to get leaner for the summer or for a special holiday or occasion.
People tend to lose faith in creating the perfect core after performing endless amounts of crunches each week and not seeing the results they want. The problem may be that you're not targeting specific areas of the core enough.
The transverse abdominis (TVA) is located under the obliques. Its main purpose is stability as it wraps around the spine to create a protective wall in the core. Having a strong TVA is important not only for protection of the spine but also for stability when performing exercise.
In particular, the squat relies on a degree of strength from the TVA in order to prevent the lower back from rounding and your back arching forwards while performing the lift. However, having a strong core is beneficial in pretty much every physical activity.
During exhalation, the TVA contracts and helps air flow from the lungs through compressing; it acts somewhat like a muscular weightlifting belt, which helps to keep the core tight and your posture strong.
Imagine performing a set of squats at 80% of your 1RM with a weightlifting belt on, and then attempting to perform the same set without the belt. It’s likely that the last couple of repetitions will be a little shaky and this is probably due to a lack of core strength as opposed to a lack of strength in the lower body.
Of course, utilizing a weightlifting belt will enable you to handle more weight than your core muscles alone, however, the stronger your transverse abdominis is, the more likely you'll be able to lift heavier weights.
In terms of building abs and creating a tiny waist, due to the TVA compressing the core, it pulls in the rectus abdominis and obliques, which helps to keep the waist tight. Without a well developed transverse abdominis, the waist may seem thicker; the TVA is essentially an anatomical corset. By having a particularly well-developed TVA, your waist will look smaller and abs will appear tighter without having to be tensed.
Of course, you'll need to work your way down to a lean level of body fat in order to be able to see the full effect of the results, although you'll definitely notice inches of your waist vanishing after effectively training the TVA.
Once you're at a low level of body fat, your abdominals will appear much tighter, your stomach will be flatter, and your waist will look smaller.
One practical method you can use to improve the strength of your TVA is stomach vacuuming. As one of the functions of this part of the core is to help exhaling, it works closely with the diaphragm, and so it’s possible to help strengthen the TVA through breathing techniques as well as resistance and tension-based exercises.
Stomach vacuuming simply involves inhaling and pulling the core inwards, holding it for a few seconds, and then exhaling.
Here’s a breakdown of the laying-down stomach vacuum:1) Lay on the floor
2) Bend your knees
3) Place the soles of your feet on the ground
4) Rest your arms by your sides
5) Keep your back firmly on the ground and create a slight arch by lifting the lower back from the floor and keeping your scapular retracted
6) Breathe inwards until you have fully inhaled and concentrate on pulling your stomach in
7) Hold the vacuum for 5-10 seconds and release
Here's a list of resistance exercises you can use to target the TVA:1) The Plank
2) Ab Crunches
3) Ab Crunch variations; EG: using an exercise ball or twisting to each side
4) Hanging Leg Raises
5) Russian Twists
Whether you’re looking to improve the strength of your lifts, your posture, or you want to make your waist thinner and your core tighter, targeting the TVA with these exercises is definitely worth a shot.
Start incorporating some of these methods into your weekly training routine two-three times every seven days.
Intermittent Fasting
When it comes to controlling how much body fat you put on during a bulk, there are different strategies you can implement to successfully achieve the right balance of fat to muscle gain. One tool that can help you optimize your eating habits is intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting has become a popular topic both for researchers and health enthusiasts. It, like the 16:8 diet, promises weight loss, better performance, increased fat burning, and lean muscle preservation. While there are several different types of intermittent fasting, such as the 5:2 diet or religious-based fasting, 16:8 is a sustainable pattern that’s associated with lean muscle gains.1 Let's explore the potential benefits and the best way to determine if the 16:8 plan is right for you.
What is Intermittent Fasting?
By definition, this means eating for a certain period of hours and then fasting (not eating) for a set number of hours. The theory behind intermittent fasting is that humans didn't used to live in environments where we had access to food 24 hours a day like we do now—rather, our ancestors evolved in a time when food was relatively scarce, and they had to function at their best physically and mentally often in a fasted state.2
In modern times, this translates to not eating for many hours in a day, working out in a fasted state, and then limiting your meals during the day to a shorter number of hours than your fast. The 16:8 intermittent fasting diet is one example of this.
What is the 16:8 Diet?
The 16:8 intermittent fasting diet limits eating to eight hours a day and requires fasting for the remaining 16 of 24 hours. Although 16 hours seems like a long time, this includes time spent sleeping. The theory is to wake and work out in a fasted state, which forces your body to draw upon fat stores for energy.2
You should consume reasonable meals throughout your eight eating hours. While fasting, you should drink water, and some choose to include unsweetened tea, coffee, or BCAAs /pre-workout in the mornings before exercise.
What are the Benefits of Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is a popular topic in research and there have been some animal studies showing its beneficial impact on weight loss and cardio-metabolic risk factors (like blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin resistance).3 Some studies show a greater benefit from intermittent fasting than a continuous calorie-restriction-style diet.4
Additional experimental models predict potential positive impacts of intermittent fasting to extend to age-related disorders, although more research in these areas is needed.2
There have been studies showing that performance does not suffer in a fasted state, and some intermittent fasting dieters claim that they have even more energy and mental clarity when following a 16:8-style diet.5 There’s less mental effort and stress dedicated to meal planning and prepping. Following a 16:8 diet is sometimes referred to as “lean gains”, building on the theory of burning fat and calories while working out in a fasted state.1
This method of fasting has been shown to be effective in limiting calorie intake to reduce fat while still maintaining performance and muscle tissue.1
Practical benefits of intermittent fasting include less time spent preparing, eating, and cleaning up after meals (versus a diet of six small meals a day, for example), plus its flexibility. You may only need to plan for two meals and they can be larger portions. The major guidelines for the 16:8 diet rely on the timing of meals and not exactly which foods you need to eat.
Intermittent fasting doesn’t require calorie or macro tracking, but can be used in conjunction with any healthy diet pattern you already follow. For those who struggle with mindless snacking throughout the day or boredom eating at night, having a strict eating schedule can prevent those unnecessary calories that can lead to weight gain.
8 Best Foods To Eat On An Intermittent Fasting Diet
Who said intermittent fasting means you have to go hungry?
How to Intermittent Fast Safely
To follow the 16:8 intermittent fasting plan safely, you need to make sure to stay well hydrated while not eating by drinking plenty of water. Coffee or unsweetened green tea may be consumed in the morning to help fuel your workout (or you can use pre-workout), as long as you're not adding any cream or sweeteners. There is some thought that consuming a BCAA supplement right before your fasted workout can help to prevent muscle loss.1
When you're in the eight-hour eating period, it's crucial to obtain high quality meals containing all of your necessary macros (protein, carbs, and fat) and vitamins/minerals for the day. Be sure to stay hydrated and meet your protein needs to prevent any lean muscle loss. It may be more difficult to obtain adequate calories in a short period of time, which may lead to weakness or dizziness.3
Additionally, be cautious of not overeating just because you know you have another 16-hour fasting period ahead. Intermittent fasting is designed to keep your body in deficit for the day as a whole, so be cautious not to binge on high-calorie junk foods.6
While there are promising outcomes of intermittent fasting, there’s an opportunity for further research related to performance and health benefits.3
Many of the studies thus far were on overweight or all-male subjects. If you have blood sugar control issues, like diabetes or hypoglycemia, intermittent fasting may not be a good fit.
Alternatively, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, or take medications that are taken with food, speak to you doctor before trying the 16:8 diet.
Like any other diet, 16:8 intermittent fasting can be an effective strategy for weight loss and exercise performance without requiring counting calories or tracking macros.4 The 16:8 diet can also decrease fat mass while preserving muscle, leading to lean gains.3
While more research is needed, it shows promising results for body composition, performance, and health-related outcomes. Intermittent fasting is one option for limiting total calorie intake when trying to lose weight and maintain muscle, or limiting fat gains when doing a lean bulk.
When practicing this diet, remember to stay well hydrated, even while fasting, and to choose balanced, healthy meals during the eight-hour eating period. Speak with your doctor about any concerns before trying out this plan.
Top Supplements for Gaining Muscle
In addition to strategies like intermittent fasting, there are supplements you can take to help boost your muscle growth during a lean bulk.
When putting your body through intense training, it's important to meet all increased nutritional demands. These five supplements will help you gain muscle while bulking, let's check them out.
1.Whey Protein
Whey at the top of the list is whey protein!
Whey protein is a number one priority for those looking to gain muscle mass—but what’s so special about it?
Whey protein is a protein found in milk and is actually a byproduct of cheese making. This essential supplement is crowned top of the list due to its unique digestive properties. Whey protein contains a large level of BCAAs or branched chain amino acids. BCAAs are required to accelerate protein synthesis and the repair of muscle fibers.
Whey protein is unlike any other protein due to its super fast absorption rate in the body, meaning it can deliver an essential source of muscle-building protein quickly and directly to your demanding muscles.
To gain muscle fast, it's advised you take whey protein 15 to 30 minutes after a workout.Impact Whey Protein offers plenty of flavors—try a scoop with milk, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or even just water.
2. Creatine Monohydrate
Next on the list is creatine monohydrate. Creatine is the essential supplement needed to push yourself to lift that little bit heavier and get that extra rep in.
If you haven’t heard of creatine before, its name may come across as a little daunting—but creatine is simply a naturally occurring chemical that exists in the muscles, composed of the amino acids, glycine, arginine, and methionine.
But why is it so important for gaining muscle?This naturally occurring metabolite is stored and used in the muscles as a source of energy and when we exercise, these creatine stores become minimal. By supplementing with creatine pre- and post-workout, you can maximize and replenish creatine levels in the muscles, which has been shown to increase energy and power output during intense exercise.
Making creatine a part of your training and supplementation regime not only benefits short-term gains but also acts to strengthen the muscles and provide an extra power output in the long run, helping you maintain your progress and success.
Aside from supplying the body with a form of quick energy, supplementing with creatine is essential for gaining muscle mass quickly, whereby creatine loading is often advised.
3. BCAA
BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acids—the building blocks of protein.
Muscle = protein, so if we want to build muscle…we need amino acids.
There are 20 confirmed amino acids—nine of which need to be consumed in the diet. The three BCAAs, leucine, isoleucine, and valine are unique in chemical structure—which is what makes them essential for building muscle. These three amino acids are unlike others in that free-form BCAAs are metabolized directly in our muscle tissue.
BCAAs are just a few of the only amino acids that can be used by the body during exercise as a source of energy. This means that after exercise, blood levels of BCAAs are relatively low. Low levels of these muscle-repairing amino acids slows down the rate of protein synthesis after a workout—and this is where supplementing with BCAAs post-workout can act to replenish blood levels and accelerate the rate of protein synthesis.
To maximize muscle gains, it's best to consume BCAAs throughout the day:
-As soon as you wake up-Pre-workout-Post-workout -Before bed4. Glutamine
After the essential amino acids come the non-essential and semi-essential—but this doesn’t mean they should be forgotten.
So, what’s the difference and why do you need glutamine?
Glutamine is a top supplement among many gym goers, not just bodybuilders. This amino acid aids muscle growth and helps to prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue during exercise; in scientific studies, supplementing with glutamine has been shown to boost muscle growth hormones and decrease muscle fatigue and tiredness. This helps to improve endurance and strength during your workouts, meaning you can lift heavier for longer.
What’s more, glutamine can also act to support immunity. When constantly exercising, the body can become run-down—recent studies have shown that glutamine supplementation can support the immune system and prevent us from becoming fatigued and catching those common colds.
It's advised to supplement with glutamine:
-As soon as you wake up-Pre-workout-Post-workout -Before bedSupplementing pre-workout with glutamine can also aid fat loss—particularly crucial for those looking to decrease body fat. When we work out, amino acids can become an essential source of fuel, meaning hard-earned muscle can be broken down as a source of energy. But by supplementing with glutamine, you can actually promote the body to use our fat stores as a source of energy.
5.Beta-Alanine
You may be thinking…“not another amino acid”… but after making beta-alanine a part of your supplement routine, you’ll definitely be thanking us.
When consumed, beta-alanine combines with another amino acid, histidine, to form the chemical complex carnosine. Carnosine has been shown in studies to increase the ability of muscle fibers to contract, allowing for an increase in muscle strength and power.
But how?When we exercise, tons of metabolic reactions take place and during intense levels of physical activity, the concentration of hydrogen ions in the body can begin to accumulate. This increase causes a decrease in pH and a more acidic environment for our muscles.
The presence of lactic acid can increase muscle fatigue, meaning you can’t perform to your maximum potential. However, an increase in carnosine can help prevent and delay this increase in acidity, thus preventing muscle fatigue.
What’s more, supplementing with beta-alanine has been shown to promote the absorption of creatine monohydrate and allow for a greater increase in muscle mass and fat loss.
Beta-alanine should be taken with creatine monohydrate in the morning and prior to your workout.
You may be thinking—supplements aren't necessary.
But what you need to consider is the amount of stress you're putting your body through. The more you exercise, the higher your body's demand for nutrients—and if you want to see gains, you need to meet these demands.
Getting the right levels of amino acids and nutrients in the body can be hard through just diet alone, and that’s why the five supplements above are essential dietary aids for gaining muscle. If you want to look like a superhero, guess what… you’re going to have to eat and supplement like a superhero.
If the five supplements above seem like a lot to take in and consume morning, noon, and night, there are some great all-in-one formulas that combine a number of these products for your convenience.
Top Supplements for Gaining Weight
Gaining weight and bulking can be challenging for some because it requires consuming more calories than the body needs. A way around this is to include more calorie-dense foods that can provide additional energy without adding too much volume to meals.
Weight gain supplements can also be helpful to encourage weight gain, as they can be added to an already balanced diet, increasing the energy and nutrient intake without having to overhaul and change every meal.
'Cheat Codes For Bulking': Joe Fazer's 1,000+ Calorie Shakes
Liquid calories to help reach your bulking goals.
1. Weight Gainer Blend
Designed to provide a convenient boost of energy and nutrients, weight gainer blends can be mixed into drinks, providing an easy way to obtain the necessary calories for weight gain.
Myprotein's Weight Gainer Blend contains a blend of oats and protein, providing 370 cal per serving alongside 30g of protein and 3g of fiber to support a healthy digestive system.
2. Impact Whey Protein
The body is in a constant state of muscle protein breakdown and repair, but the rate of this increases with exercise.1,2
Eating enough protein is key to supporting this process. Protein powder is a super convenient way of achieving your protein goal, especially if you don’t consume much meat or dairy. Add a scoop of Impact Whey Protein to a smoothie for some extra calories, have it on its own as a post-workout shake, or include it in oatmeal or your favorite baking recipes.
3. Clear Whey Gainer
In order to gain muscle, you need to train hard, which means that more fuel is required.
Carbohydrates are the best fuel source for strength and weight-based training, so you should consume plenty to support your workouts.
Clear Whey Gainer provides a combination of protein and carbohydrates, making it a super convenient supplement to include in your diet.
The formula boasts 450 calories per serving, alongside 35g of protein and over 60g of carbs to support recovery.
Best Whey Protein | The Difference Between Impact Whey & Impact Whey Isolate?
It's a battle of the best.
Best Snacks for Weight Gain
There is no single “best” food to support weight gain as no single food can cause weight gain or weight loss.
However, energy-dense foods are particularly helpful if you want to gain weight but have a low appetite, helping you to consume the calories you need.
Nutritious Snacks for Weight Gain
- Greek yogurt with granola and a banana
- Peanut butter and jam bagel
- Avocado on toast
- Hummus with pita bread and falafel
- Cereal with a protein shake
- Nuts and dried fruit
- Fruit like banana or dates with nut butter
- Protein smoothies
Meals for Bulking and Weight Gain
If you're looking to gain muscle, one of the most important macros is of course, protein. All the meals below have at least 38g of protein per serving. The calories vary, but if you feel like upping your cals and overall macros to gain weight, simply up your portion size.
Loaf Tin LasagneSuper simple and makes enough for four portions. This Loaf Tin Lasagne is packed with all that cheesy tomatoey goodness, totaling 665cal and 50g of protein. A great lunch option when you're trying to gain mass.
| Calories | 665 |
| Fat | 8g |
| Carbs | 74g |
| Protein | 50g |
Loaf Tin Lasagna | 4-Day High-Protein Meal Prep
The ultimate comfort meal.
This recipe is an absolute must-try, whether you're looking to gain weight or not. Ready in four steps, delivering 516cal and 38g of protein and oozing creamy, spicy sauce. It's incredible fresh or makes a great meal prep option.
| Calories | 516 |
| Fat | 8g |
| Carbs | 71g |
| Protein | 38g |
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta | High-Protein Meal Prep
When it comes to quick & simple meal prep, this one’s a sure bet.
Save time and and bulk out your macros with this one-pan recipe. Succulent chicken in a mouth-watering creamy mushroom sauce with 520cal and 52g of protein. This recipe is comfort food done right.
| Calories | 520 |
| Fat | 27g |
| Carbs | 20g |
| Protein | 52g |
One-Pan Creamy Mushroom & Chicken
This is feel-good food done right.
You can't go wrong with chicken and rice... it's just a fact. But this recipe levels up the gym-lover's classic and still delivers on those all-important macros. 450cal and 45g of protein.
| Calories | 450 |
| Fat | 5g |
| Carbs | 120g |
| Protein | 45g |
Easy Chicken Curry With Broccoli Rice
Simple and delicious — this recipe is a certified weeknight win.
OK, I might've saved the best for last. Topped with all the usual burger trimmings and oozing with cheese, this burger is perfect for a Friday night fake-out. 1,005cal and 56g of protein, bulking has never tasted this good.
| Calories | 1005 |
| Fat | 68g |
| Carbs | 7g |
| Protein | 56g |
High-Protein 1,000kcal Bulking Burger
Did someone say bulking season?
Weight gain, like weight loss, isn’t easy. But there are some things you can do to help you reach your goal. Energy-dense foods, snacks, and supplements can help to increase your energy intake in a simple and convenient way.
By choosing certain foods, you can get the calories and nutrients you need to put on weight without having to struggle through massive meals.
Bulking Transformation: Gaining 15 Pounds in 30 Days
Joe Fazer is known for sharing fitness advice with his friends and followers. Sometimes, Joe feels even more generous than usual, and wants to extend this generosity to complete strangers. To make a long story short, Joe found 20-year-old college student Louis and challenged him to a 30-day body transformation. Louis accepted.
Louis was no gym newbie, but studies had taken over his life of late, leading to lapsed training and a poor diet. But with Joe’s guidance, Louis was looking forward to picking things back up and getting back on track at the gym.
With only 30 days for Louis to put on as much mass as possible, a strict training plan was required. With so many muscle groups to target, the most logical plan was to complete three full-body workouts per week, with rest in between each. For Louis, this was Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, giving his muscles time to recover before hitting them again.
The workout plan:| Exercise | Sets/reps |
| Bench press | 3 sets, 5 reps |
| Squat | 3 sets, 5 reps |
| Pull ups | 3 sets until failure |
| Incline dumbbell press | 2 sets, 8-12 reps, followed by 10-15 reps |
| Rows | 3 sets, 8-12 reps, followed by 10-15 reps |
| Lateral raises | 3 sets until failure |
| Pec flies | 3 sets until failure |
But gains aren’t only made in the gym—nutrition is just as important. Joe’s done plenty of first-hand research into finding the best foods for building muscle, so he came up with a bespoke bulking diet plan for Louis.
Meal 1 – high-calorie shake- 2 scoops Strawberry Milkshake Impact Whey Protein
- Handful frozen berries
- 1/4 cup oats
- Semi-skimmed milk
- Greek yogurt
- 1.5 chicken breasts or 1/2 pound of 5% mince
- Packet of rice
- Veg
- 1.5 chicken breasts
- 3 wraps
- Snack (post-gym)
- Clear Whey protein shake
- 1.5 chicken breasts or 1/2 pound of 5% mince
- Packet of rice
- Veg
- Protein yogurt
In just 30 days, Louis packed on the pounds. If the visuals aren’t enough, then check out the numbers: he put on 15lb, going from 141lb to 156lb, and his squat went from 154lb to 220lb. Impressive.
After just 30 days, but plenty of hard work, Louis was completely transformed. Not just his physique—he was feeling more motivated and confident than ever before. If you need a little extra push to keep going with your workouts, look no further. What a difference a month can make.
Take Home Message
Bulking doesn't have to mean putting on body fat—by bulking the right way, and not overdoing your extra calories, you can achieve muscle mass gains while controlling body fat. Plus, tools like intermittent fasting and supplements can make your lean bulk smooth and successful. So, if you're looking for gains, try a lean bulk, keeping nutrition, calories, and your goal in mind. You got this.
Want more on bulking?READ THESE NEXT:
3 Budget-Friendly Bulking Shakes
Making those gains doesn’t have to break the bank.
3,500kcal 'Clean Bulk' With Joe Fazer
He’s not known as “the king of bulking” for nothing.
Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. If you're concerned, consult a health professional before taking dietary supplements or introducing any major changes to your diet.
