Sixty! Seventy-five! Ninety! Maybe you’ve read those out sized figures in sentences that go something like this: nutrition is X percent of bodybuilding success. This is hyperbole to the extent that it implies what you eat is more important than how you train or getting enough rest. You need all three qualities to grow. However, it is true that where most bodybuilders least maximize their potential is not in their workouts or allowing for enough rest between workouts. It’s a failure to adequately feed their muscles throughout the day every day. In the second stop of our yearlong journey, H.U.G.E. spells out the nutrition guide-lines that will help a hardgainer muscle-up. (See H.U.G.E., part 1: training, for the first five rules.)

Nutrition rules – Follow these six rules and use the sample H.U.G.E. diet as a guideline for your nutrition plan.

6 Up the frequency.
To add muscle but not fat, shoot for a daily total of approximately 18-20 calories per pound of bodyweight. For example, if you weigh 180, aim for 3,240-3,600 calories per day. Forget about the old “three meals per day” formula and eat approximately every two and a half hours. Our H.U.G.E. diet prescribes eight meals per day, although half of those meals (includ-ing those that occur pre-and post-workout) are made up wholly or primarily of a protein shake and another is a 300-calorie snack. If you’ve been following a more traditional eating plan, most, if not all, of our meals are undoubtedly smaller than you’re accustomed to. More frequent but smaller meals allow you to feed your muscles throughout the day, maximizing the sort of growth you want (muscle) while minimizing if not preventing the sort of growth you don’t want (fat). Just as you don’t skip workouts, don’t skip meals, and think of any missed meal or junk food meal as a wasted opportunity to grow.

7 Always focus on protein.
On the H.U.G.E. diet, most of the eight sample meals have at least 40 grams of protein. Because protein is the building block of muscle, it’scrucial that you take in an adequate amount of it during each meal from such sources as eggs, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, turkey, fish, skinless white-meat chicken, lean cuts of beef, soy and protein shakes. We recommend at least one pound of protein daily per pound of bodyweight, but hardgainers may need to take in as much as two pounds of protein daily per pound of bodyweight. This is not difficult to achieve with frequent meals that include protein shakes. Our H.U.G.E.diet shows how a 180-pound male can take in 360 g of protein daily, but these are merely sample meals, and other quality protein sources can be substituted, such as salmon instead of chicken or ground turkey for ground beef.

8 Go low (mostly) and high (sometimes).
Carbohydrates fuel your body during workouts and should make up about 30-45% of your calories. The majority of these should be low-gly-cemic carbs, which means they digest slower, provide longer-lasting energy and don’t spike insulin levels, which can enhance fat gain. Examples of low-glycemic carbs sources include oatmeal, whole-wheat breads and pastas, most fruits (apples, oranges, bananas), sweet potatoes and brown rice. Immediately after your work-out is the one time you want to spike your insulin levels by consuming high-glycemic carbs–the elevated blood sugar will better replenish your muscles, and higher levels of the anabolic hormone insulin will boost muscle growth. Examples of high-glycemic carb foods include white-wheat breads, watermelon, angel food cake and sports drinks, such as Gatorade.

9 Fat is not your enemy.
If kept in check, dietary fat has several bodybuilding uses. It aids cell functions, it’s burned as fuel during lengthy and/or low-intensity training, and it’s necessary for elevated testosterone levels, which increases your muscle gains. The key is to limit your intake of foods high in unhealthy saturated fat, such as whole-milk dairy products, and trans fat, such as most fried foods, and focus instead on more healthful foods that are high in polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat (such as nuts and seeds, avocados, olive and canola oils) or omega-3 fatty acids (such as salmon, white tuna and walnuts).

10 Water yourself regularly.
Your body is 70% water and, as a hard-training bodybuilder, it’s crucial that you regularly hydrate yourself for proper growth, digestion and health. Ifyou drink at least one gallon of water per day that should be adequate in addition to the water you take in from other foods and beverages, and, when-ever you feel thirsty, drink up to quell even momentary dehydration.

11 Supplement your gains.
The H.U.G.E. diet advises the use of whey and casein protein powders to augment whole-food meals. In addition, consume a good multivitamin/ mineral supplement each day, take in 3-5 g of creatine before and 3-5 g after your workouts and 5-10 g of glutamine after your workouts. Numerous other valuable supplements can boost your workouts and recovery; those include arginine for enhanced blood flow, Tribulus terrestris and ZMA for elevated testosterone, and caffeine for energy. FullyFlexed regularly explains how to best use such supplements, and you may want to include these and others in | your nutrition plan, dependent on your needs and budget.

Just desserts
Daily, we are bombarded with convenient junk food options–the sort of calorie-dense foods that not only easily convert to fat but also satiate our hunger and thus make us prone to skip bodybuilder-appropriate meals. Once or twice per week, a moderate-sized junk food meal is OK as long as you otherwise keep your commitment to feed your physique with protein-rich meals throughout each day. Modify our sample menu as needed for variety and to fit your schedule. Just as you follow a workout plan, keeping to a mass-making bodybuilding diet is not difficult once you develop a routine, and when you begin to see the additional gains, you won’t want to waver often. Forget the cheesecake–go for the muscle mass.

Next month, in part three of the H.U.G.E program to maximize your mass: rest.

The H.U.G.E. diet
This is sample high-protein diet intended for a 180-pound male. Similar foods can be substituted for taste and variety. Adjust the nutrient levels up or down, depending on your bodyweight.

But I’ve found that many of the guys who ask me questions are solely focused on the training aspect, and are not really thinking at all about their diets. That’s a mistake.

Whether you’re preparing for the biggest bodybuilding contest on the planet or you’re just a guy who’s after some size, structuring meals and timing them for mass gaining are important topics.

How Jay Cutler structures his mass-gaining diet for maximum growth
I find that the best way to structure a mass diet is to first figure your ideal protein:carbs:fat ratio. I’ve always followed the guideline of 1.25 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body  weight per day. Some experts say you should use your lean body mass as your guide (a figure you can obtain via underwater weighing), but Mr. O says to go by your true body weight as long as you’re under 15% body fat. Carbs should be anywhere from 2-4 g per pound of bodyweight. Use the chart to figure the number of carbs per pound of body weight you should be eating.

How much of what should I eat?

I’ve always believed that carbs in these ranges, along with 1.25-1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight, is the best balance for mass. Fats, on the other hand, should be kept to a minimum–about 20% of total calories a day or less. This is fairly easy to maintain if you’re eating clean, which you should be doing year-round.

Obviously, my diet is higher in calories during this time of year because my body weight is in excess of 300 pounds. Although I have to balance meals with my busy work schedule, I try to make sure I eat (or drink) protein every two to three hours throughout the day. Carb intake is a little trickier, though, as it’s best to reserve your higher-calorie meals for the proper times each day.

If I were following a six-meals-a-day diet, I would take in my highest concentration of carbs in my first three meals, including pre- and post workout. For breakfast, I shoot for 200 g. Pre workout, I have 125 g, possibly as a six-ounce (measured dry) portion of pasta. Post workout, I drink a high-carb/protein shake and have a baked potato or rice, for a total of 250-275 g of carbs. This puts me close to 600 g of carbohydrates after only three meals, so I focus on keeping my carbs at 100 g or less for each of my remaining meals. Yes, that means almost 1,000 g of carbohydrates a day: 300 pounds x 3 g equals 900 g of carbs.

On non-training days, I back down a bit, but I keep the first three meals the same–although my third meal might drop down to about 150 g of carbs. Still, I believe it’s important to keep the calories high regardless of whether you’re training or not. By eating a lot of good, clean food, you support a faster metabolism, so you’re burning those calories more efficiently and your body becomes–and remains–a lean, mean muscle-growing machine.

Author Jay Cutler
COPYRIGHT 2007 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

But how do you eat more? Do you turn to junk food, and start cramming nacho cheese chips and ice cream down your throat? Or do you just eat more tuna, chicken breasts and rice?

Bulking doesn’t have to be a riddle.

There are basic, healthy foods that you can find at any grocery store that will help you grow. And the best part? You don’t have to feel bloated all day!

Adding Healthy, Calorie Dense Foods
The key to adding healthy calories to you diet is to find calorie dense foods. And you don’t have to look in the darkest corners of a health food store to find them.

Almonds

Have you ever taken a peak at the nutrition label on a jar of almonds? One ounce of almonds has 162 calories, and one cup of whole almonds contains a whopping 822 calories.

Think about this for a moment. You can eat slightly over a single cup of almonds, not feel full, and add nearly 1,000 calories to your diet each day. That’s an incredible amount of healthy calories for such a small portion of food.

One cup of almonds also contains 30 grams of protein, and is rich in iron and calcium. I’ll bet you weren’t aware of that.

Whole Milk

Whole milk has been a bodybuilding staple for over 50 years. In fact, whole milk is so popular as a weight gainer that entire workout routines have been based around its consumption. These routines are referred to as squats and milk programs.

Odds are your mother never stocked the refrigerator with whole milk. The fat content in whole milk is enough to scare away any weight conscious 30-something. But fear not, whole milk is healthy and good for you. Especially if you have a problem gaining weight.

One cup of whole milk provides 150 additional calories. It also contains 8 grams of protein, and is vitamin rich.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is not only calorie dense and good for you, but it’s also a tasty snack food that satisfies your sweet tooth.

One ounce of dark chocolate has 153 calories, and is rich in iron. By adding 4 small, one ounce portions of dark chocolate to your daily diet, you are getting an extra 600 calories per day. This is a much better alternative to eating candy bars or vending machine snacks.

Always keep a bar of dark chocolate around. It will help you battle sugar cravings.

Despite these suggestions, time and again I am still asked how much protein, carbs, and fat people should be eating each day. Then when I give my answers, people still question me:

Shouldn’t I be eating more carbs? Isn’t that too much protein? How many calories should I aim for?

Well now I have a specific macronutrient layout for you to follow based on your bodyweight. The protein is a little lower than I usually recommend and the carbs are definitely higher than I recommend for most fat loss diets.

That being understood, this diet plan is based on a study at the University of Illinois and aims only at maintaining the proper ratio of carbs to protein for ideal fat loss and muscle retention.

For maintaining muscle mass, you can use the bodyweight column based on your current weight. For gaining muscle or losing fat you can use the bodyweight column based on your desired bodyweight.

I suggest if you have a really slow metabolism that you opt for a lower calorie total and if you have a really fast metabolism you opt for a slightly higher calorie total.

Check out this chart for some calories and macronutrient options:

*These numbers assume a diet that contains 30% fat.

To customize this chart for your own needs and to get more accurate numbers:

• To gain muscle with a fast metabolism, start with your desired bodyweight and multiply by 14 to get total daily calories
• To gain muscle with a slow metabolism, start with your current bodyweight and multiply by 13 to get total daily calories
• To lose fat with a fast metabolism, start with your current bodyweight and multiply by 13 to get total daily calories
• To lose fat with a slow metabolism, start with your desired bodyweight and multiply by 12 to get total daily calories
• Multiply total daily calories by .3 to get total fat calories, divide by 9 to get total fat grams
• Multiply total daily calories by .0751 to get total protein grams, multiply by 4 to get total protein calories
• Multiply total protein grams by 1.4 to get total carbohydrate grams, multiply by 4 to get total carbohydrate calories

None of the numbers from the chart or from the above calculations will be 100% exact. You will need to adjust calories and macronutrients based on your own bodily needs. For example, you may need to increase protein for gaining muscle or decrease carbs for losing fat, but those adjustments should be based on your results after the first couple weeks of dieting.

Be sure to exercise at least 3 times a week for 30-45 minutes per session to see optimum results.

Increasing your protein intake and decreasing your carbohydrate intake will help you to maintain (or even gain) muscle while losing fat on a weight loss diet. Don’t make the mistakes of the high carb dieters before you. Take advantage of our currently knowledge of macronutrient nutrition to burn fat faster than ever!

Tip
“Want to improve body composition, increase the ratio of fat lost to muscle lost during a diet, improve blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), prevent wild fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin, and improve satiety when on a diet? Well, you’re not alone. In fact, Dr Layman and colleagues at the University of Illinois are also interested in helping you accomplish these goals.

In their recent studies, they have demonstrated a myriad of benefits associated with reducing the ratio of carbohydrate to protein in the diet from 3.5g of carbohydrate to every 1g of protein to 1.4g of carbohydrate to every 1g of protein.”

For a formula to be called an MRP, it has to contain ‘complete nutrition’, i.e. have all essential nutrients for which there is a daily requirement. This means an MRP has to include protein (often a variety of sources of protein so as to cover all amino acids and for slow and fast releasing types), carbohydrates, essential fats, all vitamins and all minerals. Moreover, some more specialist MRP formulas contain more than these essentials, with may containing some supplemental ingredients like HMB, CLA, probiotics (‘good’ bacteria), digestive enzymes, fiber and other substances with health benefits.

However, although they are termed ‘meal replacement’ they should not replace any of the three main meals of a diet, and are more useful as replacements for ‘snack’ meals, especially for people with busy lifestyles. They are supplements and therefore it is important that they merely supplement an already good food intake as an addition. I would suggest a maximum of one or two per day, especially if you are using protein powders too.

Typically they are available in boxes of 20 or more sachets, where each sachet is one serving. Obviously nutritional composition varies between brands, but on average they contain 35-45g protein per serving and should be mixed with water or skimmed milk. Some trainers like to consume MRPs post workout where the body would be more able to ingest the large ratios of ingredients.

It may be useful to include one or two servings of MRPs in your daily diet, as a replacement for additional snacks and your three main meals must be made up of good quality real food.

• Fearing Fat: We strive hard to get a lean hard physique and when those abs are showing through we have something to brag about. The hardest thing to accept is that to add muscle we may have to sacrifice the six pack. Being super lean sure looks good but when it comes to muscle growth it doesn’t cut it. Not only do we need the raw materials for growth, but a little extra fat and water actually helps us lift more by cushioning and supporting our joints. The heavier you lift the greater the growth stimulus.

Solution: a hearty portion of lean red meat and oily fish at least twice per week.

• Not eating enough: This is usually a product of fearing fat. Put simply, you need an excess of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat and every other nutrient you can think of to provide the materials to grow bigger. The adage to look like a 250lb bodybuilder you have to eat like one rings very true. Sure, if you weigh 180 and suddenly eat like Jay Cutler it is a sure fire way to look like the Michelin man, but you have got to eat like a 200lb person to be one. This is the reason that some people grow on their cutting cycles – they are actually eating more. Eat like a mouse, look like a mouse.

• Having a see-food diet: If not eating enough is a problem for some, then getting banned from the local eat all you can buffet is a real danger for others. It may be tempting to eat everything in sight to provide a surplus of calories, but overdo it and it won’t go to muscle, it will go to fat. Bulking up to 300lbs plus is great for professionals, most of us aren’t and we can’t get away with adding 60lbs of weight to gain 5lbs of lean tissue. All that happens, more often than not, is that when we try and lean out we end up giving our gains back and a little bit more.

Solution: Be sensible with your food.

• Haphazard eating habits: Bodybuilding truly is 24/7 sport. Many bodybuilders have well constructed and planned cutting diets with meals timed practically to the second, they will steadfastly carry boxes of food with them in their quest for the perfect body. Then when they have got there, forget all that and eat when the feel like it. This is not the way to grow, leaving long gaps between meals increases the likelihood that you will actually start using muscle for fuel, and that come the next meal the body will decide to put a little away as fat in case you decide to leave a long gap again. Also eating haphazardly often leads to days of massive under and over consumption of food rather than a regular pattern. This unpredictability creates an unpredictable environment that does not encourage your body to grow muscle, instead its likely to store on the days there is a surplus to fuel the days when you under eat. When we bulk we want the same stable metabolic environment as when we cut; the difference – your cooler weights more!

Solution: As the saying goes: fail to plan – plan to fail, and that counts for your nutrition too!

It is usual to define the bulking phase of a bodybuilder’s diet by what it is not; however it is simply ‘a systematic attempt to gain muscle’. If you want to add ‘and strength’ to that sentence then that’s fine, just remember you can get stronger without adding muscle, but you can’t add muscle without getting even the smallest bit stronger.

Bulking and cutting are the productive phases of bodybuilding; bulking is the addition and cutting the subtraction. When cutting you are removing body fat while trying not to lose muscle – conversely in bulking you are trying to add muscle without adding too much fat.

What about lean bulking and clean bulking?

You will hear these terms over and over again, they are purportedly ways of not adding fat while maximising muscle mass, or even the holy grail of losing body fat and adding muscle at the same time. They are certainly very attractive, but they are not the most effective! Simply put, you cannot serve two masters; focus on two things at the same time and you limit the possibility of gaining success at either. Not to say there is nothing good in the systems that fall under those headings; a concentration on healthy foods and an avoiding excess fat gain are at the foundation of any good and proper bulking program. However, the difference is that a properly constructed bulking program recognises that we are human beings not machines, there are limits to both physiology and sanity, we have taste buds, and that even Jay Cutler takes a break sometimes.

What is dirty bulking?

More often than not a poor excuse to eat a lot of junk food!

Okay, so bulking is the systematic addition of muscle tissue, and a bulking diet is one that supports this in the best way possible through the use of quality foods designed to maximise muscle gains, minimise fat gain and support maximum effort in the gym and a healthy life outside of it.

Now we know what it is we are doing – let’s do it!

The building blocks

Food comes in many forms; every food is a protein, carbohydrate, fat or a combination of those three. Some foods also are nice enough to contain alcohol for extra calories and a buzz factor. As bulking bodybuilders our first priority is to get enough of these macronutrients, i.e. protein, fat and carbohydrate, into our bodies to be the behemoth of our plans.

Protein

Protein is the subject of more debate than can ever possibly be imagined, the amount of spilled ink and hours spent is truly phenomenal. Battle lines are drawn; wars are fought over just how much we need – which seems a bit of a bother to me. We don’t actually know how much we need, we can measure certain requirements in others, or have them done on ourselves, but when it comes to us as individuals training our butts off and living our normal lives on top of that – really and honestly – no one knows.

Don’t despair though; for years bodybuilders have wrestled with this very problem and combined with a bit of science it gives us more than just a little insight into what works for most people. And that is always the best place to start, never re-invent the wheel unless you really have to! The net result of this received wisdom is a recommendation of: 1.5g of protein per lb of lean mass (estimated), or if you are very lean or light: 1.5g per lb of bodyweight.

Why 1.5g?

Protein is important and emphasised for bodybuilders because it is involved in almost every biological process in the human body. Not only is it required to make muscle, it is needed to make enzymes, hormones and for proper immune system function, and for the formation of body tissues.

• Only protein creates muscle: only amino acids from protein can be incorporated into new muscle tissue. Protein is the critical nutrient when it comes to repairing muscle tissue
• Protein enhances insulin release: insulin is the number 1, big daddy anabolic hormone of them all; not only that, it helps make muscle glycogen from carbohydrate, improves protein uptake, and prevents muscle breakdown
• Protein boosts the immune system: without protein you cannot make antibodies, no antibodies – no immune system. Arginine, glutamine and histidine are the three big players in the function of the immune system, run short of these three and you quickly become catabolic instead of anabolic
• Protein provides glutamine: this is really a massively important amino acid, it has multiple roles from proper gut function, to immunity, but it also promotes water retention in muscle and liver cells – supporting protein synthesis and warding off catabolism

And that is just scratching the surface of the metabolic importance of protein. Packing the protein in really should be a no-brainer, after all successful bodybuilders from current Mr Olympia Jay Cutler to the very first Larry Scott back to Eugene Sandow and beyond have done it to be their best, (darn it even Rocky did it!).

Fat

If ever a nutrient has had a bad press it has been dietary fat. Responsible at one time for making people gain weight, to the rise and fall of communism, fat has hardly ever been the dietary good guy. Many people are simply fat phobic, and the health conscious are often the most pathological of those suffers. Fat has been making a comeback, studies on omega 3 oils, the Atkins diet and much more besides have put fat back in the dietary news. The question is – what role does it have in our bulking diet?

There is no doubt fat is important, read any nutrition text book and you find that there are essential amino acids found in protein, and there are essential fatty acids in fat. Essential is shorthand for the fact that human body cannot make these nutrients itself, we have to supply them – usually that’s by eating or drinking them. Fats are essential to health, but we don’t need a lot of them, we simply need the right ones. The nutritionally savvy may know of optimum ratios – and if you want to go down that road, feel free, but for now getting the good ones and avoiding the bad ones is the first and most important step before you go anywhere.

So what fats do we go for? Firstly omega 3 fatty acids derived from fish, fish oil and flaxseed oil. Your omega 6s and 9s will come from a good quality diet, as will most others such as gamma linolenic acid, alpha linolenic acid and such like. Secondly avoid saturated fat and trans fatty acids; and thirdly monounsaturated fats are fine – just remember they are calorie dense so use sparingly.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates appear last for a reason; in macronutrient terms they are not essential, you can make energy from protein and fat. Optimum, well even sensible nutrition, says you need carbohydrates for energy; however, they also have other important roles.

Firstly, it goes almost without saying, that if you are using protein for energy you are not using it to grow muscle, so a bulking diet spares protein for growth by giving you plenty of energy for intense workouts and our busy modern lives. Secondly good carbohydrate foods come with masses of other health and, therefore, growth benefits from fibre to the multitude of micro nutrients they have.

The key to a good carbohydrate intake is for it to be around 2 to 3 times that of your protein intake, made up almost entirely of non refined, unprocessed sources. We are talking fruit, and more importantly lots of vegetables. The anti-oxidant constituents combat the inflammation of hard training and even help confer benefits in terms of reducing the risks of cancer and heart disease. By sticking to unrefined carbohydrates you control insulin levels keeping your energy levels stable and minimising unwanted fat deposition to boot.

Putting it all together

What does that all mean? Here are the key pointers:

1. 1.5g protein per lb of lean mass
2. 2-3 times protein intake of carbohydrates
3. Carbohydrates – unrefined, unprocessed and colourful
4. Fishy fats are best

This means the best bodybuilding diet is actually a very healthy diet, it emphasises lean sources of protein especially fish, quality carbohydrates with lots of vegetables and doesn’t over do the fats but has all the good ones for health in plentiful supply.

Protein foods

The bodybuilder’s favourite is chicken breast, but when bulking as long as you cook with the skin off any part will do, same holds for turkey. Steak is great, beef is beautiful, the only but is no white stuff. The best beef cuts are deep and red with virtually no fat remember that. Quality mince of chicken, turkey or beef is great – but read the label – not all minces are created equal. Pork is not a bodybuilding staple despite my own love of the bacon sandwich. There are more exotic meats that are high in protein and low in fat – ostrich and buffalo are just two – give them a try. Off the land and into the sea, shellfish is high in fat per protein punch, so its not a staple, salmon, cod, sea bass, red snapper, herring, are great choices, as are tuna and swordfish steaks. If you can get it orange roughy is great – the only thing to do is make sure you get what you ask for – use a reputable supplier.

Carbohydrates

Brown rice is preferable, basmati is next best although it lacks the fibre of the brown variety, white rice especially the easy cook is heavily milled and has nutrients added back in to make its nutritional values worth the effort of boiling it. With pasta again plump for wholewheat varieties, next fresh egg pasta is best and plain old dried is at best someway behind that, but still a much better choice than plain white rice. Oats are great, go for the simple steel cut ones without lots added, remember the smoother and sweeter the more processing required – unprocessed is what you are after. Don’t forget other sources such as couscous or quinoa either as they can be a welcome variation.

For potatoes sweet potatoes rule the roost for bodybuilders, always eat the skins, and that counts double for white potatoes. Finally cold potatoes are less digestible than hot ones so if you want energy eat them hot hot hot.

Fruit and Vegetables

Eat them frequently and eat a rainbow, as a bulking bodybuilder it’s almost impossible to overdo these two. The only thing is to make sure you don’t fill up on veggies until after your protein and carbohydrate requirements have been met.

Fats

For the bodybuilder most dietary fat is from their protein sources, however condiments and sauces should not be shunned. Food should be enjoyable, sensible sauces; marinades and the like make good food great! With these avoid those high in sugar, trans fats and saturated fats, if possible make them yourself, or when buying read that label carefully.

What about junk food?

The 90-10 rule is a good place to start – that is 90% good hearty healthy food and 10% junk. Personally I recommend eat enough to stay sane and have a social life, that will usually be more than enough to satisfy.

Bulking is a great time to try new foods and new ideas, the staple ingredients may sound simple – but remember chicken veg and rice could be grilled plain chicken breast, boiled green rice and some broccoli – but it is also a chicken curry – be creative.

How much to eat when?

We now have an idea of what foods we are eating, we have a massive choice available even if it isn’t on the ready meal aisle. Picking the right foods is great but if you don’t eat enough of them then it amounts to nothing, or more precisely your muscle mass will! Bodybuilders are notorious for two things, eating a lot, and eating often – and as a bulking bodybuilder you will be doing both.

How Much?

This is an almost impossible question to pin down, the answer is enough to grow but not so much that we look like the Michelin man when we have finished. Hitting the 1.5g of protein per lb of lean mass and 2-3 times that in carbohydrates will give you a starting point. The key is ‘starting point’ if it doesn’t work you will have to eat more; there is a lot of truth in the old adage that if you want to look like a 250lb bodybuilder then you have to eat like one. Your body is like any building site, things go quicker if there is plenty of material. Unlike a building site your body can store the leftovers – as fat. So if you are building muscle a little fat is inevitable. Which is why we emphasise protein – it leaves the least leftovers.

How often?

Your body can only process so much at once, eat too much and it’s going to get stored. That is why you need to eat a lot, but also eat often, your body can efficiently utilise what you feed it, send it to where it needs it, and only store what it is essential to be stored. Your body is better at working this out than you can ever imagine. Eat frequently and you deposit less fat than if you dump it all in a big meal or even three big meals – and you will certainly feel better, as well as perform better in the gym by spacing things out.

What this translates to is if you have just eaten, then in 2.5 to 3 hours time you will be chowing down again. And if you wake up naturally in the night you may just have a munch then as well. (Never set an alarm to eat in the night!)

What about after a workout?

A lot has been written about the importance of post workout nutrition and quite rightly so. At this time your body is incredibly receptive to the nutrients you provide it. That receptive state does not last forever – so we hit it with the following strategy:

Straight after the workout we glug down a rapidly digesting protein and a simple sugar to maximize insulin response and the cellular uptake of nutrients. After about 30mins and inside the hour of that we have a protein and carbohydrate rich meal.

This method is both simple and effective in maximizing workout gains.

Recommend Supplements For This Diet:

1. Whey Protein (Taken at the times shown below.)
2. Creatine (Taken at the times shown below.)

Meal 1: 3 Buckwheat pancakes (4in diameter), 2 large eggs, 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup of applesauce (unsweetened).
45g Protein 617 Calories

Meal 2: 6oz Skinless chicken breast, 8oz sweet potato, 1/2 cup mixed vegetables.
45g Protein 475 Calories

Workout

Meal 3:6 Tablespoons Whey Protein, 10oz skim milk, 1 orange juice, 3 low fat biscuits.
43g Protein 835 Calories

Meal 4: 5oz Lean steak, 2 cups of couscous, 1/2 cup of carrots, 3 teaspoons of steak sauce.
46g protein 576 Calories

Meal 5: 1 1/2 Cups low fat cottage cheese, 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup pineapples.
43g Protein 608 Calories

Meal 6: 1 Large bagel, 4 slices of roast beef, 3 slices of low fat cheese, a sliced tomato, lettuce, 1 teaspoon low fat mayo.
45g Protein 567 Calories

Totals: 268g Protein 3678 Calories

I’m here to set the record straight: bulking for extended periods of time is a bad approach.

The Benefits of Bulking

Bulking works, but only in two week spurts. During times of over-feeding, the body becomes a growth machine.

Fat storage activity in the body doesn’t instantly kick into overdrive when bulking begins. It’s not a light switch reaction. Simply put, when you over-eat, it takes a while for the body to transition to “fat storage” mode. During this transition period, your body is a muscle building machine.

During the first 14 days of a bulk, several studies have revealed that testosterone, IGF-1, and insulin levels elevate. What does this mean? You are highly anabolic! You are as anabolic as you’re going to get as a natural bodybuilder.

14 Days
But the anabolic benefits of bulking peak after 14 days. During this time, and as I mentioned, the body is slowly transitioning over to fat storage mode. After 2 weeks on a bulk, you lose most of the anabolic benefits, and start to store fat at an alarming rate.

If you continue to bulk after this point, most of your gains will be fat. Of course, each individual is different. Some may continue to gain more muscle for several days after the 2 week period. And some may start to add fat earlier then predicted. But in general, 2 weeks is the optimal bulking period.

As one can project, once your current bulk ends, you should refrain from another bulking cycle for at least 2 weeks. Again, the body needs time to transition from a fat storage machine into a fat burning machine.

During this transition time, it is recommended that you eat slightly below caloric maintenance levels. Because the body is ready to store fat, eating “normal maintenance calories” could cause you to gain unwanted fat. By eating slightly below maintenance levels, you will encourage the body to transition to fat burning mode. Thus begins the prepping cycle for the next bulk.

Hardgainers

A hardgainer is a person who has difficulty gaining weight either through diet or exercise.

After reading this, hardgainers might fear the post-bulk, low calorie period. After all, they have a hard time gaining muscle, and don’t want to lose what they’ve just gained.

Here’s the good news: during 2 week bulking cycles, studies reveal that you will gain primarily muscle. (I will list the studies at the end of this article) And during post-bulking, “cutting” periods, you lose primarily fat.

The bottom line is that over a 28 day bulk/cut, you gain muscle, and gain very little fat. If you gain 5 pounds of muscle and 2 pounds of fat over a 14 day bulk, and lose 2 pounds of muscle and 2 pounds of fat during the 14 day cut. You will have gained 3 pounds of muscle and ZERO pounds of fat over a 28 day period. Now, repeat this cycle each month, and you will be well on your way to packing on muscle mass.

Muscle Memory
Muscle memory is not a myth. Once a muscle has reached a certain size, it tends to be MUCH easier to obtain that size again. So, if you gain 5 pounds of muscle on a 2 week bulk, but end up losing a couple pounds of that during the subsequent cut…have no fear. Muscle memory will make it much easier to regain that muscle the next time you bulk.

Dirty or Clean
Is it best to eat dirty or clean calories during a 2 week bulk?

Generally, it doesn’t matter. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Many will disagree with me. I encourage them to read the science behind this bulking protocol.

But with that said, healthier, non-processed foods allow the body to function better, so clean bulking keeps the body running more efficiently. It is very difficult to eat enough calories on a clean bulk. I recommend eating clean most of the time, but allowing room for pizza, chips and ice cream.

Make sure you continue your pattern of frequent feedings. Eat at least 30 grams of protein 5-6 times per day on a bulk. And eat huge post-workout. Huge!

Calories
How much should you eat during bulking and cutting periods? To answer this question, you first need to discover your caloric maintenance level. Log everything you eat, and find the calorie level that keeps your weight the same for a 2 week period.

Once you know this number, eat at least an additional 1,000 calories per day on a bulk. Remember, it takes time for the body to transition over to fat storage mode, so eating more then 1,000 calories over maintenance level isn’t a bad thing at all. I would recommend eating more then this the first week of a bulk, and cutting back to surplus of 1,000 during the second week.

Following the bulk, immediately cut back your calories to 500 below maintenance – and keep them there for the entire 2 week period.

Recommend Supplements For This Diet:

1. Whey Protein (Taken at the times shown below.)

Meal 1: 1-2 slice of rye bread toasted with a tsp of almond butter on each slice 6 egg whites and 2 whole eggs

You can use some onion or other veggies that were listed in groceries including the avocado.

Meal 2: Banana and a serving of no fat yogurt

Meal 3: Protein 4-6 oz or 20-50gm, 1-2 cup greens, 1/2 to 3/4 pinto beans

Meal 4: Whey Protein and some nuts(12 almonds)

Meal 5: 5 oz protein or 20-50 grams Whey Protein, 1-2 cup greens, 1/2 to /3 cup pinto beans

Meal 6: Whey Protein or a cup of dry cottage cheese, some almonds and ½ cup broccoli raw topped with Udos oil and cracked pepper.

Sample of what the diet looks like during the last few months pre contest:

Recommend Supplements For This Diet:

1. Whey Protein (Taken at the times shown below.)

Meal 1: 1/2 cup of oatmeal with 6 egg whites

Meal 2: Whey Protein and 1/2 grapefruit

Meal 3: Protein (Chicken or Tilapia) 4-6 oz or 20-50gm, 1-2 cup spinach or green beans, 1/4 cup yam.

Meal 4: Whey Protein and 12 almonds

Meal 5: Protein (Chicken or Tilapia) 4-6 oz or 20-50gm, 1-2 cup spinach or green beans, 1/4 cup yam.

Meal 6: Whey Protein or 3 oz protein of choice with 1/2 cup green beans or asparagus