What is lean bulking?
Lean bulking is a plan to build muscle without gaining fat. Normally, athletes who are bulking accept that a certain amount of fat gain is necessary. But if you’re willing to take it a little slower, lean bulking can allow you to gain about 1 lb (0.45 kg) each week—and about half of that will be muscle.
Tracking Calories and Macros
Eat more calories than you burn. Start by figuring out how many calories you need each day to maintain your current wait—use an online calorie calculator for any easy way to determine this. Aim to eat an extra 300–500 calories a day more than that maintenance number. Focus on adding calories from nutritious, whole foods like fruits, veggies, and whole carbs.
Aim for lean proteins to be 40% of your daily intake. Protein is essential when you’re trying to build muscle. When you’re lean bulking, aim to eat about .5 grams for every 1 pound (0.45 kg) that you weigh. So if you weigh 200 lb (91 kg), try to eat 100 grams of protein each day. Best proteins for lean bulking: Salmon, lean chicken, beef sirloin or tenderloin, bison, turkey, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, nuts and nut butters, quinoa, tofu, whey, and protein powders
Eat whole carbs for 30% of your diet. Carbs are an important source of the energy you’ll need while you’re working out. Avoid processed carbs and stick to whole foods—they’ll sustain you longer and provide more nutrition instead of empty carbs. Best carbs for lean bulking: Sweet potatoes, potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain or sprouted grain breads, rolled oats, lentils, beans, and farro
Include healthy fats as 30% of your intake. Healthy fats can make it easier for you to hit your caloric surplus every day. They also give you energy and help build muscle. But the types of fats that you eat are important—avoid highly processed, fatty foods and refined oils that add tons of calories without much nutritional benefit. Best fats for lean bulking: Avocados, avocado oil, olives, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, nut butter, seeds, coconut milk, coconut oil, flax seeds, and fatty fish
Include plenty of fruits and veggies with each meal. Fresh produce provides your body with essential vitamins and minerals that you need to feel your best. And some fruits and veggies can help you reach your macro targets—like bananas, potatoes, or carrots if you need more carbs or avocados and olives if you need more fat. Best produce for lean bulking: Leafy greens like spinach and kale, berries, bananas, apples, citrus fruits, bell peppers, beets, avocados, broccoli, legumes, beans, olives
Limit processed, unhealthy foods. You don’t necessarily have to give up your favorite treats forever. But if you do plan to indulge, account for that in your meal plan for that day. For instance, if you know you’re going out for pizza that night, you might opt to lower your calories for breakfast and lunch so you’re still in the target range for your calorie surplus. In particular, try to avoid processed foods with added sugars or fats, like fried foods, pre-made salad dressings, and snacks like chips or sweets.
Eat frequent meals spaced out evenly throughout the day. Lean bulking doesn’t require a specific meal schedule. However, you’ll have more energy if you eat smaller meals more frequently, rather than loading up on all of your calories in a couple of big sittings each day. Try to plan a hearty meal after you work out each day. This will help your body build muscle instead of burning it for energy.
Sample Daily Meal Plan
Try a daily meal plan that looks something like this. Let’s say your lean bulking calorie goal is 2,400 calories a day and you plan to eat about 5 times each day. If you follow the 40-30-30 breakdown, that would be 960 calories from protein (about 240g), 720 calories from carbs (about 180g), and 720 calories from fats (about 80g). You might try breaking it down like this: Morning: 450 calories, 40g protein, 35g carbs, 25g fats Smoothie made from ⁄2 cup (4.0 fl oz) of coconut milk, 1/2 of an avocado, 1/2 cup (70 g) of frozen berries, 1/2 of a banana, 1/2 cup (120 g) of plain Greek yogurt, and 1 tbsp (16 g) of almond butter Mid-morning: 475 calories, 35g protein, 50g carbs, 15g fats 1/2 cup (230 g) of cooked oatmeal (cooked with ⁄2 US tbsp (7.4 ml) olive oil) 1 medium apple sliced and topped with 1 tbsp (16 g) of almond butter Lunch: 540 calories, 45g protein, 55g carbs, 20g fats 5 oz (140 g) of grilled salmon 1/2 cup (90 g) of cooked quinoa 1 cup (35 g) of mixed greens tossed with 2 US tbsp (30 ml) of balsamic vinaigrette 1 oz (28 g) of almonds Dinner: 500 calories, 40g protein, 45g carbs, 20g fats 5 oz (140 g) of lean beef 1 medium sweet potato 3/4 cup (120 g) steamed broccoli 1 oz (28 g) shredded low-fat cheese (to top sweet potato or broccoli) Before bed: 400 calories, 40g protein, 5g carbs, 15g fats 1 cup (240 g) plain Greek yogurt topped with 1 tbsp (16 g) natural almond butter and 1/4 cup (30 g) granola (choose one that’s low in added sugars)
Best Training Plan for Lean Bulking
Strength train 3–4 times a week to build muscle. When you’re bulking, most of your workout time should focus on resistance or strength training. Bodyweight exercises and workouts that use resistance bands can be good for building strength and getting a balanced workout. But to really build muscle, include weight training exercises in your workout plan. Include compound exercises that work your whole body, like weighted squats, pull-ups, bench presses, and barbell deadlifts. You can also target specific areas with isolation moves like bicep curls and calf raises.
Add in 1–2 days of light cardio each week. Some cardio is important to keeping your heart healthy and strong, but too much can cause you to lose weight. When you’re doing cardio during a lean bulk, aim for an activity that will raise your heartrate to a steady, moderate level. Walking or jogging, cycling, and swimming can be good options—just don’t go too hard, and limit it to about 30–60 minutes a day. If your cardio is too strenuous, you may burn too many calories. The resulting calorie deficit could prevent you from gaining muscle.
Include 1–2 rest days a week. Even when you’re trying to bulk, it’s important to include rest days in your plan. When you’re recovering from training, your body will repair damage to your muscles—which is actually when your muscles gain mass. If you skip rest days, you might also be overly sore or fatigued when you work out again, which could increase your risk of an injury.
Aim for about 10–20 reps in each set. Higher reps may be more effective at building muscle, even if you have to use a slightly lower weight to accomplish it. When you do more reps, your muscles spend more time under tension (often abbreviated as TUT). The additional strain helps you gain muscle faster. As you’re planning your workouts, try to perform 10–20 sets for each muscle group every week. If you’re new to weight training, start with around 10–12 sets and work your way up.
Consider adding drop sets to boost muscle growth. To perform a drop set, do as many reps as you can a weight training exercise—don’t stop until you feel fully fatigued, like you can’t do anymore of that move while maintaining good form. Then, choose a weight that’s about 25% lighter than what you were using, and do as many more reps as you can. Completely exhausting your muscles in this way can help you build muscle even faster. For example, if you’re doing bicep curls with 20 lb (9.1 kg) dumbbells, you’d go to fatigue, then drop to 15 lb (6.8 kg) and keep going as long as possible.
Why is sleep important while lean bulking?
Sleep 7-8 hours every night. If you’re trying to bulk, make sure you’re going to bed on time. Getting enough sleep may help you build muscle more efficiently—a recent study found that participants with good sleep habits gained less fat and built similar amounts of muscle as participants who slept less at night. Sleeping well also has plenty of other health benefits, including improving your mood, protecting your heart health, and reducing stress.
Should I cut or bulk first?
Focus on getting lean if you have more than 12–13% body fat. Calculate your body fat when you’re deciding whether to cut or bulk. If your body fat is 12–13% or higher, you should focus on getting in shape before you try to build muscle. Not only will you build muscle less effectively in this range, but you’ll also be more likely to gain fat instead. If you’re around 10–12% body fat, you’re in the right shape for a bulk. To decrease your body fat percentage, decrease your calorie intake so you have a caloric deficit, meaning you burn more than you take in. Also, increase the intensity of your cardio.
How fast should I gain weight during a lean bulk?
Aim to gain about 0.5–1 lb (0.23–0.45 kg) a week. Weigh yourself regularly to make sure you’re hitting your targets. If you’re eating the right amount of calories, you should see a weight gain of about 1 lb (0.45 kg) each week. About half of that will be muscle, for a total of about 2–4 lb (0.91–1.81 kg) of muscle a month. If you’re gaining weight too slowly, increase your calories by about 100 a day until you see gains. If you’re gaining more weight than that, decrease your daily calories.
How long should I lean bulk?
Stick to the plan until you hit 15% of body fat. Typically, bulking involves gaining a small amount of body fat in addition to the muscle you’ve gained. If you reach 15% body fat, start a plan to cut weight to lose excess fat and show off your muscle gains. If you still want to gain more muscle after you cut for a few weeks, start lean bulking again.
FAQs
Is it better to bulk or lean bulk? Lean bulking takes longer than regular bulking, and it also requires careful planning. However, it’s a great way to build healthy habits, so you may be more likely to hold onto your gains long-term.
What’s the difference between clean bulking and dirty bulking? Dirty bulking means that you eat as many calories as you can in a day, without worrying about whether those calories come from healthy, whole-food sources. Clean (or lean) bulking focuses on overall nutrition, so gains may happen more slowly, but they’re more sustainable.
Should I use supplements if I’m lean bulking? It’s usually better to focus on using whole foods to meet your nutrition needs. However, some athletes do include supplements in their lean bulking plans, including: Protein powders: These can be added to smoothies or oats to boost your protein intake for the day Creatine: Creatine is a popular energy booster that may also help support muscle growth Omega-3s: Omega-3 supplements may help reduce joint pain and stiffness, which could help improve your recovery time after working out.
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