My Bulking Diet
As most of you know, Round 4 for me was about BULKING UP!! I was not wanting to get fat though! I wanted to add about 8 – 9 lbs of lean muscle mass over a 90 day period, and I was willing accept a small increase in body fat to help me get there. When I started my bulking round, I was 208 lbs, with 6% body fat. After 60 days, I was 217 lbs with 7.5% body fat. So it worked! I had to cut the round short due to a filming conflict with P90X2 (wanted to look cut for that so I stopped bulking). But the principles of the bulking diet I used definitely worked, and can be used as a template for anyone else looking to add mass the smart, clean way.
I am attaching my Round 4 Diet, and you’ll notice some changes.
First, my calorie target varies from day to day. I had the following calorie targets:
- Lift days (3x per week) = 3,500 calories
- Cardio days (2x per week) = 3,300 calories
- Recovery/Rest days (2 x per week) = 3,000 calories
This will allow me to fully fuel myself for muscle growth on the lift days, but not overdo it with unneccesary calories on the light days (like the rest day, the yoga day, and the ab only days). With this diet, I expected to be able to add about 1 lb per week. You will have to find the level of calorie surplus to run to enable yourself to gain 1 lb per week (it could be more or less than what worked for me).
Second, I am using a spreadsheet (I’m attaching them so you can use them or modify them for yourself if you like them). I did a spreadsheet this time so that I could simply check off the box as I eat each item each day. I still think My Fitness Pal is an AWESOME app and very useful, and I still use it if I am eating out or if I have a weekend where the diet will vary a bit. But since I planned on eating nearly the same thing every day, and I’m a creature of habit, this worked well for me as well.
Third, I am shooting for a “range” rather than a specific %, so this gives me a little freedom for substitutions. My protein goal is 30-35%, carbs 50-55%, and fat 15-20% on any given day.
Download my Round 4 Spreadsheets here (Excel):
Download my Round 4 Spreadsheets here (PDF):
round-4-diet-cardio-days Sheet1
round-4-diet-recovery-days Sheet1
* You’ll notice there aren’t big differences in these daily diets. The daily meals and snacks are mostly the same. The key differences are:
Lift Days = I used the pre-workout Nano Vapor (because it has some extra sugar to give me some fast absorbing calories and carbs pre-workout). This adds 210 calories to the daily calorie total. If you don’t want to get a separate PWO, then just consider adding some extra calories in the form of a carb food item before your workout (oatmeal, fruit, etc.).
Cardio Days = Just like lift days except that I used 1 MR for my preworkout, which will cut 200 calories off the daily calorie total.
Recovery Days = I skipped the preworkout and the Results/Recovery formula. However, to get enough morning calories, I CHOOSE 3 (instead of just 2) from my breakfast choices. I will also cut some calories from my afternoon and evening by deleting the afternoon snack of Almonds and the evening Yogurt snack.
Explanation of some of the terms on my Diet Checklist:
Reeses Shakeology = This is my Shakeology, using 1 scoop Shakeology, 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, and 1 scoop of protein powder.
Choose 2 = I can pick any 2 from that list of 4 items. They will change my % slightly, but still within the range I’m shooting for on any given day. These items are all about 100 calories each. (On recovery days, I can choose 3).
Homemade Bread = My wife makes homemade wheat bread which comes out to 100 calories the way we slice it. If you use standard wheat bread, you can do 2 slices (since standard wheat bread is about 50 cals per slice)
PB = natural peanut butter (I get Smuckers brand from Walmart — the only ingredients are peanuts and salt)
Yogurt = I use both Athenos Greek Yogurt (100 cals/ 11 p / 14 c / 0 f) and Dannon Greek Yogurt (120 cals / 12 p / 17 c / 0 f). These are available at Walmart.
Jerky = I use Jack Links Turkey Jerky from Walmart
Cheerios / H2H = For this snack, I use 1 cup of Cheerios and 3/4 cup of Kashi Heart 2 Heart cinamon O’s (mixed together for variety and flavor)
Carrots (20) = This is 20 count of baby carrots
String Cheese = I use Crystal Farms Light String cheese, 50 cals per stick / 7 p / 1 c / 2.5 f
Almonds = I use plain almonds with sea salt (not the kind cooked in oil). I use 1 serving, which is 24 nuts / 160 cals / 6 p / 6 c / 14 f. I split it into a morning snack of 8 nuts and an afternoon snack of 16 nuts (to spread out my healthy fats throughout the day).
P90X Bar = I use the Chocolate, which has 260 cals / 20 p / 31 c / 8 f
Cheerios / GoLean = For this snack, I use 1 cup Cheerios and 1 cup Kashi GoLean (mixed together for variety and flavor)
Dinner items can vary between Chicken, Salmon, Turkey, etc. I will shoot for about 8 oz of lean meat at dinner. The veggies can vary (green beans, broccoli, salad, etc.). I will shoot for about 140 calories of veggies (which is quite a large serving). The rice / beans can vary (brown rice, black beans, pinto beans, etc.). I don’t usually have both rice and beans, but whichever it is, I will shoot for about 1 serving (170 calories).
My supplement schedule for Round 4:
- Pre-workout = 1MR on cardio days, and NanoVapor on lift days (NanoVapor has a lot of calories in it so I don’t want to use it every day, but the pump and strength it gives me is unreal so I just have to use it on those important lift days!)
- Post-workout = Res/Rec with 3 g extra creatine mixed in
- Breakfast = Vit B, Vit C, and Vit D
- Dinner = Multivitamin, Fish/Flaxseed Oil, and Glucosamine/Chondroitin (since I’m old and arthritic LOL!)
- Late = 5 g creatine mixed with whey protein
216 Responses to “My Bulking Diet”
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Hey Jimmie, everyone’s body is different. You want to be gaining about 1 lb per week. Consume the amount of calories that will make that happen. That could be 3,000, 3500, or 4000. You’ll have to find out what it takes to overcome your metabolism and help you add weight.
Hey coach just wondering when you had to quit the bulk diet and cut up did you go to the 40/40/20 diet at 3000 cals or the fat shredder ?
Hey Nathan, I went to a balanced 40/40/20 at 2700 cals (a slight deficit for dropping a few pounds).
Hey Coach. I’m planning on bulking up. I have both P90x and Insanity. I was wondering what would be a good workout schedule to help me bulk up with those programs. Thanks
Hey Ben, I’d suggest my P90X / Insanity hybrid (which you can see under the “workout zone”. The key thing for bulking is getting enough cals that you gain about 1 lb per week. See my other tips for gaining mass under “my tips”. Thanks!
ok. I think I’ll do that. Thanks! i have one more question. I’ve been cutting for several months now and dropped from 28% to 10 % body fat weighing 175 lbs. You said that it’s better to bulk after you hit single digit body fat percentage. It wouldn’t be a problem if I bulk with a 10 % body fat right?
Oh and what would be a reasonable protein/carb/fat ratio for a bulking diet? I apologize for asking all these questions. I want to make sure I’m doing it right. lol
Nice work Ben! Yes, you can transition into a bulking diet since you are at the 10% mark. By doing so, you should expect to hold steady at that percentage of B.F. but add some muscle (about 1 lb per week). Go for 50% carbs, 30% protein, and 20% fat.
Ok. I’ll do that. I might do yoga x though instead of pure cardio though. I think 2 cardio workouts per week is good enough. Sounds good?
Definitely Ben. Sounds just fine.
Hey coach I’m on a bulk round and instead of the standard recovery week I was thinking 1)fountain of youth 2)core syn 3)kenpo 4)x stretch 5)iso abs 6)fountain of youth yoga. What do you think? Can I do this or just stick with the regular routine?
Hey Nathan, that would be just fine for recovery week. Go for it!
Coach I weigh myself every morning and check bf%. Yesterday I was 190 lbs this morning 190.9. Doesn’t seem right to me. I’m on a bulk diet and my bf% hasn’t changed. Scale issues?
Hey Nathan, probably not scale issues. Probably “checking too often” issues! You should weigh and check b.f. once a week, on the same day at the same time of day (preferable when you first get up before doing any activity or eating/drinking anything). You probably just had more water in your system this morning than yesterday.
Hey coach. I know your take on body fat vs. Bulking. Now I started a bulk round at 7% bf and I assume at the end of 3 months I will up the bf% by 1% or so. After I complete this round I would like to cut up again and maybe even get down to 4-5% range. Will this work or am I defeating the purpose. I’ve been at it for 3 weeks and seeing gains. I’m wondering if this is a good way to go about it. I assume a month or two to cut up again then go back for another bulk round and so on. What are your thoughts?
Hey Nathan, sure it will work. Every time you bulk up, you add muscle. When you cut, you are just as ripped again, but at a heavier weight from the new muscle gains.
hey coach, i have a couple questions about putting on mass. i just finished p90x and i did see results but nothing extreme. my strength, cardio, and balance have improved dramatically but my body did not transform all too much. i did not have a set diet. but i dont eat junk food. all i eat is lean meat, veggies, fruits, nuts, and wheat type carbs. and i would drink a protien shake for breakfast mixed w peanut butter, then i would drink the r/r and creatine after the workout. my question is why didnt my body change but my overall fitness did? i had a strict diet of no junk or “nasty foods” but i didnt set out meals either. also, im a lean guy. not overweight. not underweight. im 5 foot 8 and weigh 156 pounds. so do you think my lack of results is due to not eating enough calories???? and finally im open to any other suggestions you have to help me gain about 8 pounds. thanks in advance
Hey Luke! My suggestion would be to pick a nutrition plan that will get you where you want to go (shed fat, build mass, maintain), and then start tracking what you eat to be sure you are getting proper % of the macronutrients to actually make it happen.
Hey Coach! Why is it to bulk you need to up your carb %? As opposed to a 40/40/20 scheme.
Hey Alex, you don’t “have to”, but it makes it easier (just like it’s easier to drop body fat with high protein, but you don’t “have to”). Arnold Schwarzenegger used to do 60% carbs. Carbs are the easiest energy source for muscles to use, and you want max energy for the muscles. They need protein to build, but not tons of protein. The ideal combo is some protein for the muscles to use to build, but lots of carbs to give yourself max energy to push harder on the workouts.
Hey Coach. I do Tae Kwon Do and have for years. I love it and do it every night and want to continue to do so. I also want to gain about 10 lbs in muscle. Is this possible to do, and how would you suggest going about it if it is? Would I do the same diet, but on lift days a bit more calories to keep my energy up? I’m curious about this.
Also, (sorry, but I thought about this AFTER I hit submit) if it’s possible to keep doing martial arts nightly to gain muscle weight, would I need to do extra lift days? like 4 or 5 instead of 3?
Hey Mike, sure it’s possible. You’ll just need more calories to make up for the fact that you burn more calories in daily activity with the TKD. The goal is to consume enough calories that you gain 1 lb per week, so it’ll take a bit of trial and error to find the right amount of calories to make that happen.
And no, doing extra lift days won’t help you get better results. In fact, it would hinder your results because muscles grow during the recovery period (see my article “overtraining” for details). Hope that helps!
Hey coach, I was wondering about a few things in the diet. I’m currently in my 2nd week on the bulking and following It pretty well, but I was wondering for things like breakfast instead of 1 cup of Greek yogurt if I just had 1 cup of fat free milk with cheerios and kashi. Also if it was alright to have fat free milk every now and then with my protein shakes?
Hey Joel, you can feel free to substitute items as you wish, and add items occasionally. Just be sure you are tracking it so you know where you are at for your daily % and calorie totals.
Hey Coach
I’m about to start round 2 of P90X and this time want to gain some muscle, i was wondering if taking whey protein is safe for teens??(I’m 17)
Sure Alex, whey protein is definitely safe for teens.
Hey Coach,
How did you figure how many calories you needed on your lift, rest and cardio days? Im customizing my own diet plans again and trying to figure out how many calories I will be needing each day. Any suggestions?
Hey Andy, I knew my maintenance level, so I added calories based on how much extra I would want in order to gain about 1/2 to 1 lb per week, and focused it most on the lift days since those are the max exertion days.
Hey thanks for the reply. What I meant was, how do you know how many calories you are burning on the different workouts in order to calculate needed calories for the different workouts. Maybe you just did answer my question I just need some more clarification. Right now I am thinking about playing around with my heart rate monitor to figure how many calories I burn per workout and I am guessing that’s what you did also. I just don’t know exactly how to go about doing that yet.
Yes Andy, a Heart Rate monitor is the only way. I actually have HR totals on all the P90X and Insanity workouts (for me) based on my HRM, but that won’t apply to others because everyone is different and the different workouts will affect people’s heart rates differently. So definitely get a HRM and then you’ll know for sure. I wrote an article way back called “my new toy – hrm” that goes into it with more detail.
Wayne-
When you bulked up did you notice an increase in body fat %, muscle growth, both or neither?
Hey Baron, here’s the article I wrote describing the results of my bulking round = http://teamripped.com/coach-wayne-day-330
I experienced both — an increase in muscle as well as a small amount of body fat. Hope that helps!
Hey coach where’s the schedule for this round?
Hey Ray, during my bulking round I did the “constant confusion” hybrid that is listed in the “workout zone” tab.
Hey coach I’ve been eating 1800 calories for the fat shredder and lost the weight i wanted off. Now For bulking, what should i increase my calories to, if you can give me a range. I’m 5’8 152lbs
hey coach I’ve been on the fat shredder eating 1800 Calories. Now that i want to add some size how many calories do you suggest i start to take ? I’m 5’8 152. I’m sure you don’t know what my body needs but what’s a good range of calories for me to bulk up?
Hey Christian, 2600-2800 is probably a good place to start. Then adjust from there depending on how fast you are / are not gaining weight. You want to ideally gain about 1 lb per week.
I noticed that you have two rest days on the top of this screen but you only have one on the constant confusion schedule. Can you explain why?
Hey Ray, instead of doing abs on the lift days and then taking full “rest days”, I prefer to only do the lift workouts on those days and then have 2 days per week that are ab only days. On those 2 days, I’m doing no lifting or cardio. Just the abs.
I hear what you’re saying coach but it says this on the schedule for constant confusion on the site. ” I’m also moving abs back onto the lift days. I’m still doing 3 lift days and 2 Insanity cardio days.” Is it possible that the schedule that you followed was a different one than the one posted because this is different than your last reply to me?
Hey Ray, I just went back and looked at it again. I had forgotten the specifics of that hybrid since it’s been a year since I did it. Looks like I had 1 official rest day, 3 lift days on some weeks and 4 on others, 2 cardio days, and 1 day that was either yoga or all abs. I consider Yoga or a day of only abs as a rest day (so I guess that serves to answer your original question). And the reason I consider yoga or abs as a rest day is because I’ve worn a HRM while doing them and you burn very little calories with either.
Two phases down with p90x insanity hybrid. Thinking but switching to a bulking diet to add muscle since the abs are visible and I’m starting to look a bit gaunt. Your thoughts coach?
Hey Ray, if you are within about 2% of your b.f. Goal, then yeah, go for it.
Yeah! So should I switch from p90x insanity hybrid phase 2 to constant confusion phase 1 or stay with current hybrid which has a lot of cardio?
I’d stick with the current hybrid since you are mid-round Ray, but you can switch up the cardio for an all-abs day in the middle (thus reducing the cardio).
Hey Coach Wayne,
I recently bought the Insanity videos and as I was curious in seeing results I stumbled upon your amazing results. I have P90X also I just never tried it. Now I just have a few questions if you don’t mind.
So I currently weigh 159lbs at 12%bf, and my goal is to get ripped and then bulk up. I just wanted to know what to do in order to fulfill my goals and wanted to know what diet plans and workout routines of the P90X and Insanity I should choose to do.
If you could please reply I would highly appreciate it.
Thanks!
Hey Anthony, I’d advise you to do P90X first because you will not only drop body fat but build muscle. Then switch to a hybrid with P90X lift days and Insanity cardio days for the next round. And look at my “nutrition zone” (specifically the “nutrition all in one”) for lots of tips on dialing in your diet to meet your specific goals. Hope that helps! Bring it!
Hey Coach,
I am a pretty big dude like yourself, 6’7″ 225 lbs
I was wondering your opinion on preworkouts. I know you have tried Jack3d, 1MR, etc but I was wondering how many scoops you usually take of a preworkout? I never feel anything unless I take 3 scoops of Jack3d or C4. Just wondering if being a bigger guy contributes to that or what?
Great site too coach! You are very inspiring and I can’t wait to workout with you in X2!
Thanks for any insight