Lean BULK Starter Kit

[petey7408]

Since a majority of people that contact me about their overall diet are usually looking to add mass while staying as lean as possible, I figured that a few basic starting points would be helpful.

No, I didn't come up with the idea of a lean bulk. It's been around for quite some time. I just thought that this would be a valuable tool having all the information in one place.

      Lean BULK Starter Kit                     Lean BULK Starter Kit                    Lean BULK Starter Kit                   Lean BULK Starter Kit    

Main Points:

1.) Meals will consist of Protein/Carbs(P+C), or Protein/Fats(P+F). Therefore, while eating a P+C meal you should eat no more than 10-15g of fat at that time. The same will go while eating a P+F(ie: no more then 10-15g of Carbs)
2.) You should aim for 7-8 meals/day.. Not only will this supply a steady level of quality food, but eating often will keep metabolism up, fat burning going, and make it easier to eat the desired amount of calories.
3.) Since this is a lean bulk ALL sources of food should be from clean food.


So how do I know how much to eat?

Protein- 1.25- 1.5gram X 1 Lb. body weight
Fat- .6-.75gram X body weight
Carb- 1.5-1.75gram X body weight

For example, if you weighed 188 lbs, your numbers would be:
Protein: 235-282g/day
Fats: 112.8-141g/day
Carbs: 282-329g/day

How many calories does that come out to?

Protein = 4 cals/gram
Carbs = 4 cals/gram
Fat = 9 cals/gram

So going by the example listed:

940-1128 cals from protein
1128-1316 cals from carbs
1015.2-1269 cals from fats

Total:
3,083.2 - 3,713 cals per day



How do I know if it is a Protein/Carb or Protein/Fat Meal?

This is the suggested Layout, using a standard 5 p.m. workout time:
Meal 1- Protein/Carbs (Breakfast)
Meal 2- Protein/Carbs (Mid Morning)
Meal 3- Protein/Fats (Lunch)
Meal 4- Protein + light amount of Carbs (Pre-Workout)
Meal 5- Protein/Carbs - (Consume Immediately Post Workout)
Meal 6- Protein/Carbs (1-1.5 hours after Post Workout)
Meal 7- Protein/Fats
Meal 8- Protein/Fats (Preferably casein powder or cottage cheese + a small amount of fats.)


So what food qualifies as clean?

Carbs:
Whole Grain Bread
Whole Grain Wraps
Whole Grain Pasta
Oatmeal (Not Instant)
Whole Grain Brown Rice
Veggies (Steam/Grill)

Protein:
Chicken breasts (Boneless, Skinless)
Lean Red meats(Use in P+F meals; steak, ground meat, etc)
Turkey (Ground, lean cuts, etc)
Lean Fish (Albacore Tuna)
Fatty fishes(Use in P+F meals: Salmon, etc)
Whole eggs(Use in P+F meals)
Egg Whites(Use in P+C meals)
Cottage Cheese (Skim, 1%, 2%)
Protein powder (Whey, Casein, Egg)

Fats:
Olive Oil (Cold Pressed, Extra Virgin)
Nuts(Raw almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc. NON SALTED)
Fish Oil (Caps/Liquid Form)
Natural peanut butter
Flax Seeds/Oil
Coconut Oil



How Do I know if I'm on the right track?

Of course while dieting in ANY sense it is a good idea to monitor your progress, and adjust calories as needed( remember that individual metabolism, genetics, workouts, etc will play a huge role). Be sure to monitor your progress on the scale, in the mirror, and with body fat tests if they are available to you. Whether you're bulking or cutting you should shoot for no more then 2 lbs of gain or loss per week. If you are bulking and gaining more than 2 lbs a week, chances are you are gaining fat and you need to look at your diet to make adjustments. If you feel that you are getting fat, cut back on fats or carbs, but never, EVER cut back on protein.


What else do I need to know?

1. Try to take in a small salad or some steamed vegetables with your Protein/Fat meals to get some fiber.
2. Make Meals 1, 5 and 6 the time you take in the majority of your carbs.
3. A multivitamin is a great addition
4. On non training days, eat 2 P+C meals and they should be Meals 1 and 2. All of your other meals should be P+F.
5. Keep a food log to know how close you are hitting your numbers, and to also see what is, or isn’t working for you.
6. Have a cheat meal, but don't go nuts. Preferably, do it on the weekend. Also, it is recommended that you stick with the clean foods even on cheat days, just feel free to bump your calories a little higher.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

-AP

[Raptorbh12]

Good inclusive write-up. Rep points given.

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

What's wrong with instant oat meal?

[Raptorbh12]

Instant oatmeal, (the 1-minute microwave kind) has been altered so it can cook faster and in doing so, it has become a much faster absorbing carb.
Oatmeal is known for its sustained energy benefits but the instant oatmeal supplies you with a quicker insulin spike, something you want to avoid when lean bulking.

[admin]

Excellent write-up!

[redline078]

This info was spot on. Good job.

[AnabolicAdam]

Excellent write up

[adamdub1]

why do you have carbs that low and fats higher?
i read an article by jay cutler where he sugests 2-4g carbs per lbs depending on bodyfat levels, i know hes juicing but still is your carb suggest not a little low/fats a little high?

[AbsoluteZ3R0]

Ok, I'm a little confused about bulking. Assuming your diet is 100% perfect and there is never a moment where you cheat is it actually possible to bulk without gaining fat or does doing this regimen simply reduce the fat gain to a minimum?

[petey7408]

The purpose of this is to gain lean mass while keeping fat gains to a minimum. Just keep in mind man that genetics will play a huge role in this, even if you do have a perfect diet with no cheat meals. Some may argue that even with the cleanest diet possible, you will gain some fat, but it never hurts to stack the deck in your favor.

[bbarrow]

Awesome write-up!!

[pride913]

kudos for this. Hit the nail on the head

[GetJacked]

Nice detail my friend.  I'm about to start a nice clean bulk here over the winter and that gave me some great ideas and also help to refresh some.

[petey7408]

Good deal! Best of luck on your bulk bro!

[Spdgreddy86]

Badass write up petey!!! I'll deff be refering to this often.