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Strategic Weight Gain: Mastering the Art of "Lean Bulking"

Updated: Oct 8

Embracing weight gain with a game plan—via the tried-and-true method of bulking and cutting cycles—can turbocharge your journey to a muscular and lean physique far more effectively than the steady-state approach often dubbed "main gaining." This strategy not only accelerates your path to a chiseled body but does so with precision.


Who's Ready to Bulk Up?

If you've got a relatively lean frame, have been hitting the weights for some time, and are itching to pack on some serious muscle, bulking is your next move. Newbies to the fitness game, or those who might balk at the scale ticking up, might want to tread water at maintenance or trim the fat first before diving into a bulk.


The Ideal Bulking Tempo

Aim for a goldilocks pace of weight gain—about half a pound to a pound each week during a bulk. This sweet spot allows for solid muscle gains without letting fat creep up on you too much.


Timing Your Bulking Season

A typical bulking run should last somewhere between 12 to 16 weeks. You'll know it's time to switch gears when you start feeling the burnout from training fatigue. Follow this up with a chill phase to let your body recover, setting the stage for a lean-out phase if needed.


The Bulking Diet: Clean Eating with a Side of Fun

Steering towards a diet heavy on the "clean" side—think nutrient-packed foods—is your best bet for hitting those macro and micronutrient targets. But hey, life's too short not to enjoy your grub, so sprinkle in those treats to keep things on an even keel and your weight gain in check.


Knowing When to Lean Down

Once you've wrapped up a "bulking" period, and either the gains start to plateau, or you're packing a bit more fluff than you'd like, it's time to enter a cutting phase. The goal here is to shed the fat while clinging on to that hard-earned muscle. If you approach making lean gains a life time, life style shift to just eating healthier and for performance, you likely won't ever have to do a 'cut'. I do recommend taking this approach.


Key Movements to Support Muscle Growth in Target Areas

When embarking on a bulking phase, selecting the right exercises is crucial to ensure you are building muscle in the areas you want to grow the most. Here's a guide to help you choose the key movements:

  1. Chest:

    1. Bench Press (Barbell or Dumbbell)

    2. Incline Bench Press

    3. Dips

    4. Low to high cable flies

  2. Back:

    1. Deadlifts

    2. Pull-Ups/Chin-Ups

    3. Bent-Over Rows

  3. Legs:

    1. Squats (Barbell Back Squat, Front Squat)

    2. Romanian Deadlifts

    3. Leg Press

    4. Hack Squats

  4. Shoulders:

    1. Overhead Shoulder Press

    2. Lateral Raises

    3. Rear Delt Flys

    4. Face Pulls

  5. Arms:

    1. Bicep Curls (Barbell, Dumbbell)

    2. Tricep Dips

    3. Tricep Extensions

  6. Glutes/Hamstrings:

    1. Hip Thrusts

    2. Glute Bridges

    3. Lunges


By focusing on these compound movements, you can effectively target multiple muscle groups, ensuring balanced growth and strength development. Adjust the weights, sets, and reps based on your specific goals and training phase, ensuring progressive overload to continuously challenge your muscles.


Adding Volume to Lagging Body Parts in a Bulking Phase

During a bulking or lean gain phase, it's ideal to add more volume to body parts that are lagging behind. Increasing volume helps stimulate muscle growth and ensures balanced development. Here are some ways to add more volume and some accessory examples:


Ways to Add More Volume:

  1. Additional Sets: Increase the number of sets for the lagging muscle group.

  2. Frequency: Train the lagging muscle group more frequently within the week.

  3. Variety: Incorporate different exercises to target the muscle from various angles.

  4. Intensity Techniques: Use drop sets, supersets, and rest-pause sets to intensify the workout.



Ready to dive deeper and truly master the craft of bulking for optimum muscle gain and leanness? My eBook is your blueprint to success for a comprehensive guide building muscle and strength.

Let's crush those fitness goals together, one intentional pound at a time.

 

If you’d like to ensure you’re safely and effectively reaching your goals, consider my in-person or online personal training services to help you through your journey!


Schedule a free consult call with me to see if we're the right fit!

Everett Miner, NASM-CPT @minerfit
Everett Miner, NASM-CPT @minerfit
Comprehensive Coaching Services

1. Weekly Check-in Coaching Call

  • A dedicated call to discuss progress, address concerns, and adjust plans as needed.

2. Training Sessions

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  • Personalized Resistance Training Programming:

  • Weight Training:

  • Featuring periodization to ensure progressive overload and optimal results.

  • Includes alternative exercises based on available equipment or personal limitations.

  • Offers alternative workout splits tailored to your schedule.

  • Incorporates strategies for breaking plateaus.

  • Progressions and regressions to cater to your fitness level.

  • Exercise tempo selection for optimal performance and safety.

  • Ab/Core Training: Focused routines to strengthen and tone your core.

  • Cardio Fitness Training: Customized cardio plans to improve endurance and cardiovascular health.

  • Warm Ups & Cool Downs: Structured routines to prepare your body for exercise and aid recovery.

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5. Workout Tracking

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6. Personalized Nutrition Advice & Meal Guidance

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  • Meal Diary Tracking: Monitor your dietary intake and adjust as necessary for optimal results.

7. Initial Fitness Assessments

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  • Dynamic Postural Assessment (OHSA): Assesses movement patterns to identify areas for improvement.

  • Cardiovascular Assessment (if needed): Evaluates cardiovascular fitness levels.

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