Do you want to build a powerful lean mass without getting fat? Don’t worry bro as we got you covered. Here we have a complete guide to everything you need to know about building a mass body.
All About Lean Bulking?
We all know lifting life is all about the bulk. It’s the time when we build massive strong muscle and hit the gym hard. Lean bulking so means getting stacked. Lean bulking is all about stacking slabs of muscle and minimizing fat content.
Clean vs Dirty Bulking: The big secret
Not all bulks are created equal! Sure, you can stack massive body mass in a matter of weeks. Dirty bulking is quite easy to achieve through unhealthy eating practices. Dirty bulking is simply eating whatever you want while training somewhat hard to build muscle. Scientifically it can work but it’s not a recommended method.
Clean bulking, on the other hand, is how natural you can build your body. It’s the act of intelligently eating a nutritious diet that supports muscle growth while hitting the gym hard.
Nutrition
It’s time to ignite every muscle fibre in your cell with the fuel inside your body. When looking to create stacks of impressive muscle you should never overlook the kitchen. The food you prepare is the very foundation and building blocks that make your body what it is.
This means getting your nutrients correct. There are three essential food groups you cannot live without protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Each one plays an important role in the healthy function of your body.
Protein
Protein provides the building blocks for your physique. You need to have bigger, better and stronger muscle fibres. Practically protein helps to play this role effectively.
This works through a process called protein synthesis. Simply put, your body uses the amino acids found protein foods to regenerate new cells, which then help fix torn muscle fibre. Include protein in your diet to bolster your daily bulk.
High-quality lean protein sources:
- Chicken
- Turkey Mince
- Lean beef
- Tuna steak
- Whey
- Soy
Carbohydrates
Carbs provide fuel for powering through tough lifting sessions. By eating them you load your body with energy giving it the fire to get to work. Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source of the human body.
Okay, it’s true, you do burn fat for energy while at rest. But it’s also carbs you turn to when things get tough. For an intense exercise like weightlifting or high-energy sports go carbs as the ideal source energy. Carbohydrates are found in almost all foods – with some being denser than others. High-quality carb sources include:
- Rice
- Bread
- Potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Vegetables
Fats
Fats are an essential part of any muscle building diet. Not only are they essential for hormone production, but for energy too.
High-quality healthy fat sources include:
- Whole eggs
- Liver
- Oily fish (salmon, mackerel)
- Nuts
The Workout Explained
One of the fundamental ways of achieving muscles is resistant training. Science has shown that neither high-rep low-weight or low-rep heavy is better for muscle building. However, to build strong muscles you need maximum muscle fibre recruitment. In simpler terms, you must ensure a bigger bang for your buck by hitting larger areas in one go.
Rather than focus on sniper-like precise isolation exercises go for big compound lifts. Doing so will ignite greater amounts of muscle fibres and give you a larger scope for potential growth.
Then, once we’ve nailed the whole body with a barrage of big lifts, get isolated. Support your larger movements with smaller, more intricate exercises, each one specifically for a certain spot. See
Example of a Lean Bulking Split
Here’s an example of push-pull-legs split crafted for lean bulking.
The session starts with a big-ass exercise before moving onto razor-sharp isolation exercises. That’s because you should smash your main lift whilst fresh for maximum benefits.
The reason we’ve chosen a PPL split is simply down to the crossover effect. When you are exercising opposing muscles (push/pull) you’re less likely to hinder your next workout. This is why we call it the crossover effect.
It’s up to you decide the rep range you want to use. As we’ve already said, mastering muscle growth is all about volume. If you’re going for low weights go high with the rep. On the other hand, if you’re planning on bending the bar with big numbers, keep the repetitions lower.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Bench press
- Military press
- Incline dumbbell press
- Skull crushers
- Seated lateral raise
- Weighted Dips
Pull day
- Deadlift
- Barbell high pull
- Alternating bent over kettlebell row
- Wide grip lat pull-down
- Weighted hand-over-hand sledge drag
- Chin-up
Leg day
- Barbell back squat
- Romanian deadlift
- Alternating dumbbell lunges
- Lying leg curl
- Seated leg extensions
- Standing barbell calf raises
- Seated calf raises
The Importance of Progression
The only way you’re can take your physique up is by literally taking it to the next level. Welcome to the world of progressive overload.
Progressive overload is constantly providing muscles with a new stimulus. You can easily achieve this by adding weight to the bar, adding more frequency, increasing duration, shortening resists or altering rep speed.
Employ progressive overload As soon as you’re smashing your rep-range. Add a little more weight to put you back in the trenches. The key point is just to keep making things difficult and testing.
Here’s an example of progressive overload in action:
Week 1 – Push day
Bench press – 200 lb
Week 2 – Push day
Bench press – 205 lb
Week 3 – Push day
Bench press – 207.5 lb
Week 4 – Push day
Bench press – 210 lb
Supplements to Support a Lean Bulk
It’s paramount to note that supplements are not essential. However, when worked alongside a planned diet and workout plan, they can certainly give an added advantage.
The essentials for any bulk are the ones that promote muscle growth and provide energy. Examples are the likes of:
- Lean protein powders
- Creatine
- BCAAs
- Caffeine
- Pre-workouts
- Testosterone boosters
These supplements provide your body with all the essential nutrients needed to stack slabs of lean mass. For example; protein powder can be handy for increasing your intake pre- and post-workout. Creatine, caffeine, and pre-workout ensure you’re always energized. Testosterone boosters keep your hormones on point.
Final Rep on Lean Bulking
Lean bulking is a wise muscle buildering method for adding slabs of lean mass. By embracing a lean bulk rather than a dirty one, you can add impeccable physique from the start. There’s no need to hit a hardcore cutting cycle to strip away unwanted fat mass – which is exactly the way it should be.
Just remember you must employ progressive overload if you’re gonna get swole. After all, to force the change we must take ourselves to the limit. For your muscles – that line lies on either end of the barbell. Now go get it, bro!