Skinny2Strong

Bulking 101: A Beginner's Guide to Gaining Muscle

Bulking 101 : A Beginner's Guide to Bulking and Building Muscle Programs and Online Coaching: https://www.skinny2strong.org/Message me: https://www.instagram.com/davidesser14/Free TDEE Calculator: https://tdeecalculator.net/

Here are 3️⃣ things I would do if I were new to lifting, or just about to start a big growth phase (aka a bulk).

1. Figure out my maintenance calories. Online TDEE calculators work great for this.

2. Find a GOOD program that focuses on progressive overload.

3. Set a realistic end point (we don’t want to get fat!)

If you’re struggling with any one of these 3 points or just completely unsure how to get started in the gym, shoot me a DM.

Here's an easy bulking hack that helped me go from 150 pounds to 230 pounds.

Add more healthy fats to your diet:

1. Oil

Fats don't make you fat, too many calories make you fat. If you *need* the extra cals during a bulking phase, adding some extra olive oil to your foods is an easy way to eat 100s of extra cals without noticing.

2. Fattier meats

Eating 90/10 ground beef instead of 96/4 ground beef increases your calories without increasing portion sizes. Easy!

3. Dairy

As long as your digestive system can handle it, dairy is a great source of healthy fats. Cheese, yogurt, and milk are all great for muscle building.

How I TRANSFORMED my legs in less than 18 months without back squatting.

I have bulging discs at L4 and L5, so I needed to find a way to grow my legs without heavy back squats.

Here's exactly what I did:

1. I started taking leg press seriously.

Most lifters hop on the leg press and pump out 3 sets of 20 without breaking a sweat.

For me, I slowed my tempo way down, and focused on lifting heavier weights over time while staying on control.

2. High volume DOES work.

Since I was unable to squat super heavy weights, I had to find other ways to progressively overload over time.

I did this by increasing volume over time.

High volume isn't always smart, but it worked in this instance.

3. Leg extensions, leg extensions, and more leg extensions.

Similar to leg press, lifters like to view leg extensions as an afterthought.

I would START my quad days with leg extensions, and it really helped me develop my VMO (the tear drop muscle).

My 3 golden rules to building a WIDE back.

1. You need some sort of heavy rowing movement.

Barbell rows, T-Bar rows, plate loaded rows, and dumbbell rows are all great choices.

2. Vertical pulls for the width! Pull ups, lat pulldowns, and other vertical pulling machines really develop the lat width.

3. Don't skip your rear delts.

Training your rear delts directly is what really makes your upper back pop in a t-shirt.

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3 of my favorite "bulking" foods.

Remember, bulking is a time to gain clean muscle, *not* get fat.

1. Dairy

Despite what modern "health experts" like to suggest, dairy has been around forever and has always been a great way to add healthy fat and protein to your diet.

Cheese, milk, yogurt = gains.

2. Fruit Juice

A couple glasses of orange juice per day is a great way to increase your caloric intake without having to chew all day. The extra micronutrients are an added bonus.

3. Healthy Fats

Fatty meats. Going from 96/4 lean ground beef to 90/10 ground beef is an easy way to increase calories without increasing the amount of food you're eating.

Top 3 things I wish I knew before I started working out:

1. Getting stronger is king.

Fancy circuit and "pump" workouts are BS. Effectively lifting more weight = building more muscle.

2. Your training split doesn't really matter.

How hard you train matters way more than the *perfect* training split.

3. A bad workout is better than no workout.

Every day isn't going to be a 10/10 gym session. That's okay.

Intermittent Fasting isn't a magic cheat code to fat loss.

But it can still be a super useful tool.

Here are the top 3 reasons why I love incorporating Intermittent Fasting in a dieting phase:

Reason 1⃣

By shortening your eating window by a few hours, you can eat more later in the day, allowing yourself to feel "full" before bed.

Nobody likes going to bed feeling hungry.

Reason 2⃣

By using coffee and drinking plenty of water, it's pretty easy to blunt your appetite during your fasting window in the morning.

It's harder to blunt your appetite at night (don't want to be drinking coffee at 9PM!)

Reason 3⃣

For most people, eating a big breakfast before work actually decreases performance via brain fog and rising/crashing blood glucose levels.

Fast in the morning while you knock out your work for the day, and enjoy your food later.

Ready to take your fitness journey to the next level?

🔥 Burn fat, build muscle, and get in the best shape of your life with personalized workout plans designed just for you.

🥗 Unlock the power of nutrition with customized meal plans that fit your lifestyle and preferences, ensuring you reach your goals faster.

👩‍💻 Enjoy the flexibility of online coaching, where I provide guidance, motivation, and keep you accountable.

📈 Track your progress with and witness your transformation unfold right before your eyes.

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