Starting my first lean bulk. Could use a few friends more experienced for meal planning ideas.

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Mat34573
Mat34573 Posts: 9 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hey guys, my name's Mat. I'm 28 and about 164 pounds right now.
I've been working out pretty regularly but I've decided to step up my game by tracking my macros and to start taking this fitness hobby more seriously. I plan on bulking for a few months until I'm satisfied with the muscle and strength gains that I've put on, and then I will try to cut some excess fat probably in the spring time.
My diet is fairly healthy at the moment. I eat a lot of whole grains, legumes, brown rice. Sometimes I snack on crackers, or work in a little treat here and there. (Whole wheat banana bread is my thing this week).
However, I know that I have room for improvement and I know that I could be better organized in my meal preparation.
If anybody has any advice or wants to add me up I'd appreciate that. Cheers.

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  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
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    "lean bulk" has more to do with the size of your caloric surplus than the types of food you are eating. Maintaining a small surplus will lessen the amount of fat you gain.
  • JB035
    JB035 Posts: 336 Member
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    Some meal plan ideas:

    Ground Turkey - 4 to 5 ounces
    White Rice - 1 cup cooked
    Green Bean with garlic and sliced almonds - 1/2 cooked

    You will need to adjust the amounts to get you in line with your cal goals.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
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    In general terms, you want to have adequate calories (~10 to 15% over maintenance levels) and a solid progressive overload lifting program. The idea is to have enough frequency to maximize the benefits of protein synthesis (2 to 3x per body part per week). It should be focused on compound movements and be based around your core 4 lifts (OHP, Bench, Deadlift and Squat).

    In general terms, macros should be based on lean body mass:

    Pro: .8 to 1.2g
    Fats: .35 to .6g
    Carbs: rest.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    psuLemon wrote: »
    In general terms, you want to have adequate calories (~10 to 15% over maintenance levels) and a solid progressive overload lifting program. The idea is to have enough frequency to maximize the benefits of protein synthesis (2 to 3x per body part per week). It should be focused on compound movements and be based around your core 4 lifts (OHP, Bench, Deadlift and Squat).

    In general terms, macros should be based on lean body mass:

    Pro: .8 to 1.2g
    Fats: .35 to .6g
    Carbs: rest.

    this..

    once you hit micros and macros don't be afraid to fill in extra calories with calorie dense foods...

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