Bulking has a reputation problem. Too many people hear "eat big" and spend a winter gaining two stone, most of it fat, then spend the spring dieting it off again. A lean bulk is the boring, better way: a small, steady calorie surplus with plenty of protein, so most of what you gain is muscle.
1. Start with a small surplus
Work out roughly what you eat to stay the same weight, then add about 250–500 kcal a day. Newer lifters can sit towards the top of that range because they build muscle faster. If you've been training for years, stay towards the bottom.
The target is to gain about 0.25–0.5% of your body weight a week. For an 80 kg lifter that's roughly 0.2–0.4 kg. If the scale is climbing faster than that, the extra is mostly fat.
2. Hit your protein every day
Around 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight covers what most lifters need to build muscle. Spread it over 3–5 meals. Chicken, beef mince, eggs, Greek yoghurt, tuna, cottage cheese and whey are the cheap UK staples that do the heavy lifting.
3. Let carbs fuel the training
Rice, oats, potatoes, pasta and bread aren't the enemy on a bulk. They're what gets you through hard sessions. Put a good serving in the meal before and the meal after training.
4. Make it easy to eat
The hardest part of bulking for many people is simply getting the food in. A few tricks help:
- Batch cook twice a week so there's always a meal ready.
- Use calorie-dense extras: olive oil, peanut butter, whole milk, granola.
- Drink some calories. A shake with milk, oats, banana and whey is an easy 600+ kcal.
5. Train for progress
A surplus without hard training just makes you fatter. Follow a programme, log your lifts and aim to add a little weight or a rep most weeks.
6. Weigh in weekly and adjust
Weigh yourself first thing in the morning a few times a week and look at the weekly average. If it hasn't moved in two weeks, add about 200 kcal a day. If it's rising too fast, take 200 off.
Want it done for you?
Our Bull Bulk 4-Week Meal Plan lays out every meal with UK supermarket shopping lists. If you'd rather have the calories and protein set for your own weight and goal, see the Tailor-Made Meal Plan.