Foods to eat on a lean bulk

Beef is important for building lean muscle due to its protein content, cholesterol, zinc, B vitamins and iron content.

Beef from grass-fed cattle have much higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than conventionally raised cattle, which gives you a boost in shedding body fat and building lean muscle.[1]

2. Beets

A good source of betaine, also known as trimethylglycine, this nutrient not only supports liver and joint health, but also has been shown in clinical research to increase muscle strength and power.

Beets also provide an NO boost which can enhance energy and aid recovery.

3. Brown Rice

A slow-digesting whole grain that provides longer-lasting energy throughout the day and during workouts.

4. Oranges

Another good fruit that can actually help to boost muscle growth, strength and endurance, especially when eaten before workouts.

5. Cantaloupe

Due to its relatively low fructose content, this melon is one of the few fruits that is actually a fast-digesting carb. That makes it a good carb to have first thing in the morning after a long night of fasting and one of the few good fruits to eat after workouts.

6. Cottage Cheese

Rich in casein protein, cottage cheese is a great go-to protein source, especially before bed.

Casein protein is the slowest-digesting protein you can eat, so it prevents catabolism while you fast during the night.

7. Eggs

Eggs are known as the perfect protein, but their ability to boost lean muscle and strength gains isn't due to just the protein alone. It gets a lot of help from the yolks, where the cholesterol is found.

8. Milk (Organic)

Milk contains both whey and casein and is rich in the amino acid glutamine. Organic milk has about 70% more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk.[2]

9. Quinoa

A complete protein in addition to being a slow-digesting carb, quinoa has been linked with an increase in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels, an important factor associated with lean muscle and strength gains.

10. Spinach

Spinach is a good source of glutamine, the amino acid that is important for lean muscle growth.

11. Apples

The specific polyphenols in apples help to increase muscle strength and prevent muscle fatigue, allowing you to train harder for longer.

Other research also shows that these polyphenols can increase fat burning as well. That's why it's a good idea to make apples a pre-workout carb source.

12. Greek Yogurt

Like plain yogurt, Greek yogurt starts from the same source: milk. Greek yogurt, however, has more protein (a whopping 20 grams per cup) and fewer carbs (9 grams per cup) than regular yogurt (16 grams protein and 16 grams carbs per cup). It's also a good source of casein protein.

13. Ezekiel 4:9 Bread

Ezekiel bread is made from organic sprouted whole grains. Because it contains grains and legumes, the bread is a complete protein, which means it contains all nine of the amino acids your body can't produce on its own—the ones needed for lean muscle growth.

14. Wheat Germ

Wheat germ is rich in zinc, iron, selenium, potassium, and B vitamins, high in fiber and protein, with a good amount of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), arginine and glutamine.

This makes wheat germ a great source of slow-digesting carbohydrates and a quality protein that's a perfect food before workouts.

The Lean-Muscle One-Week Meal Plan

The following plan is designed for a person weighing 140 pounds. When trying to gain lean muscle during a rigorous exercise program, a good rule of thumb is to shoot for an intake of about 13-15 calories per pound of bodyweight, so adjust up or down depending on your weight.

So for a 110-pound individual, total daily calories would be between 1,430 to 1,650; for a 150-pound individual, about 1,950 to 2,250. Tweak the amounts in the meal plan to hit your desired macronutrient targets, which you can identify using this calculator.

In old-school bulking and diets, bodybuilders would eat as many calories as possible from any type of food source for the purpose of putting on extra pounds - known as the "dirty bulk". While dirty bulking was effective at increasing bodyweight through increased caloric intake, some of the increased pounds were from added body fat gains, instead of desired muscle mass.

The problem with this is that after people pass the first hurdle of putting on extra weight through caloric surplus, they faced a new one of newfound fat gain that they wanted to shed.

Lean bulking (also known as clean bulking!) takes a more measured approach to nutrition, calories and macronutrients that are more tightly regulated for lean muscle gains.

4x World Champ Sadik Hadzovic shared all the details with us of what he eats in a day and gave us great tips on his approach to successful lean bulking for muscle growth and overall health.

While some lean bulk diet plans encourage practices like skipping meals, especially breakfast, Sadik goes in an opposite direction and encourages breakfast. In fact, the good news is that Sadik kicks his breakfast off with over 500 calories, using this meal as window to consume key muscle building macronutrients.

Sadik “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so it’s very important that I load up on carbohydrates and protein first thing in the morning.” 

High carb or low carb? White rice or brown rice? The field of nutrition is filled with many debates about which foods to eat, which to avoid, and which are superior. For his lean bulking diet, Sadik takes a more practical approach to carbohydrates.  

Sadik “There’s the age-old discussion brown rice vs white rice, in small quantities, the difference isn’t going to be drastic, so you’re going to eat the rice that digests and tastes best for you.”  

The post workout recovery window is an important time to replenish nutrients that are used during a workout. Sadik emphasizes two important macronutrients during this post-workout window - protein and carbohydrates. 

Protein supports muscle repair and increased muscle protein synthesis to contribute to the building of new muscle. While carbohydrates support replenishment of glycogen, glycogen from our muscles is a fast-acting fuel source that’s used during intense exercise. 

Sadik: “My post workout meal and it’s the easiest meal to prepare. I have a scoop and a half of XTEND Pro and 1 bagel, the fast-acting carbohydrates help shuttle the protein into my muscle.” 

Red meat like flank steak is rich in creatine. Creatine is a compound found in muscle cells that plays a role in cellular energy production, which supports increased ATP levels. ATP is the fuel used by our bodies to power muscle contractions. Explosive strength and power movements are predominantly fueled by the ATP-Creatine Phosphate system of our body.  

Sadik: “Flank steak and potatoes is a staple in my diet. This meal has tons of carbohydrates, tons of healthy fats, and creatine, which helps keep my muscles full.”  

There's a misconception that eating certain foods in the evening may impact your metabolism more differently than eating them at other times of the day. Because of this, some people avoid specific macronutrients like carbohydrates or fats. Sadik takes a different approach and incorporates healthy fats, carbohydrates and protein into the last meal of his day. 

Sadik: “What I love about this meal is that I increase the fats to slowly release the protein throughout the night while I’m sleeping.”  

In addition to these excellent tips, Sadik also shared the exact foods and portions he eats during one day of his lean bulk meal plan. 

Meal 1 - Breakfast

• 7 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 4 packets of quaker grits  
• Macros: 579 calories, 39 grams of protein, 7 grams fat, 90 grams of carbohydrates  

Meal 2 - Mid-Morning Snack

• 6.5 chicken breast and 8 oz of Jasmin rice  
• Macros: 476 calories, 58 grams of protein, 8 grams fat, 43 grams of carbohydrates  

Meal 3 - Pre-Workout Meal

• 1 box of Pasta Roni and 6.5 oz chicken breast  
• Macros: 719 calories, 59 grams of protein, 11 grams of fat, 96 grams of carbohydrates  

Meal 4 - Post-Workout Snack  

• 1 ½ scoops of XTEND Pro and 1 bagel  
• Macros: 465 calories, 49 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 61 grams of carbohydrates  

Meal 5 - Evening Dinner

• 8 oz flank steak and 10 oz white potato  
• Macros: 439 calories, 7 grams of protein, 19 grams of fat, 60 grams of carbohydrates  

Meal 6 - Evening Snack

• 7 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, and 2/3 cups of old-fashioned oatmeal  
• Macros: 496 calories, 46 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, 44 grams of carbohydrates  

Hand-picked to pack on size while keeping the bodyfat in check, the Cellucor Lean Bulking Stack combines C4 Original and XTEND Original to drive energy, performance, and recovery. Add in the anabolic testosterone booster of P6 Original, and you’ve got even more support for strength & lean muscle, taking the results from your XTEND Pro isolate protein to the next level! Add in CLK, a caffeine-free favorite for fat loss, and you’re making sure that this clean bulk keeps you lean and mean.

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