The 5,000-Calorie Bulk Diet

If you're like me, one of the reasons you started weight training was quite simple -- you wanted to be huge. Training and taking high quality supplements play a very integral role in your growth and development as a lifter, but an essential part of getting strong and gaining muscle is to really focus on your nutrition. The fastest way to get stronger is to gain weight. There are plenty of instances of gradual linear progression in strength that can be correlated to an increase in muscle mass and overall body weight.

When I think strength and size, behemoths from the past like Doug Young and Bill Kazmaier come to mind as well as newer guys like Thor Bjornsson and Brian Shaw. Those guys didn't get huge eating like a bird. That being said, if you want to be big, you have to eat big.

The easiest way to get an increase in overall food intake is to increase meal frequency. Trying to wolf down 2,000 calories at a time of non-processed foods is a very difficult task. This is why most strength athletes break their diet up into at least 4 and usually at most 8 meals a day. Six usually works pretty well for most people.

Below is a simple, yet calorie dense and very effective bulking diet. This diet is not to get you on stage for a bodybuilding show, but it isn't so "dirty" that you'll end up sloppy after a few months of running it. Let's take a look.

Meal 1:
4 Whole Eggs
1 Cup Greek Yogurt
1 Bagel
16 Ounces of Whole Milk
Calories: 960 | Fat: 37 | Carbs: 85 | Protein: 73

Meal 2:
2 Scoops Whey Protein
2 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter
1 Cup of Oats
1 Banana (Blend into a shake.)
Calories: 830 | Fat: 23 | Carbs: 99 | Protein: 62

Meal 3:
8-10 Ounces of Beef/Chicken
2 Cups Rice/Potato
Green Veggies
16 Ounces of Whole Milk
Calories: 1135 | Fat: 38 | Carbs: 121 | Protein: 74

Meal 4:
2 Scoops House Of Muscle 100% Whey Protein
2 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter
1 Cup of Oats
1 Banana (Blend into a shake.)
Calories: 830 | Fat: 23 | Carbs: 99 | Protein: 62

Meal 5:
8-10 Ounces of Beef/Chicken
2 Cups Rice/Potato
Green Veggies
16 Ounces of Whole Milk
Calories: 1015 | Fat: 22 | Carbs: 127 | Protein: 87

Meal 6:
2 Cups Cottage Cheese
Calories: 320 | Fat: 5 | Carbs: 12 | Protein: 56

TOTALS: Calories: 5,090 | Fat: 148 | Carbs: 543 | Protein: 414

There it is --5,000-plus calories broken down for you in 6 meals for a typical day of eating. This diet contains protein from varied sources including meat and dairy, along with plenty of carbohydrates. If you prefer to swap chicken for beef, or potatoes for rice, that's fine. The totals above is based off of one meal being 90% lean ground beef and rice, and one being chicken and potatoes. You'll notice it has almost a half a gallon of whole milk a day. Milk contains amino acids and vitamins in addition to being calorie dense. Plenty of old school bodybuilders and powerlifters made milk a staple of their bulking diet.

It should be mentioned that this diet would be excessive for some people, and you should adjust your calories as necessary. When bulking up, typically consuming around 18 calories per pound of lean body mass will get you there. Hard gainers might need more, and easy gainers might need less. If you are trying to bump up to the next weight class or add some weight to the bar, bulking like this will definitely help get the job done.

I firmly believe in keeping things simple. The KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid) applies when it comes to dieting. The easier a diet is for you to follow, the longer you will stick with it. If you put on some additional body fat during, say, a 3-month bulking phase, that is OK and is to be expected. Once you reach a new weight plateau you can cut down a bit and reveal your newly added muscle mass, if that is your goal. This diet is not meant to be followed for an indefinite period of time, but if you are a very lean individual, by all means keep at it until you are satisfied with your muscle mass.

Another key is consistency. Eating big 4 days a week is great, but you are robbing yourself of maximum results. Focus on your goals and be consistent with eating. Like I said, the easier the diet is to follow, the greater results you will get. Pick a plan that works for you and stick to it, day in and day out, and you will end up with great results!

In addition to eating big and training hard, taking high quality sports nutrition supplement like the products available in the House Of Muscle line will really help you reach your goals faster.

So, there you have it! Grab a fork and pack on some quality mass.

Train Hard!