Welcome back to “fitravelife.com” For the past 2 months, I was preparing for the bodybuilding competition, “E-san Classic bodybuilding and Physique competition.” Although this time was first time for me to prepare for such contest, thanks to my coach and my consistent effort, I somehow made my goal. During 2 months, I reduced 8 kg (79.8kg ⇒ 71.7kg) but kept almost same level of muscle mass and reached to 5% body fat rate from 14.3%
Towards to E-san Classic competition for the last 3 weeks, I maintained 2,300 Kcal intake per day to reduce weight slightly but keep workout strength so as not to reduce the muscle mass. At final week, my weight was stuck to same level for a week but I didn’t change my plan anymore to keep current condition not to have adverse effect by the change in the very last minute.
For detailed plan preparing for E-san Classic, you can read my previous
Lean bulk up plan for next competition
For the next competition, I will target for WNBF PH5 which will be held in Quezon province in the Philippines. WNBF stands for World Natural Bodybuilding Federation, the bodybuilding organization promotes natural bodybuilding all over the world since 1989.
Unfortunately in Thailand, there are no such organization which has strict drug free policy so I would like to dear jump off from my base and join the bodybuilding competition in the Philippines for next. In Thailand, I will still join some of contest but just to enjoy the stage and performance not more focusing to win anymore.
By the way, please always be noted that I write about training, nutrition plan based on best knowledge from my research and experience. However, of course it might not suit to you perfectly since each person lives different way and we have different body structure by age, sex gene and from daily life style. What I am mentions here is just a general opinion of body making, you can try it but you also need continuous trial and error steps to find out best possible method to fit yourself.
In my case also. I will show you what I am trying currently then see and monitor the progress then adjust my menu or try new things to improve more to achieve my short term fitness goal to become professional natural bodybuilder.
Bulk up method
For bull up or increase muscle mass of body, theoretically, we can divide into 3 methods as below.
- Dirty bulk up
- Clean bulk up
- Lean bulk up
Dirty bulk and clean bulk is normally does not consider how much you eat. Only difference is you eat dirty food such as fast food, fried food contains of oil or eat clean food from grains meat and beans etc.
Unlike these, lean bulk program is measure the calorie intake level so that not to increase your weight too much. in Lean bulk up, weight gain for a month should be restrict 3-5 % of your weight. Since my weight is 73kg, I want to increase my weight no more than 2-3 kg per month.
The reason why I am not adopting dirty or clean bulk up program is because my age and my weight training career. These methods are more suitable for younger trainee up to 25 years old and beginner to intermediate trainee.
If you are young, even dirty bulk up will help grow skeleton bigger and increase more muscle by eating food as much as possible. However in my case, I am a bit older and cannot expect to grow my bones to increase much anymore, and I did training for 5 years already so I cannot expect to gain more muscle as when I just started in 5 years ago. Besides gaining too much weight will make diet more difficult for my metabolism in middle aged person so I will try lean bulk up method in this case.
In lean bulk up method, I will eat maintenance calorie plus 300 additional calorie per day to increase my weight 2-3 kg in a month.
Maintenance calorie is the nutrition amount that will not change your weight so if you eat same level of your maintenance calorie, your weight will be stable, not increase nor decrease. By adding 300 more kilo calories, I will implement lean bulk up for coming months.
How to calculate maintenance calories?
Maintenance calorie or so called TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) can be calculated as below.
TDEE = BMR * Daily life activity index
First, please calculate BMR (Basal metabolic rate) which is the calorie you will burn while resting and doing nothing.
BMR =FFM (fat free mass) * 30 kcal
in my case, considering my weight 71.7 kg and 5% body fat rate, my BMR calculation will be below.
FFM 68.1 (71.7*95) * 30 = 2043
TDEE will be obtained your BMR multiple your daily life activity index. For me, index 1.6 can be applied since I do 2 hour weight training 6 days per week. Therefor, my TDEE is the result of BMR *1.7
2,043 * 1.7 = 3,473 kcal
| life work type | Daily life activity index | Activity description |
| Sedentary | 1.2 | Mainiy desk work and almost no exercise |
| Slightly active | 1.3 | Light exercise 1-3 time per week |
| Moderately active | 1.5 | Moderate exercise 3-5 time per week |
| Strongly active | 1.7 | Intense exercise 5-6 time per week |
| Extremely active | 1.9 | Heavy manual work or exercise 2 times a day |
Now I got my TDEE is 3,473kcal. So if I eat this amount of nutrition daily then continue current life style, in theory, I can keep current body weight. To increase weight to gain more muscle, I will eat 300kcal more on top of my TDEE amount. So total calorie intake results in 3,781kcal per day.(3,481kcal + 300kcal)
Meal plan for lean bulk up
Based on TDEE calculation above, I increase my daily consumption. What I eat every day is not changed at all before bulk up. I just change the amount to increase calorie intake.
Below is my bulk up meal per day.
Let’s compare with my diet meal before the E-san classic below.
Below is the schedule of daily meal. As other bodybuilders do, I separate my meal time as much as possible so that I can take protein frequently to my body not to increase my blood sugar level by eating a lot in one time meal.
Progress after 2 weeks
It has been already 2 weeks passed since I applied lean bulk up meal plan to my daily routine, Progress so far is good, I gained my weight around 1kg. when I check my body composition by In-body Tanita machine, I can see both Muscle and fat increased. For the meantime, I will continue this meal plan then adjust week by week to reach target weight 78kg at the end of March.
When doing body making, you first need above calculation then adjust when it is necessary. Please try my way then customize to fit to your goal and lifestyle. Above bulk up meal plan is just my trial menu for me so it might not suit to me nor to you also. You can refer to my idea and other one’s also but when you do it in practice, please do it by your own risk and adjust it you feel uncomfortable or any adverse symptoms appears on your body.
Fitness and body making plan varies person to person so you can make your own way after your continuous trial and error processing.
See ya!
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