A Male’s Bulking Journey: How He Gained Weight and Built Muscle

Introduction

Meet Reddit user rzahm25, a 20-year-old male who stands tall at 6’0” and used to weigh 158 lbs. He recently decided to embark on a bulking journey, which involves consuming more calories than his body burns to gain weight and build muscle mass. In this article, we’ll take a peek into rzahm25’s progress, his approach to diet and exercise, and how he overcame challenges to achieve his goals.

The Diet

To achieve a caloric surplus, or eating more than the body’s maintenance calories, rzahm25 increased his daily intake by 500 calories, focusing on nutrient-dense foods like lean meats, vegetables, and whole grains. His daily meal plan typically consists of eggs, oatmeal, steak, chicken breast, sweet potato, and vegetables, followed by a protein shake. Tracking his macros and calories using MyFitnessPal helped him stay accountable and within his daily goals.

The Workout Plan

Rzahm25 followed a 5-day split, targeting specific muscle groups such as chest, back, shoulders, arms, and legs. He also incorporated compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench press to maximize muscle activation and stimulate growth. His workouts consisted of heavy weights at low reps, followed by sets of moderate to high reps to induce hypertrophy or muscle growth. Incorporating progressive overload, increasing weights over time, also enabled him to challenge his muscles and adapt to new stimuli.

Overcoming Challenges

Rzahm25 faced challenges, including staying consistent and motivated, and overcoming the fear of gaining fat instead of muscle. He overcame these hurdles by tracking his progress using photos and measurements, reminding himself that his body composition was changing over time, and by setting realistic goals. He notes that slow and steady progress is better than trying to rush into results, which can lead to injury or burnout.

Conclusion

In conclusion, rzahm25’s bulking journey showed the benefits of a well-structured diet and workout plan, consistency, and a positive mindset. It also highlighted the importance of measuring progress, setting realistic goals, and not being afraid of setbacks. If you’re interested in bulking, try out rzahm25’s approach and see how your body responds. Remember, everyone’s body is different, so it’s crucial to find what works best for you.