“If your goal is to put on muscle, you should bulk,” reigning six-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead says. Gaining muscle is simple: eat enough and lift.
However, reaching one’s muscular potential involves many nuances. In March 2025, Bumstead, who retired after his winning his sixth straight Olympia in 2024, revealed his secrets to maximizing muscle growth.
[Related: In Modern-Day Bodybuilding, Phil Heath Tells Jay Cutler: “We Don’t Have a Certain Talent Pool”]
Chris Bumstead’s Bulking Blueprint
- Track nutrition
- Prioritize whole foods
- Clean bulk
- Take creatine
- Limit cheat foods
- Increase volume & intensity
- Do cardio
- Bulk Slowly
- Leverage liquid calories
- Listen to your body
- Take pride in your physique
When Should You Bulk?
Bumstead generally recommends men start bulking at around 12% body fat and women at 18 to 20% with visible abs. Since weight moves mass, certain heavyweight athletes often intentionally gain fat, though they’re the exception. Gaining too much fat increases health risks and isn’t recommended.
“If you’re unhappy with your level of body fat, don’t bulk yet,” Bumstead suggests. “Come down to a body fat that you’re happier with, maybe even a little bit below, and then work your way back up.”
Some signs to back off a bulk are excessive fat gain, appetite loss, stagnant lifts, and body weight plateaus.
Calories and Macros
Tracking calories and macros is helpful regardless of physique goals, especially when starting a diet or if your diet varies often. This allows for better control of progress.
What isn’t measured isn’t managed.
—Chris Bumstead
As you become familiar with the caloric content of foods, you don’t need to track them as meticulously. Bulking is a simple formula:
- Find your daily maintenance calories (the amount needed to maintain weight).
- Increase daily food intake by 300 to 500 calories above maintenance, depending on the desired rate of weight gain. When gains plateau, add a few hundred calories.
Bumstead’s daily macro intake is as follows:
- One gram of protein per pound of body weight.
- 20-30% of daily calories from fat.
- The remaining calories from carbohydrates.
Protein is reduced during a bulk since high carb intake preserves protein for muscle growth and fuels long and intense workout sessions and recovery. (1) Bumstead has a low-carb breakfast to stabilize blood sugar, increasing carbs before and after training.
Clean vs. Dirty Bulking & Cheating
Some claim overeating, or “dirty bulking,” and leveraging highly processed, low-quality foods accelerates muscle gains. (2) While it might, the health risks and potential digestive issues from frequent, long-term dirty bulking can negatively impact long-term progress and cause permanent stretch marks.
Bumstead recommends clean bulking—a slight caloric surplus, prioritizing single-ingredient, whole foods, and minimizing “cheat meals”—to maintain healthy digestion and prevent inflammation.
The only point of having a cheat meal is for mental sake.
—Chris Bumstead
[Related: Dirty Bulking Vs. Clean Bulking — How Do You Want to Get Big?]
Bumstead’s Favorite Bulking Supplements
Bumstead recommends these bulking supplements:
- Creatine: Boosts muscle growth, strength, and brain performance.
If you’re not taking [creatine], you’re falling behind.
—Chris Bumstead
- Digestive Enzymes & Betaine HCL: Helps absorb nutrients and support appetite.
- Glucose Disposal Agents (GDAs): Enhances carb utilization.
- Protein Powder: Convenient protein source.
- Amino acids (EAS) and Carb powder: Supports training and recovery.
I believe a post-workout shake is extremely important.
—Chris Bumstead
Training and Cardio During a Bulk
What’s the best way to train to maximize a bulking diet? “If you have more food, your body can handle more [volume],” Bumstead explained. Volume—sets x reps x weight, and progressive overload determines muscle growth. (3)(4)
During a cut, Bumstead increases the weight and reduces the volume to retain muscle.
Maintaining strength maintains muscle during caloric deficits.
—Chris Bumstead
Don’t skip cardio. Cardio doesn’t inhibit muscle growth in a calorie surplus; it can increase appetite and is essential for heart health.
How Fast Should You Bulk?
Aiming for a 0.2-2 lbs weekly weight gain is safe, but monitor body composition (muscle-to-fat ratio). Most muscle gains typically occur for beginners, and they are slow with experience.
The Importance of Long-Term Bulking
Extended bulks typically retain muscle tissue better than mini bulking and cutting phases. “The longer you hold onto muscle, the less likely you are to lose it,” Bumstead asserted, as the body likes to maintain homeostasis. (5)
How long to bulk depends on the individual. However, a minimum of six months is typically suggested. Allow your body time to adjust to caloric increases, and most importantly, be consistent.
Start something, commit to it, and understand your goals.
—Chris Bumstead
Appetite & Bumstead’s Secret
For those struggling with eating, leverage liquid calories (e.g., shakes, smoothies, healthy oils, etc.), don’t skip meals, and prioritize recovery and overall health. Having a routine is paramount, especially for “hard gainers.”
Sleep, rest, and [low stress] are the secrets to bodybuilding; my ability to lower stress during preps won me Olympias.
—Chris Bumstead
Bumstead’s de-stressing and muscle growth secrets are meditation, calming music, and relaxing. While his regime works for him, “[Bodybuilding] has so many nuances, it’s dependent on each person, and only you can figure it out for yourself,” he concluded.
More Bodybuilding Content
- Martin Fitzwater Talks About the Foods Fueling His Bodybuilding Season
- Logan Franklin Predicts He Will “Definitely Qualify” for the 2025 Olympia
- Getting Aroused Makes You Stronger?
References
- Lambert CP, Frank LL, Evans WJ. Macronutrient considerations for the sport of bodybuilding. Sports Med. 2004;34(5):317-27. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200434050-00004. PMID: 15107010.
- Helms ER, Spence AJ, Sousa C, Kreiger J, Taylor S, Oranchuk DJ, Dieter BP, Watkins CM. Effect of Small and Large Energy Surpluses on Strength, Muscle, and Skinfold Thickness in Resistance-Trained Individuals: A Parallel Groups Design. Sports Med Open. 2023 Nov 2;9(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s40798-023-00651-y. PMID: 37914977; PMCID: PMC10620361.
- Chaves TS, Scarpelli MC, Bergamasco JGA, Silva DGD, Medalha Junior RA, Dias NF, Bittencourt D, Carello Filho PC, Angleri V, Nóbrega SR, Roberts MD, Ugrinowitsch C, Libardi CA. Effects of Resistance Training Overload Progression Protocols on Strength and Muscle Mass. Int J Sports Med. 2024 Jun;45(7):504-510. doi: 10.1055/a-2256-5857. Epub 2024 Jan 29. PMID: 38286426.
- McCarthy D, Berg A. Weight Loss Strategies and the Risk of Skeletal Muscle Mass Loss. Nutrients. 2021 Jul 20;13(7):2473. doi: 10.3390/nu13072473. PMID: 34371981; PMCID: PMC8308821.
Featured image: @cbum on Instagram
