In this episode, Julien DesRoches joins me to talk all about bulking on a plant based diet. For anyone who isn’t familiar with the term, bulking is the name for intentionally overeating to gain more weight and should be combined with a properly planned resistance training program. The goal with bulking is to put the body in a more anabolically-primed state to pack on more muscle quicker than the individual otherwise would while eating less. Under the vast majority of circumstances, bulking comes with some inherent fat gain alond with the muscle gain, so the goal is minimize the amount of fat cell accumulation. After reaching a target bodyweight or strength goals, a bulking or mass gain phase is usually followed by a cutting phase where the goal is to strip body fat back down while attempting to hold on to as much of that newly gained muscle tissue as possible.
Julien is currently in a bulking phase and has been noticing some impressive progress, even after more than eight years of training. Julien and I get into the knitty gritty of bulking up on a plant based diet – who should do it, why they should do it, and tips for planning a successful mass gain focused training cycle. We also get into training as a natural after many years, body dysmorphia, our favorite sources of plant based protein, favorite meals for a bulk, specific tips and tricks we picked up over the years to pack on weight, and much more.
I hope you enjoy the episode and you can find Julien at @plantsformed on Instagram or on our joint tiktok at BeeflessBros. Thanks again, Julien!
If you’d rather listen on a different platform, check the show out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, PocketCasts, PlayerFM, RadioPublic or PineCast!
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro to Podcast
00:45 – Intro to Julien and bulking overview
2:25 – Podcast episode start
3:00 – When Julien and I met, how long we’ve been vegan, Julien’s quick history of lifting
4:30 – Maingaining vs bulking and cutting
7:15 – What exactly is bulking and why do it?
8:15 – What a bulk looks like for Julien in terms of calories
10:00 – Body types, Julien’s body composition predisposition
11:45 – Julien’s recent bulking progress and training
13:45 – To really push progress as a more advanced natural lifter, bulking and cutting is essential
16:15 – Recomend bulk and cuts to beginner lifters?
18:15 – Novice gains, how many years have we been lifting, genetic differences
21:15 – Body dysmorphia, natural vs. enhanced, the struggle of bulking up and social media
26:00 – Natural potential for bodybuilding, bodybuilding is an illusion, hormonal decline through age
32:30 – Is it possible to reach optimal body composition WITHOUT bulking and cutting?
36:00 – Crash diets, how Julien approaches a cut now, cardio during bulks/cuts
38:40 – Tips for successful bulk/mass gain phase, are tracking calories/macros essential?
40:45 – Training practices for building muscle while bulking, any differences in training for bulking/cutting phases? 43:30 – Tips to gain weight on a plant based diet, our favorite vegan bulking foods
48:30 – Some of our favorite plant based protein sources
52:15 – Bulking hack foods – quick and easy on the go vegan options to gain weight
58:15 – Where can Julien be found on social media?
58:45 – Podcast outro
