5 Easy Steps to Bulking with I.AM.AMINO® and Intermittent Fasting

In the fitness industry, it’s no surprise that lots of folks have questions about getting shredded. Yet, would it surprise you to know I get just as many questions about bulking as cutting? It’s fairly obvious that it is just as much a mystery to many trainees. 

There's a good reason for it…

It is harder! 

It is harder if you are naturally lean. It is harder if you are naturally skinny. It is harder if you are naturally “skinny fat.” It is even harder if you have the ability to gain weight very quickly, but it seems to be all fat. 

So how do you bulk? Read on for a bulking protocol using I.AM.AMINO. But before we get to that, keep in mind that...

Weight Gain Requires Caloric Surplus

The body cannot make something out of nothing. That would break the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that in a closed system, mass must remain constant–it can neither increase or decrease without interference from outside.

Your body is a closed system. When you take in sources of energy, such as food, they become available to the closed system. First, these sources of energy are used to fuel your body’s activities, without which you would not survive. Only if there is excess, can they be used to build additional muscle. The rest becomes waste that is removed as excrement or exhaled as CO2 and H2O. 

So if you want to bulk, you need caloric surplus. 

An I.AM.AMINO Bulking Protocol

OK, now that you know we cannot break the laws of physics and chemistry, let us assume that you have a caloric surplus. 

This bulking protocol:

• Incorporates I.AM.AMINO 
• Uses roughly an isocaloric diet (all macro calories are equivalent)
• Assumes One Meal a Day (OMAD), with a caveat (read on!)

If your diet is different, you will need to modify this protocol. Our free FacebookTM group, “I.AM.AMINO | Protein Replacement For You To Get In Shape,” is a great resource to ask for individualized input! 

Follow these steps:

1. Be in a modest caloric surplus. 

Use a calorie calculator (there are many online like this one https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calorie-calculator/itt-20402304) to find out your maintenance calorie needs, and add 200-300 calories per day. That is your daily caloric target.

2. Set your protein goal per day. 

Set your protein at 0.8 grams/pound of your body weight if you are currently overweight, and 1 gram/pound of your body weight if you are currently lean or skinny fat.

3. Set your fat goal per day.

If you weigh less than 150 pounds, set 40 grams. If you weigh between 150-200 pounds, set 50 grams. If you weigh over 200 pounds, set 60 grams of fat per day.

4. Figure out your carbohydrates per day.

Now that you have determined your protein and fat goals, calculate their total calories. To calculate, for protein, use 4 calories/gram, and for fat, use 9 calories/gram.

You have already determined your daily calorie target, so once you know the calories you are getting from protein and fat, you will obtain the balance from carbohydrates. 

5. Use I.AM.AMINO! 

The rate of protein synthesis in the body is limited by the availability of essential amino acids. I.AM.AMINO provides these essential amino acids in a ratio that results in 99% utilization in humans. It is no surprise that this bulking protocol incorporates I.AM.AMINO!  

Here is the caveat to the OMAD assumption. When bulking, I ingest calories multiple times a day; I just don’t chew. 

• First thing in the morning: A dose of I.AM.AMINO with a dose of carbohydrate solution (10-20g is plenty) 
• 4 hours later: A dose of I.AM.AMINO with a dose of carbohydrate solution 
• Pre-workout: A dose of I.AM.AMINO with a double dose of a carbohydrate solution, or I.AM.AMINO Pre-Workout and Carb solution
• Post-workout: A dose of I.AM.AMINO with a dose of carbohydrate solution, followed by dinner (OMAD style)
• Before sleep: A dose of I.AM.AMINO on its own

The carbohydrate solution can be sugar, dextrose, glucose, clustered dextrin, vitargo, isomaltulose, cocoa, or any other insulin spiking product. My personal favorite is a product called Karbolyn, which is a patented hybrid. The key is I want a small insulin spike.  

There is considerable scientific controversy on whether insulin helps Muscle Protein Synthesis (necessary for bulking!) and in what environment. However, there is strong consensus that it does diminish Muscle Protein Breakdown (MPB) which is a net gain.

This protocol is based on my personal opinion and experience with insulin and Essential Amino Acids while bulking. Here are a few studies (1)(2)(3)(4) that helped me come to this conclusion. 

IMPORTANT: In Step (4) above, when you compute carbohydrate intake, be sure to deduct all the carbohydrates you are taking with your I.AM.AMINO. For me, that means my whole food carbohydrates are usually less than 200 grams/day.

Closing Thoughts

What about training? I am a fan of High Intensity Training (HIT), but for bulking, I defer to a higher volume. For each of you, that will mean something different.

As a rule of thumb, I want more blood flowing to the muscles, so even a burner set or a pump set added to every exercise is a nice approach. Rest-Pause, 21’s, and GVT are all options. But don’t leave a workout without a pump, preferably all over.

Finally, we are seldom as active as we think or as our smart tools would have us believe. I typically cut the activity number by half (If it says I burned 500 calories, I assume that I have burned 250 calories).

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4255106/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33096658/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC295560/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26404065/
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