Bulking On An Animal-Based Diet: 9 Top Tips

You’ve probably heard that animal-based eating, like the carnivore diet, can help people lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. This is true, and it’s a serious motivator that helps people stick to their eating plan. 

But you may be interested in building more muscle. Is bulking on an animal-based diet possible? The good news is that it is possible with the right strategy. It’s time to start building the physique you’ve always dreamed of, with our nine top tips for bulking on an animal-based diet.

​Understanding Animal-Based Diets

Animal-based diets, like carnivore, paleo, and keto are built around animal foods. That means there's a heavy emphasis on eating animal foods like meat, eggs, and dairy, rather than plant foods. Animal-based diets tend to be higher in protein than other diets, offering you the best approach for building muscle.

​The Carnivore Diet Vs. Other Animal-Based Diets

The carnivore diet is an animal-based diet, like paleo or keto. Keto is a low-carb diet, but the carnivore diet strives to be zero-carb. Paleo also allows plant foods that are not included in the carnivore diet. So although they all focus on animal foods, the carnivore diet does so more exclusively.

Can you bulk up and build muscle on the carnivore diet? Yes, you can! But there are a few things you need to keep in mind when attempting to bulk on an animal-based diet.

1. ​Protein Intake For Muscle Growth

You need to boost your protein intake when bulking. But does the type or source of that protein matter? Yes, it does. Fortunately, an animal-based diet offers you the type of protein you need, because, unlike most plant foods, all animal proteins are complete proteins. 

This means that they contain all the essential amino acids necessary for muscle repair, growth, and maintenance.

2. ​Higher Caloric Intake For Muscle Gain

The calories you consume play a huge role in whether or not you will bulk up. While a caloric deficit helps you lose weight, the opposite is true for bulking. You need to be in a caloric surplus. 

If not accompanied by increased activity levels, a caloric surplus will cause you to gain weight. But when you’re actively working on your muscles, it will help you to gain muscle mass. The numbers on the scale will be rising, but it will be due to your muscle gains.

3. ​Fat Consumption For Energy

Whatever you may have heard about animal fats, the truth is that fat is not the enemy. 

Animal fat is essential for bulking on an animal-based diet like carnivore, because of the lack of carbohydrate intake. On the carnivore diet, where carbs are avoided, the body will instead use fat as fuel for your workouts in the form of ketone bodies, converting fat into energy through a process called ketogenesis:

4. ​Vitamins And Minerals

Do vitamins and minerals matter when you’re bulking? They sure do! These micronutrients facilitate muscle protein synthesis. Vitamins B6, B12, C, and D and minerals calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium are particularly important for building strong, healthy muscles and supporting muscle function. 

Most of these essential vitamins and minerals cannot be synthesized by the body. That means you must get them from food or supplements. A well-managed animal-based diet contains all the micronutrients you need for healthy muscle development and bulking. In fact, an animal-based diet is the best source of vitamin B12!

Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.853007/full

​9 Tips For Bulking On An Animal-Based Diet

For significant muscle development, you need a regimen of intensive weighted exercises, body weight exercises, and resistance training. See our complete guide to carnivore bodybuilding for more targeted advice. And for bulking up on an animal-based diet, here are our nine top tips.

1. ​Go Big On Protein

When you engage in heavy exercise, your muscles sustain damage. They later repair themselves, and this is part of the crucial cycle of wear and repair that ultimately builds muscle. But to build muscle, you also need protein-rich foods.  

The process your body uses to repair, grow and strengthen muscles, is called muscle protein synthesis. Your body must synthesize more muscle protein than it breaks down, to build muscle and bulk up. The best ways to do this is with heavy strength training, a higher caloric intake, and increased protein intake. 

2. ​Don't Skimp On The Fat

Because you’re not consuming carbs for energy on animal-based diets like carnivore, you can’t skimp on the fat. This is what fuels your body during those intensive workout sessions. 

Be sure to include healthy fats in your diet. They are dense in calories, which is good for bulking. They help with micronutrient absorption. And on an animal-based diet, they give you the energy needed for heavy-weight training. 

3. ​Make Every Meal Count

Every meal is an important step in your bulking plan. So make every meal count, with healthy eating habits that support muscle growth. Eat a variety of animal foods to get maximum nutrition in your diet. 

Incorporate bone broth when you don’t have time for a meal but need sustenance. The amino acids it contains help to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Bone broth also offers many other benefits for your general health and fitness. 

4. ​Remember To Stay Hydrated

Regardless of which diet you follow, you need to stay hydrated. This is even more important when you’re actively trying to build muscle bulk. Staying hydrated is your best defense against muscle cramps and fatigue. It also helps improve blood flow to the muscles and overall muscle function. ​

5. ​Snack Smart

It’s natural to feel like a snack in between meals, especially when exercising hard. A snack can help keep your energy levels high while building muscle, but you must snack smart! Examples of high-protein snacks include beef jerky, pork rinds, boiled eggs, and cheese.

It’s best to avoid heavy meals just before hitting the gym. Light snacks that are high in protein are ideal. Whey protein and other animal-based protein powders make delicious pre-workout shakes for muscle building. 

​6. Switch Up Your Meat Cuts

Meat is a complete protein—a big plus for people trying to add muscle bulk. But different types and cuts of meat offer different nutritional profiles. So switch up your cuts to get the most from your meat. 

7. ​Consider Supplemental Support For Easier Muscle Building 

Although you can get all the nutrients you need for all-round health from carnivores, a lot depends on how you manage your diet. Our modern lifestyles sometimes prevent us from eating properly. And if you’re also actively engaged in bulking a little supplemental support can make it a whole lot easier.

But to increase muscle mass safely, you must choose the right supplements, like branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).

8. ​Track Your Progress To Stay Motivated

Track your progress with one of the many fitness trackers on the market. Or keep a journal where you record all your progress. Tracking your progress does more than just highlight how far you’ve come. It also acts as a motivational factor in your muscle-building journey. ​

​9. Get Enough Rest For Better Muscle Recovery

You may have heard it before, but rest and recovery are extremely important in any exercise regimen. And they are even more important when bulking.

A large portion of muscle regeneration happens while you are asleep. By getting enough sleep, you support muscle synthesis. But it's also important to have rest days in between workouts. This will give your muscles a chance to recover and grow, and also help to prevent muscle fatigue that leads to injury.

​Final Thoughts 

So, is bulking on an animal-based diet possible? Yes, it is! 

Bulking on an animal-based diet is more than just possible, it can also be quick and easy! But this is only true when you have ample motivation, determination, and self-discipline. And, of course, the right approach to your diet. Our nine tips will help you on your way. And if you want to know how much calories and macronutrients you need to eat to achieve your bulking goals, check out our macronutrient calculator: