Sam Sulek has quickly become one of the most popular fitness influencers, with many even calling him the "next Arnold" of bodybuilding. His advice on crafting workout routines and nutrition plans cuts through much of the noise in the industry to provide wisdom that can work for dedicated beginners and seasoned gym veterans alike.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll break down Sam‘s top tips, including his thoughts on training frequency, exercise selection, workout structure, diet customization, and more. Whether you want to maximize muscle gains or burn stubborn body fat, implementing even a few of these strategies can get you notably better results.
Optimize Muscle Growth by Hitting Muscles Twice Per Week
One of Sam‘s foundational rules for building muscle is to train each major muscle group at least twice per week. He finds that hitting chest, back, legs, and other areas every 3-4 days provides a better growth stimulus compared to just once.
The exact split can vary based on your recovery capacity and number of weekly training sessions. For example, an upper/lower body split performed twice weekly would have you train:
- Monday: Upper Body
- Tuesday: Lower Body
- Thursday: Upper Body
- Friday: Lower Body
Sam notes that keeping protein intake high (about 1 gram per pound of body weight daily) also supports faster recovery between these more frequent strength training sessions.
Balance Volume and Intensity For Maximum Gains
While training a muscle more frequently is important, you still have to get the most out of each workout. Sam advises using a moderate overall volume per muscle group (sets x reps x weight) so you can put maximal effort into each set.
He finds that doing around 15 working sets per muscle weekly, equivalent to around 8 sets twice per week, provides enough stimulus without excess fatigue. This allows for greater intensity on the sets you do perform, driving further adaptation.
Within each session, Sam suggests organizing your exercises in a reverse pyramid, starting heavier with lower reps and tapering down to lighter weights and higher reps. This helps safely ramp up intensity on the big lifts while still flushing blood into the muscle with secondary moves.
Incorporate Partial Reps to Push Beyond Failure
One advanced technique Sam utilizes to enable greater muscle overload is partial reps. This means continuing a set past the point of full range of motion failure by performing shorter repetitions.
For example, on a challenging set of squats as your legs start to give out, you can reduce the depth to continue repping just through the top half or quarter of the movement. This allows for additional tension that would be impossible with full reps.
While caution is warranted to avoid injury, partials can provide just the extra stimulus needed to shock your muscles into new growth. Use them judiciously at the tail end of tough sets on big compound lifts.
Develop Mind-Muscle Connection For Better Results
In order to maximize muscle activation and tension during training, Sam is a big proponent of developing an strong mind-muscle connection. This means visualizing and consciously contracting the target muscles through every aspect of the lift.
For example, on a set of bicep curls, you would actively flex your biceps at the very beginning to initiate the curl and keep them engaged throughout the entire motion. This takes practice, but learning this skill can substantially boost results.
Single joint exercises that isolate smaller muscle groups are perfect for honing mind-muscle connection. Sam finds narrow grip bench press incredibly effective for really focusing on the feel of the triceps working, for example.
Design a Program Tailored to Your Needs and Goals
While the training principles Sam advocates are proven to pack on slabs of muscle, he‘s quick to note that no single program will be ideal for every person. You have to be willing to experiment and find what works best for your body and current fitness level.
For some, a 5-day intense bro split aligns well with their recovery capacity, training preferences, and scheduling restraints. Others might thrive on a 3-day full body routine they can consistently maintain over months and years.
The key is that within your chosen split, you intelligently apply the guidelines around volume, frequency, intensity, and technique covered here. Sam rejects rigid dogma, so find what enables you to progress.
Lean Bulk For Gradual Muscle Growth Without Fat Gain
When looking to pack on size, Sam warns not to fall into the trap of reckless "dirty bulking" where you simply attempt to put on as much weight as possible through an enormous calorie surplus. This inevitably leads to rapid fat gain that requires an equally aggressive cut to shed.
Instead, he recommends aiming to lean bulk with a more modest calorie increase of around 300 calories over your maintenance level. This fuels steady, quality weight gain over weeks and months with little change in body fat percentage. Spreading these extra calories across high protein foods maximizes muscle protein synthesis.
A sample lean bulking diet could look like:
- Protein: 1g per pound of body weight
- Fats: 20-30% of total calories
- Carbs: Remainder of calories
Implementation requires regularly tracking metrics like weight, body fat percentage, and measurements to make small diet adjustments as needed. Patience pays major dividends.
Retain Muscle While Cutting Body Fat
During fat loss phases, sustaining hard-earned muscle requires intelligent programming and avoiding excessive calorie deficits. Sam suggests starting with a 20-25% reduction from maintenance intake levels, which generally equates to 500 calories less per day.
This pace of cut along with sufficient protein (at least 0.8-1 gram per pound), continues strength training, and adequate sleep makes substantial body recomposition possible. You maintain training performance and muscle mass even as you lean out.
If fat loss stalls after a few weeks, increase the calorie deficit slightly through small adjustments like reducing portion sizes or limiting higher calorie beverages rather than aggressive slash and burn tactics. The leaner you get, the slower losses come so patience is key.
Sample Sam Sulek Workout Routine and Diet Plan
While Sam would likely advise custom-tailoring programming to the individual, here is one sample routine and nutrition plan following his high-level guidelines that could effectively support muscle building for an intermediate lifter:
Workout Split:
- Monday: Chest and Triceps
- Tuesday: Quads and Hamstrings
- Thursday: Back and Biceps
- Friday: Shoulders and Traps
Workout Structure:
- Compound Lift: 4 sets x 4-6 reps (reverse pyramid)
- Secondary Lift: 3 sets x 8-10 reps
- Isolation Lift: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
- Optional partials: 1-2 sets to failure
Sample Diet Plan:
- Protein: 180g
- Carbs: 320g
- Fat: 70g
This would provide a roughly 300 calorie surplus for a 175lb male for steady weekly weight gain with added size coming primarily from muscle in alignment with Sam‘s advice.
While debates around the ideal fitness principles will doubtless continue for ages, a few core tenets emerge from Sam Sulek‘s hard-won wisdom:
- Train each muscle group frequently using moderate volumes and heavy intensities
- Experiment to find personalized programming that aligns to your recovery capacity
- Incorporate advanced techniques like partial reps, mind-muscle connection, and lean bulking/cutting to break plateaus
- Remain flexible and keep improving your routine over time as your fitness level increases
If even a couple of these workout, diet, and lifestyle factors resonate with you, applying them diligently for months on end can profoundly transform your physique. Here‘s to achieving that next level of fitness with support from experts like Sam!