Lessons Learned from Gaining 16 lbs of Lean Mass in 11 Months
"If you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear." - Kobe Bryant
I wrapped up a beastly muscle building phase at the end of 2025 and want to share some of my lessons learned. I gained ~23 lbs over the course of 11 months, which included ~16 lbs of lean mass.
The 10 keys to my success, in order of importance: 1. Consistency. 2. No Excuses Mentality. 3. Working with a Coach. 4. Training and Nutrition Programs Aligned with my Goals. 5. Strength Training. 6. Calories. 7. Macros. 8. Steps. 9. Active Lifestyle Outside the Gym. 10. Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT).
Summary Stats: Time Period: February 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025 (11 months) Weight: 182 lbs to 205 lbs (+23 lbs total) Lean Mass gained: ~16 lbs (~60-70% of total weight gained) Fat Mass gained: ~7 lbs (~30-40% of total weight gained) Body Fat: Started at 13.3%, ended at 15.5%
A 50/50 split between lean mass/fat gained is a well executed bulk, and anything above that is great. My gains were 60-70% lean mass / 30-40% fat mass, which is pretty solid.
Training Program: 4x per week split (2 upper / 2 lower), ~1 hour 30 minutes per lift, 180 lifts completed, 0 lifts missed, ~12k daily steps average, no structured cardio.
Rest periods were 2-3 minutes in between sets - an absolutely crucial element backed by research. Stop treating your lifts like cardio workouts. I tracked weights and reps for every single exercise in all 180 lifts. If you are not progressively overloading over time (increasing weight and/or reps), you are not getting stronger. The foundation of my weightlifting program stayed pretty much the same during the entire 11 months, with small adjustments every 12 weeks.
Progression highlights (Aug-Dec portion only): Seated Cable Row: 130 lbs to 190 lbs Lat Machine Parallel Grip: 165 to 200 lbs Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 120 to 155 lbs T Bar Row: 117.5 to 160 lbs Deficit Trap Bar Deadlift: 240 to 300 lbs Cannonball Leg Press: 310 to 425 lbs Smith Machine Split Squats: 120 to 170 lbs
Nutrition Program: A slight calorie surplus is the key to a successful muscle building phase. We are talking 100-200 calories above your maintenance. My target was ~0.5 lbs gained per week, or ~2 lbs per month.
Starting Calories (2/2/25): 2913 | Protein: 197g, Fat: 97g, Carbs: 312g Midway Point (7/15/25): 3379 | Protein: 212g, Fat: 112g, Carbs: 379g Peak Calories (early Nov 2025): 3943 | Protein: 211g, Fat: 131g, Carbs: 478g Ending Calories (Dec 2025): 3500 | Protein: 219g, Fat: 117g, Carbs: 395g
My protein basically stayed the same throughout despite calories increasing by over 1000. The vast majority of increased calories come from carbs during muscle building - carbs fuel your performance in the gym.
Food tracking stats: 310 days tracked out of 332 days. Days off were primarily vacations, holidays, and weddings. I use MacroFactor for food tracking.
By the way, eating nearly 4000 calories on your average Tuesday is way harder than 1800 (the lowest I have ever gone during fat loss). Muscle building is a much bigger grind than fat loss. I am legitimately excited to eat less food during my fat loss phase.
What happens next: The cut begins. I will be shaving off ~17 lbs over the next 17 weeks. Target weight is 188 lbs and 8-9% body fat. Shred levels will be getting insane very soon. This summer is gonna be a blast.
Stay well, Hal the Health Coach
