Current Goals

Feb – May 2026 · 12-week muscle building plan

Phase 2 Plan — Feb to April 2026

Goal
Build lean muscle over 12 weeks through a structured lean bulk, gaining ~4 lbs of muscle before transitioning to a cut in Phase 3.
Feb – May 2026 · 12 Weeks
Full Lean Bulk
Min-Max 5X across two 6-week blocks with slight caloric surplus (~250-300 cal above TDEE). Block 1 builds foundation with straight sets to failure. Block 2 adds intensity techniques (drop sets, myo-reps, lengthened partials). Cut moves to Phase 3.
Target Weight
180 lbs
Projected BF%
~14.7%
Muscle Target
+4 lbs
Weekly Gain
~0.4 lbs/wk
Milestones
Week 3Check-in
Weigh-in, assess energy and recovery, confirm weight trending up ~0.3-0.5 lbs/wk.
Week 6Midpoint
Weigh-in target ~177-178 lbs. Assess strength gains, adjust calories if weight isn't moving.
Week 7Deload
Reduce intensity, recover, prepare for Block 2.
Week 9Check-in
Weigh-in, verify continued lean gains. Adjust surplus if gaining too fast (>0.5 lbs/wk).
Week 12May 2026
Target ~180 lbs. Schedule DEXA scan to measure lean mass gained. Plan Phase 3 cut.
DEXANext Scan
Schedule at BodySpec for early May 2026 to assess bulk results before cutting.
Daily Nutrition Targets
Estimated TDEE3,037 cal
Target Surplus+192 cal/day (~0.4 lb/wk)
3,229cal/day target
180g
Protein
1.0g/lb
486g
Carbs
fuel training
63g
Fat
0.35g/lb
Previous avg was 2,622 cal — this is a slight increase to support muscle growth. Keep protein at or above 180g and prioritize carbs around training for fuel.
Weekly Training Schedule
Alternating full weeks between Min-Max (5 days) and Everfit (6 days). Min-Max on odd weeks (1, 3, 5...), Everfit on even weeks (2, 4, 6...).
Lifting Week (1, 3, 5...)
Mon
Upper 1
Min-Max
Push-heavy compounds
Tue
Lower 1
Min-Max
Quad & hamstring
Wed
Rest
Recovery, mobility
Thu
Upper 2
Min-Max
Pull-heavy compounds
Fri
Lower 2
Min-Max
Glute & posterior chain
Sat
Arms & Delts
Min-Max
Bi/tri/forearms/delts
Sun
Rest
Recovery, stretching
5 training days · Min-Max program
HIIT & Conditioning Week (2, 4, 6...)
Mon
Upper
Everfit
Upper body strength
Tue
Lower
Everfit
Lower body strength
Wed
Sweat
Everfit
HIIT class
Thu
Push
Everfit
Chest/shoulders/triceps
Fri
Pull
Everfit
Back/biceps
Sat
AMRAPs
Everfit
HIIT class
Sun
Rest
Recovery, stretching
6 training days · Everfit classes
Why the Hybrid Approach
Alternating Everfit and Min-Max weeks prevents overuse injuries, maintains metabolic conditioning through HIIT, and provides structured progressive overload for hypertrophy. Variety keeps adaptation high and boredom low.
Phase 2 Priorities
Consistent surplus all 12 weeks
Stay in a slight surplus (~192 cal/day above TDEE) for the full 12 weeks. This is the standard approach — 12-16 week bulks maximize muscle gain before cutting. Phase 3 will handle the cut.
Prioritize leg volume
Legs gained the least lean mass last phase (+0.9 lbs vs +2.2 arms). Both Everfit and Min-Max have dedicated leg days — push intensity on compounds (Hack Squat, Leg Press) and track progressive overload weekly.
Log cheat days too
You had 3 cheat days where tracking was paused last phase — actual intake was likely at maintenance or above. Going forward, try to log everything even on cheat days so you have accurate data for TDEE estimation.
Maintain running volume
15.8 mi/wk is a huge metabolic engine — it's what lets you eat 2,622 cal and still cut. Keep the 2 cardio days and maintain 20+ mi/wk. Zone 2 runs help burn stubborn visceral fat.