How to Move Up or Fill Out a Weight Class
Bulking, filling out or moving up a weight class isn't as straightforward and easy as it seems.
when well executed, you can hit bodyweight goals & enhance performance. get it wrong & you can slow athletic development.
In this blog post, we’ll guide you through essential nutritional strategies, practical tips, and common mistakes to avoid while eating in a caloric surplus.
Moving up a weight class or filling out your current weight class can be a strategic decision in Olympic weightlifting and other weight-classed sports. The intent is to maximize performance potential, giving athletes a competitive edge over others. For those who have been training to maintain a lower body weight, this transition provides the opportunity to train with increased caloric intake, supporting muscle growth and strength gains while optimizing their overall performance.
Before making the decision to move up a weight class, it’s essential to consult with your trusted weightlifting coach. They can provide personalized guidance and ensure this change aligns with your long term training, performance and competition goals.
Common Myths and Mistakes When Bulking
🚩 Myth 1: “more protein equals more muscle”
While protein is crucial for muscle growth, there's a limit to how much the body can utilize. Consuming more protein than necessary doesn't accelerate muscle gain; instead, a well-balanced intake of all macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) is essential for optimal results.
🚩 Myth 2: "You Have to Eat Dirty to Gain Weight"
While a calorie surplus is necessary for weight gain, the quality of the calories matters. Focusing on nutrient-dense foods ensures that the body gets the vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients needed for performance, recovery, and overall health. Regardless of your goals, make sure your nutrition practice includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
🚩 Myth 3: “i’ll just eat fast food to bulk up fast”
Fast food is calorie-dense and convenient, yet relying solely on it for bulking doesn't provide the balanced nutrition required for optimal performance and energy levels. Fast foods are often high in low quality fats, sugars, and sodium, lacking essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which are crucial for overall health, recovery, and sustained energy during training and competition.
A diet rich in whole, nutrient-dense foods alongside occasional indulgences can better support athletic performance and long-term health.
🚩 Myth 4: pounding 1,000 calorie shakes
Relying on these shakes can cause digestive discomfort, such as bloating, gas and even vomiting. This can reduce overall food intake and hinder consistent progress.
Nutritional Strategies to Gain Weight
⚡ eat in a Caloric Surplus
To add mass, you will need to consume more calories than you expend in a day. Start with increasing your total food by about 10% each day.
Focus on calorie-dense, low-volume foods to avoid feeling overly full and prevent digestive discomfort.
Stick to your normal meals and snacks, add calorically dense “meal toppers” or sides:
Jam or jelly, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar to your favorite snacks.
Nut butters - like peanut butter, almond butter or nutella - can be added to smoothies, oatmeal or toast.
Top your meals with calorically dense options; olive oil, butter, cheese or avocado.
Use sauces generously; bbq sauce, ranch, mayonaise, ketchup or alfredo can help a ton!
Snack on dried fruit, trail mix, mixed nuts, seeds or dark chocolate.
Don’t be afraid to indulge in traditionally “un-healthy” foods. Follow your palette; if eating a cup of ice cream, brownies or a cinnamon rolls makes eating to caloric targets easier - go for it!
Read why “clean eating” may be holding back your performance.
⚡ maintain Protein Intake
Ensure adequate protein intake for muscle growth and recovery. High-quality protein sources include meats, fish, seafood, greek yogurt, eggs/egg whites and plant based proteins like tofu or legumes.
Switch from low fat to higher or full fat options:
Use higher fat or full fat dairy products; milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Switch to higher fat cuts of meat. For example, if you typically eat chicken breast, bring in chicken thighs. If you typically eat 90% ground beef, start prepping meals with 80% ground beef.
Curious how much protein you need? We got the details here.
⚡ include nutrient essentials
By far this is one of the biggest mistakes athletes make when eating in a surplus. They neglect nutrient rich foods like leafy greens, colorful vegetables and fruits. To ensure you are getting essential vitamins and minerals, aim for a minimum of 2 servings of fruit and 3-4 servings of vegetables a day.
These nutrient-dense foods help reduce inflammation, improve immune function, and enhance overall health, ensuring you can train harder and recover faster.
How to optimize your recovery and performance.
⚡ strategically increase Carbohydrates Around Training
Carbohydrates our bodies preferred source of fuel and are essential for high-intensity training. Increase your carbohydrate intake, especially around your workouts, to enhance performance and recovery. Make best use of pre-training and intra-training carbohydrates to fully support ideal training outcomes.
Feeling burnt out with eating in a surplus is normal.
Some athletes will simply have a hard time adding body mass to their frames. Having a plan and sticking to it can be helpful.
Adjust your plan weekly, gauging weight and body fat gains along with other key biofeedback. Regular assessments with your coach or support team can help keep you on track.
Aim for a weight gain rate of 0.5-1 pound per week. This will differ depending on your specific goals and timeline.
Additional Lifestyle Adjustments
⚡ Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is crucial for muscle recovery and performance. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Establish a consistent sleep schedule and create a restful environment.
Why you should care about sleep.
⚡ Implement Core Strategies
Continue consistent meal timing, balanced macronutrient intake, stress management practices. Regular check-ins with your coach or support team can help make necessary adjustments.
Essentials nutrition and lifestyle strategies to build strength.
⚡ Stay hydrated
Drinking water is essential for athletes eating in a caloric surplus as it aids in nutrient absorption, muscle hydration, and overall recovery, ensuring optimal performance and reducing the risk of injury.
Get a Personalized Plan to Fill Out or Move Up a Weight Class!
In Performance Nutrition we will take the guesswork out of nutrition so you can focus more on doing what you love - lifting.
You will be able to train harder, recover faster and achieve your goals with greater ease. With expert guidance, you will have the knowledge and tools to make informed, effective changes that support your training performance and weight class goals.
Schedule a free discovery call or check out Performance Nutrition today!
Hi, I’m Katie!
I am a Sports Nutritionist who specializes in working with strength and power athletes to ensure their nutrition supports their rigorous training needs.
As a former collegiate athlete and coach, I know firsthand the pivotal role nutrition plays into athletic success. I am passionate about simplifying nutrition, propelling you closer to your goals. I would love to hear from you!