Brandão’s cheat hacks for extra mass.
Final up to date on March 4th, 2025
IFBB Professional Open bodybuilder Rafael Brandão’s intense bulking weight loss plan was shared 5 weeks into his offseason in late February 2025. The Brazilian mass monster weighed 126.5 to 127 kilograms (278.9 to 280 lbs) and is “dirty bulking” to steadily achieve 300 grams of physique weight weekly below coach Neil “Yoda” Hill.
It’s time to realize muscle mass.
Brandão medaled on the 2024 Arnold Basic earlier than profitable the 2024 Arnold Basic South America and Romania Muscle Fest to lock his spot on the 2025 Mr. Olympia. Take a look at his full day of consuming beneath:
Disclaimer: The video content material is in Brazilian Portuguese and was translated through YouTube. Some particulars might have been misplaced in translation.
Breakfast, Fitness center Gasoline & Publish-Exercise
Brandão whips selfmade pancakes, offering a balanced ratio of protein, carbs, and fats for breakfast. He blends:
- 4 egg whites
- 3 complete eggs
- 140 grams of oats
- 1 Banana
- 2 scoops of whey protein
For lunch, Brandão loaded his plate with hen breasts, 300 grams of rice, 200 grams of mashed potatoes, veggies, and 10 milliliters of olive oil (bulking hack) — fueling a brutal leg day.
A big meal earlier than coaching prolongs the necessity to refuel after lifting, also referred to as the post-workout anabolic window of opportunity. (1) A 2023 research by Trommelen et al. discovered {that a} bigger protein dose (100 grams) is extra anabolic than a smaller dose of 25 grams. (2)
Brandão eats the identical meal after his health club session. Although it appears monotonous to eat the identical meals, it’s time-saving and predictable.
Meal 5 & “Free Meal”
Brandão ramps as much as 450 grams of rice, 200 grams of hen, and veggies for his subsequent meal to saturate his muscle tissues with glycogen. Carb cycling, or alternating increased and decrease carb days, optimizes restoration, controls fats achieve, and helps Brandão preserve his sturdy urge for food. He generally goes as excessive as one kilogram or 1,000 grams of carbs.
Brandão can be allowed “free meals” to maintain his calorie consumption excessive: Japanese meals and burgers, since they’re nutrient-dense.
“It would assist me greater than pizza…simply fats and carbs,” Brandão defined, though cheese is a good protein supply, and the carbs are saved within the muscle tissues and used to gas coaching. Brandão’s final meal was two beef burgers and fries at 10 p.m.
References
- Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon A, Wilborn C, Urbina SL, Hayward SE, Krieger J. Pre- versus post-exercise protein consumption has comparable results on muscular diversifications. PeerJ. 2017 Jan 3;5:e2825. doi: 10.7717/peerj.2825. Erratum in: PeerJ. 2017 Aug 1;5:e2825/correction-1. doi: 10.7717/peerj.2825/correction-1. PMID: 28070459; PMCID: PMC5214805.
- Trommelen J, van Lieshout GAA, Nyakayiru J, Holwerda AM, Smeets JSJ, Hendriks FK, van Kranenburg JMX, Zorenc AH, Senden JM, Goessens JPB, Gijsen AP, van Loon LJC. The anabolic response to protein ingestion throughout restoration from train has no higher restrict in magnitude and length in vivo in people. Cell Rep Med. 2023 Dec 19;4(12):101324. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101324. PMID: 38118410; PMCID: PMC10772463.
Featured picture: @rafabrandaopro on Instagram