When we talk about lean bulking today — building muscle without unnecessary fat gain — it helps to look back. Not to the 1970s or 1980s, when macro counting and strict bulking and cutting cycles became popular, but even further back.
To the era before whey protein, egg protein powders, creatine, or BCAAs existed.
To the time of Jack LaLanne and the early pioneers of bodybuilding.
These athletes ate very differently from what is common today — yet remarkably effectively.
At that time, processed sugar simply did not exist.
There were no industrial seed oils, no heavily processed fats, and no non-organic or genetically modified meats.
Animals were fed their natural diets, which resulted in far higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients — and, most importantly, a completely different fatty acid profile. One that supported recovery and did not aggressively promote fat storage.
Fish was wild-caught, not farmed.
Carbohydrate intake was also much lower than what we see today. Depending on the individual, it ranged from around 35% down to as little as 10%.
Protein was the dominant macronutrient, followed by fat, with carbohydrates coming last. All of it came from whole, unprocessed foods.
The result was solid, functional muscle development.
Not the extreme size seen today with insulin, HGH, and steroid use — but also without the severe health consequences that have become so common.
Calories were rarely counted.
People simply ate — and stopped when they were full.
Because there was no addiction to processed sugar, no trans fats, no oxidized fats, and no excessive omega-6 intake (all of which elevate cortisol and encourage fat gain), cravings were minimal.
Insulin resistance and leptin resistance — which cause hunger even when the body does not actually need food — were virtually nonexistent.
High protein intake also meant a healthy digestive system.
Stomach acid and digestive enzymes are themselves made from protein. When protein intake drops too low, digestion suffers, nutrients are poorly absorbed, and amino acids are lost.
(When protein intake is insufficient, food is not fully broken down, and the body fails to extract everything it needs.)
Training sessions often lasted two to three hours per day, and food intake followed real hunger signals.
There was little concept of deliberate bulking or cutting.
If more mass was desired, they ate a bit more.
If leaning out was the goal, they ate slightly less or added some light cardio.
But never in the extreme ways considered “necessary” today.
It’s hard not to wonder how these athletes would have performed with modern, precisely formulated amino acid support.
In the 1950s, egg protein powders entered the market.
Although derived from eggs, they were already significantly processed. Fats oxidized more easily, and sugars became faster acting, triggering higher insulin responses.
At the same time, whey was still considered a waste product of the dairy industry and was often discarded or used as fertilizer.
When cheaper petroleum-based fertilizers replaced natural ones, whey suddenly became surplus. Producers realized it could be marketed as a protein source.
However, whey presents several issues.
Only a small portion — roughly 18% — is actually used to build new body protein. The rest is converted into sugar or stored as body fat. It is also highly processed, with fast-acting sugars that spike insulin and promote fat storage, and it can be difficult to digest for many people.
None of this existed during the golden age of bodybuilding.
Neither did BCAAs, anabolic steroids, growth hormone, or insulin injections.
Their diets were built on whole foods.
No chips, no packaged meals, no cookies, no pizza.
The misguided recommendation to lower fat intake while dramatically increasing carbohydrates only gained momentum in the 1970s — and they did not follow it.
Dietary fat does not automatically create body fat.
Excess sugar combined with fat does.
In the late 1970s, processed sugars such as high-fructose corn syrup entered the food supply — precisely when obesity rates in the United States began to rise sharply.
Since then, obesity has increased from under 10% to over 40%.
In the 1980s, cattle feed shifted from grass to GMO corn and soy, radically altering their fatty acid composition — from roughly a 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio to as high as 17:1. This imbalance elevates cortisol and pushes the body toward fat storage rather than fat loss.
It wasn’t until the 1980s and 1990s that bodybuilders truly began tracking macros.
Not because it was optimal — but because it became necessary.
Fat accumulated faster and was harder to lose. Cardio became increasingly important as a countermeasure.
(Cardio is valuable — for health and enjoyment — but not as a compensatory tool for a diet that constantly promotes fat gain.)
Our diet has changed slowly but fundamentally — so gradually that most people never noticed how different it had become.
This is why it makes sense to learn from those who thrived on natural nutrition.
Later in life, Jack LaLanne made a point of avoiding processed sugars and packaged foods entirely.
He ate only meals prepared from individual, whole ingredients.
Protein was his priority, followed by fat, with moderate carbohydrates.
Fish was nearly his only source of meat — rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Many argue that a diet high in protein and fat is unhealthy.
Jack LaLanne lived energetically and independently until the age of 96.
Compare that to many modern bodybuilders who die in their 40s or 50s — consuming highly processed carbohydrate-heavy diets, relying on protein powders, and using growth hormone and testosterone.
A significant number develop type 2 diabetes as a result.
We do not need extremely high carbohydrate intake — especially not from processed sources.
Yes, long training sessions require energy.
But if fat is being gained at the same rate as muscle, that fat is not appearing by chance. It comes from excess carbohydrates that were not used for training and were therefore stored.
Processed foods and sugars do not help us.
They simply force us into more extreme cardio and dieting strategies.
These aggressive cutting and conditioning methods are solutions to a problem we created ourselves.
What if we simply stopped creating the problem?
When we give the body what it truly needs — and remove what it does not — extreme bulking and cutting become unnecessary.
What remains is simple and effective:
Lean bulking — building muscle with minimal fat gain.
And if a little extra fat does appear, it comes off quickly.
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