Bodybuilder Sam Sulek is locking in his nutrition for his first off-season as an IFBB Pro. In a recent YouTube video, shared on July 9, 2025, he walked through some of his most valuable grocery store dieting tips for bulking and fat loss.
After teasing his splash into the sport for years, Sulek finally made it happen in 2024. He impressed in his amateur debut at the NPC Legends Classic en route to taking first in overall Classic Physique. This victory afforded him a rare opportunity: to test himself against stiffer competition at the 2025 Arnold Amateur.
Though some names in the bodybuilding community, like Chris Aceto, didn’t think he would have the tools to earn his IFBB Pro card, Sulek proved him wrong. His condition and shape laid the foundation for a statement victory. Now, as a rising talent in the Classic Physique division, fans are curious how Sulek will fare against pros on the horizon.
IFBB Pro Sam Sulek Shares Grocery Dieting Tips for Bulking & Fat Loss
First, Sulek explained why rice, especially instant rice, is a go-to when he’s bulking.
“200ish grams dry, maybe more like 150 actually, pour in just enough water that there’s maybe I don’t really measure it out perfectly I just have a gist of how much I need, but I add just enough to where the rice is floating around in the water but it’s not so watery that it won’t all absorb.”
He also favors low-carb tortillas for meals, highlighting that many of these types of products have high fiber contents:
“I’m a big fan of this. I’m talking high fiber tortillas. There’s a whole wall of them. Try out a few and see what really works,” he adds.
Sometimes, smart swaps can be as easy as switching from a regular drink to a diet one, explains Sulek.
“If you’re trying to peel down, anytime you see a calorie-smart version of something, that might be your ticket. Swap a Coke with a Coke Zero.”
Next, he tackled the digestibility potential of pasteurized versus non-pasteurized egg whites:
“Pasteurized versus non-pasteurized egg whites digestibility, because I’ve got no problem drinking 50 grams of protein worth of egg whites. I used to do it a ton but I got turned off from it because it’s the bioavailability of protein in a uncooked egg white is like 50% so what am I supposed to do, drink double the protein so I can only absorb half of it? That kind of sucks,” shared Sam Sulek.
To ensure he met his protein goals in high school, Sulek said one hack he relied on was bringing two protein shakes in shaker cups, which he drank in between meals.
“One hack that I guess, I wasn’t bulking at the time so the meals weren’t as important but my thing in high school is I’d always have two shaker cups with me to drink between breakfast and lunch because that’s like a six-hour gap of no meals but after lunch but before leaving school, and each shaker was two scoops of protein. So 50 grams, and then two dried packets of one of the oatmeal flavors.”
Sulek also addressed his approach to buying ground beef. Typically, he prefers 98% because it comes in four-pound chubs that he can break up throughout the week.
“I lean a little leaner with the ground beef. Probably closer to, I’d love to see 98% that’s usually a little more rare but 96% works perfectly well too. The only thing that sucks with the 96% they don’t make a big four-pound pack, they only come in one-pound increments.
Things like this, since it’s just going to be plain anyway, I’m not the kind of guy to make muscle burgers or little individual patties or anything. This is just going to be five pounds all at once into a stove pot.”
As a newly turned Pro, Sulek has been honest about his intentions. As it stands, he’s using the next four or five months to bulk up. From there, it’s unclear what his next move will be, though some think he’s considering the 2026 Arnold Classic.
Sulek stands by these dieting tricks and strategies that helped him become a pro bodybuilder. Looking ahead, he’s focused on adding quality size to fit into the highly competitive Classic Physique category.
RELATED: Sam Sulek’s Controlled and Heavy Leg Day Routine During Off-Season
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