Sam Sulek focuses on his macros, not the source of the calories.
Sam Sulek, an Ohio native, is an amateur bodybuilder who excelled in gymnastics and competitive diving during high school. Currently pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, he has also gained popularity as a prominent social media fitness personality. Despite being only 21, Sam Sulek has garnered attention for his remarkable muscular development, generating significant buzz within the strength and bodybuilding space. Recently, Sam Sulek uploaded a video of his diet while cutting and arm day. He currently weighs around 233 lbs.
In this post, we look at Sam Sulek’s full day of eating while cutting and the exercises he does for his arm day workout. You can watch Sam Sulek’s full cutting diet and arm day below. He’s currently on day 21 of his cut.
Sam Sulek’s Cutting Diet – Full Day of Eating
Sam Sulek says in the video that this is his cutting diet, and the goal is to consume 2,500 calories throughout the day. Cutting diets occur around competition time, and during this period, the goal is to eat fewer calories to lose fat while maintaining muscle (1). Sam Sulek says he goes for low-calorie foods to keep him full so he doesn’t get hungry, but he isn’t concerned with the calorie source. Instead, he’s all about the macros he hits, aka if it fits your macros (IIFYM).
Sam Sulek also does cardio while cutting, which is recommended to aid in the fat loss process. He uses a stationary bike to train and does vacuum poses after. Let’s look at Sam Sulek’s diet, which totals around:
Meal 1 (543 Calories — 70g of Protein, 42g of Carbs, 11g of Fat)
- 2 Slices of Cheese
- Eggs
- Barbecue Sauce
- Cluster Dextrin
- Silo 9
- Low Chocolate Milk
- Cup of Vitamins
Meal 2 (348 Calories — 45.85g Protein, 59g Carbs, 7.36g Fat)
- 2 Car Smart Hamburger Buns
- 2 Flavored Tuna
- Sushi Grade Salmon
- Propel Electrolyte Water
Meal 3 (310 Calories — 30g Protein, 25g Carbs, 10g Fat)
- 3 Carb Smart Hamburger Bun
- 4 Servings of Powdered Peanut Butter
- 2 Servings of Sugar-Free Syrup
Meal 4 (400 Calories — 45g Protein, 36g Carbs, 13g Fat)
- 3 Carb Smart Hamburger Buns
- 4 Servings of Powdered Peanut Butter
- 2 Servings of Sugar-Free Syrup
- 25g of Cluster Dextrin
- 25g of Cookies and Cream Protein Powder
Meal 5 (530 Calories — 47g Protein, 64g Carbs, 15g Fat)
- Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich
- 2 Cups of CarbMaster Chocolate Milkshake
Meal 6 (400 Calories — 19g Protein, 80g Carbs, 7g Fat)
- 1 Cup of CarbMaster Chocolate Milkshake
- A Bowl of Ramen Noodles
Sam Sulek’s Arm Day Workout
View this post on Instagram
After meal three, Sam Sulek heads to the gym for his arm day workout. He plans to hit his biceps and then triceps. Before starting, he takes a pre-workout shake made with zero-calorie lemonade and other supplements.
At the gym, Sulek does eight sets of triceps-building exercises and eight sets of biceps training routines. He also does one movement to target his forearms and then throws in one move to work his legs as a wrap-up to his training day. Below is a breakdown of his workout.
Cable Triceps Pushdowns
The cable triceps pushdown is an isolation exercise that targets your triceps to tone the back of the arms. Sam Sulek uses a straight bar attachment to do this routine bilaterally. He then uses a D handle to do the unilateral version and does two sets for each arm.
Seated Machine Tricep Dips
The seated machine tricep dip is an excellent exercise for toning the rear of your arms. It targets the triceps and lets you choose how much weight to push for optimal upper body strength. Sam Sulek does a few sets of this exercise before heading to the next.
Alternating Dumbbell Curls
Alternating dumbbell curls target your biceps. You can do this routine standing or seated. Standing will give you more support from your core and legs to use heavier loads, while sitting forces the biceps to curl the weight entirely. Sam Sulek does a warm-up set, then opts for the standing variation.
Incline Seated Cable Curls
Incline seated cable curls majorly target and build the biceps. Using a cable machine for this exercise removes the need for stability, thus allowing you to focus on training your biceps. This exercise also works on your forearms. Sam Sulek does the incline seated cable curl unilaterally. He starts with his weaker arm first to work on his strength imbalance.
Preacher Curls & EZ Bar Curls
Sam Sulek does some alternating dumbbell curls just before doing preacher curls with a halfway pause and squeeze. He did this because the preacher bench was occupied at this point. When the bench opens up, he does a drop set of preacher curls and then a few reps of standing EZ bar curls.
The preacher curl is an isolation exercise that targets your biceps. It specifically targets the inner head of the biceps, which can help to strengthen your double-front bicep pose. This exercise also recruits your brachialis and forearm flexors.
Cable Curls
Cable curls primarily target and build your bicep muscles. However, this exercise also recruits your brachialis and forearms. Sam Sulek does a few sets of cable curls before heading to close out his arm day. But first, he poses to show off his pump before heading to the next exercise.
Dumbbell Wrist Curls
The dumbbell wrist curl is an exercise that targets your wrists and forearms. They train a part of the body that people often neglect and build stronger wrists, as shown in this research when used for rehabilitation (2). It’s also a good way of improving your grip strength. Sam Sulek does the dumbbell wrist curl off the side of the bench with an underhand grip before switching to an overhand grip to do it off his knee.
Unilateral Seated Machine Calf Raises
Seated machine calf raises are one of the best ways to work your calves. It targets your gastrocnemius, soleus, and Achilles tendon. This movement also works on your stability in general. Sam Sulek wraps up his exercises by doing a unilateral seated machine calf raise one leg at a time.
Wrap Up
Well, there you have it! Sam Sulek’s cutting diet and arm day routine. Though it may not be a traditional bodybuilding regimen, it certainly seems to be working. What do you think of Sam Sulek’s methods?
Let us know! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more insight into strength athlete’s workouts!
References
- Helms, E. R., Aragon, A. A., & Fitschen, P. J. (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-11-20
- Seo, J. S., & Yoon, J. H. (2021). The Effects of Initial Rehabilitation Exercise on Range of Motion, Muscular Strength, and Muscle Pain after Surgery for Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Humeral Capitellum in Middle and High School Baseball Players. Iranian journal of public health, 50(4), 764–771. https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v50i4.6001
