My April Plan - Bulking, Studying, and Staying Disciplined

April is here, I want to bulk up from 55kg to 60kg in a month while keeping fat gain to a minimum. I have been working out for a while now, but my weight gain has been slow because I was doing too much cardio. That’s why for this month, I am completely cutting out cardio and running. Just focusing 100% on lifting heavy, eating enough protein, and resting properly. My only goal is to get bigger, stronger, and better while also preparing for IELTS. After IELTS, I’ll go back to my regular training schedule.

Honestly, I don’t see the point of running just to live longer or be “healthier.” There’s no meaning in extending life without a goal. I don’t want to waste my time eating tasteless food just to be “fit.” Instead, I want to bulk up and see how my body responds. I feel like all the running I’ve done has held me back from real muscle growth. I was spending hours on cardio, and my body never got the chance to grow properly.

So, until my IELTS exam is over, I’m fully committing to strength training and bulking. No bodyweight exercises, no unnecessary movement—just proper training and eating. The only thing I’m slightly worried about is losing flexibility and my pulse rate increasing at the same time, but I think I’ll figure it out.

Why I Decided to Stop Cardio?#

Just fuck up that heart and focus on gains. This heavy pulse is just draining my gains. Not only gains, it’s reducing my muscle growth. I just want to quit this cardio and running for this month and focus on IELTS and gains. After the IELTS exam, I’ll go back to my old schedule. Right now, I want to make sure that my body is in the best condition to lift heavier, recover faster, and pack on solid muscle mass without losing any energy in unnecessary cardio.

Why I Am Following This Plan#

April is going to be a crucial month for me because I have two major goals:

1. Gaining Lean Muscle Mass – I want to bulk up from 55kg to 60kg in a month while keeping fat gain to a minimum.
2. IELTS Preparation – Since I am planning for higher studies, I need to focus on my IELTS exam, especially improving my speaking, listening, and writing skills.

Balancing fitness and studies is not easy, but I have planned my entire day to make sure I stay consistent in both. Every meal I eat, every workout session I do, and every study session I complete is part of a well-structured schedule to help me achieve my goals efficiently.

Daily Routine Breakdown#

Morning Routine – Waking Up Right#

6:00 AM – Wake Up & Hydration#

The first thing I do is drink a glass of warm water with lemon and honey. This helps kickstart my digestion, flush out toxins, and rehydrate my body after 7-8 hours of sleep. Hydration is very important for muscle recovery and overall health.

6:15 AM - 6:30 AM – Light Stretching/Yoga#

Before I get into my studies or workout, I spend 15 minutes stretching. This helps loosen up my muscles, improve blood circulation, and prevent injuries during workouts. It also helps me feel more awake and fresh.

Study Block 1 – IELTS Focus#

6:30 AM - 7:00 AM – IELTS Listening Practice#

Listening is one of my weak areas, so I dedicate 30 minutes to listening to English podcasts or IELTS listening test materials. The goal is to improve my ability to understand different accents and pick up key details quickly.

Breakfast – The First Big Meal#

7:00 AM - 7:30 AM – High-Protein Breakfast#

Breakfast is the most important meal of my day because it fuels my body for my workout and studies. Since I want to bulk up, I ensure my breakfast is rich in complex carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats.

🔹 Option 1 (South Indian)

• 4 Idlis + Sambar (High in carbs and moderate protein)
• 2 tbsp coconut chutney (Healthy fats)

🔹 Option 2 (Oats for Sustained Energy)

• Oats (80g) + Milk (200ml) + 1 tbsp Peanut Butter (Carbs: 50g, Protein: 10g)
• 1 Boiled Egg (Protein: 6g)

Study Block 2 – IELTS Writing Practice#

7:30 AM - 8:30 AM – IELTS Writing#

I focus on writing essays and task 1 reports during this time. Writing consistently helps me improve my grammar and time management skills.

8:30 AM - 8:45 AM – Short Break#

A quick tea or coffee break to refresh my mind before I hit the gym.

Pre-Workout & Gym Session#

8:45 AM - 9:00 AM – Pre-Workout Meal#

Before hitting the gym, I eat a small meal to boost my energy levels. This meal includes:

• 1 Banana (Quick carbs for instant energy)
• 5g Creatine (Optional, helps with strength and endurance)
• 2 Dates (Fast-absorbing carbs to prevent fatigue)

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM – Gym & Strength Training#

I follow a progressive overload workout plan, meaning I increase my weights gradually. My workout plan includes:

• Day 1: Chest ,Shoulders, Triceps / 20mins-running
• Day 2: Back , Biceps, fore-arms / 20mins-running
• Day 3: Legs & Core& Abs / 20mins-running
• Day 4: Chest ,Shoulders, Triceps / 20mins-running
• Day 5: Back , Biceps, fore-arms / 20mins-running
• Day 6: Legs & Core& Abs / 20mins-running

I make sure to focus on compound movements (Squats, Bench Press, Deadlifts) as they help in overall muscle development.

Post-Workout & Recovery#

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM – Post-Workout Meal#

After gym, my body needs protein and carbs to recover. I eat:

• 2 Whole Eggs + 1 Egg White (High-quality protein for muscle repair)
• Rice (150g cooked) + Dal or Rajma (1 bowl) (Carbs & protein for muscle recovery)
• Vegetable Curry (1 bowl) + Ghee (1 tsp) (Healthy fats for hormone production)

Midday Study & Work Session#

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM – Relax & Light Reading#

This is my time to unwind and let my body recover from the workout. I usually read books or articles related to IELTS or self-improvement.

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM – IELTS Reading Practice#

Reading comprehension is another crucial part of IELTS, so I spend an hour practicing different passages and answering questions.

2:00 PM - 2:15 PM – Hydration & Short Break#

I make sure to drink at least 500ml of water and take a quick walk to refresh myself before continuing my studies.

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM – IELTS Speaking Practice#

I practice speaking by recording myself answering IELTS speaking test questions. This helps me analyze my pronunciation and fluency.

Evening Snack & Second Workout#

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM – High-Protein Evening Snack#

• Mixed Boiled Beans (Black chana, Rajma, Green Gram) - 1 Bowl (Protein: 15g)
• 1 Sweet Potato (100g) (Carbs: 20g, vitamins for recovery)
• Handful of Peanuts or 10 Almonds (Healthy fats & micronutrients)

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM – Short Walk & Relax#

I take a short walk outside to clear my mind and improve digestion.

Night Routine – Dinner & Final Study Session#

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM – Dinner#

• Rice (150g) + Dal (1 bowl) + Ghee (1 tsp) (Carbs: 45g, Protein: 10g)
• Vegetables (Spinach, Broccoli, Carrots) (Micronutrients for muscle repair)
• 1 Curd (100g) (Protein: 6g, good for digestion)

8:00 PM - 8:30 PM – IELTS Vocabulary Revision#

I go through difficult words and phrases, writing them down with their meanings and examples.

8:30 PM - 9:30 PM – Relaxation (Movie, Book, Podcast)#

After a long day, I take some time to enjoy a movie, read a book, or listen to a podcast.

9:30 PM - 10:00 PM – Bedtime Routine#

• 1 glass Warm Milk + 1 tsp Honey (Helps me sleep better)
• 1 Handful of Cashews or Walnuts (Slow-digesting protein for muscle recovery)

10:00 PM – Sleep#

I make sure to sleep at least 7-8 hours to let my muscles recover and my brain process everything I’ve learned during the day.

Daily Routine for April – Bulking + IELTS Preparation#

Bulking Diet Plan – Exact Meals & Nutrition#

I am following a high-protein, high-calorie clean bulking diet. The goal is to hit 3000-3200 kcal per day with at least 110g of protein. I don’t want to get fat, so I’m keeping everything clean – no junk food, no processed sugar, and no unnecessary calories.

Here’s the table formatted for a Markdown (.md) file:

This will render correctly in any Markdown viewer. Just copy and save it as diet-plan.md! 🚀 Let me know if you need any edits. 💪🔥

The Plan for April#

For this month, it’s all about sticking to this routine, eating clean, lifting heavy, and acing the IELTS exam. Once IELTS is done, I’ll go back to my normal training schedule with cardio. Until then, I just want to gain 5kg of lean muscle and improve my IELTS score. I know it’s gonna be tough, but I am 100% committed.

This is my full April plan

credits — Openai, Jyothi rao-aka(Nithya Fitness Center), Global Fast Fit.