In fitness and bodybuilding, chasing an “ideal physique” can send people down very different paths. Some stay natural. Others use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to accelerate progress. Personally, I’ve chosen to remain natural—it fits my goals, health priorities, and lifestyle. That said, I’m not here to judge. What people do with their own bodies is ultimately their decision.
It’s also impossible to talk about modern bodybuilding culture without acknowledging that steroids are part of the landscape, especially at the highest levels. And right now, no one embodies the modern social media bodybuilding era more than Sam Sulek.
Take Your Fitness To The Next Level
With millions of followers and more than three million YouTube subscribers, Sam has become the face of a new generation of lifters: raw training footage, minimal editing, heavy iron, and a borderline mythological level of size and fullness.
That leads to the obvious question:
Can a natural lifter get anything out of training like Sam Sulek—without PEDs?
In this article, I walk through exactly that: I followed Sam’s training style and overall structure for a month as a natural lifter and documented:
- What his routine and philosophy actually look like
- How I adapted it for my life, recovery, and natural status
- What worked, what didn’t, and what I’d keep going forward
What This Article Covers
- Understanding Sam Sulek’s Routine & Philosophy
- The Sam Sulek Training Program I Followed
- A Look at His Diet and How I Adjusted It
- How I Prepared the Plan as a Natural Lifter
- Week-by-Week Experience and Adaptations
- Challenges as a Natural (and How I Solved Them)
- Results, Takeaways, and Personal Growth
- What Other Lifters Have Experienced
Quick disclaimer: Nothing here is medical advice or an endorsement of PED use. Always talk to a qualified healthcare professional before changing your training, diet, or using any substances.
Understanding Sam Sulek's Routine and Philosophy
As someone who was around fitness YouTube in the early 2010s, I immediately get why Sam Sulek blew up.
His content feels like a throwback:
- Talking to the camera in his car
- Raw gym footage
- Minimal editing, no “reality show” gimmicks
At some point, fitness YouTube drifted away from training and became more about lifestyle flexing—cars, drama, and personalities. Sam’s content swung the pendulum back toward lifting hard and eating big, with a very obvious love for bodybuilding.
He’s still just a college kid at Miami University of Ohio who loves to train, but with that level of exposure, the criticism comes with the territory. “Is he natty?” “Is this safe?” “Is his training smart?” You’ve heard all of it.
Regardless of where you land on those debates, there are clear strengths and weaknesses to his approach—especially if you’re natural.
Let’s look at both.
The Good
Most of the controversy around Sam's training is unwarranted. Is Sam Sulek natural? Most likely not, but he is still doing many things right. Here are three things we all should copy.
1. Relentless Effort
Watch one session and it’s obvious: Sam trains hard.
He doesn’t coast through sets. He pushes:
- Sets to failure and beyond
- Lots of drop sets
- Assisted reps and lengthened partials
You don’t have to copy everything, but most lifters would genuinely benefit from just trying harder—especially if they’ve been sandbagging their compound lifts or arm work.
2. Lengthened Partials
Lengthened partials = partial reps performed in the stretched position of a lift, e.g.:
- Bottom of a barbell curl
- Bottom of a dumbbell row
Used strategically after full range-of-motion (ROM) reps, they can be a smart way to squeeze a little more stimulus out of a set.
For naturals, the key is not overusing them (more on that later).
3. Short Workouts (45-60 minutes)
Sam’s sessions are not three-hour marathons. He trains hard, then gets out.
That’s actually a huge plus:
- Shorter sessions encourage higher focus per set
- Less junk volume and loitering between machines
- Easier to recover from when effort is truly high
Most people would be better served by 45–60 minutes of focused, intense work versus endlessly “being at the gym” with mostly easy sets.
The Bad
First, his methods are clearly working. That said, from watching his videos, here are three things I recommend he cleans up.
1. Using Loose Form
He attacks the weights. That intensity is great, but consistently:
- Fast, uncontrolled eccentrics
- Heavy reliance on momentum
- Less time under tension
The eccentric (lowering) phase is a huge driver of hypertrophy and strength adaptation. Controlling the eccentric:
- Increases muscle tension
- Reduces injury risk
- Makes lighter weights more effective
As a natural, you don’t have the same recovery and connective tissue support as someone enhanced. Sloppy reps plus maximal effort is a recipe for eventual issues.
2. Inconsistent Range of Motion
Lengthened partials are useful, but they can also blur the line:
- Reps start full ROM
- Over the set, ROM shrinks
- There’s no clear transition from full rep → partials
For most lifters—especially newer naturals—it’s smarter to:
- Do full ROM reps until you truly can’t.
- Then intentionally add 2–3 partials at the end.
That makes progress easier to measure and keeps technique more consistent.
3. Random Exercise Selection
Sam doesn’t follow a locked-in written program. He aims for a certain volume per muscle, but the exact exercises are often picked on feel that day.
There is some value in autoregulating exercise selection based on joints, fatigue, and machine availability—but:
- Consistent exercises week-to-week = easier progress tracking
- You learn what actually works for you over time
- Performance is easier to measure and improve
For naturals, consistency + effort usually beats “vibes + effort.”
Sam Sulek Training Program
As mentioned, Sam picks exercises on the fly, so he doesn’t follow a specific workout plan per se. The following is the workout I will base my program on. If needed, like Sam, I will substitute some exercises while staying true to the nature of the program.
Leg Day
- Seated Leg Curl: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
- Single Leg, Leg Extensions: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Heel Elevated Barbell Back Squats: 2 sets x 12-15 reps
- Single Leg, Leg Extensions: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
- Bodyweight Sissy Squats: 4 sets x 8-10 reps
Chest and Shoulder Day
- Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets x 8-12 reps
- Hammer Strength Chest Press: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
- Smith Machine Incline Press: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
- Pec Deck: 2 sets x 12-15 reps
- Cable Flies: 2 sets x 12-15 reps
- Single Arm Facepull: 4 sets x 12-15 reps
- Reverse Pec Deck: 7 sets x 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 7 sets x 15-20 reps
- Machine Lateral Raise: 4 sets x 15-20 reps
Back Day
- Barbell Row: 4 sets x 8-12 reps
- Lat Pulldown: 3 sets x 8-12 reps
- Single Arm Pulldown: 2 sets x 8-10 reps
- Free Motion Lat Pull Down: 2 sets x 12-15 reps
Arm Day
- Underhand Cable Pressdown: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: 3 sets x 12-15 reps
- Dip Machine: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
- Straight Bar Cable Pressdown: 2 sets x 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Alternating Curl: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
- Single Arm Cable Bicep Curls: 2 sets x 12-15 reps
- Straight Bar Cable Bicep Curls: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
- EZ Bar Preacher Curl: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Spider Curl: 2 sets x 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Alternating Curl: 1 set x 12-15 reps
Sam Sulek Diet
Sam tracks his food, but he’s far from a “chicken and broccoli only” guy. He:
- Weighs and measures his intake
- Aims for specific protein and carb targets
- Eats quite a bit of calorie-dense, less “traditional” bodybuilding food
Here’s a sample day from his mass-gaining approach:
Meal 1: Breakfast
- 3 servings of cereal
- 3 cups of whole milk
Meal 2: Post Cardio Snack
- 16oz Apple Juice
- King-Sized Crunch Bar
Meal 3: Lunch
- 16oz Steak
- Large Bowl of Mashed Potatoes
Meal 4: Intra Workout
-
100g of carbs
Meal 5: Dinner
- 12oz Steak
- Ramen Noodles
Daily Nutrition Breakdown: 200g of protein, 665g of carbohydrates, 160g of fat, and 4,900 calories
How I Prepared the Routine as a Natural Lifter
I made two big adjustments before starting:
1. Training Frequency
Sam often trains 4 days on, 1 off or only rests when he feels like he needs it.
My reality:
- 30s
- 3 kids
- Full-time job
- Adult responsibilities and limited recovery window
So I kept his split but made it strictly 4 days per week:
- Monday: Legs
- Tuesday: Chest & Shoulders
- Thursday: Back
- Friday or Saturday: Arms
That still honors the structure of his training, but it’s realistic and sustainable for my life.
2. Calorie Intake & Macros
5,000 calories per day for a month would blow me up—in the bad way.
Instead, I followed his flexible approach (tracking macros, not strict meal plans), but used numbers appropriate for my bodyweight and goals:
- Protein: 160 g
- Carbs: 390 g
- Fat: 90 g
- Calories: ~3,010 kcal
That put me in a modest surplus instead of a full “dirty bulk.”
Detailed Week-by-Week Experience
Here is how my month of training and eating as Sam Sulek went.
Week 1
Coming in from an upper/lower powerlifting-style split, the concentrated volume on chest and arms hit me hard.
- By the time I reached cable flies, my chest was cooked.
- Arm day had my biceps and triceps lit up in a way I hadn’t felt in a while.
Nutritionally, the jump in calories felt like a chore for the first few days, but tracking macros is second nature to me, so I adjusted quickly.
Week 2
My arms were still sore from Week 1 when Week 2 arm day rolled around.
On leg day, I had my first “Sam-style” gym logistics moment:
- Monday night
- Packed gym
- Squat rack full of high schoolers
So I swapped barbell squats for Smith machine squats. As a powerlifter at heart, I usually avoid this. But for hypertrophy?
- Smith squats are perfectly fine.
- For bodybuilding-style training, they’re actually great for stability and tension.
The rest of the week flowed better as my body started to catch up.
Week 3
By Week 3, something interesting happened:
My appetite dipped, even though calories were higher than my usual.
To keep hitting my targets, I leaned into higher-calorie foods:
- Pop-Tarts pre-workout
- Two servings of ice cream after dinner
Are those “bro foods?” Absolutely not. But if 80–90% of your intake is solid, 10–20% can come from more fun foods and still fit into a structured plan.
That’s one thing I respect about Sam: he tracks everything, even when the choices aren’t textbook “clean.”
Week 4
By Week 4:
- Soreness became manageable
- My joints felt better than during heavy powerlifting blocks
- Higher-rep sets felt oddly therapeutic
Mentally, the shift from powerlifting to pure bodybuilding work was a needed reset. It reminded me that I actually enjoy hypertrophy-style training when I commit to it.
Challenges and Adaptations As a Natural Bodybuilder
Surprisingly, I didn’t have to overhaul much. But I did need to adjust intensity techniques:
1. Fewer Lengthened Partials
In Week 1, I tried to fully copy Sam’s use of partials. For me, that quickly led to:
- Sloppier form
- Less consistent ROM
- More systemic fatigue than I wanted
My solution:
- Take most sets to technical failure with full ROM
- Add lengthened partials only on the final set of an exercise
That gave me the intensity boost without wrecking recovery.
2. Limited Drop Sets & No Forced Reps
I capped myself at:
- 1–2 drop sets per workout
- No forced reps
For naturals, pushing hard is good. Pushing beyond failure on every set is usually not.
Key adjustment: As a natural, I kept intensity high but avoided constantly going past failure. That was the sweet spot.
Results, Insights, and Personal Growth
1. Scale and Physique Changes
Over the month, I gained about 5 pounds. That’s significant for just four weeks, especially since:
- My weight had been static beforehand
- My diet had clearly been under-calibrated
My arms, in particular, visibly filled out—no surprise given the sheer amount of arm volume. I wish I had measured, but visually they looked bigger and fuller.
2. Rediscovering the Value of Eating Enough
The most underrated lesson?
I realized I had been undereating for my goals.
Being forced to hit 3,000+ calories every day reminded me that muscle gain doesn’t happen on wishful thinking and protein shakes alone. You need:
- Enough total calories
- Enough carbs to fuel performance
- Enough protein to support growth
3. Joint Relief and Mental Reboot
Coming from heavy powerlifting:
- My joints had been taking a beating
- Higher rep ranges and more machine work felt great
- My body just felt better overall
A dedicated month of bodybuilding-style training is something I’ll probably cycle in again as a “joint deload” phase.
Others Who Have Tried
Here are some other comments from natty lifters who have tried Sam Sulek's workout routine:
"I started doing it around August just to try, now it's the only way I train. Something about it makes my workout that much more satisfying. It may not be optimal but its the most progress I've seen in the gym definitely, wish I started it sooner." [source]
"For me it worked, my chest grew a lot bigger since I started doing his split, my biceps started (finally) growing and my legs too." [source]
"Ive been running it except with more rest days before he popped up. Legs Chest n Shoulders Rest Back Arms Rest. Rest At the end of the day like the other commenter said splits are very individual but i've found this to be pretty good." [source]
Conclusion
So, what did I learn from a month of training like Sam Sulek as a natural lifter?
-
Yes, there’s a lot you can learn from him.
- He trains hard.
- He tracks his food.
- He shows up consistently.
-
No, you shouldn’t try to copy everything 1:1.
- You don’t share his chemistry.
- You don’t share his recovery capacity.
- You probably don’t eat 4,900 calories a day or sleep like a full-time athlete.
But if you take his best traits and adjust them to your reality:
- Train with genuine effort
- Push most sets near failure with good form
- Track your macros and eat enough
- Keep workouts focused and under 60 minutes
- Use intensity techniques selectively
…you can absolutely make this style of training work as a natural.
Trying popular routines can be fun and educational—but the ultimate “best program” will always be the one that fits your body, your recovery, and your life.
(Image credits to original owner)
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