Over the last couple of years, there has been a significant resurgence of the fitness/gym culture, and we can thank Gen Z and social media – especially TikTok for that. Like many others, the fitness industry now has influencers who are typically people with incredible physiques, diets, or workout plans. Many have attracted followers and grown their audience across social media platforms, but only very few are as impressive as Sam Sulek.
With 2.3 million followers on TikTok, 2.9 million subscribers on YouTube, and 4.6 million followers on Instagram, Sam Sulek has attained well-deserved internet fame for his ridiculously impressive physique and intense workout plans. He has inspired many, showing that you can get your dream body if you work hard.
If you’re a fan of Sam, you want to develop a body like his, or you’ve simply stumbled across his profile on any of the platforms he’s active on, it’s possible to have many questions like “How old is Sam Sulek?” “How tall is Sam Sulek?” or “What does Sam Sulek eat?” Our guide is here to answer all your questions, so read on!
In This Sam Sulek Story…
Sam Sulek Quick Facts
| Name: | Sam Sulek |
| How old is Sam Sulek? | 21 (February 7,2002) |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 5 feet 11 inches / 180cm |
| Weight: | Around 240 lbs / 109 kg |
| Instagram: | @sam_sulek |
| TikTok: | @sam_sulek |
| YouTube: | @sam_sulek |
| Net Worth: | est. US$ 2 million |
Sam Sulek’s Age
Born on the 7th of February, 2002, Sam Sulek is still just 21. That’s one of the many things that makes him incredible. And even though he’ll be turning 22 soon, that doesn’t make what he has achieved any less impressive because you rarely see 22 (or 21) year-olds as big or fit as he is.
His achievements at this young age show how much time and effort he has invested into bodybuilding, and it’s not surprising to see that many people love him for this.
Since he’s still so young, Sam is not yet a full-time bodybuilder. He is still a Mechanical engineering student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Although he has expressed a desire to do bodybuilding, we can’t say if he will choose to go into it full-time, especially since he still has his whole future ahead of him.
The young bodybuilder maintains a highly private life, sharing only what he chooses with the public. He mentioned that as of the start of 2023, he hadn’t incorporated any cheat days into his diet yet.
During a chest workout full of tension, Dauda Samson joined Sulek. Following the workout, the duo hit a posing session where Dauda shared some of his trade tips.
Sam Sulek’s Height & Weight
In one of his videos, Sam Sulek revealed that he was 5’11’’, which, luckily for him, is one of the optimal bodybuilding heights. Most IFBB Pro League Show winners have been between 5’9’’ and 5’11’’, so Sam already has an advantage on his bodybuilding journey.
His weight, however, is not constant. Of course, as he looks to build or develop more of his muscles, he is bound to weigh more, but his weight mostly varies with his bulking and cutting seasons. At the end of his cutting season in October 2023, he weighed 233 lbs (105 kg).
At the time of writing, Generation Iron estimates that he weighs 240 lbs (109 kg), but he could weigh as much as 243 lbs (110 kg) since he is still bulking.
Sam Sulek’s Diet
Like his weight, Sam’s typical diet also varies and depends on whether he’s trying to cut or bulk at that moment. We’ll look at both separately.
Cutting Diet
In this video, Sam takes us through a full day of eating while cutting. He explains that while cutting, he aims to consume about 2,500 calories every day, hoping to cut out fat and preserve muscle. In this video, he had six meals:
Meal 1
- Two slices of cheese
- Eggs
- Barbecue sauce
- Cluster dextrin
- Low chocolate milk, and
- A cup of vitamins
All of that adds up to 70 grams of protein, 42 grams of carbs, and 11 grams of fat. In total, Sam’s first meal was 543 calories.
Meal 2
- Two low-carb hamburger buns
- Kroger’s salmon sushi
- Two flavoured tuna and
- Propel Electrolyte water
Which adds up to 45.85 grams of protein, 59 grams of carbs, and 7.36 grams of fat. Giving him around 348 calories for the second meal.
Meal 3
- Three low-carb hamburger buns
- Four scoops of powdered peanut butter, and
- Two servings of no-sugar syrup
This adds up to 30 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbs, and 10 grams of fat, totalling 310 calories.
Meal 4
- Three low-carb hamburger buns
- Four scoops of powdered peanut butter
- Two servings of no-sugar syrup
- 25 grams of Cluster Dextrin, and
- 25 grams of cookies with cream protein powder
Makes up 400 calories with 45 grams of protein, 36 grams of carbs, and 13 grams of fat.
Meal 5
- Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich and
- 2 cups of CarbMaster chocolate milkshake
Which is about 530 calories of 47 grams of protein, 64 grams of carbs, and 15 grams of fat.
Meal 6
- A bowl of ramen noodles with
- A cup of CarbMaster chocolate milkshake
Adding 19 grams of protein, 80 grams of carbs, and 7 grams of fat or 400 calories.
For this day, the total was 2,531 calories of 257 grams of proteins, 306 grams of carbs, and 63 grams of fat.
You can also check out the video below for another full day of Sam Sulek’s cutting diet totalling 2,700 calories.
Bulking Diet
Sam Sulek’s bulking diet has always generated a bit of buzz because it almost seems like he doesn’t even try to eat healthy when he’s bulking. Other bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts have even criticised his bulking diet, calling it terrible and advising others not to follow his example.
Sam has clarified that he focuses on calorie intake while bulking, not necessarily the type of food. So he eats just about anything, including junk food. It’s difficult to estimate the macros in his bulking diet since he did not provide this information himself, but we’ll do our best. Let’s take a closer look at the cause of some of his criticism:
Meal 1
- Half a gallon or 2 litres of chocolate milk.
This should be around 70 grams of proteins, 200 grams of carbs, and 60 grams of fat to provide 1000 calories.
Meal 2
- 4 cups of cereal with 4 cups of whole milk
Here’s 39 grams of protein, 179 grams of carbs, and 48 grams of fat to supply 1,276 calories.
Meal 3
- An American (Five Guys) large cheeseburger with medium fries
62 grams of protein, 171 grams of carbs, and 96 grams of fat to give 1,793 calories.
Meal 4
- Four doughnuts
- Whole milk with 200 calories of protein shake
23 grams of protein, 111 grams of carbs, and 64 grams of fat to give 1,098 calories.
This is not as many “meals” as his cutting diet, but let’s see what it all adds up to – 194 grams of protein, 661 grams of carbs, and 268 grams of fat to give 5,167 calories!
And on top of all of this, he still takes workout drinks, vitamins, and shakes that could add as much as 500 calories to his bulking diet every day. So, Sam Sulek consumes between 5,000 to 7,000 calories daily in his bulking diet. That’s outrageous!
Sam Sulek’s Workout Routine
Sam Sulek’s training regime depends on whether he’s bulking or cutting at that moment. But his workouts can generally be classified into four types:
- Push Workouts: His push workouts primarily focus on areas like his chest and triceps. He lifts weights and even does pushups to work those muscles intensively. It has proven a great way to achieve an impressive upper body.
- Pull Workouts: His pull workouts exercise his back and biceps. For these, Sam often does some deadlifts and pull-ups.
- Leg Days: His most common leg workouts are squats and lunges. And they’ve also yielded some pretty impressive results.
- Arm Days: Sam’s arm days again focus on his biceps and triceps. He has developed some spectacular guns with exercises like tricep dips and bicep curls.
For each day of workout, he focuses on a specific body part, so if he works on his arms today, he works on his back tomorrow, quads the day after, and so on. Recently, he also started dedicating a whole day to cardio.
These days, he only does as many sets as necessary to avoid damaging any muscle beyond repair, so he doesn’t forcefully complete eight or nine sets for every workout.
Bulking Workout Routines
Sam’s push workouts while bulking involve a lot of compound and delt-intensive exercises. However, to maximise the results of his compound exercises, he emphasises the importance of warming up his rotator cuffs and elbow joints first. He’s usually innovative with his positions, but during a typical bulk push workout, he does things like an incline barbell press, machine lateral raises, and lying face pulls.
Sam Sulek’s Bulking Chest and Side Delts Workouts:
- Standing Cable Rows and Cable Triceps Pushdowns to warmup
- Smith Machine Incline Bench Press: 10 reps with 3 ½ plates and 10 reps with 3 plates
- Bent Over Cable Chest Press: 2 sets of 10 – 12 reps.
- Standing Cable Chest Flyes: 1 set of 10 – 12 reps.
- Seated Machine Lateral Raises 1 set of 10 – 12 reps.
Sam Sulek’s Bulking Back Workouts:
- Lat Pulldown: 4 sets until failure.
- Seated Rowing: 4 sets of 10 – 12 reps.
- Pullover Machine: 3 sets until failure.
- Cable Rowing: 4 sets until failure.
His bulking leg day routine is a bit unique. Unlike most professionals, he works on his quads and hamstrings separately, performing over ten sets of leg extensions for his quads and lying leg curls for his hamstrings.
Sam Sulek’s Bulking Leg Day Workouts:
- Hamstring Curls: 8 sets of 10 – 15 reps.
- Leg extensions: 4 sets of 10 – 12 reps.
- Squats: 5 sets of 8 – 10 reps.
Sam Sulek’s Bulking Arm Day Workouts:
- Cross Cable Triceps Pushdown: 3 sets until failure.
- Tricep Pushdown Machine: 2 sets of 12 reps.
- Cable Pushdown: 2 sets until failure.
- Dumbell Curls: 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Machine Bicep Curl / Incline Dubell Curl: 2 sets until failure.
- Barbell Curl: 4 sets until failure.
Cutting Workout Routines
Sam Sulek’s cutting push workout routine is intense and involves over five chest and shoulder exercises. He also relies on compound pressing exercises but does some flyes to improve his adduction. Many of the exercises he does for his push workout could be risky, so you should be cautious if you intend to follow in his steps.
Sam Sulek’s Cutting Chest Workouts:
- Incline Bench Press: 3 sets of 8 – 10 reps.
- Cable Fly: 2 sets until failure
- Chest Press Machine: 2 sets of 10 controlled reps
- Pec Deck Fly: 3 sets of 10 reps
Sam Sulek’s Cutting Back Workouts:
- Wide Grip Cable Rows: 3 sets until failure
- Lat Pulldown: 2 sets of 8 – 10 reps
- Machine Row: 2 sets for each arm
- T Bar Row: 2 sets of 10 reps
While cutting, he does things differently with his leg day routines. Although most of the focus is still on his quads with standing leg curls and hack squats, he still gives some attention to his hamstrings with lying leg curls. Arm workouts while cutting involve dumbbell curls, triceps dip press, and EZ bar preacher curls.
Sam Sulek’s Cutting Leg Day Workouts:
- Standing Leg Curls: 3 sets of 15 – 20 reps for each leg.
- Seated Leg Curls: 3 sets of 15 reps.
- Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 10 – 15 reps.
- Smith Machine Front Squats: Three sets of 12 reps.
Sam Sulek’s Cutting Arm Day Workouts:
- Tricep Pushdowns: 2 sets until failure.
- Rope Pushdowns: 2 sets until failure.
- Wide Grip Tricep Pushdown: 1 set until failure.
- Cross Cable tricep Extension: 1 set until failure.
- Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 12 – 15 reps.
- One Arm Preacher Curls: 2 sets until failure
- Standard Preacher Curls: 2 sets of 12 reps.
It’s important to mention that these routines are subject to change depending on what gym he is in and how he’s generally feeling. If you want to check out exactly what he’s doing now, head to his YouTube channel!
A Bigger Stage?
During an interview with bodybuilding veteran Iain Valliere, who also coached Chris Bumstead in the past, Sam Sulek shared additional details about his strategy. Despite having the opportunity to pose alongside 2023 Arnold Classic champion Samson Dauda, there’s speculation among fans about his ability to compete against open bodybuilders. It appears that fans aren’t the only ones pondering this possibility. However, Sulek has a response to this inquiry. He believes that aiming to compete in the open category right from the start is overly ambitious. “So, the plan is to start with classic,” Sam Sulek informed Valliere at the Arnold Sports Festival UK.
Progress
He recounted that in April 2019, he weighed 183lbs, while in September 2023, he weighed 237.4 lbs. He stated that he indulges in Carb master, a keto-friendly product. He loves his cat so much, at least that is the most shared picture of the star. His typical breakfast consists of bread, ham, and cheese which contains 330 calories and 30 grams of protein. Sulek sees his body as a piece of impeccable artistry, with layered veins and arteries above sheaths of trained muscles. He enjoys Pirouline vanilla cream-filled wafers.
Bulking Again?
At the end of October 2023, Sulek resumed bulking again after taking a break months back by eating through the day. Sulek was also pleased to open the 36th Annual sports in March 2024 alongside Schwarzenegger.
Is Sam Sulek Natty?
There have been tons of questions about whether Sam Sulek is natural or if he is on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). The leading verdict from many influencers is that there is no way he is natural, and they have often referred to his shortness of breath, skin coulour, and his huge body (considering his young age). However, Sam has never confirmed or denied any of the rumours.
However, people like Lee Priest have also spoken out in support of Sam, telling people to stop commenting or speculating about whatever he was taking if they did not know anything for a fact. When Lee was younger, he faced similar criticisms because he was considered too large for his age. Priest also defended Sam’s “unhealthy” eating habits and pointed out that since Sam is still just 21, he will likely have a fast metabolism, allowing him to eat what others may consider unhealthy.
Sam’s body size doesn’t necessarily mean he is on steroids. From a very young age, he got into diving and continued that till he was at least 18 years old. He was also a gymnast for a long time, so he has a solid athletic foundation.
Sam Sulek’s Girlfriend
Sam Sulek tends to keep his private life very private. And that includes his non-bodybuilder friends, family, and girlfriend – if he has one. There’s no indication of whether he has a girlfriend, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled and let you know immediately we find out anything new.
Many of his fans have pointed out how awkward his interactions with women in different gyms have been, leading some to conclude that he doesn’t have a girlfriend or is incapable of talking to women. Ultimately, though, his awkward charm only makes him more endearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is Sam Sulek so Popular? Sam Sulek is primarily popular for his impressive physique at a young age (21). But his straightforward content style and seemingly genuine personality have also earned him a lot of fans.
- How Much Does Sam Sulek Make Off YouTube? It’s difficult to say exactly how much Sam Sulek has earned from his YouTube channel, but with over 130 million views across 329 videos, he should have made over almost $2.5 million.
- Is Sam Sulek Training Good? There are differing opinions on the subject. He seems to be enjoying the benefits of his training, but some other fitness influencers have criticised it.