Bodybuilding prodigy Tristyn Lee shocked the fitness world with his insanely shredded physique when he was just 15. However, maintaining that physique for years became unsustainable. Lee ultimately decided to make a switch and started bulking. However, “7 years” of keto had set up his metabolism in a particular way.

While talking to Nyle Nayga on his podcast,  Lee explained that he started with the carnivore diet. The diet requires you only to eat animal products, and mostly meat. While it sounds limited, Lee explained that he felt great on the diet but still couldn’t bulk. The teenager needed to gain fat, so he added a nutrient he had eaten very little of.

The nutrient that unlocked bulking for Tristyn Lee

During the podcast, the fitness influencer told Nayga that he started the carnivore diet, he was at “4% body fat and legitimately needed to gain body fat.” However, since the carnivore diet nearly eliminated his carb intake, Lee found it difficult to bulk up. Being on a keto diet for years had already made him shredded because of the low carbs, but the carnivore diet was more extreme.

Despite loving the “mental clarity” and dryness he achieved during the carnivore diet, the fitness influencer knew he needed to add carbohydrates. “My body is extremely used to using the macros that are provided,” said the 21-year-old. While Lee knew it would take time to reset the way his body treated nutrients, the fitness icon increased his carb intake.

Tristyn Lee mentioned his Asian roots and said he simply started eating rice. “Adding in carbohydrates definitely helped me just gain weight,” said the online fitness personality. Now, at 21, the bodybuilder has bulked up quite a bit. Lee is looking to put on muscle and may compete in the future in natural bodybuilding.

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Will the fitness influencer compete in bodybuilding this year?

Tristyn Lee has mulled the idea of competing in bodybuilding for a while. Last year, the baby-faced bodybuilder appeared on seven-time 212 Olympia champ Flex Lewis’s podcast. During their conversation, the bodybuilder spoke about competing in 2024.

However, Lee said he would first have to consult his coach. The 21-year-old also said he would be going on a “massing phase” this year. After his latest podcast appearance and through Instagram updates, the fitness influencer seems to be on track with his plan.

However, only time will tell if Tristyn Lee’s bulk phase ends with a prep for a bodybuilding show. After all, the bodybuilder had to overcome considerable struggles before putting on mass.

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