Former Olympic runner Ryan Hall—still the fastest American of all-time in the half and full marathon—has been working hard to pack on muscle since he retired from pro competition in 2016. (Hall’s wife Sara, meanwhile, continues to dominate at the elite level of running—last October, she became the first American to reach the podium at the London Marathon in 14 years.)

In his latest update, Hall casually shared that he recently completed a bulking phase that involved eating more than 5,000 calories per day, and the results speak for themselves in the images Hall shared of his increasingly jacked physique, taken by his brother Chad Hall.

As Ryan now enters a cutting phase following the bulk-up, he predicts that he’s put on about 10 pounds of muscle. Perhaps even more impressive is how that additional size has translated in the weight room. “My favorite part of bulking are the strength gains that results from the surplus of calories and added size,” Hall wrote. “Deadlift went from 455 to 515 lbs. Bench went from 280 to 330 lbs. Squat went from 395 to 475 lbs.”

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A post shared by Ryan Hall (@ryanhall3)

Hall added that he doesn’t necessarily expect to maintain all of that strength as he begins to cut back. One thing, however, is for certain: He’s not necessarily going to miss all those extra meals and protein shakes. “Eating certainly is the hardest, and least enjoyable aspect of putting on muscle,” he wrote.

If that struggle sounds familiar, you might want to consult our bodybuilding diet plan to strike the perfect balance of macronutrients to pack on muscle in a hurry.

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