How to gain muscle and minimize fat gains
To gain muscle in bodybuilding is called “bulking”. Bulking is the process of gaining muscle while minimizing fat gain. To bulk you need to follow these 3 golden rules:
1.) Eat at a calorie excess. To gain weight you have to eat more calories then you consume. You should eat enough calories to gain 2-3 pounds a week. Unless your new to lifting, you can expect to gain 0.25-0.5 pounds of muscle in any given week. However, you can expect to have more scale weight because with added muscle you also have added water and glycogen weight. Do not eat too many calories. Your body is like building a house of blocks. If you supply to many blocks it will just go to waste (fat). A general rule is to gain 2-3 pounds of muscle a month. This will ensure most of your weight is “healthy” weight and not fat. Anymore then this your probably adding too much fat.
2.) Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. You can’t build muscle without sufficient protein so make sure you have this covered. Eat a little more protein if you wish. Find what works for you.
3.) Lift Weights. This will ensure that your excess calories are being used to repair muscle. Try bulking without lifting weights…it won’t go well. You will just get fatter. If your a beginner it is a good idea to build a strength base and do full-body workouts 3 times a week focusing mainly on the compound lifts. If your more advanced (can bench your body weight, squat 1.5x your weight, and deadlift 2x your weight) you can start looking into splits and other advanced routines.
Follow these good rules, and you will be on your way to adding muscle and strength and not getting too fat. Remember though, fat is expected in a bulk so don’t freak out if you start losing definition in your abs or any other body fat. It is expected. Keep tracking your progress with scales, body fat calipers, and most importantly the mirror.
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