Can I Really Gain Muscle Without Gaining Fat?
Gaining muscle and losing fat are the wishes in the minds of most people who want to become fitter, but can these two things go hand in hand?
Building muscle mass is going to require you to take in a surplus of calories because, well, let’s face it, you can′t build muscle out of nothing (unless of course you have some chemical help going on). Losing fat mass on the other hand is going to require you to be in a negative calorie balance because that is what will get your body burning off additional body fat as fuel for its tissues.
Trying to do these things at once is rather counterproductive, and will generally tend not to get you the results that you require.
Most weight lifters will have to accept some fat gain when they are looking to gain weight, however how much fat gain they need to add is questionable. It is this variable that we are hoping to influence.
So can you really gain weight without getting fat? When adding muscle mass there are two approaches you can take…
The first idea is generally this…that the more food goes in…the more muscle goes on!
This thinking is heavily flawed. The body can only assimilate so much muscle tissue at once and after it has done so, any remaining calories are simply going to be stored as body fat. Plain and simple. You my friend, are no exception to the rule.
Most people begin their mission to ‘bulk up′ by increasing their calorie intake, some taking in five thousand plus, on a daily basis. And this over a period of, say, three to six months. This is far too much, and will result in a large amount of body fat weight.
A better option is to take in just enough calories to give you the muscle development without the whopping increase in body fat.
So that leads us to the next question you’re probably wondering. How much muscle can you build? How many calories over maintenance should you be eating?
Everyone has seen the ads showing the poor little guy who made good, piling on over 20 pounds worth of muscle in six weeks. It is possible, under extreme conditions where he has the best trainer in the world and genetics that Schwartzenegger would kill for, but generally you can expect things to happen rather more slowly.
The best rate of muscle growth is relatively small. A rate of half to one pound of new muscle every week is sufficient for you to get fitter in a more natural and healthy manner. As you can now see, you don′t have any need to up your calorie intake to crazy levels.
The more calories you take in then the more likelihood there is of gaining body fat. The best way to keep a check on your progress is to start by raising your calorie intake by 250 to 500 calories, above your normal, each day. Check out your appearance regularly and if you spot that extra weight coming on as fat, then drop your calorie intake down a touch, until you get it right for you.
It is always best to go by REAL WORLD results since you are in the real world after all. You can read as much as you like as to how many calories you should be eating, but this does not mean that’s going to be the exact number that will produce results? Different people have different metabolisms that will respond to an increase in calories in various ways. So as you go about your bulk, adjust according to the results you are getting.
Just keep in mind that if you take it slowly with the muscle building, you won′t have to put in time to diet away that excess body fat that you received as a free gift. Let’s face it - dieting isn′t fun for anyone!
Tags: Fitness
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