Many trainees have similar goals in mind when it comes to building their physiques: gain muscle without gaining body fat. On this road to physical improvement they will more often than not have a phase of bulking (gaining a combination of muscle and body fat) and a phase of cutting or leaning out (stripping away body fat and retaining as much muscle as possible in the process). This rollercoaster affect may go on for several phases for a desired outcome. The question is, does one significantly increase his/her lean muscle mass over time or do they simply end up where they started?
Can a trainee gain substantial muscle mass without the unwanted fat? Yes, but first let’s make a compelling argument in favor of this method. Benefits include: a leaner physique year-round, no yo-yo bodyweight changes, slow, but steady gains and no more bingeing and starving regarding phase-type dieting. Taken into consideration all of these benefits, how could you not at least give this a try?!
Outlined are several easy to use steps to gaining lean muscle mass while minimizing your propensity to gain body fat. Minor adjustments may be needed to cater this program for your body weight, metabolism and frequency of training.
Guide To Gaining Muscle While Minimizing Fat Gains
Step 1: Keep Protein in Check at All Times
Protein has to remain high on the priority list if you want to gain muscle mass. The more protein stays consistent the more potential for the ideal growth environment. And more muscle mass means more body fat burned. Keep protein intake at 1 to 1.25 grams per pound of bodyweight. This will give your body the adequate building blocks for those intense workouts. Sources include lean meats, turkey, chicken, fish, eggs, whey protein and low fat dairy products such as low-fat of skim milk, low-fat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt.
Step 2: The Correct Types of Carbs Are Your Friends
Essential for fueling those intense workouts, carbs are also protein-sparing – meaning they will let protein build muscle instead of being burned for energy. Carbs are important for many other functions as well such as the regulation of certain hormones, energy regulation and production, normal everyday bodily functions and recovery. When trying to build muscle the low carb fad diets just won’t cut it! The trick is to know how much and what types to eat.
A good place to start would be to establish an intake of 2 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight. Stay at this level for 4 to 6 weeks to watch for any significant long-term changes. If you see that you are gaining weight and notice you are as lean or leaner than before then do not change a thing. If you are losing weight and not getting pumps in the gym increase your intake to 2.25 or 2.5 (maybe even 3) grams per pound. If you see your abs disappearing and feel that you are getting that “softer” look then decrease carbs to 1.75 or 1.5 grams per pound.
Remember to stay at a certain level of carbs for 4 to 6 weeks before adjusting – it takes the body a few weeks to notice a change and react to it. Changing your intake too frequently will not allow you to make informed decisions regarding what your body needs. The best carb sources are from wild and brown rice, white potatoes and sweet potatoes, oatmeal (not instant), fruits and vegetables. Stay away from processed and refined carb sources.
Step 3: Reap the Benefits of Fat
No longer a dirty word among the health conscious, fats have a myriad of benefits for the bodybuilder wishing to gain quality muscle mass. Fats regulate testosterone levels, actually help burn body fat, aid energy levels and keep your metabolism churning. Keep fat around 30 to 35 % of your daily total calories. Excellent sources include eggs (yes, the yolks), avocado, olive oil, natural peanut butter, nuts and fatty fish.
One final note: You should be gaining no more than about one pound (sometimes less) per week. If lean muscle is your goal, then slow and steady will win the race. Huge fluctuations in bodyweight will never result in quality muscle gains.
Q&A With Brad Borland
Brad, I am a young hardgainer with a fast metabolism and find it hard to eat enough. Do you have any tips?
I had similar challenges when I was younger – the seemingly impossible task of gaining muscle (or any type of weight) while having a metabolism on overdrive! First of all, consider this “curse” to be a blessing. Later on, you will appreciate a fast metabolism as it will help you stay lean all year long. Second, the muscle gains you make will be slow and steady, but they will be hard-earned and more permanent over the long haul.
Buy in bulk and eat in bulk. Try eating nutrient-dense carbs and whole food proteins. Rice, potatoes, pastas, oatmeal, whole grain cereals and plenty of fruits and vegetables should make up your energy sources. Fish, red meats, chicken, turkey, whole eggs and milk should be the staples of your protein intake. Eating 5 to 6 meals per day consistently will help you gain significant muscle weight over time.
There are several trainers on the Internet that tell me I can gain muscle and lose fat with a Paleo diet, or by cycling my calories below and above maintenance. As a beginner, what are the risks of me trying these approaches?
As a beginner, I would shy away from any type of fad diet on the internet. A normal bodybuilding diet coupled with hard, consistent time in the gym is the only time-tested method for any beginner. The risk you run with trying fad diets early on in your bodybuilding career is that you are teaching your body a different method right out of the gate! How will it then become accustomed to a healthy nutrient-rich and calorically adequate bodybuilding diet? Before throwing curve balls learn how to pitch first.
![Will adding muscle make me fat?]()
I am afraid of getting fat. Some people have told me to eat 300 calories above maintenance, and some 500 or more. Will I get fat with either of these approaches? How much fat will I gain my eating more like this?
I am afraid of getting fat. Some people have told me to eat 300 calories above maintenance, and some 500 or more. Will I get fat with either of these approaches? How much fat will I gain my eating more like this?It all depends on your intensity levels in the gym (ie. your daily caloric expenditure). If you are keeping your workouts intense and working hard on a daily and weekly basis then 300-500 calories over maintenance will not result in fat gains. Just keep the excess calories bodybuilding friendly. Start with 300 extra calories for 6 to 8 weeks. Keep track of your results: Either have a body composition test done at your local gym or judge by how well you see your abs. If you are gaining weight with no body fat gain then you are on the right track. If you are not gaining weight at all, you may need to increase calories slightly to 400 or 500.
Should I eat more carbs and protein after I workout?
It all depends on your goals and time of day. If you are like most beginners, you probably are wanting to build as much muscle as possible and workout in the afternoon sometime. If that is the case – yes. After a grueling session with the iron your body needs nutrients to jumpstart recovery and growth processes. Without protein and carbs your body will scavenge muscle mass to provide fuel for recovery which will halt the building process for any new muscle tissue.
A good post-workout meal (within 30 minutes after training) would include around 30-40 grams of whey protein and 40-80 grams of carbs in the form of simple sugars. This fast digesting combination will rush the right nutrients into the muscle cells to kick-start muscle building and thwart off catabolism. Around 1 hour or so after that meal have a solid protein and complex carb meal.
77 Comments
Hey Brad,
I know the importance of eating a meal after intense workouts, but I do not usually finish my workouts until 9:30 at night. I consume a whey protein shake post workout, but do not always eat a meal since it is so late already. I want to stay lean, but also dont want to miss out on gains due to lack of nutirients. What is your recomendation?
I'm 33 yrs. old , 6' 2 and 168lbs .
I currently made the decision to start strength training , currently eating 3300 calories per day.
could you recommend a 4 day workout routine to gain muscle mass .
any help will be appreciated .
How do I determine an accurate base calorie intake? I weighed 195LBS with a six pack, I am trying to add more muscle so, I added carbs back into my diet and I gained 15lbs but six pack is gone now but I feel a lot stronger and the weight I am pushing has gone up. bench 225 to 275, squats 225 to 295. How can I turn this fat to muscle.
hi im arianne im 25 years old 5'5 and 58kg i wanted to be 52kg and everyday going to the gym... how many calories will i burn everyday ?
hi,
I'm a fat bastard looking to get healthy. i don't mind putting in the hard work and time. how do i get the biggest most defined muscles? What do i eat? I weigh 250 and am 5'9!
Brad should I follow this way of eating or the cycling through carbs? Not sure whether to go constant or to cycle in terms of gaining muscle but also leaning out. And if I cycle, can I go low, low, medium, low, low, medium, high? trying to figure this out.
Hey Steve what's a good energy drink or supplement b4 my workout
What is a good post workout meal at night?
Is eating every 2 hours is good enough to build and maintain muscle
Hi brad,
I am doing weight training at gym at 2 every weekday and 4 on a weekend before very gym session I do 20 min of cardio,
I am 98kg and i dot eat alot at all any advise on losing weight but at the same time bulking up
Thanx
Hi, i just joined a gym and i want to know whats the best way to lose body fat. Im 18, 6'1ft 260 pounds ( i got fat after high chool baseball season was over). What should i do to lose weight??? But also i want to grow muscle strenght in my shoulders and back?
Hi
Im a soccer player and im 15 years old i am pretty skinny and i want to gain muscle but i cant gain any fat since i play conpetitive soccer i can see my abs but i want to be more muscular and leaner i want to gain about 5 lbs of muscle and lose some i want to be around 10-9% bf right now i am at 12% how can do that would this article help me do this. This is my work out routine im doing right down to get the body i want .
Daily Workout Schedule:
Day 1 - Chest and Biceps
Chest
Exercise Sets Reps
Incline Smith Machine Press 4 10
Flat Bench Barbell Press 4 10
Chest Dips 3 10
Biceps
Exercise Sets Reps
EZ Bar Curls 3 8-10
Concentration Curls 3 10
Reverse Barbell Curls 3 12
Workout Notes:
Use 3-1-3 timing on Incline Smith Machine Press
Tuesday - Rest Day
Day 2- Legs and Shoulders
Legs
Exercise Sets Reps
Squat 5 10
Leg Press 4 10-12
Stiff Leg Deadlifts 4 8-10
Seated Calf Raise 3 8-10
Standing Calf Raise 3 12-15
Shoulders
Exercise Sets Reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 8-10
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 10
Rear Delt Machine 3 10
Dumbbell Shrugs 4 10-12
Notes
Try some deep squats with 3-2 rep timing (use lighter weight) for some variation. Use a drop set on the leg press machine to give the quads a shock. If your gym doesn't have a Rear Delt Machine substitute Reverse Dumbbell Flyes. Use 3-1-3 rep timing on the seated lat raises
Thursday - Rest Day
Day 3 - Back and Triceps
Back
Exercise Sets Reps
Wide Grip Pullups 4 8-12
Lat Pull Downs 4 10
One Arm Dumbbell Row 4 10
T-Bar Rows 4 10
Triceps
Exercise Sets Reps
Lying Tricep Extension 3 10
Rope Pulldowns 3 12
Reverse Single Arm Extension 3 12
Notes
3-1-3 rep timing on Lat pulldown machine
Weekend - Rest
Im 14 and Im trying to train very hard for football at the end of summer.I work out 6 days a week and i didnt know what type of foods i should be eating if i want to lose fat and bulk up at the same time
Hi
I have been training with weights for the past 4-5 months with a goal to build muscle and it has worked,
cause I have put on some muscle compared to before. But in the process I have put on more fat also
mainly due to insufficient cardio and I seem to be hungry most of the time due to that burning sensation
In your muscle that u work out and thus I have also started eating a lot more than I used to earlier.
I would like to know now since it is high time time got rid of my stomach would u suggest
Doing high reps with reduced wt plus the cardio that I need !
Or should do heavy wt plus cardio and watch my diet ?
Currently for past 4 months I have been working 2 or 1 muscle group per day with heavy wts and I have
also been on protein shakes. Now my goal is to reduce my tummy with out losing wat ever little muscle I
was able to gain...
Thank you. :)
I do varsity wrestling at my school and my weight class is 132 lbs. right now its in the middle of the off season. I am not wanting to go up a weight class because it is my senior year next year. I am wanting to stay at 132. But I have a hard time with trying to gain muscle but lose fat at the same time. Help?
Hi I'm 25 and I'm a beginner wieght lifter, I have some chest build up I do eat well diet and take protien shakes dailey, but my question is why does it take so long to bulk muscle up? Is their a quicker way to do it? I've been told creatine but it makes me tired afterwords. Any help?
Hi Brad
I have found your articles very helpful thanks.
I'm just wondering whether I should add my calories used during workout to the amount I get from the Daily Calorie calculator?
ie I get 2700 calories from the calculator, and my workouts are usually between 400 & 500 calories. So, should I be eating 3100-3200 calories? Or is this included when you select the activity level?
And if so, is that 3100-3200 calories just to maintain my current weight or will that help me add weight?
Regards
Hi Darren. Calculators are mainly giving you info that includes energy for activity levels. The important thing is to have a starting line and adjust up or down after a few weeks to suit your goals.
Hi, I'm 18 - 190 lbs and 5 10".
I've started to hit the gym hard lately, within the last 6 months, and I haven't really seen much improvements. I'm targeting my biceps/triceps the most, but I do have a spread out routine for the week targeting other muscle groups. But I'm having trouble losing weight, I'm trying to keep up with the amount of protein i take in as well as carbs. But I feel that if I continue to do this, I will gain weight. I'm probably 15-20 pounds overweight for my type of body, and would like to lose the weight first.. Any tips or ideas?
Thanks
Hi Cory,
The first thing I would do is make sure you are performing the big moves in your program such as all kinds of bench pressing, all types of rows and chins, shoulder presses, squats, leg presses, deadlifts and dips. These moves will not only stimulate the body to grow stronger and larger, they will also burn the most calories, utilize protein and carbs and raise growth hormone and testosterone levels naturally.
Make sure you have a sound and balanced routine and stay consistent with your diet.
-Brad
www.WorkoutLab.net
Hi Brad,
I am 43 years old, 5'-11" and weigh approximately 200lbs. I have recently started back in the gym at work, and have been going 3-4 days per week as my schedule allows. My main goals are:
1. Lose 15-20 pounds
2. Get rid of the gut.
3. Build up my chest and upper body.
I recently ordered the Musclepharm Shred Matrix to help me with the weight loss. Any other tips you would suggest to help me reach my goals?
Thanks,
Todd
Hi Todd,
Cograts on the commitment! The best advice is to go steady with your progress. Doing something too fast too soon will not result in long-lasting gains (or losses).
What does your program and diet look like? Is that where you need some advice?
Brad
www.WorkoutLab.net
I think so. To be honest, slow and steady wins the race. I know we live in a instant gratification society and we want everything to happen yesterday, but results worth waiting on and working for are better in the long term.
Brad
www.WorkoutLab.net
Hi Brad,
Right now my schedule is Monday- chest/ abs & 15-20 minutes of cardio , Tuesday - legs, Wednesday - shoulders/ abs & 15-20 minutes of
cardio, Thursday - back, Friday - arms/abs and 15-20 minutes of cardio. I occasionally work out on saturdays for anything i missed during the week. As for my diet, I'm mainly watching my portions while eating mostly chicken, fish, meats, eggs, veggies, salads, etc. Today I did a body composition test at work and it said my BMI was at 27.8. I put a target body fat % of 14, and it told me I need to lose approximately 15 pounds to achieve my goal. Am I on the right track?
Hi Brad im 18 5'10" i weigh 170 and i just started a bulk i eat 6-7 meals a day but im a bit confused on the amount of carbs i need to be taking in to gain muscle. How much carbs should i take in?
Hi Luis,
A great rule of thumb that I use is to start with 2 grams of carbs for every pound of bodyweight. Keep track of your weight, strength and overall feeling. You can adjust from there: If you are still not making gains after 3 weeks or so, up the carbs about 40-50 grams. On the flip side, if you are gaining too much body fat, scale back 40-50 grams.
Keeping the carb adjustment small like this will most likely give you a better handle on what's working without going to extremes too soon.
-Brad
www.WorkoutLab.net
Hi Brad,
Im 25years, 5'10",weighs 169lbs.My BMI is 24.i eat 3 meals a day.I used to go to gym 1year back,worked out for 6 to 7 months but i didn't gain much of a weight,now after 1 year i have joined a gym,but im afraid of not gaining weight now as well..i want to gain muscle..and burn fat.what supplements should i take?please suggest.my main concern is that i was not gaining muscle after 6 months training..my muscles got into shape but pump in the muscle did not happen..what should i do please suggest. Thanks..
Hi Satyajit,
Please take a look at some of my other articles here:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/authors/brad-borland.html
Let me know if you need anything else.
-Brad
www.WorkoutLab.net
Wow awesome forum!!! Im 6 ft 260 pounds. Worked out 16 to 25.. I benched 320 then first day back in gym totomarow im now 2 gained just seven pounds of fat and still ppl ask me everyday do u work out? Are you on steroids?? Really weird I guess my question would bee what am I now a begginer again or since im maintained most of my muscle go hard after the first two weeks?
You will be the best judge of your level of intensity. Just go with what is working for you at the time. Once you plateau, adjust and move on again.
www.WorkoutLab.net
Good day,
I am 21 years old. I started lifting 5 months ago. I weighed 180 pounds back then. I trained 6 days a week 2-3 hours per day, training each group three times a week. I now weigh 206. My question is about overtraining. I have read many articles saying that 48 hours is not enough rest for intense training. However my gains have been good so far. Will I make more progress if I allow more rest time? I take Animal Pak, Nitro and protein.
Typically I will do 4 types of exercises per muscle group doing 5 sets for each type with Chest, biceps and triceps on Mon wed Fri and shoulders, lats and back on tues, thurs, Sat.
Any suggestions will be highly appreciated.
Daniel,
Yo uare speaking my language. I have always advocated and practiced a more frequent style of training. If it is working and you are growing - stick with it and run with it!
I believe the higher frequency is a much more effective (and faster) way to more muscle gain.
-Brad
www.WorkoutLab.net
Hi
I have a question for you and i really need your help!! I normally work in Night shifts & i do workout after my shift as we have gym in are office, few people suggested me to workout before shift does that really matter & how do i go with diet plans for abs
Hi Hemanth,
First of all check out:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/building-muscle-burning-fat-s...
Also, the preference when to workout is up to you. I personally like to hit the gym after at least a few meals.
-Brad
hi im 25 years old.... 6 ft height ,weight 78
i started gym from ths month. the gym advisor asked me to get some protein powder 3 times a day and also do diet..
hes forcing me to have 5 eggs n the morning but i dnt like egg s thr any thing else which i can replace that
also is it okay to have a tuna sandwich for lunch..
please help me out
Hi Shane,
Yes! There are plenty of substitutes for a protein-rich morning meal. You can use one of your protein shakes for morning protein, Greek yogurt or any form of leam meat such as turkey.
You say you do not like eggs. Does this include omletes? There are so many things you can add to eggs to make them more palatable.
-Brad
Thanks Brad,
Ya i dnt eat any kind of eggs..is there anythng else to replace them..
Shane
Do any of the choices I suggested above sound good to you?
Im okay with everything apart of eggs...
Would you recommend weight gainer shakes if you have trouble getting enough calories from food?
Stuart,
At times, yes. I would be very careful, however, regarding the sugar content. I used to take weight gainer when I was younger and skinnier. I could afford the extra calories and sugar due to my high metabolism, but now opt for a leaner diet full of complex carbs.
I would say no on the weight gainer if your diet isn't up to snuff; high in whole food protein, plenty of complex carbs including fruits and vegetables and a correct amount of healthy fat.
-Brad
hello sir ,
i am 16 yrs old and my weight is 44kgs and height is 5'5'' . I want to work on my biceps , shoulder , triceps and abs . Should i go ahead because people say that i am too young and underweight. Plz give me some tips for home workout as i don't want to go to a gym due to the lack of good trainers in this remote place.
Thanks in advance.
Hello,
Check out: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/series/10-bodypart-training-s...
let me know what you think.
-Brad
Adam!
Yes! Nothing will rev up your metabolism and strip away fat more than weight training. Also, you probably just need the weights to reshape your body.
I say, go for it!
-Brad
Hi Brad,
I have a question for you and i really need your help!! Im 5ft 9in. And weigh 165lbs. 23 years old. I was 197lbs 5 months ago and i stuck to my diet and cardio and got down to this. I was wondering if this is a good weight for me to start hitting the weights?
When I look in the mirror i still see fat. I dont know if its me and i have some kind of eating disorder but everyones telling me i look good but i just dont see it.
I dont mind cutting more weight, but if this is a good weight i would really like start lifting. Please let me know if i should cut this weight off. Thank you so much for your help.
GOD BLESS
Hi brad,
I am in the Navy and spend alot of time on deployment overseas, and so my schedule is never the same from one week to the next. I am trying to put on some muscles mass, but not alot. I just want to tone out a bit more. I am fairly skinny at 6'4 and only 180lbs. I try to eat right, but we don't have alot of choices living on a ship. So it gets hard to at times. And I have always had trouble gaining weight. I have never used supplements and so I would like some suggestions on which ones i should look at. A friend suggested Scivation. Also what kind of work out would be best for me since I am never really able to workout more then an hour at a time? Currently I try to get in a good Cardio every other day and lift 2 times a week, but there are times when my schedule wont allow me to work out more then once a week. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Chris
Hi Chris,
Yes, I understand your situation. I was deployed a few times and found it a bit challenging to get in my normal workouts.
Yes, scivation is an excellent company. The owner genuinely stands behind his products.
As far as training goes, your schedule would be best to follow a whole-body program. Use the major lifts to hit all areas such as: Bench press, incline press, pull-ups, barbell rows, deadlifts, shoulder (military) press, barbell curl, close-grip bench press, squats, Romanian deadlifts, lunges, calf raises.
Just pick one move for each area. One workout might look like this:
Bench press
Pull-ups
Standing Military press
Barbell curl
Close-grip bench press
Squats
RDL
Seated calf raise
Then, the next wotkout might look like:
Incline bench press
Bent-over rows
Side laterals
Dumbbell curls
Triceps dips
Leg press
Leg curls
Standing calf raise
Do 2-3 sets of 4-8 one day, 8-12 the next and 12-16 the next. Keep alternating the rep ranges.
I hope this helped,
Brad
hi, im 17, about 5'10'', weigh about 150lbs, and have been hitting the gym for the past 5ish months. i had a sort of "personal trainer," who was explaining to me almost everything there is about weight lifting. i have an amazing routine (in my opinion), im always switching it up about every month. for example, if my routine today was chest n triceps, i would do the following (maybe): standard bench press (reps 10 8 6) SUPER-SET standard push ups, then triceps dips (10 8 6) SUPER-SET incline push ups, then incline bench press (10 8 6) SUPER-SET wide grip push ups, then triceps rope pull downs (10 8 6) SUPER-SET decline push ups, then decline bench press (10 8 6) SUPER-SET dive bombers, a seated in chest press machine (10 8 6) SUPER-SET handstand push ups, triceps extensions (10 8 6) SUPER-SET with 1/2 weight, twice the reps. and then at the end of all my workouts, i take two laps in the pool, play racquetball, basketball, or climb the rock wall. then i will drink a protein shake, have my vitamins for healthy bone and muscle growth, and then have a dinner, such as: a large piece of chicken or fish, skinless potatoes or pasta, and broccoli or beans.
Now, i know this lengthy posting is ridiculously long, but, i wanted to know if doing this kind of lifting is healthy. also, i have put on 12-16lbs in the first 3 months. is that an ok weight gain? and, finally, yes, i have seen a decrease in my weight gain, but still close to .8lbs per week. also, according to my doctor, i have just above 6% body fat. so yeh, i'd appreciate a response. thanks for your time
Hi tim,
Yes, you have made outstanding gains which is very common with someone just starting out at resistance training.
Keep up the great work!
-Brad
Hi... I work 12 1/2 hour night shifts 3-5 nights a week, I workout after work in the AM from 730-900am and try to be in bed to sleep no later than 10am. What would you suggest as a recovery meal post workout.