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ight about now, the beaches are empty and the gyms are busy. Summer is a distant memory, and it's time to pack away the tight shirts and tanks tops and dig out the sweaters. Winter is here, which means it's time to start adding some serious beef. After all, there's next summer to prepare for. This is the time many bodybuilders fondly refer to as the “off-season.”
The only problem is that many of these guys are doing it the “old-school” way. While it's definitely essential that you take in more calories in order to add muscle, an all-out feeding frenzy for months on end can lead to pounds of unnecessary fat gain – fat that you're just going to have to bust your butt to drop come spring. When it's all said and done, a lot of these old-school bulking plans leave you with more fat than muscle. Couple that with the fact that people tend to lose muscle on a prolonged diet, and it doesn't sound like it's worth it.
At the other end of the spectrum, you have the guys who want to stay ripped year-round. Expecting to make significant muscle gains without adding any fat is unrealistic. The goal should be to maximize muscle gain and minimize fat gain.
If you're trying to gain size, you simply have to accept the fact that you're going to gain a little fat in response to the increase in calories, which is a prerequisite for muscle growth. So, that leaves us somewhere in the middle, and it raises a few very important questions for anyone considering an off-season bulking plan: First, how much should you be eating and what should you be eating. And second, when should you be eating it?
How much you should be eating is at the heart of the issue. Eating to gain is not just a matter of overfeeding, as this is likely to result in both muscle and fat gains. On that topic, it's been documented that when lean individuals overeat, about 70 percent of their weight gain is muscle, while about 30 percent is fat. On the other hand, when their not-so-lean counterparts overeat, the figures are reversed – about 70 percent of their weight gain is fat, while only 30 percent is muscle. So basically, the fatter you are, the more likely your new weight is going to be fat. This lends support to the idea of not allowing yourself to get too fat in the off-season.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to go right into bulking calories. Increasing from 2500 to 5000 calories in one shot, for example, is a sure way to get fat. There are two ways to approach this:
Determine how many calories you're presently eating and make systematic weekly or biweekly increases to your present intake until you start to gain weight. For example, if you determine you're eating 2500 calories, start adding 250 to 500 calories every week or two.
Determine your maintenance calories, and start there. From this point, follow the same advice – make systematic weekly or biweekly increases to your present intake until you start to gain weight.
Assume the number of maintenance calories you take in is approximately 15 times your lean body mass and adjust upward from there.
There are many different formulas that can be used to calculate your maintenance intake. Keep in mind, however, that these formulas are based on theoretical models and can be off by as much as 20 percent. They simply serve as a starting point. I'd personally keep it even simpler and assume the number of maintenance calories is approximately 15 times your lean body mass and adjust upward from there based on how you're progressing.
What's the logic behind these systematic increases? Well, for starters, it allows you to get used to eating more and more food. Secondly, your body will have a chance to adjust to the caloric increases. You'll likely find that with these systematic increases that your metabolism gets fired up. This is both good and bad. On the one hand, you'll have to keep adding calories, but on the other hand, when it comes time to diet down for summer again, you'll likely be able to do so by eating much more food, while losing fat will be that much easier.
Case in point: I have a client who has increased his calories from 2800 to 4500 calories over two months to go along with his training program. During this time, he has added a few pounds of muscle, yet not a pound of fat.
Lastly, you'll eventually arrive at the caloric intake that allows you to start gaining size, but not too much unnecessary fat.
Base your adjustments to your intake on what's happening. Are you getting bigger? Putting on muscle? Keep doing what you're doing. Are you not gaining any weight? Increase your calories by 250 to 500. Are you gaining too much fat? Scale back your calories by 250 to 500. Once you've made changes to your caloric intake, make sure you give your body a couple of weeks to adjust to the new intake before reassessing your progress. Remember, these changes aren't going to take place overnight.
All right, now that we've figured out how much to eat, we need to address what to eat. This is pretty straightforward, so we're not going to devote too much time to it. Suffice it to say it's the off-season, so we needn't be as strict as when we're dieting. However, while I realize the goal is to pack on the size, we also want our nutritional approach to be healthy and well-balanced. First and foremost, be sure to consume no less than 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight from a variety of sources – the majority from whole-food sources.
Besides its obvious musclebuilding benefits, protein has a significantly greater thermic effect than carbohydrates and fat and therefore is less likely to be stored as fat. Outside of the workout and post-workout period, ensure that the majority of your carbohydrates come from sources that are low on the glycemic and insulin indices (oatmeal, legumes, whole grains, etc.). They have a positive effect on cortisol levels and body composition, decrease baseline insulin levels, and are typically higher in fiber and vitamins. The exceptions to this rule are the workout and post-workout periods, where high-GI carbohydrates such as dextrose and maltodextrin are superior.
Ectomorphs have racehorse metabolisms, and fat gain is the least of their concerns. For these people, the key is slowing down metabolic rate.
A quick word on those with ectomorphic tendencies: These individuals have racehorse metabolisms, and fat gain is the least of their concerns. For these people, the key is slowing down metabolic rate. Their inefficient metabolisms result in much of their energy intake not translating into usable energy, but rather being burned off as heat.
If you're an ectomorph, you really need to limit your outside-of-the-gym activity. In addition to that, you're likely better off not paying strict attention to the low-GI/insulin index rule. These foods typically digest more slowly, and keep hunger at bay for a longer time than their high-GI counterparts – and hunger is an ectomorph's friend. So in this case, you'd be better off eating higher GI carbs that are lower in fiber, as they don't put as much of a damper on your appetite.
Fat intake is also very important, as certain dietary fats can have positive effects on metabolism. They should come from a variety of sources to ensure a balanced intake of the various fatty acids. Flaxseed oil and fish oils are excellent sources of polyunsaturated fats and have numerous physique and health benefits. Extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts are examples of good sources of monounsaturated fats. And contrary to popular belief, even saturated fat from sources such as coconut oil, dairy products, and some of the fat in meat, is important from a musclebuilding standpoint, as it can have positive effects on hormone levels.
While certainly not exhaustive, below is a list of dietary considerations that should be included in your plan:
Lean red meat (i.e., anything round or sirloin)
Low-glycemic/high-fiber carbohydrates
Fish oils (3 to 9 grams per day)
Fruits and vegetables
High-quality fats (e.g., flaxseed oil, extra-virgin olive oil, mixed nuts, etc.)
During and post-workout liquid nutrition
Next month, we'll conclude this topic on maximizing muscle gains while minimizing fat gains with a discussion of “The When.” The concept revolves around timing your nutritional intake to your muscles' growth cycle. If you're training to build muscle while minimizing fat gain, you need to pay attention to the timing of your meals, as this will prove to be one of the keys to maximizing your muscle-to-fat-gain ratio.
About the Author
Erik Ledin received his bachelor's degree in kinesiology with honors from McMaster University. He is a certified kinesiologist and a specialist in sports nutrition, and in early 2005, he will receive additional certification from the National Strength & Conditioning Association as well as certification by the International Society of Sports Nutrition. For nearly four years, he has been with Team MuscleTech, where he works as a strength and conditioning specialist. On a consulting basis, Erik also coaches elite athletes. His diverse clientele includes bodybuilders, powerlifters, snowboarders, fitness competitors, motocross riders, wrestlers, models, and actors/actresses.
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