Eating and training to gain muscle is a completely different thing than is eating and training to maintain muscle. If you are serious about development and also keeping metabolic rate up and running then you have to put the contest appearance out of your head and let it happen. You need to start with a good foundation of muscle in order to be able to sculpt it when it comes contest prep time. If staying lean is your most important criterion, then dont whine and complain that you cant make any gains. Just be satisfied that you made a choice to stay lean, and live with the reality you probably wont gain much more muscle that way. Too many times physique competitors live mentally in the opposite place of where they are and it kills their progress. To many times in the off/improvement season they talk about when they can diet and look good, and then when they are dieting they whine for when they can eat again and put on some muscle, it a vicious cycle that needs to stop. Besides it killing progress it can have severe mental and emotional effects on you and the ones around you. Mentally, you must live in the moment. If more muscle is your goal then keep your head and mindset there. Diets can be either anabolic or anti-catabolic in nature. When in a controlled calories situation as in a pre-contest mode, there is an anti-catabolic effect of diet. But this effect does not last long and soon the body starts losing muscle and energy. But, diet can be an extremely anabolic thing if done properly. Many times I get calls from new clients who cant believe the gains they make just by going to an off season diet and training program. They just never realized that food can be so anabolic when a diet is applied correctly. Try to eat at least 13-20 times your body weight in calories in food per day divided fairly evenly in each meal (This is individual of course and should be assessed properly). Also pay closer attention to getting protein sparing nutrients like carbs and fats in the off-season, and let protein take care of itself by just making sure there is around 1-1.5g per pound of body weight. But one important note, especially for guys is to Never force feed yourself. You will just get fat that way and wreak havoc on you GI tract and digestive system. And remember, your appetite and metabolism are a direct result of your work ethic in the gym. Train like an animal and you can eat like one. Train like an 80 year old grandmother, and just keep ordering your garden burgers.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 18:51:46 +0000
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