It seems like every time I try to put on muscle I always end up putting on too much fat. Then I have to diet down again, and then I lose the muscle size I gained. It’s like I’m just going in circles. I weigh 225 with about 13% bodyfat. I know it’s hard to gain muscle without gaing a little fat. But it seems like I’m gaining too much fat when I put on muscle. Any suggestions for maximum muscle gains with minimal fat gain will be appreciated, Thank you.
If you are losing muscle on your dieting phases, then (1) you are trying to lose weight too fast, (2) you are not eating enough protein, or (3) you are training each muscle group too frequently in the gym (you can never train too hard, but you CAN train too frequently, especially when dieting). If you want to minimize fat gained, then (1) supplememnt with Androsol/Nandrosol and some cyclodextrin mix, or (2) eat slightly less.
You are right to be concerned. You should not be losing any muscle when dieting, and if your diet is in order you should gain at least 1 lb of muscle for every 1 lb fat gained (a 2/1 ratio or higher is possible with supplementation; some people can do 2/1 naturally, but usually only during the beginning of their training).
Well it’s a little hard to help you when you don’t post the pertinent details of your bulking/cutting phases i.e. calories, meal frequency, nutrient ratios, etc. A search of the FAQ could help you immensely. I used to bitch about the same thing then it hit me that I was overdoing the bulk phases (5,000 cal/day, sometimes more at a bw of 165), then going too low w. cals and overdoing cardio. I will tell you what has made the biggest difference for me, and that was dropping cardio from my cutting phases. I have been doing Poliquin’s German Body Comp, using a stardard MRP/high protein, moderate carb approach the first few weeks and switching to a low carb approach very similar to the T-Dawg Diet for the final phase. I started 12 weeks ago with 146 lbs. LBM and approx. 14 % b.f with a 34 inch waist. As of right now, I am sitting at 147 lbs. LBM, 5.1 % b.f and a 28 1/4 inch waist. If you gain too much fat during your bulk phases, don’t eat so much, it’s that simple. Exceed maintenance calorie levels by no more than 10-20 % and get a good portion of those calories post-workout. Stick to low-glycemic carbs except for post-w, 6 meals/day and you’ll get better results. As far as supps go, there are some good ones out but the best supplement is food.
Read the Diet Manifesto article at T-mag if you haven’t already.
Ah yeah, read the diet manifesto… my personal favorite diet is the Chanko diet. Its sooo easy and the Chanko really tastes great when you change it up a bit… teryaki sauce one day and catsup the next… I gained a ton of muscle and hardly any fat… then I went on the fat fast diet and actually gained muscle on it (I juiced, though) while ripping up to about 7 percent…
I’ve using a four-week bulking and two-week cutting cycles using Biotest supplements (w/ ofcourse good training and appropiate calorie and protein requirements). Four weeks: Tribex (five days a week), Methoxy, and the Gen-Mag bcaa product Glutacene. I then spend two weeks (and two weeks only) doing Fat Fast w/ Androsol and MD-6. For me, two weeks on Fat Fast obliterates the fat from the four weeks and I don’t lose lbm.