Tips for the mass phase
Classic mass building
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of a mass-building phase is a 340-pound off-season Ronnie Coleman or a picture of Lee Priest looking so massive that it seems unreal. While these examples are certainly the extreme, they represent the basic idea: get as massive as possible in the shortest time possible. Mass gain is not something that is meant to make you look beautiful or give you the ideal beach body (although many skinny guys would look healthier if they gained a few pounds of fat along with the muscle). A bulking phase is designed to allow you to build muscle along with an acceptable amount of fat that can be shed during a subsequent definition phase. For some people, a bulking phase is actually fun because they can eat the foods they wouldn't normally consume. In addition, the anabolic hormone response that the excessive calories help you achieve may well make you feel more assertive, more attracted to women (is that possible?), more confident and improve your general wellbeing. Apart from this, this is one of the training cycles during which you will see quick results in terms of the weights you can move and your appearance in the mirror.
On the other hand, there are people who hate mass gain. This is the group that feels no appetite at all, those who think that choking down large amounts of food is as painful as watching Lindsay Lohan wasting away. Even the thought of more food makes them uncomfortable and they use any excuse to avoid eating. Sure, they work out hard and that only makes the situation worse because they don't get the results they deserve from their time and effort on the iron.
It is these desperate souls that I can offer redemption to. Through trial and error, I've found a number of tips that will help you build muscle at a faster rate. The days of mass-building terror are over.
Warning
Before you put these tips into practice, we need to go over a few basic rules so we're sure we're talking about the same thing. The following is not about health and fitness. This article will not help you lose weight for the next family party or improve your 5000 meter time. You won't read about the "miracles" of soy or how to lower your serum cholesterol levels. This article is simply about getting muscular. Many of you won't like what you read, but the fact is that these tips work. For that reason, I'm not going to apologize for anything.
However, I should at least mention that these tips are not for everyone. They are tailored for those who have a hard time building weight (typically ectomorphic strength athletes) and who have very little appetite. Furthermore, these tips are not intended to get you to make a permanent change in your life, but are merely tips for an 8 week phase during which you break the traditional rules and build mass. Lastly, these are guidelines and not an all-encompassing personalized nutrition plan.
1 - Focus on your diet and not your training
I don't know why most of us tend to focus on our training and not our diet during the mass building phase. This is the biggest and most common mistake you can make during the bulking phase. Let's face it, most skinny guys are beginners. And if you're new to training with weights, then you don't need that much stimulus for muscle growth. You could use a horribly bad training program to start with (and who among us hasn't) and it would still work in terms of muscle growth. We've seen this time and time again in studies: the initial muscle growth during a new training program is greater than if that program has been used for some time. This suggests that even a sub-optimal training program will work in the beginning.
Another reason that training doesn't play such a big role in building mass is the intensity factor. I know from experience that skinny guys, and especially beginners, often almost kill themselves in the weight room. Even though they may not be using the best program, their sheer desire to build muscle will make them break through pain barriers that would make a normal man cry.
My own beginner's training log
When I first started my "bench press and biceps" training program, I trained three days a week with the same program. I performed eight sets of bench presses and curls to muscle failure. In addition to this, I performed a descending set after each set and used supersets with flying movements and dumbbell curls. I was so overtrained that I hated every minute of these workouts, but my obsession made me push through them anyway. Sadly, the 1500 kcal I was eating per day wasn't doing much to support my muscle growth and I didn't build a pound of muscle all summer. The real tragedy is that I thought the reason for the lack of progress was inadequate training intensity.
This brings us to the most important reason to focus on nutrition, which is the sheer amount of time and effort required for this aspect of hypertrophy. Any idiot can kill themselves in the gym for an hour a day, but it takes real focus and dedication to meet your nutritional needs every few hours of every single day.
Add to this the fact that you will probably have to force yourself to eat and it becomes clear that your focus needs to be on nutrition.
2 - Forget what you know about traditional bodybuilding nutrition
Traditionally speaking, bodybuilders practically live on chicken breast, egg whites and oatmeal. Even though these "clean" foods are great for health, they are not for building weight. They may have their place in a mass-building program, but if you're sticking strictly to a "clean" diet while building mass, you're not using them to their full potential.
Remember that this phase is called the mass building phase for a reason. You should be increasing your calorie intake during this phase in an attempt to stimulate an anabolic response and maximize muscle growth. Of course, this doesn't mean that you should only eat cheeseburgers and cake, but if you can use these foods to achieve your goal of bulking up quickly, then you should consume them.
Although ultra high fat diet plans are great, these are more appropriate for a steroid cycle than for a food induced bulking phase. You can achieve a better muscle to fat ratio with your newly built body mass by combining traditional bodybuilding foods with a higher calorie intake. It's worth noting that eating saturated fats is associated with higher testosterone levels and is also great for calorie intake. It's easier to eat foods that contain saturated fats as they generally taste better - a bonus for those of us who don't have an appetite but still want to try and achieve a calorie surplus.
3 - Consume liquid calories
This is a common tip for mass building, but I would take it a step further by saying that you should consume at least half of your meals in liquid form. And no, pre- and post-workout drinks don't count here, as they simply replace what you lose during training. Liquid meals are perfect for mass building because they are generally high in calorie density (assuming you prepare them accordingly) and take less time to digest and absorb. This means you'll be ready for your next meal quicker, which equates to a higher calorie intake. The addition of sugar can improve the taste of these meals, making them easier to consume when eating is the last thing you want to do.
This also prevents all the excuses people use for not eating. Both the time needed to prepare and the time needed to consume these meals is very short, so you can drink them on the go! One tip is to prepare these drinks in advance. This way, the drinks are ready when you want them (and no, you don't have to worry about the protein breaking down). Preparing a drink like this couldn't be easier, so even those who are lazy about their diet will have no excuses to avoid eating. And after two liquid meals in a row, even people who generally have no appetite will crave a solid meal.
4 - Minimize the consumption of fruit and vegetables
Wow, is this really a tip? Do you feel like you're getting cancer just by reading this sentence?
Fruit and vegetables are perfect when it comes to reducing calories as they are very filling and provide very little energy. However, if you are having trouble meeting your calorie needs, fruit and vegetable consumption can be temporarily minimized without serious health consequences.
Although I can hear the people who are going to get very upset about this, keep in mind that ignoring the "10 servings a day" rule for a few months won't give you cancer. To reiterate - we're talking about a mass-building phase here, not a permanent lifestyle. In addition, micronutrient requirements can also be met over a short period of time with the help of supplements such as superfoods and through the fruit juices that will provide you with calories. I think the real danger of this tip is that people might think that this is a long-term change to their diet, which of course is unnecessary and ultimately harmful. Since most of eating is about habits and reducing fruit and vegetable consumption is not a habit we want to maintain, it is crucial that you are aware of this fact. It is also important to understand that this tip, if used over a short period of time, is not harmful and can help you achieve your mass gain goals. To reiterate, this tip is only intended to be used in the event that you are unable to meet your current calorie needs. It should be used for a maximum of two months in conjunction with appropriate supplementation.
5 - The 80 gram casein protocol
Most people would shudder at the idea of consuming 80 grams in one go, but after tip #4 this should no longer be a problem. The most common questions (or rather statements) about consuming that much protein have something to do with the supposed problem of digesting or absorbing that amount of protein. Sadly, the myth that you can only utilize 30 grams of protein per meal is as persistent as the myth that muscle turns into fat.
We should worry less about digestion and absorption as the limiting factor in the amount of protein we can convert into muscle is oxidation, or how much protein we burn rather than use. This means that there is no limit to the amount of protein we can digest or absorb. The oxidation of amino acids is a function of the concentration of amino acids in our bloodstream. The more amino acids in the bloodstream, the greater the likelihood that they will be burned. The blood concentration of amino acids is determined by the amount of protein we consume and the release rate of amino acids. The faster the amino acids enter the bloodstream, the more likely they are to be burned. This is the reason why we do not consume 60 grams of free amino acids at once. The "predigested" amino acids enter our bloodstream so quickly that most of them would be burned and therefore wasted.
Casein: preventing oxidation
At the other end of the speed spectrum is casein. We know that this protein is great when consumed right before going to bed, as it will ensure a slow release of amino acids into our bloodstream throughout the night. This is important because, contrary to popular belief, sleep is the most catabolic time for our bodies. Why? Because we are fasting. Our body needs to start breaking down muscle to meet its energy and amino acid needs.
In a normal situation, consuming 40 grams of casein before going to bed is an excellent way to minimize this catabolism. However, when we want to build mass, we're not just trying to minimize catabolism - we're trying to stay in an anabolic state for as long as possible.
That's why 80 grams of casein (and micellar casein in particular) before bed is the perfect supplement for your mass-building phase. The amino acids it contains are released into the bloodstream slowly enough to avoid oxidation, while the higher dosage will help maintain an anabolic state throughout the night.
6 - It's not over until it's over
Even when the 8 week bulking phase is over, you still can't stop. I know you want to start losing fat right after the bulking phase so you can show the world your new muscles, but this is the worst thing you can do. Just as a strength athlete goes through a weaning phase (post-cycle therapy) after using anabolic steroids, a sufficient amount of time must pass after a bulking phase before you can move on to a definition phase. You need to allow your body to get used to the new amount of muscle mass before you start playing around with a low calorie intake.
Think about it. Our bodies are designed to resist change and will only adapt when necessary. If you've just gained 10 pounds of muscle in two months, this represents a significant deviation from your body's set point. This means that your body would be happy to shed the costly and energy inefficient muscle mass that you have worked so hard to gain. To prevent this regression to the original set point, you need to give your body a chance to get used to the new amount of muscle mass. This can be achieved by eating a diet to maintain your weight with your full share of fruit and vegetables. Keep the training weights in the heavy range, but be more mindful of possible overtraining. You will no longer be in the anabolic state you were in during your bulking phase and will therefore likely be more prone to overtraining. Slow down your training if you feel it's necessary and don't worry too much about suddenly losing weight - it's not like after a steroid use cycle.
Don't forget that because of your newly built muscle mass, your maintenance calorie intake will be higher than before.
4 Frequently Asked Questions
1 - Will I gain fat if I follow these tips?
I hope so. That's why we're talking about a bulking phase and not a careful build-up of lean muscle mass.
2 - Why would we want to build fat?
If you build up a little fat slowly, this means that you are in an optimal anabolic state for muscle growth. If you are building fat too quickly, then you need to analyze what you are doing and make adjustments accordingly. Not to mention, most skinny guys can afford to build some fat.
3 - Why don't we build lean body mass exclusively?
From personal experience and experience with clients, it is easier and quicker to build a good amount of muscle through a classic mass building phase and then do a definition phase. If you try to build muscle without fat, you will achieve less.
4 - What about supplements?
This is the first thing beginners ask, which is because they don't understand how muscles grow. Once they understand that it takes a tremendous amount of energy to build muscle, they realize that supplements are meant to be the icing on the cake and not the cause of building muscle.
As mentioned earlier, a good micellar protein and good pre- and post-workout supplements are an excellent addition.
Conclusion
These tips are examples of what you can do to support weight gain. If you use them in conjunction with your training and nutrition program, you will easily gain at least one pound per week. Stay focused, train hard and don't forget why it's called the bulking phase!