How to build muscle without getting fat

Ever heard the saying, "you gotta eat big to get big"?

Or "dreamer bulk"?

Some people call it the "see food diet" (you see it, you eat it).

The idea is the more you eat to gain, the more muscle you'll gain, more quickly.

Nope.

The goal is to build muscle, not just mass.

And there's a difference.

You don't want to pack on pounds only to realize half of it is fat.

On the other hand, you don't want to be in such a small surplus (or none at all, AKA "maintenance") that it takes forever to build muscle.

There is definitely a sweet spot.

And that's where the latest research comes in.

Dr. Eric Helms and his team recently published study (reviewed by Eric Helms in the MASS research review) that sheds light on the best caloric surplus for muscle gain without unnecessary fat gain.

The study broke down participants into three diet conditions: Maintenance, Moderate Surplus, and Large Surplus.

The results?

A moderate surplus was the most effective for both strength gains and improved body composition.

But let's dig a little deeper.

The amount of the calorie surplus matters.

A surplus is essential, but how much is too much?

Based on the study, gaining around 0.2-0.3% of your body mass per week seems to be the sweet spot.

Anything more aggressive, and you're looking at a longer cutting phase down the line to shed the extra fat.

And no one enjoys having to cut more than you have to.

So, what does this mean for your bulking strategy?

First, you want to know your current maintenance calories, not just from a calculator, but from tracking your food intake and change in weight over about 3 weeks.

I suggest using MacroFactor for this. (Use my code WITSANDWEIGHTS to get a longer free trial if you're a new user.)

Second, set a target weight that you could hit in about 6 to 9 months (the recommended length of a building phase) at 0.2-0.3% gain per week.

For example, if you weigh 180 lb and want to build for 6 months, you could shoot for 0.5 lb per week or about 13 lb over 6 months, for a target weight of 193 lb, or round it to 195 lb.

Third, set your rate of gain to 0.2-0.3% per week and base your calories off of that number.

This will change every week or two as your expenditure (current maintenance calories) changes (likely increases).

But don't just focus on calories.

Your macros matter too.

Aim for that 0.8-1 g/lb of protein based on your TARGET body weight. So for the example above, aim for 160-195 g per day.

Fats and carbs are flexible, based on preference and energy needs. I prefer moderate fat around 30% of calories, leaving plenty of carbs to support your lifting performance and muscle-sparing.

And all of this assumes you are strength training.

Lift heavy with progressive overload 3-5 days per week.

Meal timing is the cherry on top.

Aim for 3-6 protein-rich meals a day to optimize muscle protein synthesis, and cluster your carb intake around workouts.

So, there you have it.

A moderate calorie surplus, balanced macros, targeted strength training, and meal timing aligned with your workouts are your keys to muscle gains without the unwanted fat.

I talked about this topic in detail on episode 108 of the Wits & Weights podcast, "How to Build Muscle Without Getting Fat," which you can download HERE.