Muscle is Overrated
LOL JK.
But I hope I got your attention 😏
Muscle isn’t overrated (IMO at least) - it’s what helps you build a LIFETIME of health (as long as you’re doing it without dangerous supplements).
And here’s the deal, unless you’re brand new to lifting, building muscle is HARD.
It takes dedication, just like when you’re in a deficit to lose body fat.
So what are the top three things needed to gain muscle?
Stop focusing on losing body fat
Here’s the hardest thing to hear: you cannot simultaneously gain substantial muscle while losing body fat (unless you’re a beginning lifter). The reasoning being, if you want to grow something, you have to feed it enough to do so. And if you want to lose something, you have to eat low enough to do so (but not too low). And here’s the dealing, adding muscle mass is HARD. Because if you’re eating in a surplus, you will gain a little body fat and that can be uncomfortable. But going through extended phases of surplus to deficit to maintenance is how you truly recomp your body (no, a recomp isn’t one phase). SO… if you want to gain muscle, stop focusing on trying to lose body fat.
Eat in a surplus
This kind of goes hand in hand with the first point - you need to eat more than you are expending to gain muscle. Your muscle needs to feed on something to gain. This also includes eating high protein, as protein is what helps build and repair muscle, which in turn helps muscle grow. So, if you’re eating 1800 calories and trying to gain muscle, it’s not enough. Hell, if you’re eating 2200 calories and trying to gain muscle (depending on your activity level and body stats), it may still not be enough to grow. You need to EAT to grow. Now, that doesn’t mean just eating like shit. Still prioritize lean protein, micronutrients, and foods that make you feel your best, but also don’t be afraid to throw treats in there to keep your sanity and hit your intake goals.
Train HEAVY
I hate to break it to you, but dumbbell and band only home workouts are not cutting it. You aren’t going to overload your muscles enough this way (unless you are super new to lifting). If you’ve been lifting for a year or more, you NEED heavier weights. Muscle is gained through overload (and of course the other two points above), so if you want to gain muscle, you have to continue to lift heavier over time. In order to gain muscle, you should be primarily training hypertrophy-style, but you can certainly through in some strength-focused training, as well.
Remember, strength training while eating in a surplus will not turn you into the she-Hulk (you probably need the help of $tero!d$ for that). But what it will do is: help build muscle, give you more energy, strengthen connective tissue (so long as you’re overloading at the proper pace), set yourself up for a successful fat loss phase awhile down the road (if that’s something you want), and so much more.
Here’s to your muscle mommy era ;)
