What’s a good ratio of fat to muscle gained on a bulk?

Summary

The video script discusses the challenge of determining an ideal fat-to-muscle ratio during a natural bulk, emphasizing individual variability. It suggests focusing on optimizing the process rather than a specific ratio. The discussion highlights the importance of training and nutrition, noting that training is key to muscle gains while nutrition supports the process. As age increases, the script challenges the notion that muscle gain becomes more difficult, citing that age alone isn't a limiting factor but rather the duration of training experience. It advises adjusting training and nutrition based on personal response, using performance as a measure of progress rather than just visual changes.

Takeaways

• 💪 Muscle gain ratios during bulking are highly individual and depend on factors like training and nutrition.
• ⚖️ There's no universally optimal fat-to-muscle ratio during bulking; it depends on how the body responds to nutrition and training.
• ⏳ As you age, muscle gains become harder not because of age, but because of training experience over time.
• 🍽️ Nutrition plays a supportive role, but training quality is the primary driver of muscle growth.
• 👴 Age itself isn’t a significant factor in muscle gain or fat accumulation until later in life, such as in the 50s or beyond.
• 📉 Testosterone levels may not decline as much as people think for active individuals in their 40s and 50s.
• 👩 Men and women both experience similar relative muscle gains despite differences in testosterone levels.
• 🏋️ More experienced lifters gain fat more easily when bulking, while novices can tolerate larger surpluses with less fat gain.
• 📊 Bulk progress should be evaluated with both qualitative (mirror, photos) and quantitative (weight change) data.
• 🔄 Advanced athletes should compare progress over long periods (like cut-to-cut phases), as bulking may not always show immediate visual improvements.

Q & A

What is the significance of the ratio of fat to muscle gained during a natural bulk?

The ratio of fat to muscle gained during a natural bulk is highly individual and can vary greatly. It's not as important to focus on the exact ratio as it is to optimize the process of bulking, which includes proper training and nutrition, and then adjust based on the results.

Why is it difficult to determine a good ratio of fat to muscle gained during a bulk?

Determining a good ratio is challenging due to the high variability among individuals. Factors such as genetics, training experience, and nutritional intake all play a role in how an individual's body responds to a bulking phase.

How does age impact the ability to gain muscle versus fat during a bulk?

Age itself is not a primary factor in the difficulty of gaining muscle over fat. It's more about the duration and intensity of training experience. Even in one's 40s, it's possible to gain muscle effectively if the training and nutrition are properly managed.

What role does testosterone play in muscle gains during a bulk?

Testosterone levels can influence the baseline level of muscle mass, but they do not significantly explain the changes in muscle mass during a bulk. Even with lower testosterone levels, individuals can still achieve substantial muscle gains when they begin a proper training program.

How can one optimize their training program to support muscle gains during a bulk?

Optimizing a training program involves focusing on progressive overload, proper exercise selection, and adequate rest. This ensures that the stimulus for muscle growth is maximized, which is crucial for effective muscle gains.

What is the recommended rate of weight gain for a beginner during a bulk?

For beginners, a rate of weight gain around 0.5 to 1.5% of body weight per month is suggested, which corresponds to a 10 to 20% energy surplus. This allows for significant muscle gains with a manageable amount of fat gain.

How should an advanced lifter adjust their bulking strategy compared to a beginner?

Advanced lifters should aim for a lower rate of weight gain, closer to 0.25 to 0.5% of body weight per month, as they are more likely to gain fat at higher surpluses. They also need to be more attentive to the qualitative aspects of their progress, such as performance and how they look, rather than just the numbers.

Why is it important to enjoy the process of bulking, especially for advanced athletes?

For advanced athletes, the visual improvements during a bulk may not be as apparent as they are for beginners. Enjoying the process and focusing on performance gains can help maintain motivation, as the true success of a bulk may only be evident after a period of cutting and re-evaluating muscle mass.

How can one tell if they are gaining muscle effectively during a bulk?

Besides tracking weight gain, one should monitor changes in strength, performance in the gym, and qualitative feedback from mirrors and photos. These can provide a more holistic view of progress beyond just numerical data.

What is the significance of the 'qualitative experience' during a bulking phase?

The qualitative experience refers to the personal and visual feedback one gets from bulking. It's important because it can provide insights into whether the bulk is going well beyond just the numbers, and it can help in making adjustments to the bulking strategy.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Optimizing Muscle Gain During Natural Bulking

The paragraph discusses the challenge of determining an ideal fat-to-muscle ratio during a natural bulk, emphasizing that individual differences make it difficult to generalize. It suggests focusing on optimizing the process rather than a specific ratio. The importance of training over nutrition in stimulating muscle gains is highlighted, with the notion that an effective training program is crucial for muscle mass gains, regardless of nutritional intake. The discussion also touches on the misconception that it's harder to gain muscle as one ages, clarifying that the difficulty is more related to the duration of training rather than age itself. The role of testosterone in muscle gains is also explored, indicating that while it may influence baseline muscle mass, it does not significantly affect the amount of muscle gained through training.

05:00

📊 Balancing Muscle and Fat Gain During Bulking

This paragraph delves into the practical aspects of bulking, discussing the rate of weight gain and how it correlates with muscle and fat accumulation. It uses an example of an athlete's experience to illustrate how monitoring progress through photos and performance, rather than just numbers, can be more informative. The paragraph also addresses the variability in how individuals respond to caloric surpluses, with beginners being able to gain more weight without fat accumulation compared to more advanced lifters. The concept of energy surplus and its relation to body weight change is introduced, providing a guideline for how much one might increase their caloric intake during bulking. The importance of considering both qualitative and quantitative data when assessing progress is emphasized, suggesting that individual response to bulking can vary widely.

10:02

🏋️‍♂️ The Reality of Bulking for Advanced Lifters

The final paragraph addresses the experience of advanced lifters during bulking, acknowledging that the process can be discouraging as visual improvements may not be apparent until the individual is lean again. It suggests that performance improvements can serve as a proxy for success during bulking phases. The paragraph also discusses the importance of enjoying the process, as the visual outcomes for advanced, natural bodybuilders may not always be immediately gratifying. The narrative concludes with the idea that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to bulking, and that individual experiences will vary widely, making it essential to focus on personal progress and performance rather than striving for an unattainable ideal ratio of fat to muscle gain.

Keywords

💡Fat to Muscle Ratio

The fat to muscle ratio refers to the proportion of body fat to muscle mass gained during a bulking phase in bodybuilding. In the video, it's discussed that there isn't a universally 'good' ratio because it varies greatly from person to person. The video emphasizes the importance of individual factors and training programs in determining this ratio, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

💡Natural Bulk

A natural bulk is a period of increased caloric intake intended to promote muscle gain without the use of performance-enhancing drugs. The video script discusses the challenges of maintaining a good fat to muscle ratio during a natural bulk, especially as one gets older, and how individual responses to bulking can vary widely.

💡Training Program

A training program in the context of the video refers to a structured regimen of exercises aimed at increasing muscle mass and strength. It is highlighted as the primary factor that stimulates muscle gains, with nutrition playing a supportive role. The effectiveness of a training program directly influences how well an individual can gain muscle without excessive fat accumulation.

💡Nutrition

Nutrition, as discussed in the video, is crucial for supporting muscle gains but is considered 'permissive' rather than the primary driver. Good nutrition is necessary to fuel muscle growth, especially when combined with an effective training program. However, improper nutrition cannot compensate for a lackluster training regimen.

💡Testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a significant role in muscle development. The video script addresses the common misconception that age-related declines in testosterone levels are a primary factor in muscle gain difficulties. It points out that for most active individuals, testosterone levels do not significantly decline until much later in life.

💡Muscular Potential

Muscular potential refers to an individual's innate capacity to develop muscle mass. The video suggests that one's muscular potential is not well understood and can only be gauged through trial and error during bulking phases. It underscores the importance of individual variability in response to training and nutrition.

💡Rate of Gain

The rate of gain in the video refers to the speed at which an individual gains weight, particularly muscle, during a bulking phase. It is suggested that beginners can often gain at a faster rate without excessive fat gain, while more experienced lifters may need to be more conservative to avoid fat accumulation.

💡Energy Surplus

An energy surplus is a state where caloric intake exceeds energy expenditure, leading to weight gain. The video discusses how a moderate energy surplus, roughly correlating to a 10-20% increase in caloric intake, can be beneficial for muscle gain. It also notes that the appropriate surplus level can vary based on an individual's training experience and goals.

💡Genetics

Genetics play a significant role in determining an individual's ability to gain muscle and the ease with which they can maintain a favorable fat to muscle ratio. The video script acknowledges that some people may have 'better' genetics for muscle building, allowing them to bulk more effectively than others.

💡Visual Improvements

Visual improvements refer to the changes in one's physique that are noticeable to the naked eye. The video script points out that as individuals become more advanced in their training, they may not see immediate visual improvements during a bulk, which can be discouraging. It suggests focusing on performance metrics and the qualitative experience of training as indicators of progress.

💡Performance Metrics

Performance metrics in the context of the video are measurements of an individual's strength and training progress. These metrics are suggested as a more reliable indicator of successful muscle gain, especially for advanced trainees who may not see immediate visual changes during a bulk. The video emphasizes the importance of tracking performance to gauge the effectiveness of a training program and nutrition plan.

Highlights

It's difficult to determine a good ratio of fat to muscle gained on a natural bulk due to individual variability.

Optimizing the process is more important than striving for a specific ratio.

The rate of muscle gain can vary greatly depending on training and nutrition.

Training is more critical than nutrition in stimulating muscle mass gains.

The ability to gain muscle without fat increases with age, contrary to common belief.

Testosterone levels do not significantly decline in men in their 40s and 50s when corrected for activity levels.

Testosterone levels do not fully explain muscle gains; other factors are more influential.

Women can achieve similar muscle gains to men despite lower testosterone levels.

Muscle gains are more about training experience than age.

The rate of gain can be adjusted based on training experience and body's response.

Novice lifters can tolerate a higher caloric surplus for muscle gain compared to advanced lifters.

The experience of bulking can vary; sometimes looking better during the process and other times worse.

Performance improvements can be a proxy for success when visual changes are not apparent.

For advanced bodybuilders, it's important to compare their physique from one cut to another rather than bulk to bulk.

Enjoying the process of bulking is crucial as visual improvements may not be immediate.

There is no universally good ratio of fat to muscle gain; it's highly individual.

Transcripts

[Music]

what's a good ratio of fat to muscle

gained on a natural bulk and with this

ratio be expected to remain the same for

someone in their 40s when it seems as

though body fat is even easier to

acquire over

muscle so two things to consider um one

so individual to the point where it's

very difficult to answer that question

on what a good ratio is um I think a

better perspective is that you set up

all of the various things that will

optimize that process and then it is

what it is and then you calibrate from

there if you gained if you tried to be

on the little higher end of the rate

that we we'll discuss that is

appropriate and it was mostly fat um and

or or likewise if you kept it really

really like I'm just going to go kind of

the gain taining approach and I only

gained one pound every 3 months or

something like that and it was all

muscle but you like I don't know if that

was unnecessarily slow then try a little

faster next time um that's ultimately

what it's going to be cuz you don't know

what what your muscular potential is um

there are so many variables related to

your training primarily uh that can make

that process effective you know we often

say um nutrition is permissive to muscle

mass gains and the main thing that's

going to stimulate it is your training

so if you have a fantastically setup

training program then you step in with

good nutrition it w go very well but if

your training program regardless of what

you you do with your nutrition is not

great

then fixing your nutrition will do

nothing because it's not the problem

right so that's caveat one caveat two um

if you've been training since you were

20 yeah it'll be harder to put on muscle

without it being more fat when you're 40

but it's actually not because you're 40

it's because you've been training for 20

years um when we just purely look at

differences between people who are 40

and younger especially in active people

um we really see very little difference

if if if at all in fact there is data uh

when you correct for activity levels in

health that show that testosterone

levels don't even decline in men in

their their 40s and 50s more importantly

though does testosterone or the

physiological range explain the gains

you make and the answer is they don't

they might have some impact on the

Baseline level of muscle mass you have

but when you actually look at uh the

explain

explaining how much change occurs they

don't and anyone who's incredulous about

that think about women they have far

lower testosterone levels than men yet

they get the same relative increase in

muscle mass uh when they start on a on a

program this has been demonstrated in

very large sample sizes classic study by

Hubble 05 that you put people on this

12we program across a variety of Ages

both

sexes 12 weeks doing bicep curls and you

get 0 to 60% increase poor bastard and

who you know got 0% um awesome person

who got 60% increase in their their

muscle cross-sectional area and that was

true regardless of sex so you know the

difference between a biological male

biological female is going to be their

Baseline starting because they went

through different puberties um and that

it's not until you actually do super

physiological levels of testosterone

like you might see in someone going

through a transition uh to the to to

getting to the other sex or in someone

who's taking a uh performance enhancing

level usage of a super physiological

testosterone so yeah I I think for one

The Narrative around age um it's only

going to be true if it's co-varying with

a narrative around experience like I'm

gaining less muscle now not because I'm

40 but because I've been training since

for 19 years so those are the two things

I would say Brian you want to add to

that yeah I mean I think

is rather than like the ratio because

we're never going to know the ratio

specifically anyway you know so I think

looking at it more in terms of like rate

of gain depending on your training

experience and you know Eric I know in

like the nutrition pyramid books like

0.5 to one and a half or 0.25 to one and

a half% per month you know and there's

there's going to be um so like if you're

a novice you're going to be able to get

away with a larger Surplus and a faster

rate of gain you know while if you take

that same Surplus and put it you know

apply it to a lifter who's been training

for 30 years they're going to gain a lot

more body fat so I think just having

that concept I think helps a lot but I

also see people that you know just to

kind of support your point with the

individuality of it where

like there's there's nothing inherently

special about these percentages like

this is just the concept that we're

trying to illustrate here and um as an

example I I have an athlete

who is I would say probably early to

Middle intermediate in terms of training

age and you know when we first start

working together we put him on a surplus

aiming to gain around like 1% per month

you know on average um and when I say

that it's like compare last month's we

in average to the next month's you know

cuz there's going to be variability

within that you know on a day-to-day

basis sometimes so um but what I found

like looking at the data after the first

like six weeks or so was like okay our

rate is exceeding what we want I think

we like are probably a little bit too

aggressive here and then I had him like

send some photos or the the next time we

had a call he' updated some photos and

it was very clear like he's like it it

would have been foolish for me to pull

back on the deficit before or on the

Surplus before seeing the photos because

he was closer to about 2% per month but

was just as lean as he was when he

started so it's it's got to you have

don't don't look at the like the the

quantitative data

shouldn't Trump the qualitative aspect

of things like if you're seeing results

in the mirror that you're happy with

performance is going up then like you're

you're probably in a good spot yeah and

for the listeners for reference the

percentages that they're talking about

are percent of body weight change yeah

yes yeah good point and those roughly

correlate to being in a um 10 to 20%

energy Surplus like if you take your

current calories and maintenance and you

increase it by 10 to 20% that's kind of

what we're talking

about so if you're eating 2,000 calories

you're going up to 2200 to 2400 as a

decent guideline um with a slower one

being closer to 10% faster one being

closer to 20% it's not always going to

be perfect because it has more to do

with how much absolute muscle tissue you

can accruit but right R the earlier you

are in your training career the higher

percent change you can see without it

necessarily being fat so if um so like

Brian said like a 0.25 to like one or

1.2% body weight change per month is

what you said at the beginning right and

that um if you are a beginner it's okay

to be kind of towards the top end of

that but if you're Advanced closer to

the bottom if at all looking more maybe

over six months or a year seeing tiny

changes or or I think CL said like none

at all it's just solely qualitative how

you're feeling how you're looking when

you're very Advanced yeah the and that's

regardless of age like you're

saying yeah I mean there obviously there

is a point when age does matter but

because of the person asking this

question is is in their 40s I would just

say like hey um age would not be the

factor I'd be considering until maybe

you're in your 50s or later for most

people um and then just being a little

more conservative um but a novice who

starts lifting weights at 50 will

absolutely gain muscle mass you know

yeah so um the qualitative experience of

bulking if I could summarize this if

you're in a category of I have like

decent genetics compared to the average

people of people who lift which is

probably better than average genetics a

lot of people have terrible genetics to

stop um let's be honest uh or better is

that when I'm in novice and I did my

first reasonable bulk um or my

aggressive bulk at least in the very

beginning I looked better as I was doing

it and then once you're like an

intermediate or later unless you've just

got great

genetics um the experience is all the

way from I'm looking better in some ways

and worse than others to I have signed

up to look worse as an investment

hopefully long term yeah um I remember

looking better from one 70ish 174 175

somewhere in there all the way up to 195

when I very first bul and then every

other time after that um I looked worse

except for a few contest preps initially

where I was being more conservative

actually we're talking like basically my

07 prep the initial weight gain for like

3 weeks I looked better cuz I had just

over dieted myself and I had only been

training for 3 years and then 2011 where

I kind of did a reverse diet I looked uh

um I don't know if I looked better like

I wouldn't have placed as well on a

bodybuilding stage but I personally was

like oh I'm looking Fuller and I'm still

lean enough to

tell every other time I've bulked in the

last 13 years 12 years excuse me I have

gotten worse in the way I visually

appeared sometimes you look better in a

shirt you know but that's that's about

it yeah you know and that's when you're

doing everything right as a drug-free

athlete

now I think it's important at that point

like look at performance is kind of the

proxy for Success there because

sometimes like as an advanced

bodybuilder you won't you won't really

know for sure if you are better until

you get shredd it again and then it can

be very apparent but it's not I mean

that on the enhanced side it's obviously

different but yes um yeah so that's why

it's important to enjoy the process of

it because it can be discouraging if

you're waiting for visual

improvements y with a three-year off

seon you know yeah you kind of have to

compare cut to cut rather than bulk to

bulk in many ways yeah agree okay so

there is no good ratio because you don't

even know what anyways the answer yeah

it's so individual and you can't really

accurately measure it um so yeah

[Music]