If I Wanted to Build 5lbs of Muscle before Winter Without Gaining Fat... This is What I’d Do

Summary

This script outlines 10 strategies for building muscle without gaining fat during winter. Key points include tracking weekly calorie intake to stay slightly above maintenance, prioritizing training intensity and protein intake, and balancing volume for maximum recovery. It suggests alternating between fasted and fed workouts, using whey and collagen post-workout, increasing creatine intake, and reducing cardio in favor of sauna sessions. Other tips involve stopping eating 3 hours before bed to improve sleep quality, focusing on NEAT for fat loss, and occasionally implementing a protein-sparing modified fasting day.

Takeaways

• 📅 **Calorie Cycling**: Instead of a constant caloric surplus, cycle between surplus and deficit days to stay lean while building muscle.
• 💪 **Training Priority**: Prioritize training intensity and volume over macros for muscle growth.
• 🥩 **Protein Above All**: Protein is the most critical macronutrient for muscle building, above calories and fats.
• 🚫 **Maximum Recover Volume**: Understand your maximum recoverable volume to avoid overtraining and ensure gains.
• 🏋️‍♂️ **Train Both Fasted and Fed**: Split training sessions between fasted and fed states to leverage potential benefits of both.
• 🥤 **Post-Workout Protein Mix**: Combine whey and collagen post-workout to enhance protein synthesis and support connective tissue.
• 💊 **Boost Creatine Intake**: Increase creatine dosage to 10-15 grams daily for enhanced muscle building, despite potential water retention.
• 🏃‍♂️ **Less Cardio, More Sauna**: Minimize traditional cardio and use sauna sessions as an exercise mimetic for health benefits without extra calorie burn.
• 🛌 **Stop Eating Before Bed**: Cease eating 3 hours before sleep to improve sleep quality, crucial for muscle recovery and growth.
• 🚶‍♂️ **NEAT for Fat Loss**: Focus on non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) for daily movement to burn fat without structured cardio.
• 🥗 **Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting**: Occasionally implement a low-calorie, zero-carb, and zero-fat diet focused on protein to prevent fat gain while building muscle.

Q & A

What is the main goal of the strategies mentioned in the transcript?

The main goal is to build muscle mass without significantly increasing body fat percentage during the winter season.

Why does the speaker recommend counting calories over a week instead of daily?

The speaker suggests counting calories over a week to avoid being in a constant caloric surplus, which can lead to fat gain. Instead, they propose a fluctuating surplus and deficit throughout the week to end up slightly above maintenance, reducing stress and preventing excessive fat gain.

What is the hierarchy for building muscle according to the transcript?

The hierarchy for building muscle is: 1) Training (intensity and volume), 2) Protein intake, 3) Overall caloric intake, 4) Nutrient quality and micronutrients, and 5) Other macronutrients like fats and carbs.

What is 'maximum recover volume' as mentioned in the transcript?

'Maximum recover volume' refers to the maximum amount of training volume one can handle before it starts to negatively impact recovery. It's about finding the balance between training enough to stimulate muscle growth and not overtraining to the point of hindering progress.

Why does the speaker suggest training both fasted and with fuel in the system?

The speaker suggests a 50/50 split between training fasted and with fuel because the literature is split on which is better for muscle growth. They believe that this approach allows for potential benefits of both methods.

What is the benefit of mixing whey and collagen after workouts?

Mixing whey and collagen after workouts can increase total global protein synthesis, including muscle protein and connective tissue protein synthesis, which can lead to greater muscle gains and improved support for the connective tissues.

Why does the speaker recommend increasing creatine intake to 10-15 grams a day?

The speaker recommends this creatine dose for its effectiveness in muscle building without significant negative effects. It may cause some water retention, but the speaker prefers this over fat gain from extra calories.

What is the rationale behind doing less cardio and more sauna sessions?

The rationale is that sauna sessions can mimic some of the health benefits of exercise without the high caloric burn of cardio, which might interfere with muscle building efforts.

Why should one stop eating 3 hours before bed when trying to build muscle?

Stopping eating 3 hours before bed is recommended to improve sleep quality, which is crucial for muscle recovery and growth. Eating close to bedtime can disrupt sleep, affecting the body's ability to recover and build muscle.

How does the speaker suggest increasing non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)?

The speaker suggests increasing NEAT by being more active throughout the day, such as walking around more, as a way to burn fat more synergistically with daily life while supporting muscle building through increased calorie intake.

What is protein-sparing modified fasting and how does it fit into the muscle-building strategy?

Protein-sparing modified fasting is an approach where, on specific days, one consumes very low calories with almost zero fat and carbs but maintains high protein intake to preserve muscle mass while reducing overall body fat. This strategy is used periodically to keep body fat in check during a muscle-building phase.