The BEST Way To Train & Eat To BUILD MUSCLE & BURN FAT | Stan Efferding

Summary

This comprehensive video transcript delves into the nuances of effective strength training programs for building muscle. It emphasizes the importance of a caloric surplus and sufficient protein intake, while dispelling the notion that cardio and weight loss alone lead to substantial muscle gains. The transcript meticulously outlines evidence-based guidelines for hypertrophy, including optimal training frequency, volume, load, tempo, range of motion, exercise selection, and rest periods. With a wealth of practical insights, it encourages a strategic approach tailored to individual goals, whether emphasizing strength or hypertrophy, and highlights the significance of consistency, patience, and adherence for long-term success.

Takeaways

• ๐ฅ Weight loss primarily happens through calorie deficit, not exercise. Lose weight in the kitchen, not the gym.
• ๐ชค Building muscle requires being in a modest calorie surplus and consuming sufficient protein.
• ๐๐ปTraining each muscle group twice per week, with 2-3 days of rest in between, is recommended for optimal muscle growth.
• ๐ช Mechanical tension from lifting weights is the primary driver of muscle growth, not metabolic stress or muscle damage.
• ๐คRange of motion is important - go through a full range on exercises to maximize the stretched position.
• ๐จVolume matters, but quality sets taken close to failure are more important than junk volume. Aim for 5-10 hard sets per muscle group.
• ๐Rest periods of 2-5 minutes between hard sets allow for better performance and muscle growth compared to short rests.
• ๐คProgram adherence, consistency and patience are key. There is no finish line, make it a sustainable lifestyle.
• ๐Individualize programs based on goals, recovery, body responses. One size does not fit all.
• ๐ Tempo of 2-5 seconds on the eccentric (lowering) phase provides a good growth stimulus without excessive muscle damage.

Q & A

What is the primary focus for effective weight loss?

According to the script, weight loss is primarily achieved through creating a calorie deficit by controlling energy intake, not by relying solely on exercise or increasing energy expenditure through workouts.

Why is it difficult to gain muscle while in a calorie deficit?

The script explains that when in a calorie deficit, it becomes harder to build muscle mass. This is because the body's priority is to utilize available energy for essential functions rather than allocating resources towards muscle growth.

What is the recommended approach for gaining muscle mass?

To gain muscle mass effectively, the script suggests getting into a slight calorie surplus of around 300-500 calories, consuming sufficient protein (around 1 gram per pound of body weight), and spacing meals evenly throughout the day.

What is the difference between training and exercise?

The script distinguishes training as being measurable and progressive, with a clear goal in mind, whereas exercise is simply performing physical activities without specific metrics or progressive overload.

What are the key components of an effective hypertrophy (muscle growth) program?

The script outlines several key components, including training each muscle group twice a week, using a full range of motion, controlling the eccentric (negative) portion of the movement, and training within a few reps of failure.

How important is metabolic stress and muscle damage for muscle growth?

Recent research suggests that metabolic stress and muscle damage are secondary factors and not the primary drivers of muscle growth. The main stimulus for hypertrophy appears to be mechanical tension from lifting weights.

What is the recommended approach for exercise selection and order?

The script advises performing multi-joint compound exercises first in the workout, followed by isolation exercises targeting specific muscle groups. Exercise selection should prioritize movements that allow for a full range of motion and optimal muscle stretching.

How does exercise tempo affect muscle growth?

The script recommends controlling the eccentric (negative) portion of each repetition, taking 2-5 seconds to lower the weight. However, excessively slow eccentrics (e.g., 10 seconds) do not provide additional hypertrophy benefits.

What is the recommended training volume for hypertrophy?

The script suggests performing around 6 sets per muscle group, split across 2-3 different exercises. The focus should be on training close to failure, rather than accumulating high volumes of sub-maximal work.

How important are rest periods between sets for muscle growth?

According to the script, longer rest periods of around 3 minutes between sets are more conducive to muscle growth compared to shorter rest periods of 1 minute or less.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♀️ Fundamentals of Strength Training for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain

This paragraph discusses the difference between training for weight loss and training for muscle gain. It emphasizes that weight loss primarily occurs through calorie deficit, not exercise. However, to gain muscle, a calorie surplus and sufficient protein intake are recommended. The paragraph also stresses the importance of consistency, patience, and a sustainable lifestyle approach to fitness.

05:01

🔀 Program Design for Muscle Hypertrophy

This paragraph outlines the key factors for designing an effective strength training program aimed at muscle hypertrophy (growth). It covers aspects such as training frequency (training each muscle group twice per week), volume (6 sets per muscle group), exercise selection (compound and isolation exercises), rep ranges (5-30 reps), tempo (controlled eccentric/negative movement), and full range of motion to maximize muscle stretch and tension.

10:03

🦵 Optimizing Exercise Form and Range of Motion

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of proper exercise form and range of motion for maximizing muscle growth. It discusses the benefits of achieving a full stretch or lengthened position in exercises like squats, leg presses, and bicep curls. The paragraph also highlights the individual differences in how exercises target specific muscle groups and the need for exercise variation and customization.

15:04

⏱️ Importance of Rest Periods for Muscle Growth

This paragraph focuses on the significance of adequate rest periods between sets for optimal muscle growth. It references research by Brad Schoenfeld, which found that longer rest periods (3 minutes) resulted in greater hypertrophy compared to shorter rest periods (1 minute). The paragraph cautions against short rest periods, as they may mimic a calorie-burning workout rather than an effective muscle-building session.

Keywords

💡Calorie Deficit

A calorie deficit refers to consuming fewer calories than your body expends, leading to weight loss. The script emphasizes that losing weight happens 'in the kitchen' by creating a calorie deficit, rather than through exercise alone. This is a key concept in the video's message about effective weight loss strategies.

💡Muscle Gain

Muscle gain, or hypertrophy, is the process of increasing muscle size and mass through strength training. The script discusses the importance of a calorie surplus and sufficient protein intake for optimal muscle growth. It emphasizes that gaining muscle, especially for experienced lifters, requires a strategic approach distinct from weight loss goals.

💡Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is the gradual increase of stress placed on the body during exercise, typically by increasing weight, reps, or volume over time. The script stresses the importance of measurable and progressive training for building muscle, as opposed to simply 'exercising' without a structured plan for progressive overload.

💡Training Frequency

Training frequency refers to how often a specific muscle group or body part is trained. The script recommends training each muscle group twice per week, as this frequency allows for adequate recovery while providing consistent stimulation for growth.

💡Training Volume

Training volume is the total amount of work performed during a workout or training cycle, typically measured by the number of sets and reps. The script suggests performing around 6 sets per muscle group, spread across 2-3 exercises, to provide an optimal volume for hypertrophy.

💡Range of Motion

Range of motion (ROM) refers to the full movement potential of a joint or muscle during an exercise. The script emphasizes the importance of training through a full ROM, especially in the lengthened or stretched position, as this contributes more to muscle growth than partial or restricted ranges.

💡Mechanical Tension

Mechanical tension is the force or tension placed on a muscle during resistance training. The script suggests that mechanical tension, created by lifting weights through a full range of motion, is the primary driver of muscle hypertrophy, rather than metabolic stress or muscle damage.

💡Rest Periods

Rest periods are the intervals between sets or exercises during a workout. The script recommends longer rest periods, around 3 minutes, as shorter rest can compromise performance and impede muscle growth. Adequate rest allows for recovery and maximal effort on each working set.

💡Compound Exercises

Compound exercises are multi-joint movements that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, such as squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. The script suggests performing compound exercises first in a workout, followed by isolation exercises targeting specific muscle groups.

💡Individualization

Individualization refers to tailoring a training program to an individual's specific goals, needs, and response patterns. The script emphasizes that different people may respond differently to the same exercises, and adjustments may be necessary to target specific muscle groups effectively for optimal hypertrophy.

Highlights

The energy intake side is most relevant to weight loss; you lose weight in the kitchen, not by exercising.

Maintaining a calorie deficit for weight loss isn't the best stimulus for muscle gain; it's harder to build muscle in a calorie deficit.

For intermediate lifters, the goal is to gain muscle by being in a small calorie surplus, around 300-500 calories.

Training should be measurable and progressive, not just exercise for the sake of burning calories.

The evidence-based guidelines for hypertrophy recommend training each body part twice a week, with frequency and program design tailored to individual schedules.

Both heavy weights and lighter weights with higher reps can build muscle, as long as they are taken close to failure.

Mechanical tension, not metabolic stress or muscle damage, is now believed to be the primary driver of muscle growth.

Training through a full range of motion, especially in the lengthened position, contributes more to hypertrophy.

Isolation movements can be just as effective as multi-joint movements for hypertrophy on specific muscles.

Volume recommendations range from 5-10 sets per muscle group per workout, with a preference for 2 hard sets to failure followed by a different exercise.

Rest periods of 3 minutes between sets lead to greater hypertrophy compared to shorter rest periods.

A full squat with greater range of motion and knee angle is better for quad hypertrophy than a partial squat.

Exercise selection and foot positioning should target the specific muscles you want to emphasize for hypertrophy.

Tempo should be controlled, around 2-5 seconds on the eccentric (lowering) phase.

The goal is not just to exercise, but to train with measurable and progressive overload for muscle growth.

Transcripts

the ultimate question was what does a

good strength training program look like

but you the intro you said that people

oftentimes train differently to lose

weight they focus on the energy

expenditure side and we spoke earlier

about the fact that it's the energy

intake side that is most relevant to

weight loss very simply you lose weight

in the kitchen you don't exercise away

weight necessarily I mentioned it's not

terribly effective it's not terribly

efficient uh your body compensates for

it it downregulates the number of

calories that you burn all of those

reasons that we don't use the gym to

exercise getting our heart rate up for

an extended period of time is great for

health but it's not the best thing for

weight loss so lose weight in the

kitchen create a calorie deficit

maintain the deficit now unfortunately

in terms for maintaining a calorie

deficit for weight loss isn't the best

stimulus for muscle gain when you're in

a calorie deficit it's harder to gain

muscle that would be another reason why

you should eat more protein more often

is if you're in a calorie deficit but

but even then even if you're eating more

protein more often if you're in a

calorie deficit it's very hard to build

muscle particularly for the the person

that you described the person watching

us the people watching us today are

intermediate lifters at the very least

they're they're no strangers to the gym

they're in there working out and

sometimes they get frustrated because

they've been at it for a year or two

years or 10 years and they kind of look

the same as they did last year or five

years ago and and there's nothing wrong

with that I mean because ultimately

lifespan and health span is dependent

upon that we continue to do these things

you know when measure people's strength

it's less about their current level of

strength and more about what they had to

do to get there and have have had to

continue to do to get there so it's an

ongoing process whether it's 30 minutes

150 minutes of cardio a week or it's

weightlifting three times a week those

things never end there's no Finish Line

to this deal you know that's one of the

challenging things with people who go on

programs is that they're they never end

that's why it should become a lifestyle

it should be simple sensible and

sustainable and it should be something

that you could adhere to longterm

compliance is the science okay so if I'm

encouraging someone to gain muscle in

the gym I'm asking first and foremost to

try and get into a small calorie Surplus

uh and that would be dependent upon

whether or not they had a significant

amount of body fat that they intended to

lose first maybe I would put them in a

neutral calorie rather than a surplus or

deficit just just a calorie maintenance

and try and do a body recomposition

which can sometimes happen if you have a

significant amount of body fat and

you're somewhat undertrained you can

gain muscle and lose fat at the same

time the less fat you have to lose and

the more experienced you are the less

likely it is you're going to gain muscle

at in the calorie maintenance so put you

in a slight calorie Surplus and 300 or

500 calorie Surplus is just as good as a

1500 calorie Surplus probably better

because you won't gain as much fat and

so don't think that just because you eat

more calories you're going to gain more

muscle because the limiting factor there

is physiologically you just can't build

muscle that fast I don't care how how

hard you train and how much you eat that

process is is laborious and it takes

time so be patient be consistent be

persistent get into a small calor

Surplus get sufficient protein about a

gram a day get four evenly spaced meals

a day would be my recommendation so now

the stimulus if you want to build muscle

and I don't encourage people to go to

the gym and just exercise because you

this has to be measurable and

Progressive there's a difference between

training and exercise training being

measurable and Progressive exercise

being battle ropes and burpees and and

burning calories or supposedly because

you sweat and breathed hard that's not

anything anybody enjoys any trainer can

Tire any trainee out and make them go

home exhausted and sweaty and and

breathing hard it doesn't mean they got

a result doesn't mean it was an

effective training session so I don't

recommend battle ropes and burpees I I

recommend weightlifting in my book I

actually stole it from uh Dr Brett

Contreras PhD glute guy of course I

credit him for it it's called The

evidence-based guidelines of hypertrophy

one of the most thorough charts and easy

to read but it goes down the list first

and foremost is frequency most people

should train each body part twice a week

now whether you do a full body Monday

and a full body Friday or you do a upper

Monday lower Tuesday upper Thursday

lower Friday doesn't matter okay

training everybody part twice a week

mainly because you want to train your

body part and give it about two to three

days to rest and then train it again if

you give it a full week or 10 days you

may uh stimulate a little bit of of

growth but then that might also in dra

trining it might also decline over the

course of the the time that you've been

away from training so the idea is just

to keep tacking on these little bouts of

stimulus so you can continue to grow so

about twice a week per body part the

split I really set up based on

somebody's personal schedule if you're a

busy individual you're you're going to

be able to go to the gym less then I'm

I'm G to have you do a full body workout

you know Monday and Friday I get people

who work a ton of hours during the week

I might have them go in Wednesday night

and do a a really quick full body

workout or Wednesday morning early and

then have them do their longer harder

sessions on the weekend Saturday and

Sunday when they're well rested well fed

and some people who want to train even

more I might have them split chest in

the morning on Saturday back at night on

Saturday night quads in the morning on

Sunday and hamstrings at night on Sunday

night and then Wednesday is a full body

workout just to to keep the progress

going so that' be how I would design

something for a busy professional but if

if you've got all the time in the world

and you want to have the best program I

think you should train at least four

possibly five days a week break that up

into whether it's a push pull legs or

it's an upper lower but now we have to

talk about what's the most sufficient

training to stimulate growth you can

build just as much muscle lifting heavy

weights for five reps as you can lifting

a medium weight for 12 reps as you can

lifting a lightweight for 20 to 30 reps

so long as they're to with inter rep of

failure that's what we call intensity

the heavier weights obviously are going

to get stronger because strength is

specific it has a nervous system

component but strength doesn't drive

hypertrophy so you could lift a lighter

weight for 12 15 reps and the heavier

weight you might incur more fatigue and

potentially increase your susceptibility

or exposure to injury and so those are

all considerations to have if you want

strength as opposed to size when I train

MMA athletes UFC athletes I have them do

heavier loads I don't want to build

muscle I don't want to add weight to a

an athlete is trying to cut weight you

know I want to keep them in their weight

class but I want them to be strong and

strength doesn't require hypertrophy it

can help a larger muscle can become a

stronger muscle and I've gone from

obviously up through the weight classes

all the way to 275 and 308 over the

years and Eddie con started at 165 and

ended up at

242 so yes building muscle you know you

you can obviously gain weight and gain

strength over the years so you have to

be within a reper to a failure that's

what's really important now we used to

believe and this research is still

evolving Brad shonfeld's work from 10

years ago is different than it it is

from last week and last year we used to

believe there were three components to

building muscle it was U uh mechanical

tension and that's just putting a a

weight uh and moving it through range of

motion metabolic stress and that's uh

you know if you do a bunch of reps and

you get the pump we believed that those

metabolite all the testosterone and

growth hormone and all those other

things that would accumulate as a result

of of doing you know Arnold talked about

the pump right we believe that metabolic

stress was a muscle builder particularly

because 20% of of muscle is water or 70%

of muscle is water but 20% of the muscle

is piroplasm which is just fluid so we

believe that metabolic stress and then

muscle damage we thought that you know

when you damage the muscle it's it's

recovery causes it to get stronger we

now believe that Almost 100% of the

stimulus comes from the mechanical

tension comes from lifting the weight

the metabolic stress component has

recently been challenged it seems that

metabolic stress and muscle damage are

passengers that if you train hard enough

to get a sufficient stimulus to grow and

and you're within a reper to a failure

you're probably going to get a pump and

you're probably going to do some damage

but those aren't the drivers of the

growth those are

passengers and so we'll stay focused on

mechanical tension now we know from the

research that that's just lifting

weights mechanical tension now we know

from the research that the

lengthened position contributes to more

hypertrophy than the shortened position

so you want to train through a full

range of motion and control the weight

on the way down and that's the timing or

the pace of the

repetition and that is somewhere between

you know just under control two to five

seconds doing a 10-second Ecentric isn't

going to give any more growth than a two

second de Cent and so there's no reason

to to purposely do a long negative it

might create more muscle damage but

again that's not the driver of growth

control the weight on the negative go

through a full range of motions where

there's still tension at end range

that's pretty important say on a bicep

curl if you're standing there when the

and the dumbbell is at your side there's

relatively little tension in the bicep

but if you put it onto a preacher curl

bench at the bottom there is tension

right or if you're just in on an incline

bench leaning back and you're keeping

your arms there's tension uh if you take

a a cable and pull it through your legs

so the stacks behind you and you do your

curl that way when you're at full

extension there's still tension because

the ca's pulling you know back through

your legs if if that's description is is

sufficient for people to follow that's

just an example the same with quadriceps

when you're standing there at the bar on

your back when you're squatting there's

no tension it's not until you bend your

knees that you start to create tension

now you want to go all the way down to

get as much knee angle as much stretch

or lengthened position in the quad

recept as you can that's why a full

squat would be better than a 90 degree

squat for hypertrophy now there's

something to be said for 45 degree or 90

degree squats for strength because

strength's specific and if your athlete

is only moving from that knee angle or

that overall angle hip angle a knee

angle you may be able to strengthen that

position more by working in that

position and so I want to be careful to

distinguish between strength and

hypertrophy leg press if you're focused

on your hip angle with feet high and

outside on the leg press platform uh

you're not going to have a whole lot of

knee angle you're going to have a kind

of a vertical shin and so you're not

going to get as much stretch in the quad

all the stretch will be up in the hip be

more glute and so where you place your

feet in and down and how much knee angle

you get will determine how much stretch

or lengthen position you get in the quad

and that's a better hypertrophy stimulus

than a heavier weight loaded through the

hips with the the glutes participating

in the movement so even load doesn't

matter what matters is especially if

you're recruiting multiple muscle groups

uh in the multi-joint movement that's

why isolation movements are just as

effective for hypertrophy as multi-joint

movements on a specific muscle we use

multiple joint movements because they

get benefits for multiple muscles if you

don't do that exercise through a

significant range of motion and you your

body responds differently than someone

else's for example if uh you're bench

pressing you get three bench pressers

one guy might have huge front delts from

bench pressing another guy might get

huge triceps from bench pressing and

another guy might get a huge chest from

from bench pressing and some lucky

probably gets all three you

know but I'm not that guy I got big

front delts from bench pressing I didn't

necessarily get big triceps or or or

chest from bench pressing so when I work

with flex wheeler he took me off of

bench pressing because I already had

huge front delts and that's what the

bench press did for me and so he would

put me on the dumbbells and make me

bring my sternum up and drop my

shoulders back and get my elbow really

deep and wrap my Peck around my rib cage

to get a full stretch and I got more

volume in my chest than I'd ever gotten

from over 20 years of competing in six

months of training with flex and uh just

because he he made me utilize an

exercise that more specifically benefit

fitted my chest and so he did the same

thing he wouldn't let me squat he took

me to the leg press feet in and down

huge knee angle I went from 12 plates on

a side to six plates on a side it's

humiliating you know but eventually that

six plates on a side week after week

after week with the in and with the feet

in and down and and the knee Bend and

the greater range of motion and more

stretch that started going up to seven

plates eight plates nine plates 10

plates over time and my legs grew and I

had the the most quad volume that I'd

had in over 20 years of competing from

training with flex and isolating uh and

using less weight the quad muscles so

range of motion is on there we talked

about Tempo two to 5c rep we talked

about frequency twice a week we talked

about volume so volume now you've got

folks out there now kind of with the

Dorian mindset that you only need a

couple sets per workout Mike is retel

promotes about five to 10 sets per

workout per body part I've said on about

the six range I would rather do I don't

like doing four sets of 10 I would

rather do two sets to damn near failure

and then go pick a different exercise

and work the muscle from a variety of

different angles because I I believe

people save themselves if you know

you're GNA have to do four sets of hack

squat what's the likelihood you're going

to invest everything into the first

set and I'll use incline dumbbell press

as an example lots of people go to the

gym get on the incline they'll grab the

60s and do 10 reps then they'll grab the

70s and do do 10 reps then they'll grab

the 80s and they'll do 10 reps then

they'll grab the hundreds and they'll

knock out their top set they might be

able to get seven and their spotter

helps them with a couple of reps you

didn't do four sets you did one set if

the 60s you could have done 20 reps you

know that's not a sufficient stimulus so

don't think about it just in terms of

crossing te's and dotted eyes you know

volume but is that specific set is that

pretty close to failure it doesn't have

to be failure I I gave the example if

your spotter helps you with a rep it

doesn't have to be failure you can get

just as big a stimulus by leaving one or

two reps in tank you have to have train

worked hard and don't use junk volume

and don't pre-exhaust your top set with

10 10 10 working up the rack i' would

rather do two two two as far as warm-ups

go and then have and then do two sets of

of the hundreds and those I think are

more effective sets and then pick a

different exercise or two different

exercises but I do about six sets I'll

do maybe two sets of three different

exercises that way I might squat first

and then do a hack Squat and then do a

leg extension even with squats I only do

them because I love them not because I

think they benefit the muscles that I

need the most work on and so you have to

be cautious you know what you select and

so yeah frequency volume load we talked

about Tempo range of motion the

exercises that you pick you know

generally the the multi-joint movements

you do first in the workout and do the

smaller joints later rest periods rest

periods how important is this and this

this goes to what you said a lot of

people go to the gym and try and burn

calories and so they're running through

their workout with short rest periods

these little 30 second rest periods it's

like a crossfit workout not the best

stimulus for growth shonfeld did another

study he showed one minute rest periods

compared to three minute rest periods

the three minute rest period people had

greater hypertrophy growth