I realize that, while we’ve covered a variety of topics thus far, we haven’t gone over what I consider to be, “The Basics.”  We’re going to discuss the basics of Body Building, because regardless of your goals, you need to know this–  Whether you want to build muscle, lose weight, or “tone,” everything is grounded in these basic principles:

First, Body Building is split up into two distinct cycles for working out:  “Bulking,” and “Cutting.”  Bulking relies on a major basic fact that everyone should know. . .  You have to be eating a caloric surplus to gain weight.  If you’re trying to build muscle but aren’t eating enough, you won’t be building any mass.  Likewise, if you’re afraid of doing weights because you don’t want to get “bulky,” ask yourself if you’re eating an amount of calories that will cause this effect.  Now, typically while bulking, you will consume 10% – 500 Calories over your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE, which can be done with this post, followed by this post).  This will give your body the necessary fuel to build plenty of lean body mass, while minimizing fat gains.  While Bulking, cardio is kept to a minimum while the emphasis is on the weight training.

Now, notice how I said “minimizing” above? Anytime you bulk at all, you will gain fat along with it, it’s only a matter of what ratio of Lean Body Mass (LBM) to fat you gain.  This is why the second cycle is necessary. . .  “Cutting.”  While this is especially important for Body Builders, it is also crucial that anyone interested in losing weight follow these guidelines as well.

Cutting is when you eat 10% – 500 Calories below your TDEE, so that you will lose around a pound of fat per week.  Now, in order to maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss, there are a few very important factors that one must keep in mind:  You should continue your regular weight training while cutting in order to preserve your LBM, and you should also take part in “High Intensity Interval Training.”  (HIIT)  HIIT is just what it sounds like.  Rather than do steady state cardiovascular training, you do interval work.  As an example, rather than park yourself on an elliptical for 30 minutes, you can do sprints on the treadmill.  Don’t want to go to the gym?  Do intervals at the park or do my “I don’t want to go to the gym but need to do intervals” workout:  Jump rope for a few minutes, then do some sprints, very fast push ups, and repeat until 30 minutes have elapsed.  You can even do intervals on the elliptical by frequently adjusting the resistance.

The point behind all of this is the effectiveness of HIIT.  Steady state cardio can only lose so much weight for you before it is no longer effective.  (Fun fact:  Your body can adapt to a cardio routine within two weeks, as opposed to weight training which can take significantly longer for you to “plateau.”)  Have you ever heard of people talk about how difficult the “last 10 pounds” are?  That’s because your body will get to a point where it’s comfortable with steady state cardio, and it doesn’t feel like losing the last bit of fat on your body. . .  It thinks it’s necessary to maintain that fat, and will hold on to it while turning to alternative fuel sources if you up the amount of cardio you do.  By doing HIIT, your body can never fully adjust (Provided you change things up frequently and do it properly), and bursts of energy produce testosterone, which is necessary for muscle preservation and cutting away the last bit of fat.

With physical activity accounted for, we move on!  You will often hear body builders, nutritionists, and personal trainers say that only 10% of it is working out, the rest is nutrition.  Well, there’s a reason they all do. . .  You can see amazing results right away without going to the gym, if you’d only change your diet.  Eating properly, in the proportions you should, with your macro ratios in check, is far more effective than 1 hour of cardio 6 days a week.

And for the last bit about the basics, remember this. . .  The same people who will tell you that only 10% of it is working out will tell you that you should rest just as intensely as you workout, as this is when your body is actually making the changes that you crave.

Filed under: Body Building, Fitness, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
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Welcome to Part 2 of a very important blog– The calculation of your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE / “Maintenance”), and eventual caloric requirements of your goals is where every person, regardless of their goals, should start;  It’s also a number that everyone should know but no one does.

In our last post on the subject, the aptly named “Part 1,” we went into great detail about the home calculations behind these numbers. . .  We left off right when it was getting good, though, and you may be asking yourself, “But Gabriel, how does my BMR tell me how much to eat LOL?”  Well, here’s how it works:

Hopefully you’re aware that you need a caloric surplus in order to gain (lean) mass;  Conversely, you need a deficit in order lose (adipose) mass.  If you’re not already aware of that, there you are–  You’re welcome.  With that in mind. . .

If you’re planning on gaining lean body mass, you’re going to need to eat a very specific amount of calories over your TDEE, otherwise, you won’t achieve the goals you’re setting out for. Bodybuilders and personal trainers used to say that 500 calories above your TDEE, regardless of who you are, would build a pound of lean muscle mass per week.  There has since been research to prove that, if bulking naturally, this is nearly impossible, and you will instead gain a fair amount of fat in addition to lean body mass.  A better guide to follow (That is gaining momentum) is the 10% rule–  That is, you only adjust your caloric intake + / – 10% of your TDEE.  While bulking, this helps promote a healthy ratio of lean mass to fat gain, as fat gain is nearly unavoidable during a natural, clean bulk.

To use myself as an example, my TDEE is currently 2,850 KCal.–  10% above this is 3,135 KCal;  As such, I’m eating between 3,100 and 3,200 for my bulk right now, to maximize muscle gains while bulking.

So that’s great about gaining mass, but what happens if you’re looking to lose fat;  A.K.A.  “Cutting”?  Have you ever heard of the 500 calorie rule?  Well, it goes hand in hand with what we were discussing above.  When losing weight, you need to create a caloric deficit.  You can be extreme about it, but that is very unhealthy, and will lead to a massive loss in lean body mass. . .

So here’s what to aim for when cutting:  Either 10% below your TDEE, or 500 calories below your TDEE–  The rationale behind them is the same.  10% below is optimal for maintaining your muscle mass while cutting the fat away, whereas 500 calories below your TDEE may eat away lean body mass in addition to the fat.

Now, some people may ask why they would want to maintain all of that muscle mass;  Why not just create an extreme caloric deficit to lose weight quickly?  First off, it’s unhealthy to starve your body, and this method only works for so long before your body rebels. Also, keep in mind that muscle burns more calories than fat, so this is something that you want to keep on you body, but more importantly, muscle is shape!  Have you ever seen someone who is very skinny, but has zero definition on their body?  You can avoid that.

I digress. . .

To use myself as an example, we already know that my TDEE is 2,850 KCal. . .  If I were to begin a cutting phase now, I would eat between 2,350 and 2565, the lower bound being my minimum caloric requirements while the upper bound would be my actual goal.

So, after calculating your TDEE with Part 1, and after reading your post, you can determine how many calories you need to achieve your goals!

Filed under: Body Building, Fitness, Nutrition by DeVinePhysiques
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