What's the best way to gain muscle without fat?

phildawson75
phildawson75 Posts: 205 Member
edited January 6 in Health and Weight Loss
I know I need to eat more than my TDEE (1900) to gain but by how much?

I want to put on 7lbs of weight over a longish period of time and maximise the ratio of muscle to fat gained.

What diet and exercise do I need to follow to do this?

Replies

  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    You basically cannot. To gain muscle, other that a few pounds of newbie gains, and assuming you are not significantly overweight, then you need to eat at a surplus and strength train. The amount of fat you gain will depend on your individual potential to gain muscle, your surplus and your training routine. The slower the bulk the better fat/muscle gain you should have, but it will also be a slower process.

    Are you sure that 1,900 is your TDEE? That is very low.

    Have you lifted before and if so, for how long and what is your routine? Do you know your BF%?
  • kaervaak
    kaervaak Posts: 274 Member
    Look into leangains, great program for exactly what you're trying to do.
  • phildawson75
    phildawson75 Posts: 205 Member
    [..]
    Are you sure that 1,900 is your TDEE? That is very low.

    Have you lifted before and if so, for how long and what is your routine? Do you know your BF%?
    Yeah it's quite low but my lifestyle is sedentary and I also work 12hrs behind a desk mon-fri. It's the right amount where I nearly never gain or lose within 0.5lb each week. My BMR is 1586 based on 28yr / M / 138lbs.

    The last time I lifted weights it was ~10 years ago, and those wouldn't have been heavy being ~18yr so not really. My BF is around 13-15% though only recently checked with electronic scales. From appearance I would estimate 14% so its roughly correct.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    My TDEE is a bit lower than 1900 (1850 here), so I can totally relate with a lower TDEE.

    So, Eat at maintenance, 1900, and start lifting. Choose a lifting program for beginners like StrongLifts 5X5.

    Eventually switch to a SMALL surplus, something like 300 extra calories a day.

    You don't need to pack on huge amounts of fat in order to gain muscle and strength, those that do simply are too lazy to micromanage their calories.

    Muscle gains depend on the rate of anabolism in the body. Calorie deficits lower the rate of anabolism while surpluses raise them. Maintenance typically has anabolism and catabolism at the same rate. Think of it as anabolism + catabolism = 1.0 where at maintenance they are both 0.5. Your body will never be 100% anabolic or 100% catabolic. Just can't happen.

    If the rate of anabolism in your body is enough to do all your bodily repairs and storage needs, then the remaining can be used for muscle gains, no matter what your caloric deficit/surplus is. If it is not enough, then it won't be able to increase muscle no matter what your caloric deficit/surplus is. This is why body builders do not turn into the size of the largest dinosaurs, they eventually plateau close to a certain weight.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    [..]
    Are you sure that 1,900 is your TDEE? That is very low.

    Have you lifted before and if so, for how long and what is your routine? Do you know your BF%?
    Yeah it's quite low but my lifestyle is sedentary and I also work 12hrs behind a desk mon-fri. It's the right amount where I nearly never gain or lose within 0.5lb each week. My BMR is 1586 based on 28yr / M / 138lbs.

    The last time I lifted weights it was ~10 years ago, and those wouldn't have been heavy being ~18yr so not really. My BF is around 13-15% though only recently checked with electronic scales. From appearance I would estimate 14% so its roughly correct.

    Don't forget that lifting will increase your TDEE.

    It is a preference but generally people bulk at 10% bf or less and stop at about 15%.

    I would suggest that you take advantage of 'newbie' gains and lift while at a slight deficit for a while (250 - 500 cals). You will get more out of when you do eat at a surplus that way and get you BF% down while doing it

    Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5 x 5 are good lifting programs.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    When I bulked, I was able to limit fat increase to about 15% of my total gains. This was with a 250 a day surplus while doing P90X. I limited reps to 6-8 and even cut one of the cardio days. And that was with 3250 calories a day.

    I will note, it's inevitable to gain fat during a bulk phase. But if you eat adequate protein and lift heavy enough, you can minimize it. But it's also why you have to cut after your bulk phase.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    It's impossible to gain muscle without adding at least a little fat. The greater the surplus, the greater your gains will be (both muscle, though only to a point, and fat).

    From everyone I've talked to, a gain of .5-1 lb per week is "ideal" depending on how disciplined you will be during the subsequent cut, and your goals. That translates to a calorie surplus of roughly 1750-3500 per week.
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