The secret to building muscle

mysticwryter wrote: »

NasMax wrote: »

Well it's not really a secret... just as needing a 'calorie deficit' to lose weight is not really a secret either

BUT, for one reason or another the concept of a calorie deficit is non existent to the overwhelmingly masses of the population

Add in the fact that there is a massive monopoly in the so called 'fitness industry' by insincere sales people who prefer to keep you confused as an easy ploy to take you're money, rather than help you achieve your goals, get a solid reputation and let their clients advertise your business as multiple walking, talking billboards.

(I'm all for the later)

Anyway, when it comes to losing fat the simple truth is that you need to create a caloric deficit.. that's it, there's no way around it. There's millions of ways to balance & adhere to a calorie deficit on a personal level... but none the less, you need to be in a calorie deficit.

So, on the flip flop (cool slang for flip slide, which is cool slang for opposite side) building muscle and gaining LEAN weight also comes down to ONE SIMPLE THING....

...but, just like the mythical fat loss solution (the calorie deficit) you're again never told what it is, because *kitten* usually sells better than truth.

Now before you even think about rubbishing this concept, just for a small moment try to recall some of the concepts that you were ADAMANT about before you came over to the good side & accepted that the calorie deficit was the God of fat loss... remember all those silly things you believed?

If you're looking to pack on new lean muscle tissue, you NEED to get stronger.

Yep, that's it.

FCK the fluff & pretty bb.com workout plans (they're created to sell you supplements by taking advantage of your naivety)

Just like the calorie deficit for fat loss, there is no way around this.

You HAVE to get stronger (if you're natural/not on steroids that is) if you want to get bigger

Have a quick cheeky read of this piece by the one & only great Dr Lyle McDonald

"Taking this out of the volume thread. For years I noticed that while natural bodybuilders often made no progress in muscle size, powerlifters always do. Always.

Here's why: powerlifting is BASED around adding weight to the bar. It's the explicit point of the sport. You can dick around bodybuilding with squeeze and pump and feel and find guys using the same weight for years.

And I don't care how much volume or frequency or anything else you're doing: adding weight to the bar > EVERYTHING else.

We knew this in the late 70's: PROGRESSIVE TENSION OVERLOAD is THE primary stimulus to growth. Everything else is secondary.

As Dante Trudell put it "Make strength gains in a moderate repetition range and you will grow." The end.

Or as I stated in that thread: find me a big natural bodybuilder who's not strong. Because I can find you thousands of small guys who are weak. And the difference is the last word of each sentence."

I'm doing a bb.com workout that is actually working. Yes, I'm in a caloric deficit and I've increase my protein intake and limited myself on carbs (not in ketosis). I've developed strength in my arms, back and legs. I am including a bit of cardio just to burn off excess energy that the strength training didn't rid; I'm not doing stable cardio, more on the lines of a HIIT concept. I don't buy any of the products from bb.com and I'm only taking protein shakes, that's it. Everything else is from the food I consume.

So it's not all bad on bb.com; their programs work as long as you stay committed to doing them. They aren't for everyone no, but it's something for me to try. Don't shy people away from an opportunity that bb.com may have for them. If it doesn't work, ok it didn't work; try something else. Give someone a chance and if they want a program from bb.com, let them have it. Don't deter them just because you have a strong opinion against bb.com.