Gaining "fat" free" mass..........

Paul,

i got a question concerning nutrition! I´m 19 years old and love the powerlifting training, but i also want to gain some muscle, even thought it is not as important as strength to me (but has its place!)

I want to gain muscle mass as fatfree as possible, but i´m not very sure on how to do that. I hate doing things to complicated, especially nutrition can drive me crazy here (counted every single macro and calorie for a long time, but hated it, because you´re so unflexible with food/eating).

I just lost fat in a cutting phase and am in pretty good shape now, but its time to get BIG (not fat :D).

My nutrition is always very clean, also when trying to gain muscle, i´m not eating bad stuff very often. Mostly lean protein (lean meat, eggs, protein powder, fish, cottage cheese etc.), low GI carbs (brown rice, whole grain bread and pasta, potatoes, oats) and good fats (nuts, natural peanut-butter, oil etc.). Even though i ate that clean, i don´t seem to be that type of person, which is very ripped...for example my vascularity on my arms narrows down to 1 vein on each side, the one on my right arm isn´t even visible all the time. I want it like you have it! You are in awesome shape and big, man...

So all in all: What strategy could i use to gain fatfree (AMAP) muscle beside the strength gain of course? I am catching myself worrying way to much, but that´s why i ask for your help.

Thanks buddy!






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Gaining mass as fat free as possible is really the toughest road to hoe.

Gaining mass requires a calorie surplus, and with a calorie surplus comes water weight and fat gain. There is really no getting around this, I don't care what any guru tells you.

My advice for guys wanting to gain mass has been the same for a very long time. Get down to a very decent level of bodyfat, something in the 8-10% range, and eat up from there, limiting yourself to around 15%. After that, you tend to fall off the wagon, so to speak, and fat accumulation will start to snowball on you. The body gets really good at getting fatter once you, well, get fatter.

Most guys estimate their bodyfat at something way lower than what it actually is.

"I can see some top abs first thing in the morning."

Good for you, that's the very leanest of being fat. In other words, if you see a 4 pack in the morning, you're still fucking fat for the most part. Don't kid yourself, you're still 20%.





You're still fat Mr. 4 pack

I sport mostly full abs all year. If I even begin to not, I stop and take a step back and try to determine if I have been eating too much, or not getting enough conditioning in.

Let me BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THIS......I do not eat nor condition to "get abs" I HAVE ABS because I eat properly and condition. There is a very clear difference. I train for go, and this gives me the "show". If my "show" starts to go away, it's always without fail, that I have let either my diet or conditioning slide.

I also do not consider myself "lean". I consider myself to generally be "in shape". Sometimes more, sometimes less, but generally closer to more, than less, or I'm at least trying. But generally I stay in the 10-12% range. This is a good range to work in for both muscle mass and strength. If I want to increase my conditioning, I can drop to 8% or so if I just tighten the diet up a little bit, and do more conditioning. Which is what I am doing now.

So to start at the top, if you aren't as vascular as you want to be, it could be that either you aren't a vascular person, or that you're really just not as lean as you need to be to look vascular. Either way, don't train for looks, train for performance.......the looks will come. When I gave up training to look like a bodybuilder, and started training with being the baddest mother fucker I could be, I got leaner and stronger and bigger so much faster than when I was trying to LOOK the part.





most recent pic @ roughly 10-12%

The first thing to do however is to get leaner first, then go full force into the strength and mass phase, while always maintaining an athletic level of bodyfat while doing so.

Since you're saying strength is the most important part in the equation, my recommendation is to run the strong-15 and then use your assistance work to gain mass, and make sure you're doing conditioning 2-5 times a week, all depending. Steady state 2-3 times in the morning fasted, and then 1 or 2 days of hard conditioning.

2 big workouts a week. Squats and deads on 1 day, then bench on the other, then do 2 small workouts a week that cover your assistance stuff. Face pulls, bent laterals, upright rows, curls, triceps, calves and abs.

As so for the week.....

Day 1 - Squat and Pull
Squat - cycle
Deadlift - cycle
Leg Curls

Day 2 - small workout
face pulls
upright rows
calf raises

Day 3 - off steady state

Day 4 - Bench
Bench - cycle
Incline Press
Chins/Rows

Day 5 - small workout
curls
triceps
abs

Day 6 -
hard conditioning

Day 7 - off steady state

Keep your food clean, and eat 3 solid meals a day with 50-60 grams of protein, and 80-100 grams of carbs at breakfast and lunch. For your last meal of the day go to veggies and meat only to keep fat intake down. If you find you are getting too much chub, cut carbs out on "off" days. If you find you aren't gaining enough, up carbs for two meals on "off" days.

This shit is easy, but it does take time. Be patient and be a fuckin lifer.