A somewhat recent study showed what I’ve suspected for a while.
You can’t eat your way to muscle gains.
Here’s how the study[1] was set up.
The participants were divided into three groups:
- Maintenance calories
- 5% calorie surplus
- 15% calorie surplus
All participants performed the same strength training workouts three times per week.
At the end of the study, they measured changes in skinfold thickness to estimate the increase in body fat.
Here were the findings.
- Maintenance Group – lost an average of 1.4mm skinfold thickness (they leaned out a bit)
- 5% Calorie Surplus Group – gained an average of 10mm skinfold increase and gained 3.3 lbs of weight (almost all body fat)
- 15% Calorie Surplus Group – gained an average of 12.4mm skinfold increase and gained 3.3 lbs of weight (almost all body fat)
All groups gained similar strength and muscle.
The 15% surplus calorie group didn’t gain significantly more muscle compared to the moderate or maintenance group… but gained the most body fat.
The 15% surplus group gained a bit more strength in the bench press.
I think that has more to do with the leverage of having higher body fat.
This is why many of the strongest bench pressers typically are over 20% body fat.
If you aren’t a powerlifter, then I highly advise not to add excess body fat.
The problem with gaining body fat?
Studies[2] show fat cells get created quickly when you gain weight rapidly, but once these fat cells form, you can’t get rid of them.
These newly formed fat cells can shrink when you lose weight.
But they never disappear.
Even if you did gain muscle at a much faster rate when bulking (which you don’t), this still makes it a bad idea.
Excess body fat is estrogenic.
Makes it even tougher to get lean and easier for the food you eat to get stored as stubborn body fat.
This is why the #1 priority for guys should be to get down to 12% or less body fat.
At that point, you simply eat at maintenance & gain muscle.
I cover it all here.
Once you get lean, your face will look angular and masculine too.
This can add a solid 2 points to your looks.
If you are a 6, it can turn you into an 8, etc.
Talk Soon,
Greg O’Gallagher
P.S.
Getting bulky, even if you wind up stronger in some lifts, isn’t worth it.
One thing that always amuses me are the chubby “bros” posting negative comments on some of my IG, or YT posts.
But seriously…
Most of these guys who think they are chiseled have a good 20-30 pounds of body fat to lose.
Probably more.
I don’t engage with them on IG.
They are probably just sensitive & moody from the estrogenic effects of that flab they are carrying around.
Once they are tired of being curvy and irritable?
They can start my system…
