I've embarked on the "nearly impossible" challenge of adding muscle while staying lean. Personally, I have no trouble adding muscle and bulking up, but increasing the fat % is a challenge and a very slow process. Building muscle requires fat for the process. This is why bodybuilders bulk up in the off season and then diet down for the competition. I'm not looking to compete, but I am looking for the challenge to keep me motivated. Here's an article about the nutrition side that I discovered and it is basically what I have been doing for the last 90 days of my 3rd round of P90X. I actually did the X+ series this time. I changed my diet to be 1.5x g's of protein/pound of bodyweight or around 300g's of protein a day and 3000 overall calories per day, except on my Saturday carb loading days when I targeted 4000 calories.
June 2008 to November 2008 - same 8% bodyfat, but 15lbs heavier in November:
Here's the article(Disclaimer For those who are trying to loose weight – this article is not for you. While there is loads of valuable information, these guidelines are primarily directed towards individuals who are attempting to gain muscle mass. So if you do try these tactics – YOU WILL GAIN WEIGHT):
Article #1: 31-Rules Of Nutrition:
To Get The Most Out of Your Gym Time, Make Sure Your Diet Adheres To These Principles
We read and hear about shortcuts and easy methods of gaining muscle mass, getting ripped, and burning fat all the time these days. Sadly many people are mislead into believing these "snake-oil" remedies. The truth of the matter is there is no "next-day miracles." However, there are certain fundamental principles that you can implement on a daily basis for your diet that over time will give you the dividends you have sought in your investment of fitness & nutrition. The fact is this: Getting ripped and in the best shape of your life takes hard work, commitment, and persistence. Without adding the component of a balanced nutrition plan as a source of fuel (remember: food is fuel, not comfort), you will be "dead in the water." You've got to feed your body in the "right way." It's a matter of repetition, learning, and developing a healthy dietary pattern which will "force" your body to respond with the size, strength, and definition you have sought.
If you follow the primary precepts of these 31-strategies in your diet, you will find those elements you seek to achieve in your fitness, body shape & appearance will fall in place "automatically." It takes patience, Rome wasn't built in a day & neither is your body (I wonder who said that). This process doesn't happen overnight.Sloppy to Sliced: In order to achieve that lean, muscle building framework for your body composition, you'll never achieve that look, no matter how much weight you lift or aerobic training you do unless you begin to "chip-away" at those body-fat stores. It is not a matter of eating less and exercising more. You can't hack away calories by lifting weights 2 or 3 times per day or run until it hurts. It's about balance. The following tips will help you get ripped without sacrificing the muscle mass you've worked so hard to achieve.Muscle Mass Gain Made Simple: For most of us putting on noticeable muscle mass doesn't come easy. Where most people fall short is in their diets. A balanced approach with both whole foods and supplements makes all the difference. These 31-muscle building tactics will make the difference between being ripped or being bare-boned.(NOTE: Many of the vitamins, minerals, and chemicals mentioned in this article, especially the pre and post-workout drinks or protein shakes are already contained in the P90X Recovery Drink Formula, and I would highly recommend using it for that purpose)
#1. Cycle Carbs:[B] Limit carb intake for 4 or 5 days, then boost your carbs for 2 days. When you limit your carbs to 100 grams or less for 4-5 days, the body goes into "fat burning mode." Then when you reverse your carbs increase the intake 250-300 grams for 2 days, you then drive the metabolism even higher. During this kind of cycle be sure to keep your protein intake high. This will spare the muscle tissue.[B]
#2. Clock Your Carbs: Remember this rule: Too many carbs can make you fat, too few carbs can slow your metabolism. Timing is important here. Consume a healthy portion of carbs at breakfast and after training. Eat 50 grams of fast-digesting carbs before and after a workout. This will slow training-induce muscle breakdown and keeps cortisol (a stress hormone that destroys muscle and slows metabolism) in check.
#3. Use BCAAs to Preserve Muscle: This helps prevent catabolism. Use 5-10 grams of branched-chain amino acids with breakfast also before and after workout.
#4 Make Carbs Work For You: Intense workouts burn fat. Eat a pre-workout (less than 30 mins) fast digesting whey protein (20 grams) and 20-40 grams of slow digesting carbs (fruit, sweet potato, brown rice, etc), will help you power through your workouts with the right amount of energy to keep the workout intense.**Note: The P90X Recovery Drink is an excellent pre-workout & workout drink to have handy instead of water – it has all the ingredients to make this a viable alternative to the above.
#5. Increase Neurotransmitters: This is your "spark plug." These chemicals signal the brain to shift into "fat-burning mode." Caffeine and tea work well here. Use pre-workout for best results.
#6. Prioritize Slow – Burning Carbs: Beans, whole-grain breads, pasta, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potato, should be the staples of your daily carb intake. These will help you burn more fat throughout the day and during exercise.
#7. Snack Right: Sugar-free yogurt and cottage cheese may be the perfect snack foods. These too are slow-digesting carbs that keep insulin levels regulated.
#8. Always Feed The Machine: Low-calorie diets over time will impair you metabolism. Eat in small quantities throughout the day (about every 1 ½ to 2 hours). This stimulates "themogenisis," which supports metabolism and prevents slow-down.
#9. Employ Arginine: 3 grams of this amino acid before training will help you achieve the pump you want.
#10. Avoid Carbs Late: Go to bed in a carb-deprived state. This will cause your body to burn more body-fat while you sleep. If you are an evening trainer, 40-60 grams of fast-digesting carbs ingested immediately after workout (again recovery drink) is fine. The main point of emphasis here is a stable blood-sugar level. This puts you in a position of muscle growth not growing fat.
#11. Drink Tea Regularly: For instance if you weigh 180 lbs. you need to consume approximately 90 ounces of water daily (1/2 body weight in ounces). You can incorporate some of that fluid intake to work extra for you by brewing green tea. Green tea contains antioxidants which increase calorie-burning. Or add a little ginseng to the mix, which helps to keep blood-sugar levels stable.
#12. Use Glutamine and Taurine: These aminos help keep your body anabolic while dieting. Glutamine interferes with cortisol uptake (preventing protein loss and muscle breakdown). Use glutamine post-workout in conjunction with fast-digesting carbs. Glutamine aids in recovery by pulling water into muscle cells, and boost the metabolic rate.
#13. Eliminate All Fat: Well not all, but most of it. Keep fat intake low for 4-5 days. This will help you break through a fat-loss plateau (eliminating fat "tricks" the body into burning fat stores). Avoid chicken breast, lean meats, egg yolk, and oatmeal for 4-5 days. Substitute near-zero fat proteins such as turkey breast (not processed deli meat), egg whites, fat-free cottage cheese and protein powders. You body will adapt rapidly and this approach only works for 4-5 days. Afterwards return to your regular protein-rich foods.
#14. Ditch Low/Fat & Fat-Free Approach: These diets are for getting lean. When gaining muscle mass be sure to include olive oil, avocado, whole eggs, in you diet. You can also include "lower-fat" (not fat-free) yogurt, milk, and cheese. These types of dietary fats drive growth and recovery. These fats also spare the use of protein as an energy source, meaning the protein you are eating is going towards the purpose you intended – building mass. Fat also supports the "natural" production of growth hormones and testosterone. You need to incorporate approximately 30% daily from these fat sources. In addition to egg yolks, be sure to include fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.
#15. Splurge Occasionally: Treat yourself once in a while. Increase your caloric intake once every week. This can actually spur growth! Indulge in that pizza, burgers & french fries, dessert. The body will respond by increasing the anabolic hormones responsible for repairing damaged muscle tissue. This also helps keep you "sane" while eating clean.
#16. Use Powder: Protein is THE #1 nutrient when it comes to building muscle mass. If you really want to maximize your protein intake make 2 of your 5-6 daily meals a protein shake. Powders will be more quickly absorbed than the tougher proteins such as meat and poultry, and with powders you have more control over the portion – down to the gram. The critical window for protein shakes is the before workout (20 grams) and the post-workout (40-60 grams).
#17. Crank UP the T&C: Muscle building increases the T-receptors in our muscles, which work with the hormone testosterone. After a few weeks however the testosterone burst declines. To keep the T-receptors & testosterone at their maximum 500-750 mg of tribulus terrestria an hour before workouts, and 1000 mg of Vitamin C after training will help maintain muscle strength, recovery, and mass. Word of caution: women who are pregnant or men diagnosed with prostate cancer should consult physician before taking this supplement.
#18. Go With Garlic: Garlic influences natural hormones in our bodies that support growth. Macronutrients are the key to getting big. Not only is protein, carbs, and fat important but so are the hormones. So to help keep hormone levels high and muscle breakdown low use garlic.
#19. Supplement During Training: Drinking a sports drink (recovery drink) during your workout helps shut-down the usual muscle breakdown common in hard, intense, training. Make sure the drink contains glucose (at least 50-60 grams of carbs), add an additional 20 grams of protein and you're good to go.
#20. Flush The System: Plateaus are inevitable, everyone hits them from time to time. When you hit the wall what do you do? Pull back on your carb intake for 10 days, then go back to high carbs. For instance, instead of eating 400 grams of carbs daily, cut back to 200 – 250 grams of carbs for 10 days, then increase to 500 grams for 2 days before leveling off back at 400 grams. What happens? You guessed it, your body literally slingshots through the plateau! You've broken through the wall and you continue to grow. What happens is that when you pull-back and then add the carbs back in you have essentially recharged & reenergized your glycogen-storage system, allowing you to get back to increasing muscle mass.
#21. Let Salt Work For You: Don't fuss over using a little salt. Sodium is a major mineral your body needs. Salt regulates the metabolism, and aids in storing carbs in our muscles. Greater carb storage results in greater mass gains. Before a competition don't skimp on the salt. Sodium depletion will affect your body's ability to make muscle glycogen. In addition, salt helps amino acids and creatine absorption into the muscles as well.
#22. Eat Meat: If you are really pumped about gaining mass then red meat is the food of choice (and should be consumed fairly often). Red meats contain more B vitamins, creatine, iron and zinc – all vital for growth – than other protein sources.
#23. Eat Fatty Fish: Only 6 ounces of fatty fish (bluefish, sardines, salmon, and trout) provides 32 grams of protein and up to 18 grams of omega-3 fatty acids.
#24. Adjust For Inflation: If you are not gaining mass but still have energy while working out, you are probably eating enough carbs but not enough protein to gain mass. So if you're following the golden rule of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, move that amount up to 1.5 grams of protein and gains will come your way.
#25. Emphasize Post-Workout Nutrition: What you eat right after a workout can make or break your physique. Drink that sports drink (recovery drink), making sure it contains 60-100 grams of fast-digesting carbs. Alternatives to sports drinks include fat-free sorbet, white bread with jam, and 40-60 grams of protein.
#26. Cheat Right: It's ok to once in a while food binge. But, if you do go overboard, err on the side of eating too much protein. Eat a large, lean steak with a small potato and salad, a huge pasta meal, or (my favorite) a huge pizza! The large amount of protein will signal the brain to make you feel full, whereas a carb binge does just the opposite and you'll still feel hungry.
#27. Pack Your Food: Cooking and packing your own foods gives you complete control of your diet when you're away from home.
#28. Snack Right: Avoid the snack bars and vending machines at work. Bring snacks from home that will keep you on track to becoming ripped. If you've got a sweet-tooth, some alternative suggestions are sugar-free Jell-O or s/f Popsicles, strawberries, cantelope, etc. even cucumber slices marinated in vinegar, salt, and Splenda, will help curb the cravings.
#29. Go Big At Breakfast: Eating a big breakfast ignites your metabolism and will really help you get leaned out. Don't skip this meal or else your metabolism will sputter like a dying campfire. A healthy breakfast also helps prevent gorging on those cravings at your mid-morning snack.
#30. Hydrate: Consume plenty of water throughout the day. Forget about the 6-8 glasses per day, aim instead to drink approximately ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day – minimum. If you chug 2 cups of cold water (16 ounces) it can have a positive affect on your metabolism.
#31. Be Punctual: Always eat immediately after training. You shouldn't wait longer than an hour after training to eat. If you eat after an hour, the calories will still be used for recovery and growth but not nearly to the same extent.
Okay, so from own experience I will tell you that I had great results again from the Beachbody P90X+ routine....don't hate me. I didn't exactly meet my goals, but I probably met a normal person's goals. I dropped 7 pounds, which was about 4% bodyfat and added in another pound of muscle. Again, I'm at that too lean point for me. I start back at again after a week of stretching and light cardio, and turkey consumption. Dec. 1 will be the beginning of a new program called Primal Efforts, which is just a bunch of different P90X and X+ routines, along with some Ten Minute Trainers and One-on-One's tossed in - sort of a Tony Horton's Greatest Hits. I'll be sticking to my heavy protein diet and hope to say at the end that I have added on at least 6 pounds of muscle, but kept the waist line exactly where it is today.
October to November (about 6 weeks between shots):
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