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The other day my post Fat Loss Made Simple sparked a fair bit if discussion and created a lot of traffic on the site so I’m going to assume that you guys enjoyed this type of post.  As a result I’d like to share with you the three cardinal rules I follow when designing a muscle hypertrophy program.

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1.  Sufficient Calories

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While is is within the realm of possible to lose fat and gain a substantial amount of muscle at the same time (mostly for beginners), most people will find that gaining muscle mass is far easier if they are in a calorie surplus.  In other words,  to gain muscle at a decent rate you need to need to consume more calories than you burn.

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However, the surplus doesn’t need to be on the side of eating thousands of extra calories each day (which will basically just get you fat).  If you want to gain muscle a surplus of as little as 500 calories per day above maintenance will do the trick.  The key to note is that a natural trainee can’t gain muscle at the same rate they can lose fat.  If you’re gaining 1-2 pounds per week, it is probably fat.  Always measure your waist regularly on a mass gaining protocol.

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2.  Resistance Training

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I think it pretty much goes without saying that if you want to gain muscle you need to lift weights.  However, I think the common contention is to do more work while you’re dieting and less when you’re putting on mass.  I tend to do things the other way around as I like to have clients do more load, volume, and frequency when they have the calories to support it.  If you’re going to train 3,4, or 5 days per week at any point during your training year, do it when you’re trying to gain muscle.

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If possible – with natural trainees I like to have them hit each muscle group (especially those that are lagging) two times per week.

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3.  Adequate Protein

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If you haven’t noticed, this list is starting to look a lot like my previous list for fat loss except for the notion that calories should be higher during a muscle gain phase and that training volume should follow calorie intake.  Protein, on the other hand, is one thing I think that you can afford to actually reduce when your calories are higher.

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Basically, when you are in a calorie deficit (i.e., losing fat) I believe you have a slightly greater protein requirement then when you have a calorie surplus.  When you’re putting on muscle I think you can easily let go of some of the stress you might have about consuming really high protein and stick with the 0.8-1.0 gram per pound.  And if your muscle mass is climbing, you’re on target.

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This is most certainly not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t consume higher amounts of protein in a muscle gaining phase.  I’m just saying there is little (if any) additional benefit.

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In Summary

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To gain muscle eat slightly above maintanence, resistance train frequently, and consume enough protein (but don’t stress if it isn’t “where it should be” if muscle is going up).  Oh…and monitor your waist measurement.

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