Fitness Volt
  • News
    • Bodybuilding
    • Strongman
    • Powerlifting
    • Armwrestling
    • CrossFit
    • Results
    • Arnold Classic
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2025 WSM
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
    • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Exercise Guides
    • Muscle Groups
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Mobility & Stretching
    • Shoulders
    • Yoga
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Supplements
    • Reviews
    • Food Facts
  • Calculators
  • More
    • Forum
    • Strength Standards
    • DIY
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
  • News
    • Bodybuilding
    • Strongman
    • Powerlifting
    • Armwrestling
    • CrossFit
    • Results
    • Arnold Classic
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2025 WSM
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
    • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Exercise Guides
    • Muscle Groups
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Mobility & Stretching
    • Shoulders
    • Yoga
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Supplements
    • Reviews
    • Food Facts
  • Calculators
  • More
    • Forum
    • Strength Standards
    • DIY
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
No Result
View All Result
Home » Muscle-Building

Muscle Building Strategy: Lean Gaining

Written by Justin Robertson

Last Updated on30 August, 2018 | 2:50 AM EDT

Ask Question?

Another muscle growth strategy is lean-gaining, which is the idea that it is possible to gain muscle mass without putting on any body-fat. There are even supplements that are aimed at this concept. There was a big fad in the 90′s were low-calorie mass gainers, and other products claimed to cause muscle growth without providing any excess calories. These products did increase lean muscle mass, but only because they contained creatine. Creatine increases lean body mass via water retention by several pounds.

Lean gaining is usually based around meticulous calorie and nutrient counting and timing, and an obsession with clean eating, without ever actually providing sufficient nutrients to grow at any meaningful rate. When you hear someone say that you can’t put on more than three pounds of muscle in a year, this is who you’re usually talking to. Those who won’t allow even an ounce of fat gain, even if it would be productive. Of course there is the natural bodybuilder who’s been for many years and is near his genetic limit. It’s usually the lean-obsessed individuals who aren’t gaining much muscle year in and year out. I’m guilty of being in this camp, but have been rethinking my strategy of late, which will be covered in the next Muscle Building Strategy article.

The benefits of the lean-gaining approach, are that you get to look great year round. If your goal is contest bodybuilding, or a pro sports career it also means literally no dieting time. If you model or make your living based on your physique, being able to do a photo shoot within a few weeks notice will be financially beneficial as well. This however, tends not to represent the majority of those who try to use the lean-gaining approach.

The simple fact is that a bodybuilder who refuses to gain any fat, and doesn’t put on any muscle between shows won’t be improving year to year. Unless you have perfect symmetry, size and shape, the fear of body fat is definitely preventing you from improving your physique.

Athletes often have to add muscle mass, either to improve strength, power or move up a weight class, and often don’t have very long to do it. Keeping calories too low year round hurts improvements in both mass and strength gains, and even weight class athletes such as Olympic Lifters and Powerlifters usually train at a weight slightly higher than their weight class. Doing so allows them eat more food, train more effectively and make faster gains, and they can drop weight and fat when necessary.

Get Fitter, Faster

Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!

Please wait...
You're In! Let's Crush Your Fitness Goals Together

Expect expert-backed workouts, nutrition advice, the latest in strength sports, and a whole lot of motivation heading your way.

Your body needs a training stimulus that will reap rewards, but also sufficient nutrition. Protein, amino acids and enough calories are required for muscle growth. Staying very lean through lots of cardio, calorie restriction, or both isn’t an ideal method to get stronger and more muscular.

A big drawback to lean-gaining thing is that the meticulous attention to nutrition can make having any type of social life difficult. Bodybuilders in general are usually pretty detailed with their diets and training programs, but worrying about every gram of everything that you eat every day of your life can become detrimental. I’m doing a post shortly on this type of behavior taken too far.

On a typical bulk and cut approach to muscle-building and fat cutting, the low-calorie periods limit or reduce fat gains, while the high-calorie periods support growth and gains. There’s more flexibility, you get to have some feasting periods, but there are some near starvation periods as well. The bulk and cut and lean gaining are two styles of the muscle growth lifestyle that couldn’t be any further apart in methodology from each other.

This brings me to the approach that I have adopted of late. That of course will be in the final installment of the Muscle Building Strategy mini series.

Happy Lifting!


If you have any questions or need further clarification about this article, please leave a comment below, and Justin will get back to you as soon as possible.

Stay on top of the latest fitness news and updates by adding Fitness Volt to your Google News feed: Follow us on Google News You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for even more content.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn Pinterest
Categories: Muscle-Building
Previous Post

Ginseng For Energy and Muscle Growth

Next Post

Body Mechanics: The Pull-Up and Chin Up

Justin Robertson

Justin Robertson

Justin is a fitness enthusiast with a passion for old school workouts. He enjoys sharing his knowledge and experiences on various topics such as CrossFit, workouts, muscle-building, and HIIT workouts through his writing. With a focus on functional fitness and strength training, Justin aims to inspire and motivate others to achieve their fitness goals. When he's not working out or writing, he can be found exploring the great outdoors or spending time with his family.

Related

Jeff Nippard
Bodybuilding

Jeff Nippard Reveals How Much Muscle He Gained in 1 Year After Using a Strict Science-Based Fitness Routine

Pull Up Challenge 1 1
Training

The Ultimate Pull-Up Challenge: Can You Reach Advanced Lifter Status? 

Average Muscle Gain Per Month
Muscle-Building

Unlock Your Gains: What’s the Average Muscle Gain Per Month?

Rich Gaspari
Bodybuilding

Rich Gaspari Explains How to ‘Gain Lean Muscle Mass While Simultaneously Losing Fat’

Eating Protein Every Meal
Muscle-Building

I Ate Protein in Every Single Meal for 21 Days — Here’s What Happened

5x5 Strength Split
Training

I Tried a 5×5 Strength Split for One Month — The Results Blew My Mind

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

I Did CrossFit’s 20-Minute Cindy Workout Three Times a Week for a Month – Here’s What Happened

Actor Hugh Jackman Annihilates Deadlift Workout at 56 Years Old

2025 Strongman Champions League Holland Results — Rayno Nel Wins

Lee Priest Talks President Trump’s Travel Ban, Reveals Whether It Will Impact Hadi Choopan at 2025 Mr. Olympia

Jeff Cavaliere Shares His 6 Most Overlooked Exercises for a ‘Higher Quality of Life’

Nutrient Timing Simplified: Eat This Carb/Protein Combo Post-Workout for Optimal Recovery (Science-Backed)

Fitness Volt

At Fitness Volt, our mission is to empower every individual on their fitness journey by providing expert advice, the latest research, and comprehensive resources. Whether you are a beginner or an elite athlete, we are here to support your goals with trustworthy and up-to-date information in strength, fitness, and nutrition. Read more.

For inquiries, please contact us at:
Email: [email protected]

About Us | Careers | Contact Form

Topics

  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • WSM
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Exercises
  • Training
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Discussion Forum

More

  • Calculators
  • Fasting
  • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Workout Plans
  • At-Home Workouts
  • Programs
  • Supplements
  • Newsletter
  • Review Process
  • Accessibility
  • Advertise
  • Syndication
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Disclaimer

© Copyright 2010 - 2024 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Strongman
    • Armwrestling
    • CrossFit
    • Results
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2024 WSM
    • Arnold Classic
  • Forum
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Workout Plans
    • Muscle Groups
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Programs
    • Mastering The Deadlift
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
    • Yoga
  • Nutrition
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Supplements
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Reviews
    • Food Facts
  • Fitness Calculator
  • More
    • DIY
    • Strength Standards
    • Motivation
    • Videos

© Copyright 2010 - 2024 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.