Gain lean muscle mass! Examples, photos, thanks + story about yourself

Many people are tormented by the issue of gaining muscle mass, especially those who have a rather acute issue of mass gain due to a specific body type. We are talking about ectomorphs, who initially have a natural tendency towards thinness.

• How to gain muscle mass and become bigger?
• How to train properly while gaining muscle mass?
• How to eat while gaining muscle mass? Practical advice Let's summarize

I'm very grateful to you

First of all, friends, I would like to thank you for the many simply wonderful reviews about my blog and about me.

I did not expect such results! Dozens of great reviews, kind words, thanks. After reading all the reviews, I was so excited, you should have seen it!

Someone wrote that he was able to lose an impressive amount of fat, someone, for the first time in his life, became more muscular, someone gained self-confidence, and someone even said that my articles helped him in all areas of life : in the family, at work, in sports, etc.

The vast majority of people have given me a lot of words of encouragement.

It is at such moments that you realize that you are doing something useful and necessary for society. This is an indescribable feeling, and I am very grateful to you for your answers and for the emotions you gave.

Feedback from blog readers (click to open)

“Nikita, I’m very glad that I came to your site, there is so much useful information, all the information is sorted out. Thank you for not being indifferent to beginners and others, your articles and books are very helpful. You are great! Good luck to you in all your endeavors!”

“You are a very interesting person, Nikita. It's a pleasure to watch, read and listen to you. There is a lot of positivity and optimism, you get a charge of energy. Thank you."

“I’ve been studying blogging almost since I started – it’s incredibly interesting! I follow every update. Thank you so much for the free, accessible, high-quality information! Thanks to following the advice, in exactly one year I remained at the same weight, but noticeably lost weight in my waist and gained weight in my shoulders (burned fat, gained muscle) - thank you so much for this! I intend to continue to follow the life of the blog!”

“I am very glad that I came across your site, I went through a rather difficult path, from anorexia, to unrealistic fat gain, with hormonal imbalance, and came to what I have. After reading your articles, I was pleasantly surprised, because until that time, I thought that bodybuilders, overly pumped up guys, were too limited, but you showed that this is not the case. I look forward to your new articles, preferably with reference to girls)"

“Nikita, I am very pleased to express my gratitude to you for your work; it is very pleasant that among the people of our generation there are proactive people who set goals, critically think about them and move towards achieving them. You have a good style, very lively texts that are pleasant and interesting to read, you have your own style, original, unlike many health and sports resources that use a lot of rewriting in their articles. I wanted to write to you back during the January holidays, because when I first visited your site in December, I was very impressed. We even have some similar things. I am 24 years old, I live in Moscow, I graduated with two honors from MGIMO, I would be glad to meet you personally and communicate, perhaps I can be useful in promoting your business ideas and forming and promoting business products. At least from a legal point of view, I can definitely help you arrange everything correctly and avoid possible problems. In general, if you are interested in communicating with me, write to me by email, I don’t have a profile in Contact, I have Facebook. With best regards"

“It’s funny to write anonymously:) You are a very cool and kind person! I admire it..:) You present it in a truly accessible way, everything is simple and clear. And you (you) helped me complete the puzzle in my head, one missing, but VERY important piece for several years! I have been fighting the disease for five or six years now... In general, I re-read a lot of literature, yoga, meditation, positive thinking…. And for a long time I couldn’t figure out how to fit in positive thinking, an easy attitude to life and REAL success at the same time. I believe in the books of Louise Hay, Rhonda Byrne “The Secret”, etc... But nothing happened by itself!) Only a temporary feeling of happiness. And now, finally, I have found a place in my head for a positive charge and a place for real work to achieve results. And the main thing is that nothing happens in life for nothing. This simplifies a lot... Everything is in our hands.”

“Thank you so much for this blog and articles. I am guided only by your articles"

“Nikita, you are doing a good job... I started studying according to your program, I really like it..”

“Nikita, you’re great. If there were more such altruists, maybe there would be more athletes. Continue what you started. Good luck to you!!!"

"Hello! I would like to thank you for the valuable topics on your blog! I weighed 94 kg with a height of 185. In just a month and a half I dropped to 88 and the weight is now constant. The problem was, of course, initially in choosing the type of body structure, since at 18 I was skinny, and at 25-28 I was big, but I emphasize without much of a belly. The choice became obvious most likely. Keep it up!!!!! We are waiting for new ideas!!! The topic about the press is also very interesting!!!!”

"Hi, Nikita. This is Ivan, Irkutsk. I understand you probably already have thousands of people like me and you can’t remember everyone’s names. Well done. I regularly follow your blog. I would be glad to receive your information product on the press. Unfortunately, my circumstances are such that I don’t have a job, and I haven’t fully recovered from my injury and I’m not very financially sound, but in the future I hope that I would take your product if it were digital for self-study. I wish you success in your blog and promoting your products to the masses and life. Now, more than anyone, I understand the advantage of training at home, because I can’t go to the gym yet. I work out completely at home. In general, good luck Nikita. Good luck. Your subscriber Ivan :)"

These are just a few reviews. Sorry, guys, that I didn’t post everything, otherwise the article would have turned out to be simply huge.

How much fat do we need?

Fat reserves in the body are not only unpleasant folds on the sides and cellulite on the buttocks. This is the energy reserve of the human body and a heat insulator, thanks to which muscles and organs maintain their natural temperature and do not become overcooled. In addition, fat, along with protein, participates in the formation of the hair follicle, ensures the normal functioning of joints, and promotes the production of sex hormones.

Measuring the amount of subcutaneous fat in the body is necessary, first of all, to track the dynamics of weight loss or weight gain. And also to monitor your health, because a lack of adipose tissue, like an excess, can lead to serious problems.

The minimum level of body fat required for survival is 5% of total body weight in men and 10% in women. At 30% in men and 35% in women, there are clear signs of obesity. The optimal fat content is 12-20% for men and 18-25% for women.

"Easy to advise with your current form"

Guys, I very often hear phrases like:

• it is easy for you to speak with your current form;
• you have a special body structure, you are lucky with genetics;
• It’s very difficult for me to lose the remaining layer of fat;
• I do not have enough time;
• I lack motivation;
• I have such a constitution;

This is all absolute nonsense.

There was a time when, having heard enough about “it’s hard to get dry”, “it’s hard to lose weight” and other utter nonsense, I made a bet with my friend that I would gain a lot of fat, and then, as a bet, I’d lose it in 2 months.

I did this so that I would never again hear from people that they cannot tighten their body or remove excess fat. Now, when I hear this kind of nonsense, I just throw off these photos and end the conversation.

With this experiment, I tried to test how well I understand the topics of nutrition, exercise, routine, abdominal structure, and other things. And as practice has shown, if desired and with the right approach, this can be done. However, I had no doubt about this.

And guys, I was in no hurry. I started cutting in April and by June I was already in great shape with a fairly lean, attractive body weighing 85 kg (lost from 97 to 85 kg in 2 months).

I usually do this more slowly to preserve as much muscle as possible, but here I did it as an experiment to throw away all the excuses.

Secrets of high-quality muscle building

There are some interesting yet simple secrets that you must know if you want to build lean muscles. Girls can also adhere to these rules.

When compiling your daily diet for the period of muscle gain, proteins should be included in an amount of about 20% of the total daily intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Proteins are found, for example, in fish and poultry, but such products should not be fried, since this method of processing will increase the saturated fat content. The best source of high-quality protein and excellent material for building muscles are boiled eggs, chicken and lean beef.

Carbohydrates are included in the daily diet as much as possible in order to gain muscle mass - their consumption should be at least 70%. Harmful sugars found in baked goods and chocolate must be replaced with complex carbohydrates, and these, in turn, are found in vegetables, fruits, cereals, dairy and whole grain products. As for fruits and vegetables, you need to eat several servings of them daily.

Well, the rest of your diet should be fats - about 10%. We are talking about healthy fats that can be found in olive oil, nuts, avocado and hard cheese.

It is also very important to drink at least five liters of clean water every day.

I DON'T LIKE WHINNERS, and a little revelation

Friends, I have already been convinced hundreds of times that if a person WANTS and HAS A BURNING DESIRE to achieve something, then he finds thousands of ways to do something, and if he simply has a POSITIVE ATTITUDE, then a thousand reasons not to do it.

I really don't like whiners. I’ll explain why: I’m more than sure that if you put aside whining, take a comprehensive and tough approach to the issue, you can achieve results anywhere. I assure you. Before my eyes, fat people lost weight, thin people became pumped up, poor people became rich, not beautiful people became beautiful, insecure people became confident, and so on. I have seen so many transformations that I am 100% sure that if you have a burning desire and understanding of how to achieve what you want, you will get it in the near future.

Let's have a little heart-to-heart talk, if you don't mind. I will give you some examples from my life, which, I think, will show that all excuses are nonsense.

I'm not going to brag, I just don't like unfounded nonsense, but I like examples.

I'll start with the broken arm. YES, I broke my arm in the forearm when I was 13 years old. Recovery took me more than six months. To be honest, even now my arm does not fully extend in the area of ​​the hand (and I am already 25 years old!), because... broken bones severed the tendon. Do you think I even tell anyone about this? Am I focusing on this? No. I don't care.

I just go out and LOOK FOR WAYS to make my life better.

I choose COMFORTABLE and most effective exercises for myself in the gym.

I did a double somersault on a snowboard, even after a fracture.

He started playing the piano again and graduated from music school.

I ride and rode a bike (not just rode, but did all sorts of tricks with friends).

And, by the way, I started taking bodybuilding seriously AFTER MY ARM FRACTURE. Before that, it was like that, pampering.

In the army, I pumped up my abs UNDER A BLANKET after lights out, so no one could see, because... old-timers were forbidden to play sports (such an army “joke”).

In the army, I tore a ligament in my knee and ended up in the hospital, but I worked even there. I squatted on one leg, holding onto a chair, did press exercises on the floor in the hospital, did push-ups, throwing my leg in a cast over my healthy leg, etc.

I ran 8-kilometer cross-country races in full uniform after being discharged from the hospital.

And so on…

What excuses can there be, friends? LOOK FOR WAYS, NOT EXCUSES!

I have a friend who works on shift, I know that some of my readers too (hello to them), builds roads, and what do you think? He gets up an hour earlier to run in the morning!

After work, at 8-9 o'clock, he goes to the gym! He studies for 1-1.5 hours, then eats and goes to bed.

He bought himself sports nutrition, specifically to digest such a volume of workload; figured out how to eat, etc. You understand? HE FOUND A WAY!

After all, 95% of the guys and men on duty would simply complain that they can’t, it doesn’t work out, etc.

My very cool course on building great abs will be released very soon. This is just the thing before summer! You can both lose weight and form amazing abs with the help of the information from this course.

There are excellent videos against the backdrop of the stunning pristine Karelian nature, namely the mountains where my friends and I go snowboarding in winter.

Everything in it is so detailed that I can’t imagine how much more everything could be chewed up so that people who have long been planning to take charge of themselves would have no excuses.

I spent almost a year creating it. I took my time so as not to release half-grade trash into the world.

Professional ways to measure body fat percentage

Body fat can be measured using special clinical equipment. Such methods help to find out not only the percentage of body fat, but also the amount of muscle in the human body.

• Bioimpedancemetry is a research method in which a weak electric current is passed through body tissue. This test can measure fat and muscle percentage, basal metabolic rate, water content, bone mass, and visceral (internal) fat.
• Underwater weighing. One of the most difficult measurement methods. To measure fat, regular weighing and underwater weighing are carried out, after which these indicators are compared and the amount of fat is calculated. It is considered one of the more reliable methods for calculating the amount of fat.
• Using the Bod Pod system. This is a special device that measures the air displaced by the body and, based on the data obtained, the volume, density and composition of the body are calculated. Like underwater weighing, it gives very accurate results, but has a high cost.
• X-ray examination helps to measure not only body fat, but also other important indicators: the amount of water and muscle in the body, the presence of internal fat and others.

With the help of professional research methods, you can find out the exact composition of your body. However, the cost of such studies makes them unaffordable for most people.

How I gained “lean muscle mass”

As I already said, what pushed me to go to the gym was that I began to gain weight. That is why, when I began to work on myself, I was pathologically afraid of returning to that same state. I was afraid of turning back into the fat, doughy guy I used to be.

I wanted to gain muscle mass, but not gain excess fat. I was afraid of this.

That is why I had to study this issue very deeply.

Is it possible to gain muscle mass without fat or with a maximum bias towards muscles?

We have already talked to you about the fact that simultaneous burning of fat and gaining muscle mass is a very difficult task, if at all possible, because, with a lack of calories, the body triggers catabolic (destructive) reactions that affect the muscles too.

Therefore, gaining muscle becomes almost impossible when you are in a calorie deficit. But, nevertheless, there are certain tricks that allow you to gain muscle mass with a minimum content of fat in the body.

Today the topic will be very interesting and unexpected. Lean muscle mass is a very convenient myth for sports nutrition manufacturers and fitness centers. But we will actually look at some points that allow you to gain muscle while dieting.

Primary requirements

Drying meals for men and women should be frequent and divided. The number of meals per day is 5-6. The structure of the diet is of no small importance: you should completely avoid fatty foods (fried foods, sausages, lard), but you can leave complex carbohydrates - the energy released as a result of their breakdown is necessary for full-fledged training as part of active mass gain.

Recommended carbohydrates:

• Buckwheat;
• Rice;
• Oatmeal;
• Hercules.

It is immediately necessary to clarify that sweets and baked goods ("simple" carbohydrates) should be completely abandoned - they are quickly absorbed by the body, provoke an increase in blood sugar levels, after which glucose begins to actively transform into fat.

Obviously, the diet when gaining lean muscle mass is “built” on protein foods. Amino acids are the main structural elements of muscles. The best options for protein sources are eggs, chicken breast, hard cheese, cottage cheese, low-fat milk, fish.

Proteins are divided into two main types:

• Fast;
• Slow.

The first (dairy products, eggs, poultry, fish) are recommended for consumption in the first half of the day and in order to “close” the protein window after training. Slow proteins (hard cheese, low-fat cottage cheese) are best eaten before bed - they contain protein that is absorbed over a long period of time, so it will saturate the body with essential amino acids.

Speaking of protein, gaining lean mass for girls is not complete without this useful supplement. It is better to avoid casein; preference should be given to whey types of protein, in particular isolate.

It is recommended to drink protein shakes in the morning, on an empty stomach, immediately after training and in the evening, before bed. It is necessary to understand that taking protein concentrate cannot replace a full meal, it must complement it.

Let's consider the ratio of BJU in the structure of the diet of an athlete who wants to gain lean muscle mass:

• Complex carbohydrates – at least 50% (porridge);
• Proteins – 30% (fish, meat, eggs, dairy products, hard cheese);
• Fats – 20% (exclusively of vegetable origin).

Speaking about the structure of the diet when gaining lean muscle mass, we should mention the drinking regime. Drinking fluids (purified water, green tea without sugar) is necessary both before, during and after training. Dehydration is unacceptable, since water takes an active part in all metabolic processes, and its deficiency will disrupt the absorption of nutrients.

How much fluid does an athlete need when cutting? The figure, of course, is individual and is determined by age, gender, body weight, training activity and other factors. The minimum figure, according to experts, is 2 liters per day.

Lean muscle mass. Is it possible to dial?

I had to experiment a lot, study and try, but, in the end, I was able to identify for myself a few basic rules in order to gain muscle mass and look quite lean at the same time.

Here are the main ones:

• There should be ENOUGH calories, BUT NOT EXCESSIVE ! This process must be strictly controlled. Theoretically, you should get exactly what you need to build your muscles, and there should be no excess so that the body does not store them in the form of fat deposits. In practice, this is VERY HARD to implement, because... Calorie consumption is influenced by many factors: how you slept, how much training you did, how nervous you were, what foods you ate, how high your metabolism is, how much muscle is in your body, etc. It is practically impossible to accurately calculate sufficient, but not excessive, calorie consumption every day. Therefore, be prepared that you will walk a very fine line and keep either “one foot” in conditions of anabolism, or “the other foot” in conditions of catabolism. In such conditions it is VERY DIFFICULT to type! You will either lose muscle or gain muscle. There will be progress, but very slow. There is no need to expect fantastic results.
• In order for muscles to grow, you need to provide the muscles with a heavy load (in the range of 6-12 repetitions), i.e. There is no talk of pumping. Many people, when on a diet, begin to greatly reduce working weights and work in high repetitions. This is a mistake if you want to preserve the maximum amount of muscle, because under such conditions the body WILL NOT SEE THE NEED for maintaining muscle mass. The ideal option, from my point of view, is 4-6 approaches with a slightly lower working weight (weight will fall in any case on a low-carbohydrate diet), and then 1-2 approaches in pumping mode to further fatigue the muscles ( for 10-15 repetitions).
• It will be easier for a beginner to gain leanness at the beginning of his training journey than for a more trained athlete. Yes, gaining weight in a calorie surplus WILL HAPPEN BETTER because it ensures that you have enough calories and nutrients (the body stores the excess). Therefore, reasonable obesity is even beneficial here. BUT! At the very beginning, the muscles of beginners change, mainly NOT DUE TO HYPERTROPHY (the weights are small, so the load is insignificant), but due to the transformation of various systems in their body (endocrine, accumulation of nutrients, nervous, etc.), efficiency changes energy consumption. Therefore, the muscles will look more full. YOU WILL GAIN WORSE, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE TO GAIN SO MUCH at the very beginning if you are afraid of excess weight.
• Gaining “lean” muscle mass with pharmacology is much easier than naturally. An elementary conclusion, but still, I think it was worth mentioning. At the beginning of your training, there can be no talk of any pharmacology, of course, but, from a theoretical point of view, you should know this. Testosterone and its esters, as well as, in particular, growth hormone, promote accelerated protein synthesis, which allows you to gain weight several times faster, and, in connection with this, the need for protein and carbohydrates increases. All metabolic and anabolic processes in the body are accelerated. We will not consider pharmacology today.

These are the main points.

Again:

• There should be enough calories, but not excessive!
• The load must be high enough! There is no need to reduce the weight on the apparatus during a diet (only forcedly, since it will most likely decrease a little anyway).
• It is easier for a beginner to build leaner muscle mass than for a more trained athlete (since beginners’ muscles grow from almost everything).

Let's move on to more practical points.

How to gain lean muscle mass without fat with proper nutrition:

Rule #1: Calories should be exactly what your muscles require.

For muscle growth to occur, you must consume more calories than you burn during the day. But there shouldn’t be too many of these same calories, otherwise the extra ones will go into fat. You need to calculate your calorie intake (starting point). To do this, you need to multiply your weight by a conventional figure:

• guys - 30
• girls – 25

For example, if you are a guy and your weight = 75kg, then you need to do the following: 75 * 30 = 2250 calories (your starting point). There is no need to think that if according to the formula you received 2250 calories, then this calorie content will suit you 100%. This calorie content is a starting point that will show which way to move.

So now you know your starting point. Now you need to select a menu for a given calorie content and take preliminary measurements (body weight, waist, buttocks, arms + visually evaluate yourself in the mirror). Afterwards, you need to strictly follow the regime for 7 days and repeat all these measurements on the 8th day. If you see that absolutely nothing has changed, then you are getting exactly as many calories as you are expending. To start gaining weight, you need to add 100 calories to your diet from the right carbohydrates and repeat control measurements in a week. As a rule, after a week there should be progress (if you added 150 - 250g on the scales and your waist remained unchanged, then everything is fine, you are gaining lean muscle mass without fat).

If after measurements your weight has increased by more than 500g and your waist has grown a little, then you are gaining muscle + fat. You need to cut your diet by 100–150 calories from carbohydrates. If, after measurements, your weight has decreased, then, on the contrary, you need to increase your diet by 200 - 300 calories from carbohydrates. And so every week you monitor your progress using measurements and adjust your diet as necessary. Try to gain no more than 300g of weight per week and watch your waist (it should not increase).

Rule #2: Eat enough protein

Protein plays a key role in nutrition because without enough, you won't be able to build muscle. There shouldn't be too much protein or too little. It is usually recommended to consume 2g per 1kg of body weight for boys and 1.5g per 1kg of body weight for girls. But, since we are gaining lean mass without fat, I would raise the protein like this:

• 2.3 – 2.5g per 1kg of body weight for endomorph guys
• 2 – 2.2g per 1kg of body weight for ectomorph guys
• 1.8 – 2g per 1 kg of body weight for endomorph girls
• 1.6 – 1.7g per 1 kg of body weight for ectomorph girls

The main sources of protein foods: chicken fillet, turkey fillet, lean beef, veal, seafood, fish, low-fat cottage cheese, chicken eggs.

Rule No. 3: There should be exactly as much fat and carbohydrates as your muscles require.

If we can calculate proteins using a formula and strictly adhere to this norm, then we need to experiment with fats and carbohydrates. Fat should be approximately 0.5 - 0.7 g per 1 kg of body weight. In some cases, fat may be 0.4 g per 1 kg or 1 g per 1 kg (everything is individual - you need to try it). The most valuable fats are unsaturated fats (omega 3, 6, 9). Best sources: olive oil, flaxseed oil, nuts, fatty fish and avocados.

Carbohydrates also need to be selected intuitively. I will not give formulas, as is the case with proteins and fats. You can select carbohydrates as follows:

1. calculate your daily calorie intake
2. calculate your daily protein intake
3. calculate your daily fat intake
4. after all this, we sum up the calories obtained from proteins and fats, subtract them from the total calorie content and calculate carbohydrates for the remaining calories (for example, if your norm is 2000 calories, you gained 1400 calories from proteins and fats, then carbohydrates need to be calculated for the remaining 600 calories )

Rule No. 4: Fractional meals

Why is fractional nutrition (4 - 6 meals per day) better than the standard 2 - 3 meals? Because:

• maintains the amino acid profile at the same level (without any special ups and downs)
• maintains blood sugar levels without large drops, which helps reduce hunger during a diet
• improves protein biosynthesis and glycogen resynthesis
• It’s easier for your stomach to digest small meals than large ones (this will protect you from gastrointestinal problems and increase the digestibility of the food you eat)
• frequent meals entail the absorption of food in small portions, and such portions, as a rule, do not stretch the stomach (if your stomach is normal, then everything will be fine with your waist)

Rule #5: Water

Water, like protein, plays a key role in gaining lean mass. If your body does not receive enough fluid, this will negatively affect both muscle gain and the entire body as a whole. For girls whose weight is 45–55 kg, I recommend drinking at least 1.5 liters of water per day (more is possible). For guys whose weight is 70–80 kg, I recommend drinking at least 2.2 liters of water per day (more is possible). All these standards are averages. In practice, your body may require much more fluid (this is affected by your lifestyle), everything needs to be selected individually.

I also recommend drinking a glass of water immediately after waking up (20 - 30 minutes before breakfast). Drinking water will replenish fluid reserves in the body (since no fluid was supplied during sleep) and will have a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract. During training, it is also necessary to drink a sufficient amount of liquid (usually 0.5 - 1.5 liters of water).

Rule #6: Protein – Carbohydrate window after training. Myth or reality?

There are two opinions regarding this rule. Some athletes say that after training you need to throw food into yourself in order to stop the process of destruction of muscle mass and replenish lost energy reserves. Others say that there is no point in this and if the total daily caloric intake is in order, then the muscles will grow. I tested these 2 opinions on myself (after training I consumed: proteins + carbohydrates / after training I consumed only proteins / after training I did not eat anything at all for the first 30 minutes), and I can say that I saw absolutely no difference in the progress of mass gain.

From this we can conclude that the total daily caloric intake is much more important than eating immediately after training. Also, what I noticed is that if you eat 30 - 40 minutes after training, and not immediately, then the state of the gastrointestinal tract is an order of magnitude better (there is no heaviness or other unpleasant moments).

Rule No. 7: Sports nutrition

And the last rule is the use of sports supplements that will help you gain lean muscle mass without fat . Before going directly to the analysis of recommended supplements, I want to tell you that all this sports nutrition comes as an addition to the main diet. To gain quality mass quickly and effectively, first of all you need to edit your regime, namely: nutrition, training and sleep. Only when all these factors are fully respected will sports nutrition give the greatest possible impetus in terms of muscle growth.

The first thing I recommend is creatine. The most effective and necessary supplement that will accelerate the growth of lean mass. I recommend taking this supplement without loading, with an even background. That is, every day 5–10 g. On training days, take a serving of creatine immediately after your workout. On rest days - in the morning. You need to take creatine in courses (take 6 – 8 weeks + rest for 3 – 4 weeks).

The second is vitamins, macro and microelements. Very often, athletes neglect this supplement, since it is almost impossible to feel it in action. Naturally, vitamins, macro and microelements do not directly enhance muscle growth, but without these nutrients it is impossible to build huge muscles. It is impossible, because in order to do this, the body needs to function normally, and it cannot function normally without a sufficient amount of vitamins, macro and microelements.

And the third supplement is Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3s include: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DHA). These fats perform many functions in the human body. Without this supplement, it is not possible to achieve any high results in building lean muscle mass. Daily value = 2 – 4g

As you can see, omegas include three formulas (relatively speaking): ALA, EPA and DHA. The first (ALA) are omegas of plant origin (sources: flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil, nuts, seeds), and the second two (EPA and DHA) are omegas from fish (sources: sea oily fish - herring, salmon, mackerel, etc. .d.). For maximum value, you need to include all 3 types (ALA + EPA + DHA) in your diet daily. But, if you choose which of them is more preferable, then without hesitation we can say that these are EPA and DHA (oily fish).

These are the three supplements that I recommend taking on a regular basis. There is no protein here, since this is a regular food (100g of beef = 1 serving of protein), and it does not give any extra results. That is, it doesn’t matter whether you eat meat or drink protein - the result will be the same. In addition, high-quality protein costs more than a serving of meat (what's the point of paying more?). The only time protein is truly appropriate is when you don't have the opportunity to eat solid food at the right time.

Sample proper nutrition menu for men and women:

First appointment:

• chicken egg omelette
• oatmeal
• dried fruits

Second reception:

• fish
• durum wheat pasta
• vegetables

Third trick:

• beef
• buckwheat
• vegetables

Fourth trick:

• chicken fillet
• vegetable salad dressed with flaxseed oil

Fifth trick:

• skim cheese
• glass of kefir
• nuts

If you are unable to independently choose a menu with the correct ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for your own body weight, then I can help you with this. If you want me to select an individual menu for you (calculate everything by grams and time), then contact me through this page -> INDIVIDUALLY

Gaining Lean Muscle Mass

Although I don’t really like this idea, because... limits the possible progress, but I understand that at the beginning of training a person cannot abstract himself and train in conditions of increased calorie content. It's depressing.

Pressure from others, criticism, some judgmental glances, buying larger clothes - all this seems almost unbearable at the beginning precisely from a psychological point of view. That's why I think it's important to teach you and give you my opinion on how to gain muscle mass while on a caloric restriction.

Calorie restriction

So, if you set yourself the goal of first losing weight and then gaining muscle mass (this is exactly what I did), then you will need to first learn to control your calorie intake and the proportions of nutrients.

I discussed this topic in great detail in the article: “How to lose weight quickly?”

Read it, there’s all the details about how to start your weight loss journey, about the “starting point” and so on. Be sure to read it.

Also, then you can try more advanced diets for weight loss. They work great. My sister and I always, every year before summer, lose weight this way. Here are two extremely powerful diets:

• "BUCH diet";
• "KETO diet";

Let's better talk about how to eat if you have already lost weight (or were thin/thin), and now you decide to gain weight without excess fat (“lean mass”).

As we said, there should be ENOUGH calories, but not excessive! Those. There should still be a small excess, but not critical and almost unnoticeable, but only as a safety net (in case the body needs a little more energy at some point during recovery).

How to calculate this? In the article on weight loss, linked above, I explained how to calculate the “reference point”.

A “reference point” is a thing where your weight stands still. Those. YOU GET THE SAME CALORIES AS YOU SPEND.

Over time, your “reference point” will get lower and lower, because... the body will lose weight and need a little less energy, but, at a certain point, the weight loss will stop. The body will hit a plateau. You will look thin, which is enough to start gaining weight.

The point is to START INCREASING THE CALORIES IN YOUR DIET A LITTLE LITTLE!

We must add a little (almost like jewelry) calories to our diet. First by 50 g per week, then by 100 g. Until our weight SMOOTHLY begins to move up. For 100-300 g per week. Not more!

Those. THE FIRST GUIDANCE IS THE SCALES (the weight should increase a little!). Although at the beginning of your training you can gain significantly more, so let’s move on to the next benchmark.

The second guideline is the REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR ! You must observe your reflection, look and compare, even better, take pictures! See whether the fat layer on the body is increasing or not. She SHOULD NOT GROW MUCH! Ideally, practically speaking, it should not grow at all!

If you see that the fat layer has increased (you can simply pull back the fold on your stomach and estimate it by eye), then LOWER your calorie content a LITTLE!

The next, third guideline is YOUR WELL-BEING! It is very difficult to ensure PROGRESSION OF LOAD (and it is necessary for muscle growth, otherwise the body will not have the need to adapt the muscles to more serious weights) if you fall off your feet and lack energy.

Therefore, if you feel that your performance has decreased significantly, cold sweat appears, you get tired quickly, and constantly want to sleep, then you need to slightly increase the AMOUNT OF CARBOHYDRATES! A little! For 50-100 g. Everything must be selected very precisely. As I said, almost “jewelry”.

So, remember:

1. Focus on the scale (weight should increase by 100-300 g per week MAXIMUM!).
2. Watch your reflection in the mirror (you shouldn't get fat quickly).
3. Monitor your well-being (if you are tired and have little strength, then add carbohydrates).

Now a little about sports supplements. I am not a supporter of sports nutrition, although it makes life much easier (convenience of preparation, different speed of absorption, etc.). But, in conditions of limited calories, it can serve as a good help.

What supplements can I recommend taking?

BCAA – branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine). They make up 25% of our muscles. If there is a lack of these amino acids (a common phenomenon during a diet), our body uses them as energy and simply burns them. We don't need this.

Dosage regimen: 15-20 g of BCAA before, during and after training.

CREATINE is a NATURAL SUBSTANCE found in human and animal muscles and is essential for energy metabolism and movement.

Creatine can be synthesized by the body (liver, pancreas and kidneys) from arginine, methionine and glycine (these are protein components).

Creatine monohydrate is the MOST EFFECTIVE and popular form of creatine. Its chemical formula is: WATER MOLECULE + CREATINE .

In general, I wrote in great detail about creatine in the article: Creatine monohydrate: what is it for.

Reception scheme:

• 5 g (teaspoon) of creatine monohydrate per day, IN THE MORNING ON AN HARD STOMACH OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER TRAINING, diluted WITH SWEET JUICE (preferably grape);
• Duration of use is 6-8 weeks;

These supplements will be quite sufficient at first.

I think it’s clear from nutrition and progress analysis.

Now, what about training?

Basic principles of training

Gaining lean muscle mass is all about nutrition, training , and rest. You can achieve your desired goal not only in the gym, but also at home. In the second case, you will need self-discipline, good willpower and sports equipment in the form of dumbbells of different weights, barbells, expanders.

You also need to think over the lesson program. The most effective method is split training. They involve exercises for different muscle groups, which are performed on different days. Beginners can start with one or two sessions per week, with one or two rest days in between. You should exercise for no more than 60 minutes so as not to overwork your muscles. Increase the number of sets, dumbbell weights, or number of workouts gradually over several weeks. Remember the main rule - you can start exercising 1-2 hours after eating and preferably in the first half of the day while you are full of strength and energy!

Workouts to gain lean muscle mass

You need to understand that the concept of “lean muscle mass” is very conditional! All the same, if you gain weight, your muscles will not be very dry, because... if the muscles are dry, then most likely there is NOT ENOUGH NUTRITION!

But it is still possible to recruit in conditions of slight excess or abundance.

Progress, naturally, will not be so pronounced, but it will be, especially for beginners, whose muscles respond to almost any load at the beginning.

By the way, for the first two years of training I trained exactly like this! Until my weight plateaued somewhere around 75-76 kg.

BUT I DID!

Here is a photo of the first couple of years of training, progress, although not so great, was there. And I was relatively dry all year long. I had visible abs, which indicates low body fat (8-12%).

Let's tell you the main features of training during mass gain under conditions of limited calories, or, as they say, “lean muscle mass.”

• PROGRESSION OF LOADS is mandatory ! Muscles will not grow without progression of working weights (get yourself a training diary). First, in the first 2-3 months of training, you work on TECHNIQUE, on developing your brain-muscle connection. You work out with increased weights. In the beginning, you can train your WHOLE BODY IN ONE WORKOUT! Even this will be enough. Then after 2-3 months you can start PROGRESSING! “Split the body into pieces,” i.e. train on a split basis, this will load your muscles harder. Increase your working weight on the barbell. 1-5 kg ​​in each subsequent workout. In the beginning, the weight will increase quite quickly. Then, after a certain time, they will stall. Progress there will be slower.
• We work in the range of 6-12 repetitions, as before . And at the end we perform 1-2 “pumping approaches” for 10-15 repetitions, i.e. we fill the muscles with blood. The movements are fast, within amplitude. This will further fatigue our muscles and deliver nutrients and anabolic hormones to them.
• Over time (after 6-8 months) you can start training with MICROPERIODIZATION OF LOADS ! I won’t talk about this in detail here; I wrote everything in this article. The fact is that in conditions of limited caloric intake you will have to constantly boost your energy, because. you will have noticeably less strength than if you gained in excess calories. Microperiodization will help with this.

Lean Mass Gaining Workout for the Green Beginner

If you just came to the gym, then first you need to learn COMPETENT technique. How to do it?

We train the whole body at a time in one workout (this way the load is less), accordingly, you can get involved in the process more gently and learn how to competently contract muscles.

This is the main task. Without this, your further progress will be much slower. Therefore, LET'S INSTALL EQUIPMENT!

A training program for a beginner might look something like this:

1. Army press.
2. Barbell row to the chin.
3. Barbell curls for biceps.
4. Squats.
5. Bench press.
6. Bent-over barbell row.
7. Hanging straight leg raise (abdominal exercise).

Do the above workout 3 times a week, every other day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday).

We start with the shoulder girdle, because... in the future, this will allow you to increase your chest and back volumes.

First, we perform one warm-up set (usually with an empty bar) for 12 repetitions, then 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions with a weight that allows you to perform the exercises with the correct technique and feel the work of your muscles.

Weight must be CONSCIOUSLY REDUCED! Approximately 50-60% of working weights!

If you can perform a bench press with 60 kg, then do it with 30-35 kg. WE THINK about the muscle we are training!

Remember, the main thing now is technique!

Training for advanced beginners with linear progression of load

When you have worked on the technique (2-3 months), you can begin to split your body more deeply.

Here is an example of the implementation of such a scheme:

Monday (LEGS):

1. Squats: 2 warm-up sets + 3-4 x 8-15.
2. Deadlift: 2 warm-up sets + 3-4 x 6-10.
3. Standing calves in the machine: 1-2 warm-up sets + 3-4 x 20-30.

• Press: crunch x 3 max

Wednesday (BACK, BICEPS):

1. Pull-ups: 1-2 warm-up sets + 3-4 x 6-10.
2. Bent-over barbell row: 2 warm-up sets + 3-4 x 6-10.
3. Biceps curls (possible with a curved bar): 3 warm-up sets + 3-4 x 6-10.

Friday (CHEST, TRICEPS, DELTS):

1. Bench press: 3 warm-up sets + 3-4 x 6-10.
2. Military press/seated dumbbell press: 2 warm-up sets + 3-4 x 6-10.
3. Dips: 2 warm-up sets + 3-4 x 6-10.

• Press: crunch x 3 max

In this workout, I split my body into several parts (split) and increased the number of approaches. This will help to better work out the muscles being trained, but, as you can see, the number of exercises is only 3-4. This will prevent you from “catch” overtraining.

It is very important that you control the growth of working weights! You must constantly increase the load, because... Without increasing the load, there will be no muscle growth.

Even if you eat ideally, sleep a lot and train properly, sooner or later, there will still come a time when you can no longer gain weight. Your progress will stop.

This is why we will use LOAD PERIODIZATION!

Lean body mass and muscle mass - what's the difference?

Translator: Tatyana Arkharova

Editor: Veronica Rees

Source: Inbodyusa

Let's consider three statements:

1. “I don’t want to get huge, I just want to increase my strength and gain 2kg of lean mass.”
2. “My goal is to train more and gain 2kg of muscle mass before next season.”
3. “I'm going to add more protein to my diet and hopefully gain 2kg of lean muscle mass by the end of the month.”

In each of them, someone wants to get 2 kg of mass, but different. From a biological perspective, there is no such thing as “lean muscle.” The word “lean” usually implies a lack of body fat. Regarding body weight and muscle mass: both options exist. However, the conversation is about different things, and you need to understand the difference.

Lean body mass vs muscle mass

Lean body mass is your total body weight minus your fat mass.

It includes:

• organs;
• leather;
• bones;
• water;
• muscle mass.

Since dry body mass includes so many components, any change in them will affect the entire dry body mass. The weight of organs usually does not change much, but bone density may decrease, but this still will not have a significant effect on dry mass. What you should pay attention to is the water and muscle component.

When people talk about increasing muscle mass through consuming more protein or working out, they are actually talking about increasing skeletal muscle mass. This is due to three main types of muscles: cardiac, smooth and skeletal. With proper nutrition and exercise, you can only increase skeletal muscle mass. But skeletal muscle mass is included in lean body mass.

Because increasing skeletal muscle mass also increases lean body mass, many people say they are “gaining muscle.” However, an increase in lean body mass is not always due to an increase in muscle mass, since dry body mass also includes water. Here is an analysis of the body composition of a man weighing 79 kg:

Water accounted for more than 70% of total body weight, which is normal for a healthy adult male. Note that in terms of body composition, dry mass is made up of three components, two of which are water. Everything else is bone minerals, protein content, etc.

Increasing muscle mass definitely helps increase lean mass, but also water mass, which can fluctuate throughout the day. It is also important to note that muscles contain a lot of water. According to the USGS, muscle can contain up to 79% water. Research has also shown that resistance training increases intracellular water in both men and women.

All this points to two main problems that arise when talking about muscle growth:

1. A large increase in dry body mass often occurs due to water.
2. It is difficult to say how much of the increase in lean body mass is due to the growth of skeletal muscles.

Measuring lean body mass and muscle mass

Body composition analysis using InBody

There is a significant difference between lean body mass and skeletal muscle mass, but how do you know what the ratio is?

Fitness magazines advise calculating changes in skeletal muscle mass. It's popular, but it's better not to do it.

The problem with the progress rating scale is that there are many factors that can influence weight gain:

• undigested food or drinks;
• water retention due to glycogen;
• water retention due to sodium;
• increase in body fat due to excess calories.

There is only one way to calculate what is happening to lean body mass - by analyzing body composition. Most body composition analysis methods divide the body into lean mass and fat mass.

These methods include:

• caliper;
• hydrostatic weighing;
• air plethysmography.

Each has its pros and cons, and accuracy can vary depending on a number of factors unique to each testing method. For a more in-depth analysis of body composition, it is necessary to turn to two more complex methods: dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and direct segmental multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (DSM-BIA). These methods will not only show how much fat you have, but will also determine your skeletal muscle mass and lean body mass.

Let's return to the three statements from the beginning of the article.

1. Lean muscle mass, this term is a mixture of two others, skeletal muscle mass and lean body mass, and should not be confused with them.
2. Muscle mass (or musculoskeletal mass). Yes, it is likely that if you do resistance training/weightlifting and eat enough protein, the changes are related to the development of musculoskeletal mass. But remember that skeletal muscle is part of lean body mass.
3. Lean body mass is probably the best term to describe your gains. When you use this term, it means that you have gained weight from muscle and water, not fat.

However, due to the nature of lean body mass, it is very difficult to tell how much of the gain is due to water and how much is due to muscle. +2 kg is not 2 kg of pure muscle. When it comes to muscle mass (or fat loss), it all comes down to what tools you use to measure your progress. If you only use scales, your results will never be accurate because you can't tell whether your weight gain is due to water, muscle, or fat.

Additionally: read about the importance of training and muscle mass in old age here.

Different types of diets for weight

Believe it or not, there are several different techniques. Here they are:

• Lean building is an eating plan aimed at gaining lean muscle mass with a minimum amount of fat. Macronutrient intake is carefully monitored.
• Dirty rocking is a more aggressive eating option that consumes more calories, a significant portion of which comes from “dirty” or processed food/fast food. With this approach to nutrition, calories and macronutrients are rarely controlled.
• Flexible Nutrition ( IIFYM ) – This approach can be used for both weight gain and weight loss. The main emphasis is on gaining the desired amount of macronutrients, without paying close attention to the food that is their source.
• Clean training is not much different from dry training, except that greater emphasis is placed on eating non-processed foods (convenience foods, fast food, etc.). The main emphasis is on how to gain clean muscle mass using proper nutrition with natural products.

In this article, we will not evaluate the usefulness of these techniques. Our goal first and foremost is to create an eating plan that is primarily based on lean and clean building. You can adjust this sample meal plan to suit your personal needs.

But without hard work in the gym, the body will have no reason to process those excess calories and turn them into additional muscle tissue.