CategoriesNutrition

Math For Gym Bros: How to Set Up Calories For a Mass Gaining Phase

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of United Kingdom based strength & nutrition coach, Harry Archer.

Harry wrote a popular article for the site a few weeks ago titled Why Tony’s Pecs Can Cut Diamonds Why Gym Bros Should Periodize Their Nutrition that you can check out HERE.

He’s back with another edition of “Gym Bros Nutrition,” this time going into the weeds on caloric intake when attempting to put on muscle.

It’s good.

Enjoy!

Copyright: Roman Stetsyk

Math For Gym Bros: How to Set Up Calories For a Mass Gaining Phase

So you’ve decided to get jacked.

You, my friend, have made a very very excellent decision because let’s face it – being jacked is awesome.

Filling out T-shirts from the Traps/Shoulders/Chest down instead of gut-up, walking sideways through doors and generally having massive biceps – being Yoked is an awesome feeling.

Before you start eating everything in sight for the gains there’s a few things we need to go over to help you optimize your Massing phase.

Important things, like what to focus on to maximize your hypertrophic potentiation during your deliberate hyper-caloric overfeeding stage, and using individualized nutrition protocols to accrue muscle protein synthesis at a maximal rate of gain whilst preventing muscle protein breakdown and attenuating increases in adiposity.

Stuff like that.

How Many Calories?

You might have heard before that total calories are the most important variable for slabbing on some size.

It certainly helps, but total protein intake is actually the real MVP.

“Once individual protein requirements are met, energy content of the diet has the largest effect on body composition” – Rozenek et al, 2002.

See inadequate calorie intake doesn’t actually undermine muscle gain if protein is adequate. You can still gain size if your protein intake is on point EVEN IF you’re not eating enough calories (although this is less ideal)

Gaining muscle comes to the relationship between Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS)  vs Muscle Protein Breakdown (MPB). MPS is the process of building our muscle tissue, MPB is the process of breakdown muscle tissue.

Think of it like this:

  • MPS = good for gains
  • MPB = bad for gains

We wanna promote the muscle building process (MPS) and fend off breaking down muscle tissue as much as possible.

We can do this two ways:

  • Stimulate the shit out of Muscle Protein Synthesis via lifting weights
  • Stimulate MPS by eating enough Protein – namely, Leucine – often enough

Lifting weights is a pertinent stimulus for muscle protein synthesis. So let’s assume you’ve got training to a T – you’re doing all the big lifts, hitting that sweet progressive overload each week/month and generally being a badass.

(If you’re not, you really need to do something about that…HERE)

As your lifting is taken care of we need to look at stimulating MPS via your protein intake.

Muscle Protein Synthesis occurs on a cycle throughout your day:

  • You’ll stimulate it (by training & eating Protein)
  • You’ll get a “Muscle Full” effect after 1-2 hours
  • You’ll hit our Refractory Period after approx 2 hours
  • You’d then stimulate it again (by eating Protein)

So as you’re trying to keep MPS stimulated, and prevent gains catabolism, you need frequent protein feedings to keep MPS stimulated. You can do this by eating enough protein every 3-4 hours.

So What’s Enough Protein?

To optimize muscle gains we’re looking to create what’s called a “Muscle Full Effect” – this is where there’s enough protein to saturate the muscle tissue which helps it grow bigger.

Like all good things anabolism only lasts a short-time so we need to constantly stimulate it.

Now, you might be thinking “yeah but Harry, what if there’s still amino acids leftover, from our previous protein intake, can’t my body just use those to keep stimulating MPS for all eternity?”.

You’d think that would be a groovy thing to do, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that dude. We need a constant supply of Leucine and nitrogen to keep synthesizing new muscle tissue.

via GIPHY

So Give Me Like A Number Of PrOtEiNz To Eat

  • – REGULAR servings of protein — 4-6 “feeds” per day
  • – Meals 2-4 x 0.4-0.5g/kg (do the math = bodyweight in kg x 0.4 or 0.5)
  • – Post-exercise recovery shake 1-2 scoops
  • – Large Bolus before bed

So if you’re 80kg (<— Note from TG: ~175 lbs for us Americans)

You can realistically eat three meals per day, with a shake post-workout and a bolus before bed:

  • 3 Meals of 0.4g/kg protein per meal = 0.4 x 80 x 3 = 100 (rounded)
  • 2 Scoops PWO shake = 35g (+100)
  • 1 Large Bolus = 30-40g (+135g)

= 165-175g protein per day, spread evenly throughout the day (as above).

Calories, FTW

Once protein intake is sorted, it’s ideal if we’re eating in a calorie surplus.

WTF is a calorie surplus?

A calorie surplus is the principle of consuming a certain amount of calories above your maintenance calories.

See, a calorie surplus is what huge biceps are for Instagram likes – the most important thing ever.

This is a period of deliberate overfeeding of our body (aka Massing or Bulking or Getting Swole), coupled with resistance training, in order to optimally synthesize muscle tissue growth.

Whyyyyyyyy?

‘Cos it’s the best chance you have of off-setting muscle protein breakdown of course.

A surplus is one of the most effective ways to off-set muscle protein breakdown because you literally have enough calories to make sure muscle protein breakdown doesn’t happen.

Eating above your maintenance caloric intake is how you’re going to get the most out of your time building muscle mass.

I mean sure, whilst you could build lean muscle tissue in a deficit (eating less than you expend), or in maintenance (maintaining bodyweight), you’re just going to build more mass, quicker, AND have a higher overall potential growth rate if you eat in a mild surplus.

Which is the goal right?

Synthesize as much new muscle tissue (whilst keeping fat gain to a relative minimum preferably) as your body will allow you to.

Calculating the Gains

To grow new muscle tissue it’s best practice to eat in a surplus.

How many calories do you need for a surplus?

How To Calculate Your Massing Calories

Step 1: Figuring Out Your Maintenance Calories

I use a simple formula, courtesy of Martin MacDonald:

  • 24 x body-weight in kilograms (bw/kg) = Maintenance

Men expend approximately 1 calorie per kilogram of bodyweight per hour (24 hours in a day)

Step 2: Figuring Out Activity Level Demands:

  1. Sedentary (little or no exercise) Maintenance x 1.15
  2. Mostly Sedentary (office work + 3-6 days of lifting) Maintenance x 1.35
  3. Lightly Active (Active job + 3-6 days of lifting) Maintenance x 1.55
  4. Highly Active (Super Active job + 3-6 days of lifting) Maintenance x 1.75

This gives you an idea of how your activity level influences your maintenance weight.

*MAC Method for Calculating Energy Intake, Martin MacDonald.

Adding In Mass Phase Calories

Now we’d need to add in a surplus.

This will depend where you’re at as to what kind of surplus is necessary for you to start bulking on. All listed are calculated based on monthly bodyweight gains.

  1. New lifter = 2% per month (>6 month of lifting)
  2. Novice = 1.5% (Progresses training loads weekly)
  3. Intermediate = 1% (Progresses training loads monthly)
  4. Advanced = 0.5% (Progresses over multiple months/years)

 To calculate growth rates:

  • Target Rate of Gain: Recommended (as above) * Body-weight in KG
  • g. Intermediate Lifter, 80kg bw x 1% = 0.8kg per month

 (Bear in mind, it takes approximately 2500 calories to gain 0.45kg muscle tissue (1lb) and we’d be looking at that over a month).

Putting It Together

Let’s say you weigh 80kg (or 175 lb for the ONLY country in the galaxy that doesn’t use the metric system).

You’re an intermediate lifter, you’ve been lifting 5x per week in your home gym, but you’ve got a sedentary job due to being sat on your ass on Zoom now because a global pandemic forced you to work from home.

To figure out your Surplus Calories:

Step 1: Maintenance Calories = 24 * 80 (bw/kg) = 1920

Step 2: Activity Multiplier = 1920 x 1.35 (activity level) = 2592

Step 3a: Calculate Surplus (1%) = 80kg * 1% (0.01) = 0.8kg per month (0.8/0.45 = 1.7 * 2500 = 4250 additional calories per month)

Step 3b: Calculate Daily Surplus = 4250 (additional calories per month) / 30 (average days in month) = 141 cals

Step 4: Add It All Together:

  • Maintenance (1920),
  • *Activity Level (35) = 2592
  • + Desired Surplus (141)

= 2733 Calories per day

Brain hurt yet?

Here’s the fun(ner) part:

Calculating Protein Intake:

You’d take off your protein intake from your calorie Range:

Step 1: 176 (from example above) x 4 (4 cals/g Protein) = 704 calories

Step 2: Daily Calories (2637) – Protein Calories (704) = 1933 (to split between fats/carbs)

Calculating Carbs and Fats:

Fats are typically set at: 15-40%

Carbs are set at: whatever’s left

Step 1: Set Fat Intake: 0.30% * Total Calories = 791

Step 1b: 791/9 (9cals/g Fat) = 87g

Step 2: Protein Calories + Fat Calories = 704 + 791 = 1495

Step 3: Total Calories – Protein + Fat Calories = 2637 – 1495 = 1142/4 (4 cals/g Carbs)

Step 4: Carbohydrate Calories = 285g (what’s left after you’ve accounted for Protein + Fat)

So all putting that altogether, you’d start with:

  • Calories: 2796
  • Protein: 176g
  • Carbs: 285g
  • Fats: 87g

This is based on recommendations for protein intake, maintenance calories, activity level and surplus based on desired rate of gains.

It’s worth mentioning that initial calculations are….guidelines.

Energy balance is fluid, as our energy intake and expenditure usually fluctuates every day, however, it’s a useful starting point.

We’d usually monitor progress variables and make changes off of that data anyway.

So figure out what you need using the step by step formula (or have someone do it for you), and track bodyweight changes over the month so see how you’re getting on vs desired rates of gains.

You can change and adjust every 2-4 weeks, depending on growth rates/activity level.

About the Author

Harry Archer is a Strength and Nutrition Coach based in Bedford, UK.

Having worked in the fitness industry for nearly a decade, he’s worked in commercial gyms, private gyms, performance gyms, health clinics and more recently online (thanks COVID), with a variety of clients, ranging from helping the John’s from Project Management get Jacked With Abs, to coaching Strength-Sport performance athletes attempting World Records.

He’s usually happiest when lifting and eating, and when thinking about lifting and eating. Follow him on his Insta HERE.

CategoriesNutrition

Why Gym Bros Should Periodize Their Nutrition

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of United Kingdom based strength & nutrition coach, Harry Archer. 

He took my subtle hint from a few weeks ago when I made note of the dearth of nutrition content on my site and how I tend to not touch it with a ten-foot pole. 

Not because I don’t know what gluconeogenesis is1, but because I know my where my expertise isn’t and I respect scope of practice.

Nevertheless, he reached out and offered to provide some nutrition-related content for the site.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Copyright: tverdohlib / 123RF Stock Photo

Why Gym Bros Should Periodize Their Nutrition

Let’s face it –  as a lifter and fellow enthusiast of all things getting Yoked, chances are you wanna be jacked/strong and lean all at the same time.

Admirable goals friend, join the Swole Club.

Unfortunately our physiology doesn’t really like us doing all three at once, so it’ll make excuses and half ass any adaptations and responses to lifting.

IKR, ffs, c’mon physiology.

Fortunately there’s a groovy nutrition concept that allows us to maximize training adaptations over time so we can indeed get massiver, stronger-er and more shredded..

It’s called Periodizing Nutrition, and I’m going to take you through it today.

All aboard the Gainz Train.

What Does Periodizing Nutrition Even Mean?

 “The planned, purposeful, and strategic use of specific nutritional interventions to enhance the adaptations targeted by individual exercise sessions or periodic training plans, or to obtain other effects that will enhance performance longer term” – Juedenkup

In bro-terms it’s organizing what you eat around the type of training you do to get the best results.

You can’t maximize (<– note key term here) both strength and hypertrophy at the same time very well, nor can you do either of these things whilst dieting down to single-digit body fat at the same time.

I know, I’m as gutted as you are.

via GIPHY

This is why training periodization exists – we can logically and systematically create training stimuli to produce different physical adaptations. We can lift heavier loads to create neural/strength stimuli, or we can lift moderate weights a lot of times to create hypertrophic stimuli, and we can do a load of cardio to help lose fat.

(Just kidding on that last one – don’t be THAT person).

The central idea of Nutritional Periodization is to match what you eat/how much you eat/specific macro ratios to the goal of your training block.

  • If you’re getting jacked, we can use calories and macros strategically to maximize gains.
  • If lifting heavy is your thing, I feel you homie, we can use certain nutrition protocols to maximize that.
  • If you’re #teamnogains, then certain dieting nutrition protocols can attenuate losses in fat-free mass as you’re dieting so you can hold onto your gains as you spend time choosing to deliberately catabolize your gains.

Developing Your Very Own Periodized Nutrition Plan

Nutrition Periodisation by @feedthebarbellntr

I mean, just eat right?

Why not just eat “well” or eat “good foods” or have seven protein shakes a day?

Because, whilst that’s lifting nutrition’s most ok-est advice, we’re more interested in our goals than “just eating right.”

What happens if your “just eating right” doesn’t support the hypertrophic goals you have and training in a hard volume block doesn’t result in the desired muscle gain?

What happens if “just eating right” doesn’t support the maintenance of lean muscle tissue during a deficit?

What happens if “just eating right” isn’t a sufficient amount of carbohydrates to offset perceived exertion during exercise leading you to feel like you’re the weakest dude in any gym that ever gymed?

You put a limit on how much progress you’ll make. Let’s not do that…

Training x Nutrition Periodization

If we look at training periodization, we have different training goals for different blocks. Each goal has a different objective, to produce a certain physiological adaptation or response so we normally use three different phases:

  • Increased Load = hypertrophic adaptations
  • Maintenance Load = Context dependent – could be transitions, could be a strength block after hypertrophy training
  • Decreased Load = usually transition between different blocks of training e.g. hypertrophy to strength or strength to deload

So, we can manipulate our nutrition to match the goal of the block right? Like so:

  • Increased Load = ideal for gains, so ideal for a surplus!
  • Maintenance Load = maintain body weight
  • Decreased Load = ideal for a deficit

So how do we plan nutrition around our block of training?

I Wanna Bulk Up

Ok, now we’re talking. So how can we periodize nutrition for them sweet gains?

The goal of hypertrophy blocks is to accumulate maximum recoverable volume (MRV) at a sufficient intensity to elicit muscle hypertrophy.

Basically?

Recover from lifting enough weight, enough times, multiple times a week so you get jacked.

When training load increases, guess what else should increase? If you said “calories, carbs and my biceps” you guessed right! Periods of high volume massing just need higher total calories and higher amounts of carbohydrates.

If we don’t periodize calories and carbohydrates to energy demands of our training, then very bad, super non-awesome stuff happens like overtraining, injuries and worst of all, you can’t fill out your Gymshark stringer Vest.

Topless gym selfies won’t be the same again.

How Fast Should You Gain?

When massing, we want to keep muscle:fat gain ratios favourable right? Keep rates of gain between 0.25-0.5% of your body-weight per week.

How Long Should You Gain?

You could probably make enough gains in 6 weeks, however, longer massing phases would see better results so push it to 12/16 weeks.

Is there a limit?

16 weeks. Outside of this, we run the risks of desensitising ourselves to training,  the ratio of muscle:fat starts tipping in favour of fat, we start running into health issues and ultimately it means longer, and more frequent dieting + maintenance phases as you’ll have accumulated too much fat that you don’t want to keep.

Macros For Gains Phases

Calories = 30-45 kcals/FFM (fat-free mass)

Protein = 1.6-1.8g/kg

Fats = 0.2-0.4 % of total calories

Carbs = whatever’s left (calculate other needs first)

Bit Fluffy From Your Last Perma-Bulk? I Got You

The goal of fat loss blocks shouldn’t really be to lose as much fat as possible. Instead, productive fat loss phases should really centre on maximizing FFM/LBM during the dieting phase, pushing close to MRV and promoting recovery from training load.

There’s mixed opinion on training volume when dieting. General bro rules dictate trying to  keep MRV (max recoverable volume) high to keep lean muscle mass during your dieting phase. There might be drops over time due to recoverability factors but cross that bridge when you get to it.

How Long Should This Phase Be?

Typically between 6-12 weeks, depending on how aggressive you want your deficit to be/how much you can handle. 6 week diets aka “Mini-Cuts” open themselves up to more aggressive losses, although these are typically fluctuations in water/glycogen and salt which aren’t fat.

Still, you can look pretty decent to your gym crush.

Longer dieting phases give us a better chance of retaining FFM due to slower losses, as long as you regulate training load. Otherwise, whilst you’re losing fat, you’re also increasing FFM losses, increasing injury risks and generally having a miserable time of it.

Proposed Rate of Losses?

Losses between 0.5-1% of total bodyweight per week is sufficient. Whilst a more aggressive approach may initially increase those %’s, most of that is water/glycogen and salt fluctuations. Higher rates of loss will come back to kick your ass with stuff like poor muscle retention, being hungry all the time, low sexual desires (what’s the point of looking decent if you can’t get laid?) and generally being a bit of a dick to everyone ‘cos you’re moody.

Is There a Limit?

There’s a concept of “Single Phase Limits” – up to no more than 10% of total body weight loss is recommended for a single dieting phase. The goal isn’t to hit maximum fat loss per phase, the goal is to retain maximum muscle mass and recover from training loads per phase. Always has been, always will be.

More aggressive losses are a wild ride. For most, lower rates of loss will be easier to mentally and physically manage which honestly increases your chances of sustaining your fat loss efforts. I mean, don’t go so slow that you can’t see any results because that’s not fun for anyone but keep it psychologically and physiologically sensible.

Macros For Fat Loss

Calories = 30-45kcals/kg FFM

Protein = 1.6-2.4g/kg

Carbs = whatever is left

Fats = 0.2-0.5% total calories

Ok, You’re Shredded. Now What?

Now your gym crush is following you on Insta, now is the time to avoid rebounding post diet.

Here’s where maintaining gains comes in.

Maintenance blocks are important as you don’t really wanna go straight into a bulk, rebound, and regain all of the layers of fat you’ve just spent months slowly peeling off now do you?

The goal here is to keep lower body weights stable, and to reduce any diet fatigue. It takes a while for your body to recover from dieting, so maintenance blocks should be about as long as the dieting block.

Or at least until you stop fantasizing over food more than your gym crush.

If you want to sequence several fat loss blocks together (Rule of 10%) then diets with maintenance phases are very necessary as each period of dieting becomes a little bit more difficult

Each maintenance phase should progressively get longer than the dieting period as you’ll accumulate diet fatigue across each phase, life sucks when you diet a lot and dieting gets super hard and takes longer as you get leaner.

Bringing It All Together

via GIPHY

Choosing how to sequence your very own periodized nutrition plan is going to depend on where you’re currently at.

If you’re looking to pack on some size, then maybe string a few massing cycles together – with the appropriate maintenance blocks obviously, and see how you grow.

If you’re looking to shift a bit of timber in time for 6 Pack season, then sequencing dieting:maintenance cycles could be a good choice for you right now.

Ultimately you’ve got to decide what you want to achieve and then periodize your nutrition to match the goals of your training blocks.

Now, go get strong, jacked and shredded.

About the Author

Harry Archer is a Strength and Nutrition Coach based in Bedford, UK.

Having worked in the fitness industry for nearly a decade, he’s worked in commercial gyms, private gyms, performance gyms, health clinics and more recently online (thanks COVID), with a variety of clients, ranging from helping the John’s from Project Management get Jacked With Abs, to coaching Strength-Sport performance athletes attempting World Records.

He’s usually happiest when lifting and eating, and when thinking about lifting and eating. Follow him on his Insta HERE.