Who wants to get buff without the flab? Unfortunately, building muscle typically comes with some added body fat. Fortunately, we've got the scoop on increasing your muscle mass without the extra pudge. And we'll even give you the lowdown on which mass gainer is best for the job. So, read on to discover the secrets of how to gain muscle without gaining fat.
Train for Hypertrophy
Muscle growth is achieved in the gym via hypertrophy training and progressive overload. We want the muscle cells to break down and repair bigger and stronger. That means working with a weight between 70-85% of your one-rep max, doing three or four sets, and being in the 8-15 rep range (with 60-120 seconds of rest between sets). Performing three exercises for each body part using these parameters, and you should see results quickly.
As for progressive overload, make sure you add either reps or weights every time you train. Increasing the overall workload is key to building bigger muscles. And when you have more muscle, your metabolism ramps up and burns more fat.
Reduce Overall Calories
Most of the advice for keeping an aesthetic body composition will involve food. Specifically, you want to lower your overall caloric intake so that you aren’t storing unnecessary excess energy as fat.
Of course, you still need a decent amount of calories — aka clean bulking — to build muscle from training. Try to time your carbohydrate intake before or after your workouts to avoid fat gain and ensure the calories are utilized properly — building and repairing muscle tissue.
Eat Plenty of High-Quality Protein
Consuming ample protein works in two ways:
- Protein shuttles amino acids to your rebuilding muscle fibers, giving them the nutrients they need to grow.
- More protein per meal leads to better satiety throughout the day, making it easier to reduce your calories without feeling hungry.
High-quality protein sources include animal protein (chicken, lean beef, pork), seafood (salmon, tilapia, cod, halibut, shellfish), and some plant protein (flax, pea protein, some soy products). Review nutrition labels to see if certain food products have become overprocessed. You’ll want to opt for the more single-ingredient foods for the best results, making animal protein and seafood your best options.
Choose a Top-Tier Mass Gainer
For that additional boost in muscle growth, choosing a clean mass gainer can be the difference between mediocre results and eye-popping size.
Not all mass gainers are the same, though. You’ll want a clean ingredient profile that provides the high-quality protein we discussed above and a good macronutrient, micronutrient, and BCAA blend. Fiber and pH-balancing greens don’t hurt, either.
Enter Clean Mass XL. Simply trading in one of your meals for a serving of Clean Mass XL gets you 1120 calories (which helps keep caloric intake at a moderate level). Plus, it gives you everything discussed above, with the protein coming from whey, milk, fermented pea, and sprouted pumpkin seed.
If you are weight training for hypertrophy and use Clean Mass XL once daily, muscle growth without gaining body fat will be simple and fast.
