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[h=2]Here's what you need to know...[/h]
Yes, you should eat more calories if you're looking to get bigger. But it's a problem when you go from zero to sixty too quickly, and most people do exactly that. They add hundreds of calories to their diet overnight thinking they're on their way to adding more muscle. But they're not. They're just getting fat.
Easing into a caloric increase makes all the difference. You'll still build muscle, if you're working out right, but you'll stay lean too. Here's how it works.
[h=3]The Progressive Overload of Eating[/h]The principle of progressive overload is fundamental in lifting. It means consistently and incrementally increasing the load or volume in your training. Every training program worth its salt utilizes some form of progressive overload. It keeps you moving forward. But when it comes to food, nobody talks about progressive overload. It works when adding weight to the bar and it works when adding muscle to your frame without gaining excessive amounts of body fat.
[h=3]Dieting Gone Wrong[/h]Let's say your maintenance calories were 2500, and then you decided to reduce calories. It goes well, you drop fat, maintain muscle, and get shredded. Awesome. Now it's time to go back to maintenance again and eat your original 2500-calorie diet, right? But because you dropped weight, your metabolic rate has also dropped. And now, instantaneously going back to eating those same 2500 calories can make you gain fat.
This metabolic downregulation is why you'll see people pack on pounds right after doing a super strict diet. They either go back to "normal" or even rebound in body fat. If a quick return to maintenance can cause this, imagine what diving into an extreme bulk can do.
[h=3]Homeostasis and Metabolic Rate[/h]Your body is always working toward equilibrium, or homeostasis. It's a natural process. It's also the culprit behind the downregulation of your metabolism when you diet. When you're in a caloric deficit, your body is already working on returning to homeostasis or equilibrium. How? By decreasing your metabolic rate in an attempt to close the gap caused by your caloric deficit.
A big player in this process is the hormone leptin. Leptin regulates your metabolism. If leptin levels are high, your metabolic rate will also be high. But when leptin levels drop, like when you're in a caloric deficit, your metabolic rate goes down with it. Even if you're strategically manipulating leptin levels with refeeds and cheat meals, leptin will drop when you diet down. Ever notice how your diet gets a lot less effective after the first month? It's because your body is working towards homeostasis, down-regulating leptin secretion, and dropping your metabolic rate.
After a strict diet, you may feel ready for a ton more food, but your body isn't. And if you're going from that state of calorie restriction to an all-out bulk, then hitting that slow metabolism with an abundance of calories is like setting yourself up for failure – unless you do it the right way.
- Progressive overload applies to dieting. Just like with lifting, gradual increases in calories will help you take control of your gains without gaining excess fat.
- If you've been dieting you shouldn't start a traditional bulk.Hitting your body with excess calories after being in a caloric deficit will lead to fat gain.
- The body wants to maintain homeostasis. So fast increases or decreases in calories will cause problems.
- Use reverse dieting to build muscle. Whether you're starting from maintenance or from a diet, you can increase your food intake to build muscle, not fat.
Yes, you should eat more calories if you're looking to get bigger. But it's a problem when you go from zero to sixty too quickly, and most people do exactly that. They add hundreds of calories to their diet overnight thinking they're on their way to adding more muscle. But they're not. They're just getting fat.
Easing into a caloric increase makes all the difference. You'll still build muscle, if you're working out right, but you'll stay lean too. Here's how it works.
[h=3]The Progressive Overload of Eating[/h]The principle of progressive overload is fundamental in lifting. It means consistently and incrementally increasing the load or volume in your training. Every training program worth its salt utilizes some form of progressive overload. It keeps you moving forward. But when it comes to food, nobody talks about progressive overload. It works when adding weight to the bar and it works when adding muscle to your frame without gaining excessive amounts of body fat.
[h=3]Dieting Gone Wrong[/h]Let's say your maintenance calories were 2500, and then you decided to reduce calories. It goes well, you drop fat, maintain muscle, and get shredded. Awesome. Now it's time to go back to maintenance again and eat your original 2500-calorie diet, right? But because you dropped weight, your metabolic rate has also dropped. And now, instantaneously going back to eating those same 2500 calories can make you gain fat.
This metabolic downregulation is why you'll see people pack on pounds right after doing a super strict diet. They either go back to "normal" or even rebound in body fat. If a quick return to maintenance can cause this, imagine what diving into an extreme bulk can do.
[h=3]Homeostasis and Metabolic Rate[/h]Your body is always working toward equilibrium, or homeostasis. It's a natural process. It's also the culprit behind the downregulation of your metabolism when you diet. When you're in a caloric deficit, your body is already working on returning to homeostasis or equilibrium. How? By decreasing your metabolic rate in an attempt to close the gap caused by your caloric deficit.
A big player in this process is the hormone leptin. Leptin regulates your metabolism. If leptin levels are high, your metabolic rate will also be high. But when leptin levels drop, like when you're in a caloric deficit, your metabolic rate goes down with it. Even if you're strategically manipulating leptin levels with refeeds and cheat meals, leptin will drop when you diet down. Ever notice how your diet gets a lot less effective after the first month? It's because your body is working towards homeostasis, down-regulating leptin secretion, and dropping your metabolic rate.
After a strict diet, you may feel ready for a ton more food, but your body isn't. And if you're going from that state of calorie restriction to an all-out bulk, then hitting that slow metabolism with an abundance of calories is like setting yourself up for failure – unless you do it the right way.
