Gaining lean mass is the hardest achievement in bodybuilding regardless if you are doing bodyweight fitness or weight-lifting. That is why people often choose to bulk-up and go through a cutting phase after. Except that very few actually know how to get jacked afterward.
Having a big size and great strength is incredible. Still, nothing looks more impressive and performs better than a jacked frame. Body mobility, stamina, muscular endurance are but a few significant abilities you lose once you get too big. I’ve been in both situations and I know exactly the pros and cons. So far, being more athletic and having a low body fat percentage is superior and brings more satisfaction in all the ways possible. So here is what you can do to get lean, but keep the pure muscle mass:
You Should Only Eat The Right Macros!
First and foremost, you stored body fat as well because there wasn’t a balanced exchange of energy. You exceeded your daily calorie intake by far too much in comparison with what you burned out, and over time the body transformed lipids, carbs, and protein into body fat.
Our body reshapes depending on how well we rest, the training type we do, and the quality and quantity of food primarily impacts it. You grew bulky because you neglected something!
You shouldn’t include in your menu empty-calorie products. You don’t necessarily need certain types of workouts to keep yourself lean, but we all need nutritionally rich foods that also have low-calorie-density. We consider empty-calories all the foods that are poor in their nutritional content. These types of foods provide only calories. Empty-calories may have brought you that calorie excess. It’s easy to surpass the required amount in a day by eating pizza, mac & cheese, burgers, sweets, etc.
Empty-calorie foods are deficient in fiber and this makes their carbohydrates too processed. Eating sausages, cookies, and practically everything highly-processed can only add to your calorie intake without helping your cause of growing lean muscle tissue. In this case, you have to metabolize better or do sufficient cardio. Otherwise, they will get deposited on your frame (read here about the right types of carbs).
Many cut on macros in their quest to shred, but it’s physiologically wrong! I am sorry if you are a ketogenic diet follower, but science is more relevant to me. Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for our body, so depleting it from them will harm in the long term. Also, the brain needs them! Stop consuming simple carbs (except fruits and honey) like everything rich in table sugar, fast-food, and so on. Replace them with complex carbs from legumes, starches. Rely more on whole foods!
Legumes provide not only a good source of complex carbs but also fiber, proteins, and micronutrients. It’s easy to keep your pure muscle mass intact if you eat enough of the right food.
Keep eating to satisfy your needs, but make adjustments. Replace white bread with whole wheat bread, white rice with brown rice. Add lentils, chickpeas, beans, sweet potatoes instead of fries, etc. Quit eating fat coming from animal sources. Rely more on vegetable oils, but restrict that too because it provides a lot of calories. It is the reason why I recommend cooking without oils and use it for salads instead.
Add side dishes to your main meal, like salads or fruits. It would be best if you had a variety of micronutrients from vegetables and fruit as well. I practically recommend a balanced diet. Keep your protein intake normally. I can keep a good muscle mass by eating regular sizes of meat.
For more calories: oatmeal, whole cereals, bananas, maybe even a shake where you add these along with quinoa, or seeds, etc. That can bring a surplus of nutrients and calories too. Way better than relying on a burger or mac & cheese.
Eat to Fill Full!
Eating the right food fills up the stomach because it doesn’t have a high-calorie density as empty calorie foods. Your volume receptors will tell you that you had enough. For instance, a chocolate bar provides 500 calories, and a proper meal gives a similar number, but compare the volume, density, and other nutritional values.
It’s almost impossible eating a 1000 calories meal unless it’s junk food. The volume would be enormous! That’s why it is hard to overeat on the right meal. If you need around 2400 calories a day to optimally maintain a lean physique, then you can have three calorie-rich meals a day, plus snacks. As long as you eat right, I don’t see why you shouldn’t get shredded if patient.
calisthenics & nutritionBurn FAT / Build MUSCLE
Join the program
Do Strength Training!
At this point, you cleaned up your diet, but that doesn’t offer a guarantee that you keep the muscles. Diet will help you eliminate the extra fat without even training. Still, you need the stimulus to keep the muscles strong and sturdy. It doesn’t matter if you lift or do pull-ups and pushups. Both contract the muscles and sustain the musculature.
When I was in the cutting phase, I kept two workouts per week for my upper-body, where I mainly did calisthenics. On certain weeks, I had a third workout to train my legs with squats or sprints. Along with it, I incorporated 3-4 cardio sessions a week. They balanced each other so elegantly. In a matter of months, I became extremely jacked and lost dozens of pounds. Therefore, do as much cardio as you want. But eat right and have some strength training (see how to train with calisthenics) in your weekly log, and you’ll never lose pure mass.
You Might Need Cardio Training!
It is not utterly necessary as long as you follow a diet based on whole-foods. Strength training can be enough, and you can balance everything from the diet. Or you can do conditioning training like high-intensity calisthenics circuits. Some persons eat pretty much alright and train their strength and muscles purely. If it is your case and still need to burn fat, then you might need cardio exercise.
You burn body fat and utilize it as energy when you do prolonged cardio exercise. It is an advantage over strength training! One or two hours of demanding cardio training can burn from 700 to 1400 calories. A kilo of body fat has thousands of calories, and to get rid of one 1 kilo, you need to be consistent every week (Three simple steps to burn fat).
When you do strength training, the body relies more on sugar! It increases the demand for carb intake. That’s why you may feel a carb craving. Satisfy that hunger by eating legumes with some meat along or by rapidly snack with fruits.
Bonus Tips!
- Reduce the consumption of dairy products. You firstly metabolize the sugar from milk and only secondly, the protein!
- Body fat is made of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. So drink more water, do activities that require an increased heart and pulmonary activity, and train where is an abundance of fresh air. Also, the more oxygen you breathe in, the better.
- You can replace classic sets and reps workout with a calisthenics circuit. The same pull-ups, dips, and squats can be done in a bodybuilding-style or in a loop to increase the demand. You still stimulate the muscles, but you get more benefits because of the higher intensity.
- Extend your cardio sessions and make them more challenging. If you run, then on occasion, you should also do sprints intervals.
I hope my experience will help your cause, and if so, contact me and let’s chat! Share this article with your closest friends and help them out through the process.
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