EXCERPTS FROM THE DFBB DISCUSSION BOARD
Listen up...this is great information! Thanks a lot for the question, Martin, and a big thanks to Dedlift for this very detailed and informative answer.
Best,
Dan
QUESTION: Thanks to Dedlift and Paul for replying to my inquiry about muscle volume. It seems that the new program I started 8 weeks ago is a step in the good direction. However, I would need some advice on another topic. Since I started concentrating on squat, deadlift and bench press, I gained an average of 0.8 pound per week. The problem is that with such gains, I put on some fat. It does not bother me yet
since my abs are still ripped. I just have got some 'love handles'. What should I do when I want to get rid of those without sacrificing muscle? Also, how many grams of fat should I include in my daily intake when training to lose fat?
-Martin
ANSWER: Always remember, to lose fat ... you must burn off more calories than what you use each day. To gain muscle ... you must consume more calories than what you use each day. So if you want to gain some good muscle you are ultimatly going to gain a small bit of fat along with it. As a matter of fact, if you don't go about a mass gain diet the right way, you could gain more than a small bit of fat.
Most people should stay on a mass diet for about 8 to 12 weeks because after that (in most people) body fat levels start accelerating upward because of prolonged high insulin levels, and muscle gain slows considerably. It's all in your hormones. Some body types may do better to go a few more weeks ... I don't really know. Meals should be spaced out to one every two hours, and should be packed with protein and carbs (the right carbs !) with a moderate amount of fat. They don't have to be huge meals, just make sure your protein intake is almost 2 grams per pound of bodyweight per day and your consuming enough calories (where fat helps you). Make sure to stay away from candy and junk food because it's all just junk as far as nutrition is concerned. Fast food and candy are loaded with added preservatives and sugars that won't do a thing except help you get fat. Don't worry about fat too much though, as long as it's in a well balanced meal it's usually just fine. Perform no aerobic exercise whatsoever when your trying to make mass gains because you'll just be going around in circles and you'll never get anywhere.
After you've made sufficient muscle gains and your bodyfat starts to rise at a faster rate then you go on a fat loss diet. The time that you eat is the same as before .... every two hours, but they are considerably smaller meals, with more protein and very low carbohydrates (you must lower your carb intake very slowly or it may give you some bad side effects) with a little bit less than moderate fat ... but still some fat so your body can know to burn fat without the presence of carbs in your system. Lower the intensity of your workouts from progressive to maintnance level for now because your primary goal in losing fat is not to build muscle, but to keep as much muscle as possible while in the process of losing fat ( you might want to go light weight higher reps for this phase of dieting because your usual low rep heavy lifting may not be suitable ... or for that matter even possible). Be ready to become a bit weaker when you diet. You won't gain muscle or strength while under even slight calorie restriction - period, so don't even worry about it. Perform some type of cardiovascular training for about thirty minutes three times per week. Supplement your diet with the amino acid L-glutamine because it really helped me keep alot more of the muscle I had worked so hard for while on a cut cycle.
On both forms of dieting also make sure to keep your stress level's low (very hard thing to do on a mass diet sometimes), get plenty of sleep every night, stay away from sugar, and drink water on a constant basis. Also be ready to get incredible results :)
-Dedlift
