If you want to build muscle maximally, you’ve got to consume more calories than you’re expending.  If you’re a fitness enthusiast then there is a likely chance that you have heard the terms “bulking””and “cutting”.  Bulking is the phase where you eat in a calorie surplus (i.e. eat more calories than you burn) in order to gain muscle and the cutting phase is when you eat in a calorie deficit (i.e. eat fewer calories than you burn) in order to lean out and reduce fat so that your muscles stand out in all of their glory.

Now, the trouble many people have with eating in a calorie surplus is that you will put on fat.  Unfortunately, we cannot control how our bodies use the extra energy we provide them through food.  Most of the extra calories are guaranteed to go towards repairing and building muscles, but some of it will end up as fat – which is why the cutting phase is so important.

If you are in a cutting phase and eating at a suitable deficit and still not losing weight, then you should seek medical advice.  Symptoms of low testosterone levels are often overlooked; however, low testosterone levels and high estrogen levels result in excess fat being held around the abdomen.  This is definitely not ideal if you’re looking to get lean.

It is possible to make your own life easier by controlling your bulk to only gain a minimal amount of fat; which will make your cutting phase much easier.  Many people see their bulking phase as a time to throw all diet rules out of the window.  They think they can eat whatever they want, whenever they want because the goal is to gain weight.  Unfortunately, human beings grow muscles at a very slow rate which makes the overload of calories completely pointless and even harmful to your final goals.

Here are 5 rules to keep in mind when you’re bulking in order to grow lean muscles with minimal fat:

1. Ditch Hours of Cardio and Opt for Sprints or HIIT Cardio

I know, I know, cardio is incredibly effective for fat loss.  But if you’re afraid of gaining fat during your bulk and overdoing it with hours and hours of cardio then you’re doing your gains a disservice.

Long periods of cardio does burn fat, however, can negatively affect your training due to impaired recovery.

Do not despair, sprints and high intensity interval training (HIIT) will be your saving grace.  Think of a sprinter’s body.  A sprinter has minimal fat and loads of muscle.  This is due to the fact that sprints and HIIT have an after burn effect which keeps on burning fat for hours after the exercise.  The short period of high intensity has been proven to burn fat while retaining muscle.

2. Cycle Your Carbs and Eat Enough Protein

Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins are known as macronutrients and they make up everything we eat.  Our bodies need carbohydrates for energy, fat for micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) absorption, and protein to build muscles.

Most men and women do not eat enough protein in their day to day lives.  Protein is the building block of muscles and a lack of protein will result in a plateau in the gym.  You need to eat protein to gain muscle, it’s that simple.  The general rule is to eat around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight a day.

This does not mean that you must only focus on eating protein, because carbohydrates and fats are also incredibly important—but you must ensure you’re eating enough protein to sustain your muscle growth.

Carbohydrates are essential for energy.  This is why it’s a good idea to eat more carbs on training days and fewer carbs on non-training days, or less intense arm focused days.  This will ensure you have enough energy to smash your intense workouts while monitoring the number of calories you consume in a week to avoid excess fat gains.

3.  Lift Heavy

Lifting heavy will ensure you’re overloading your muscles; which is the only way your muscles will grow.

Compound movements are ideal for getting the heart rate up.  An increase in heart rate means you’ll be burning more calories when you exercise and, in turn, burning more fat.  If you’re not working hard in the gym, then the extra calories will have no muscle damage to repair.

Compound moves are ideal for building muscle mass across many muscle groups and isolated movements focus on building strength in targeted muscle groups.  Combining the two forms of exercise will ensure optimal growth with minimal fat.

4. Don’t Go Overboard with the Calorie Surplus

As previously mentioned, the body gains muscle very slowly.  This means that you must slowly increase your calories and try to make sure you’re eating in just the right surplus balance to repair your muscles.

You are guaranteed to gain a lot of fat if you see a calorie surplus as a time to eat anything and everything.  It should be closely monitored so that you can see muscle gain and, if you plateau, then continue to increase your calories slowly.

5. Try a Clean Bulk – A Calorie is Not a Calorie

If you’re counting calories, it’s important to remember that your body will only be able to grow if it’s given all of the right nutrients (carbs. fats, and proteins).  If your body receives a lot of junk food, it’s going to be much easier to overeat since these nutrient devoid foods will have a weak appetitive response.  If you pump your body with nutrients, it will use the food that you give it which will be less likely to end up as fat.

An added benefit of a clean bulk is that you will be able to eat larger quantities of food which will keep you feeling full for longer.

Follow these rules and you will be able to gain muscle mass without gaining fat.

About Author: 

Catherine Grant is an Editor-in-Chief of America’s best bodybuilding supplements website – TopTestosteroneBoosters.org . She is a health and fitness enthusiast. She wrote health and fitness related articles for numerous reputable sites like Huffpost, EvanCarmichael, MasterHerald, Get-a-Wingman, Lifehack etc… She is passionate about helping others reach their health goals through sharing her own personal experiences.