Jeff Nippard Fitness | Intermediate to Advanced Bodybuilding

Do you need to eat big to get big?

07-02-2024

Do you need to eat big to get big?

The best way to get as big as possible, according to many old-school bodybuilders, is to eat as much as possible. But a 2023 study by Dr. Eric Helms and colleagues suggests otherwise. Well-trained lifters who ate enough to maintain their current weight made similar gains in muscle and strength as lifters who ate more than they needed. Moreover, the participants with the largest calorie surplus (15 percent above maintenance level) gained the most fat. Lifters who went just 5 percent above maintenance calories optimized their muscle gains with minimal increases in fat.

This reinforces what we knew from previous studies: You can most likely maximize muscle growth, and limit fat gains, with a modest calorie surplus of just 5 to 10 percent above maintenance. That allows you to make slow and steady gains without having to whipsaw back and forth between bulking and cutting phases. As you get into the later stages of training advancement, a bigger surplus may be needed to keep the gains coming in, but for the most part, a smaller surplus is the best way to go for lean gains.

If you’re not sure what your maintenance calories are or if want to have all the guesswork taken care of for you, download my gold standard nutrition app, MacroFactor! You can try it for two weeks for free if you use code JEFF!

See you all next week.

Peace!

No longer want to receive these emails? .
Jeff Nippard/Strcng Inc PO BOX 99900 EQ 896 002 RPO Hopedale Mall Oakville, ON L6L 0E6

Respond To Email