Healthy Muscle Gain & Fat Loss For Athletes

Almost every Athlete wants to  gain muscles  and get leaner at the same time. This can be a challenging task as usually one must sacrifice either definition or gains in muscle.

This of course is the main reason why athletes and bodybuilders tend to "Bulk Up" in the off season. This means the athlete will eat loads of foods rich in calories in the hopes of  gaining more muscle  mass. The extra muscle gain is achievable but the individual will also experience a significant fat gain in the process.

Often the fat gain is much bigger than the muscle gain. (If you want to burn more fat fast, green tea helps to burn fat 35% faster.   Try Green Tea .)

After the "Bulking Up" period the athlete will usually want to "rip up" for summer or for a contest. Then they usually have to subject themselves to a rigorous training and restrictive diet for 3-6 months to get there body fat levels where their muscles are clearly defined.

The continual up and down Yo-Yo in weight gain plays havoc with the physical body not too mention the psyche of the individual. This generally accepted practice in bodybuilding has also led to the widespread use of drugs used by many athletes to bulk up or to get ripped.

This abuse of drugs has led to the overall dysfunction of the athletic and bodybuilding community.  Mentally, physically and psychologically. Certainly not the ideals on which athleticism and bodybuilding were originally founded:  good healthy food, rigorous training of the mind and body, and an overall expression of health and vitality.

Fortunately, there is a better way to gain muscle and to lose body fat at the same time. It’s called the "Cycle Diet" and it is fast becoming the most popular way to stay lean year round while continually gaining muscle. Let’s examine first how the cycle diet works and then how you can incorporate it into your training routine.

Every bodybuilder who maintains there body fat levels below 7 percent knows as soon as they start eating the first few days of high calories their body explodes with new growth before any body fat gains occur.

The reason for this is the body is in a super-compensation state and initially stores the extra calories as glycogen in organs such as the liver as well as intramuscularly. Fats are also stored intramuscularly as well as protein is utilized for the growth and repair of muscles.

This super compensatory state only lasts for maybe 24 hours before the body starts to shuttle the extra calories into fat cells. But before that occurs there is a window of explosive growth available waiting to be tapped into and here is how you can do it.
The entire process was initially developed and coined the Cycle Diet by legendary trainer Scott Abel.

This protocol allows you to build muscle while losing body fat as well as keeping your body free of toxic buildup. Here is how it works.

First, you need to get your body fat levels below 7 percent for the maximum benefit of the protocol. The cool thing is once you get down to this level you can maintain this body fat level year round.

Second you need to get training a minimum of 5 days per week. In other words you need to be an intermediate or advanced trainee capable of handling significant volume and intensity in your training.

Third you need to keep your calorie intake about 500-1000 calories below expenditure daily.

Now for the first 3 days of your training you will keep your caloric intake in the calculated range on all training days. On your first rest day which usually will occur on the 4th day you will perform one of the juice fasts for the whole day.

Consume as much juice as you like on the fast day and be sure to take some fiber to help remove accumulated mucoid plaque in the digestive tract. There are many herbs that can aid in the process as well.

Keep in mind that only natural juices, preferably organic are used on the juice fast day. They should be free of added sugars, additives, preservatives, sweeteners or anything else. Of course drinking plenty of clean water necessary for proper hydration is paramount not only on this day but daily. Some athletes can’t say enough good things about drinking Kangen Water.

On the 5th and 6th days of the week you will resume your training and diet schedule, with the concurrent calorie deficit. On the 7th day which should be an off day from training as well, "EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT"after healthy meals. This is not a licemse to eat junk food.

It’s a good idea to schedule social occasions or interactions on that day, so you can eat Grandma’s apple pie, or have some pizza and ice cream with the guys during the big game. However you want to schedule the day be sure to consume as many calories as you can.

Keep in mind that you start in the morning of your rest day and you stop in the evening. So you keep the time frame down to about 18 hours to ensure no fat will be gained.

It is a good idea to start with fats in the morning first so that you don’t experience to much digestive discomfort. It’s also a good idea to double or triple your enzyme intake for the high calorie day as well as on the juice fast day for maximum absorption of nutrients.

Because of the short time frame of high calorie consumption as well as the caloric deficient state, combined with the rigorous training schedule it’s pretty much impossible for your body to add body fat. The cascade of anabolic hormones during the brief high calorie intake will be used to fill up energy stores and build more muscle. This is the ideal condition for growth of muscle tissues to occur.

You will need to fine tune the process over time but it’s pretty simple once you get the routine down. Best of all you don’t have to restrict calories for long periods of time. Once a week you get a break and the juice fast day helps clear out any plaque built up form the high calorie day.

Most athletes find the cycle diet much easier and a more fun way to stay in shape all year. They can build muscle mass while staying  lean year round. Try this method of healthy muscle gain for athletes.

By Mike Selcsum

xx

More on Muscle Gain 

Fast Muscle Gain

My father is 58years old and healthy as far as I know, no diabetes, heart disease, etc. Around 8 years ago, he was operated for his cataract, but he is totally…

Amino Acids Facts For Muscle Gain and Fat Loss 

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and muscle tissue. All types of physiological processes relating to sport – energy, recovery, muscle / strength gains and fat loss, as well as mood and brain function – are intimately and …

Weight loss /muscle gain,help! – UK-Muscle Body Building 

hi all, I’m new on here and just wondered if anyone can help with a few questions I have? I have started training, and want to know the best way to…

Start Training With Gain Muscle Exercises to Build Mass

Title: Start Training With Gain Muscle Exercises to Build Mass, Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet, Author: M. Powers, PubDate: 2009-05-23…

Tips on weight training/muscle gain/strength gain

Hi all, I’m an avid athlete just coming off of a serious injury. Needless to say, I’m not in the best shape of my life. I still play sports and have…

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: cycle diet, gain muscles burn fat, gaining more muscle, healthy muscle gain for athletes