We all know the eternal off-season, forever bulking bodybuilder who is constantly talking about how he'll crush the competition, once he diets down and gets in shape. Very often, this bodybuilder will just talk about it for years and never actually follow through with the diet. However, when he does, he often does well in his first show, as those years of carrying that much bulk have led to a pretty solid foundation of muscle. If you're one of those "permabulkers", or guy in the gym carrying twenty extra pounds of "bulk", it might be time to check out your body fat levels to determine if you're carrying too much fat, and possible hampering your progress.
Optimal body fat/hormone range
Most experts agree that 10 to 12% body fat is the most effective range for managing the highest testosterone levels with the lowest estrogen levels. Hitting 20% body fat and beyond often leads to a nasty case of gyno which could require surgery to correct.
Quality of diet
Twenty grams of fat consumed in the course of eating a steak is going to be much better for muscle building purposes than 20 grams of fat consumed from a pack of Twinkies. Eat a lot of food to bulk up - but make it clean food! Steak, chicken, fish, pasta, rice, and vegetables are all good bodybuilding foods. And don't forget about milk - nothing adds muscle to the body like milk!
Natural vs. AAS user
If you use anabolic steroids, you are probably already aware of just how easy it is to maintain "low-ish" body fat levels when on AAS. With many steroids, your body becomes a furnace, more efficiently burning up calories. Additionally, new muscle fibers require more maintenance calories. Guys like Jay Cutler - at 280+ pounds of muscle - need 4000 calories per day just to maintain the muscle they have. Granted, your needs will be less. But the more muscle you gain, the most calories you will burn without doing any activity.
Stimulants
While you may enjoy the high levels of energy and focus (and great 6-pack abs) that the use stimulants like Clenbuterol or the ECA stack (ephedrine, caffeine, aspirin) deliver, they also limit muscle growth. Limit their use to short cycles in the pre-contest cycles. If you are currently addicted to caffeine for workouts (either using caffeine pills or energy drinks) the time is now to cut back their use. Your gains will increase as your body's cortisol levels decrease.
Sleep
Seven hours of sleep is an absolute minimum for bodybuilders looking to add mass in the off-season. A nap of 30 to 60 minutes, following a workout and a nice big meal, is even more optimal for releasing natural growth hormone while giving the body time to recover. Remember, we don't grow in the gym. We get a pump in the gym, but that's just blood flowing and muscle fibers tearing. It's during the night - when sleeping - that the body releases growth hormone and the muscles are able to develop.
Author Resource:-
Dane Fletcher is the world-wide authority on bodybuilding and steroids. He has coached countless athletes all over the world. To read more of his work, please visit either www.BodybuildingToday.com or www.SteroidsToday.com
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