Please help me better understand...

[General Zod]

I’ve heard it said, over and over again, that in order to gain muscle mass, it is necessary to eat at a caloric surplus (bulking). However, I’ve also heard people say that it’s possible, though difficult, to gain muscle while cutting. If this last statement is at all true, than it must be possible to gain muscle mass while eating at maintenance. So, rather than constantly bulk and gain, which can’t be great for your health, why not always operate at maintenance? How much more rapid is muscle growth during a bulking phase than during maintenance? Thanks.

Greg

[Anthony]

Yes, it's possible to gain lbm while cutting or maintaining. But I think you underestimate how difficult it is. Unless you are genetically elite, just started training, using drugs, or manipulating your diet and training in an extreme manner like ud2.0 ... it just won't happen. And while ud2.0 is designed to mimick body functions that happen naturally in elite athletes, it's not something you can do for very long and your strength will probably suffer.

So to answer your question, the bulk/cut pattern is infinitely faster and easier than recomposition for the majority of individuals.

[HILL]

As i understand it your muscle and body can only grow when you have a calorie surplus so your body has cals / nutriants etc to grow not just stay the same. The only time u may eat in a deficit and muscle will grow could possibly be when you start training. I think this happens as you have never worked your muscles before properly so the muscles will start to use the cals/nutriants etc to help repair your muscles as its a shock and they feel they need to heal. Bulking is your best bet and once that newbie phase finishes eating at maintanance will make u maintain and nothing more

[General Zod]

So to answer your question, the bulk/cut pattern is infinitely faster and easier than recomposition for the majority of individuals.

Thanks for your response.

I guess what I still don't get is, if a caloric surplus is necessary to gain LBM, than isn't some LBM lost during the cutting phase? Thanks again.

Greg

[Anthony]

A calorie surplus isn't necessary, but definitely makes things easier.

And yes, for the average individual, some LBM is lost during the cutting phase.

The goal during a bulk phase is to maximize muscle gain and minimize fat gain. The goal during a cutting phase is to maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss. How well your body can do this is based on where it sends calories. The genetically elite are fine tuned to use more calories for building muscle, while the rest of us play catch up.

[General Zod]

The goal during a bulk phase is to maximize muscle gain and minimize fat gain.

I take it you're advocating a clean bulk? Do you have any advice as to what sort of split between fat, protein and carbs to get your calories from during a bulk?

Thanks.

Greg

[Anthony]

There are pros/cons to both clean and dirty bulking. What you choose is really up to what's more important ... the ability to eat pizza whenever you want or keeping the waistline within reasonable limits.

As for fat/protein/carbs, there's a baseline for fats and protein that has been talked about on this site about a bazillion times in the past month. Just browse a few threads and I'm sure you will find it.

[HILL]

1 out of 2 threads over the past 5 weeks will have the amount you will require have a look about