“Why do we have to build so much fat while building muscle and then starve ourselves to lose it? We Don’t.”

Bulking & Cutting has been around for decades now.

We workout hard, we count our macros and eat and eat and eat, and build lots of muscle.

And… at the same time we’re building muscle, we also build body fat. And we build them at about the same rate, a pound of muscle for a pound of fat.

Then we do a cut, cutting our calories, and in some cases starving ourselves (which is never necessary).

And, of course, we do a lot of extra cardio — running, biking, sprints, etc., all to lose the that extra body fat we gained.

And, hopefully, we don’t lose too much of our muscle gains in the process. 

Now, I have no problem if someone enjoys that. Many people do. Many others don’t.

But in case you don’t, then you should know that it doesn’t have to be that way.

There is something called a Lean Bulk.

It’s where we add lean muscle, but without the excess body fat.

Yes, we have our macros, and we eat plenty. And we build muscle fast.

But it’s lean muscle. And if there’s any extra body fat at the start, it gets stripped off along the way. 

We’re building lean muscle and nothing else. (Yes, as you rise in calories, you may add a little body fat, but that will come back off in a couple of days.)

WHY WE DO BULKING & CUTTING

Lean Bulking should actually be easy. And with the right foods, it is.

We just can’t do it with our current heavily processed foods and sugars, protein powders which are mainly converted to sugar or fats in our bodies, and extremely high levels of Omega 6 fatty acids in our foods, a fat that raises cortisol levels, prioritizing fat storage and preventing fat loss. 

We’re still counting calories when we Lean Bulk, but foods aren’t just calories to our bodies, they’re also triggers.

They trigger our hormones, the chemicals in our bodies that tell our cells how to use the food we eat, that say whether to burn fat or store fat, build muscle or break it down, raise energy levels or lower them. 

When these are in balance we have no problems gaining muscle or losing fat and keeping it off, and our energy levels and mood are high.

But when they’re off, our cells receive instructions to not only store fat, but to not burn fat, and instead decrease energy levels and break down muscle — no matter how much exercise or cardio we do.

You can build lean muscle without all that excess fat — and do so naturally.

And you can lose excess fat without losing muscle, and keep it off.

Fat is just stored energy from our food that wasn’t used. If we have extra body fat, it’s because we ate more than our body needs.

But the types of food we eat raise or lower our hormones and so determine whether those calories will be stored as fat, or used to power us through a workout.

We need to fix these hormones and get them working how they’re supposed to.

And you’d be surprised at how easy things become once we do.

Also, these processed proteins are pretty hard on our liver, kidneys, heart, and digestive system over time, as much of the protein sources used for muscle building today, are, unfortunately, mainly converted to sugar in the body.

And highly processed sugars and refined fats lead to all sorts of physical situations over time, which again cut down our gains, or make them harder to achieve.

They build up fat in our arteries which leads to high blood pressure and heart disease, and strains our liver's detox systems, not to mention lowering our endurance and stamina during workouts and our body’s overall ability to repair and build. 

And when we factor in the digestive health of most people these days, and the fact that much of our food isn’t being broken down enough to even be used by the body as nutrition, the battle can seem lost before it’s even begun.

So if you’d like to build lean muscle, without the excess fat, all while raising your overall health, energy levels and mood, then let's get started!

Index To The Lean Body/Lean Bulk Guide:

Introductory Articles:

1. Is It Possible To Build Lean Muscle Without Cutting?
2. The Diet Of The Golden Age Body Builders

Getting Started:

1. The Lean Body/Lean Bulk Guide & 30-Day Challenge
2. Hormones: The Third Dimension of Calorie Cutting
3. The Lean Body/Lean Bulk Diet

Supplements & Macros By Goal:

1. Supplements & Macros For Lean Body
2. Supplements & Macros For Beginner To Moderate Lean Bulking
3. Supplements & Macros For Advanced Lean Bulking

Workout Regimens & Exercise Videos:

1. Beginner to Moderate Level Workout Regimen
2. Advanced Workout Regimen
3. Lean Body/Lean Bulk Exercise Videos

Week One:

1. Metrics & Key Data For Week One
2. How BCAAs Build Body Fat & Lower Health Over Time
3. The Importance Of Complete Protein Digestion

Week Two:

1. Dialing In Our Macros For Lean Muscle: Hormones & Cravings
2. How Cortisol Breaks Down Muscle & Prevents Protein Synthesis
3. How To Improve Growth Hormone, Testosterone & Protein Synthesis

Week Three:

1. Thyroid, Estrogen & Progesterone: Speeding Fat Loss & Lean Muscle Creation
2. Improving Sleep: Muscle Building, Fat Loss, Mood & Aging
3. Maximizing Cellular Function For Endurance & Recovery

Week Four:

1. Raising VO2 Max: Endurance, Performance & Recovery
2. How Toxins Affect Our Hormones: Building Muscle & Fat Loss
3. Blood Flow For Muscle, Fat Loss & Overall Health

Final Week:

1. What Is HRV & How Does It Affect Recovery & Health
2. End Of The Lean Body/Lean Bulk Challenge: Where To Go From Here