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Mounir Azegra
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Can You Build Muscle In A Calorie Deficit?

Can You Build Muscle In A Calorie Deficit?

Most of us want to achieve a lean and muscular physique. To do this, you obviously need to build muscle and lose fat.Ā We've been told that it'sĀ impossible to do both at the same time. ''You need to be in a calorie surplus to build muscle!'' Less is true. Building...

Repeated Bout Effect: Why You No Longer Get Sore

Repeated Bout Effect: Why You No Longer Get Sore

Imagine not training for 2-3 weeks and then getting back into the gym by performing a heavy leg day. You probably already can feel your sore legs cramping up while walking up the stairs. But now imagine that same leg day after 3 months of consistency in which you were...

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šŸ”‘ Consistency > Short-Term Intensity

I'm all for training hard and pushing yourself. But if you really want to win in your fitness long-term, fatigue management is key to consider. Give your body the ability to train even harder on a consistent basis by also prioritizing sleep, eating well, and having planned rest days.

Especially sleep tends to be overlooked. Training hard AND having great sleep will elevate your fitness to great heights. Research indicates that quality sleep directly improves muscle performance, fat loss, and even your mood throughout the day [1-3].

So train hard & recover hard šŸ’Æ

šŸ“š Scientific References (PMID):
1.Ā 20921542
2.Ā 29438540
3.Ā 24791913
...

šŸ”‘ "Lunges" and "Split Squats" are often seen as the same exercise. But there is a small difference between the two.

With a Lunge, you take a step forward or backward, so it is a dynamic movement.Ā While with a Split Squat, your legs are more static because you keep both legs on the floor in the same position, while squatting down with 1 leg.

Both variations train similar muscle groups. A Lunge variation typically trains your stability since it is a dynamic movement, while the Split Squat keeps more constant tension on the leg you are trainingšŸ’ŖšŸ¼
...

šŸ¤” Do you feelĀ low-back discomfort while doing deadlifts, then I got a quick tip for you.

āŒ A common deadlift mistake is placing the barbell too far in front of you during your set-up. This increases the stress on your lower back.

āœ… Instead, aim to place the barbell over your mid-foot so that the barĀ is closer to the midline of your body and you can more efficiently pull the weight using your legs and back muscles together.
...

šŸ¤” Do you struggle with feeling your chest during the bench press? Then I got 2 tips for you!

The first tip is about the Dumbbell Bench Press. A common mistake with the Dumbbell Bench is pressing the dumbbells outward. The main function of your chest is horizontal shoulder adduction, which refers to bringing your upper arm toward your midline. While you are benching,Ā focus onĀ pressingĀ the dumbbells "up and in" to mimic this movement pattern.

Next about the barbell bench. A common mistake is keeping the elbow excessively flared. This places more stress on the shoulder and less on the chest. Instead, keep your elbows slightly tucked to place the resistance more on your chestĀ muscles.
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šŸ¤” Does bulking actually work?

Yes! Eating a higher calorie intake gives your body more energy to utilize for muscle growth. However, eating more only works up to a certain point.

We know from the research that beginner to intermediate trainees can realistically expect to gain between 1-1.5% of their total bodyweight in muscle per month [1]. So gaining muscle is a slow process and this is why a slow bulking approach is also preferred.

Eat enough calories to maximize your muscular potential, but not more than that, or you end up being in a ā€œdirty bulkā€. As a rule of thumb, most beginner or intermediate trainees can benefit from eating only 10% above their calorie needs.

So if you maintain your weight at 2400 calories, eat roughly at 2640 calories during your bulking process to support lean muscle development.

Trying to bulk quicker may give you the illusion that you are building muscle faster, but typically the extra size just comes from gaining extra fat.

šŸ“š Scientific Reference:
1.Ā Iraki, J., Fitschen, P., Espinar, S., & Helms, E. (2019). Nutrition recommendations for bodybuilders in the off-season: A narrative review. Sports, 7(7), 154.
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