
Iron Culture presented by MASS
MASS Office Hours Episode 48 (Too Lean to Build Muscle? + Q&A)
Aug 15, 2024
Dr. Eric Trexler is an expert in muscle building and training strategies, while Dr. Eric Helms sheds light on common misconceptions about body fat and muscle gain. They discuss how being too lean can actually hinder muscle growth and that higher body fat individuals can still build muscle effectively. The conversation covers troubleshooting problems during bulking, the importance of exercise variety, and addresses listener questions on specific muscle groups. They also clarify the role of lactate in exercise and discuss medical interventions in bodybuilding.
01:27:44
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Quick takeaways
- Higher body fat levels can facilitate muscle building without a large surplus, challenging the belief that leaner is better for bulking.
- Achieving extremely low body fat can inhibit muscle growth, emphasizing the need to return to moderate levels post-competition.
Deep dives
The Impact of Body Fat on Bulking
Higher body fat levels can be advantageous during a bulking phase, as they do not negatively impact hypertrophy. In fact, individuals with moderate to high body fat may build muscle effectively without being in a large caloric surplus, and sometimes even while in a deficit. Studies have shown untrained individuals with higher body fat levels can gain lean mass while simultaneously approaching fat loss targets. This reveals that contrary to traditional beliefs, being lean is not a prerequisite for successful muscle building.
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