Episode 08: The Best Way To Build Rock-Hard Muscle Without Gaining Fat

In This Episode…

We’re back! In the last episode of the Road To Ripped Podcast, we dove into the exact strategies that create the foundation for effortless fat loss…

If the strategies are implemented, you’ll be right on your way to building habits that last a lifetime.

So of course in this episode, it’s time to talk about the core principles of building muscle – enjoy!

0:01 – How to actually build muscle.

1:09 – It’s all about progressive overload.

6:12 – Don’t stress your body. Are you making weekly progress?

12:53 – Best supplements for muscle growth.

15:43 – Don’t fall into the “Hardgainer” mentality.

It’s All About Progressive Overload

Sure, there are a few different types of ways to stimulate muscle growth…

But the most important factor is progressive overload. In other words, this means consistently getting stronger over a period of time.

You must keep challenging your body so it can keep adapting and getting stronger – this gives your muscles a reason to grow.

Even if guys are in the gym 6 days a week grinding out reps, if they aren’t getting stronger, they’ll have no results to speak of (unless on drugs).

If you stay around the same weight for months on end, let’s say 50 pound dumbbells on chest press for example, and there is no improvement – why would your muscles need to grow?

We like to hone our attention in on getting stronger on a set of key lifts that promote muscle growth in the chest, shoulders, arms, and legs.

The goal is to make weekly improvement on those lifts in just 3 short training sessions a week.

Then, we dial in our calories strategically so we don’t get fat…

Rock Hard Muscle Without The Fat

That’s our goal. Most fitness approaches teach you how to add a ton of size and mass. Sure, you add some muscle, but the problem with the “eat everything in site to bulk up” approach is that you tend to gain a lot of body fat in the process.

This ruins your look. Before you know it, your face becomes puffy, your pecs start to droop, your pant size goes up, and you lose your abs.

That’s why we recommend eating in a moderate calorie surplus. Weight lifting in general is a great way to ensure those excess calories are getting directed to your muscles rather than being stored as fat.

Make sure to also get in sufficient protein (about .82g per pound of body weight) along with a moderate intake of dietary fat (about 25% to 30% of daily calories) and the rest of your calories will be made up of carbs.

A great starting place for a calorie surplus is 200 to 300 calories over maintenance each day. A quick way to get an estimate of maintenance calories is 15 calories per pound of body weight (multiply your current body weight by the number 15).

Again, then it’s up to you to monitor your progress. If you’re gaining too much weight, more than 2 pounds a week, then you probably need to drop calories a little. And if your progress keeps getting stalled and it’s difficult to make strength gains, bump up your calories by 200 or so and continue to monitor.

Lastly, don’t fall into the “hardgainer” mentality. Already categorizing yourself like this is limiting you.

Most so called “hardgainers” simply aren’t eating enough. This is where tracking your calories comes in. You’ll soon find your ‘sweet spot’ where you can gain strength and muscle easily without too much fat or none at all.

Best Supplements For Muscle Growth

Most supplements on the market are garbage (that’s why we are taking matters into our hands to create effective ones) but here’s a couple we recommend:

Creatine – great (and backed by hundreds of studies) for increase lean muscle mass and strength.

Carnitine – great for increasing androgen receptors in muscles, especially in shoulders, upper back, and upper chest. It also helps increase the binding site availability for free testosterone.

It’s Really That Simple

That’s it! Building muscle truly comes down to supplying your body with just enough calories to support muscle growth while consistently getting stronger on key exercises.

Remember, you must give your muscles a reason to grow, if you’re not consistently getting stronger week after week, (even if it’s just one more rep, that’s progress) then you should most likely tweak something in your workout routine.

Thanks for listening! In the next episode, we’ll be diving into the effectiveness of morning routines. Stay tuned!

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Christopher Walker

Christopher Walker is an independent testosterone optimization researcher and author of multiple men's health protocols. Christopher was also the first individual to graduate from Duke University's neuroscience program in 3 years, and has an intense interest and experience in neuroscience and human endocrinology.