Bodybuilding, as a competitive sport, is not even 150 years old. While the practice of building muscles for various purposes dates back to the ancient Greeks, we have a long road ahead of us in learning the best ways to develop our muscles safely and as effectively as possible. Bodybuilders don't have the advantage of thousands of years of knowledge and development of techniques. We have to combine techniques with new information on how our bodies work, and quite simply, a discussion of what works and what doesn't from people who have been there, done that.
Off-Season is an important time for bodybuilding, because if done incorrectly, it can be counterproductive. Bodybuilders used to gain as much weight as possible thinking that weight gain equaled muscle gain, so that, closer to competitions, they would diet and exercise to reduce the fat and supposedly uncover these extra pounds of muscle underneath and have a nice shredded look. However, we now know this to be a short cut that simply doesn't work. The ugly truth is... there is NO short cut.
If we don't keep on a clean diet, and do our cardio at least three times a week, we will gain more fat which is counterproductive, because 13-15% body fat is the most anobolic. There is a delicate balance here, because keep in mind that if you stay under 10%, the muscle gain is restricted. Why, then, should we gain more weight during the off-season if it is not productive for our goals? Like in my previous post, "Sets and Reps...Is Less More?", I mentioned the problem of the Ego and training with our hearts instead of our brains. We gain an excess amount of weight that does not help us be our most competitive for different reasons, such as looking huge under our clothes, or because it helps us lift heavier amounts of weights. While this is impressive in the gym, it is not good for our bodies, or ultimately, for our competitive goals. We have to keep in mind that when we gain a lot of weight, we are very lucky if a quarter of each pound is muscle. Let's do some math: 20lbs/4= 5lbs of pure muscle in the best case scenario. Don't forget that with the best anobolics and the best support in training and sponsorships, ten pounds of muscle gain per year is a very idealistic goal. Most people, under the best conditions, will not gain even this much.
Another reason why the practice of gaining a lot of weight in the off-season is counterproductive is because we have certain problem areas that hold fat very stubbornly and it is difficult to burn it. The longer the fat stays, the less chances that it will be gone in time for contests. These areas include lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. Some people share the concern that they could lose their muscle during the off-season if they don't gain the extra weight. However, with proper nutrition, eating high quantities of quality foods and calories, there will be little to no muscle loss. For an example, eating a large value meal at McDonalds gives you 1500 calories. There is so much fat and so little nutrition involved in that meal, that, even though you are eating your target calories, will lead you to gain more than the ideal 15% body fat. Anything higher than that is not productive for off-season. If you eat the same amount of calories in healthier foods that are high in protein with balanced carbs and fats, you are maintaining your muscle while restricting the percentage of total body fat. This will help you look like a bodybuilder, even in the off-season, versus looking like a marshmallow man walking around in 100 layers of clothes.
Remember: pure muscle gains are always small. There should be no slacking off in the off-season because to be at your best in this sport, you need 52 weeks of dedication. When competition time comes, you only need 14-16 weeks of dieting, slowly and smoothly decreasing your weight weekly to reveal your well-maintained muscle underneath with hopefully a few pounds of muscle added. By staying lean throughout the year, you don't need to do extra, crazy restricted diets nearing show time. When you are dieting and cardio training in the off-season, remember that you have to be balanced. Less than 10% body fat and more than 15% will not help you. Keep the balance between those numbers and you will be working at your most effective. So where does it leave us? Well 10kg over your body weight should be the best target in your off-season, give or take a kilo or two, depending on you competitive weight.
The sooner you realize that bodybuilding is not so much what you weigh, but how you look in that weight, the sooner you will get into a great condition to become a winner. To be a champion, or to reach your target, is a lonely road. A lot of people cannot understand this sport, including your partner. Like in my previous post, "Back Like a Boomerang", I talked about my struggles with this sport and how I was torn between my love for the competitions and living a "normal" life, but I've accepted that some people will support me, and some people don't want to see me succeed. That tells me that I'm making choices in my life and that is the right thing to do. The faster you learn to balance this dedication with other aspects in your life, the happier you will be. Remember to keep your focus on your goal and don't focus on other people's ideas. There are a lot of people out there who understand and support these athletes so forget about the ones that don't.
Love and Peace and big muscles.
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