Tip Look Worse to Look Better Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Diet & Fat LossEating Tip Look Worse to Look Better No you don' t have to gain a ton of fat to build muscle but you do need to be realistic Here' s a little reality check by Tom MacCormick December 21, 2017April 5, 2021 Tags Bodybuilding, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips Get Ripped Then Get Realistic Sure, you look your best when you're lean. After that first successful diet, every lifter feels like a god. They're itching for any excuse to take their shirt off and display their six-pack. Once you've gotten really lean it changes your perception of what good shape is. Being shredded is intoxicating and you want it to last forever. The problem is it can't. Well, not if you want to add a noticeable amount of muscle to your frame. Mythical Lean Gains After dieting down that first time, most lifters make the mistake of thinking they can just pack on muscle while staying shredded. Unfortunately, those mythical lean gains are exactly that – a myth. If you chase these lean gains then you'll end up spinning your wheels, gaining little-to-no size. Are you happy to retain a lean, but only vaguely muscular physique? Cool. The lean gains approach might suit you. Want to be big and ripped? Then you need to take a smarter approach. Caloric Surplus You Need It If you want to pack on a considerable amount of size then you need a sustained calorie surplus – eating above your maintenance level of intake. With this comes an increase in scale weight, muscle mass, and a little fat. There's no avoiding it. After the newbie gains have run their course you simply can't add slabs of muscle without some fat gain. You don't have to get fat and sloppy, but you must accept that some fat will be accumulated along the way. The key is to keep the ratio of muscle to fat as high as possible. If you do this, then when you diet next time around you'll look far better. This is why a phasic, or cyclic, approach to your training and nutrition is best – periods dedicated to gaining muscle or losing fat. During your bulk you won't look so good with your shirt off, but you will look bigger in a T-shirt. So, plan accordingly, bulk during the winter months and diet when summer is on the horizon. Done right, this strategy can dramatically change your physique. It takes time, effort and consistency, but patience is a muscle-building virtue, and if you follow this plan you'll temporarily look worse to eventually look way better! Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Eating Get Big Without Getting Fat Yes, it really is possible to do a “clean bulk,” getting bigger and stronger while eating healthy foods and staying lean. Here’s how. Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements Chris Shugart March 10 Diet & Fat Loss Tip Why Am I Still Hungry Many experts recommend eating a pound or two of veggies per day to stay full. Here's why that doesn't always work. Dietary Myth Busting, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips Chris Shugart March 26 Diet & Fat Loss Tip Eat Fat But Find the Middle Ground Don't get stuck in the extremes when figuring out your diet. Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Olive Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Tips Akash Vaghela August 10 Supplements Keep Your Carbs Raise Your Testosterone Here's why you need to up your carbs around workouts to keep your testosterone high. Carb Control, Cortisol Control, Nutrition & Supplements, Testosterone Optimization Sam Miller October 2