If you’re even remotely into weightlifting, you’ve probably heard the terms “bulking” and “cutting.”
The bulk-and-cut cycle was originally utilized by bodybuilding, physique, and figure competitors to push their body to extremes. They used it to get a beefed up, razor sharp figure for their annual physique competitions.
The cycle works like this: You spend about 8 months out of the year eating like crazy and putting on a ton of mass (both muscle and fat). You use the remaining 4 months on a sweat-hailing rage, shedding all of the fat from that newly gained mass. You’re left with just the muscle. The goal here is to end up with a mean, shredded body of nothing but lean muscle. Then you’ll look killer in front of the competition judges. While that training cycle does work for professional competitors, I get confused when I hear every other guy at the gym talking about bulking season or cutting season. Most of them are just regular weightlifters and aren’t doing any sort of competing. Yet they talk about the bulk-and-cut cycle as if it’s the only way in the world for someone to achieve a lean muscle build. And that’s what I’ve never understood.
If your goal is to build a body of lean muscle (and you’re not a physique competitor), why not just eat clean and train clean from the start? Once you’ve reached your goal, why not focus on maintaining the impressive physique you’ve just worked your ass off for instead of throwing it all away for the sake of sticking with a cycle? The bulk-and-cut method has become such a fad among regular weightlifters that people forget you can actually maintain a lean body on a regular basis. Sure, it’s a longer and slower process in the beginning. But when you’ve finally arrived at the body of your dreams, you get to keep it. No more back and forth, just one ripped body all year ’round. Jason already wrote a great article explaining how to build muscle without fat. But today I’m going to go a bit deeper and talk about the best types of food to eat in order to get that lean muscle complex you’ve been working hard for.
Lean Beef
I know a lot of people will tell you, “White meat is king, stay away from red meat!” when it comes to building muscle.
If you’re comparing things on a totally general scale, then yeah, white meat tends to be more low-fat-high-protein than red meat. However, there are certain types of red meat that trump white meat in muscle building nutrients.
The protein in lean beef is more easily digestible, which means your body can use it faster and better.
The #1 type on that list is lean beef. You can ask any knowledgeable nutritionist, lean beef is at the top of the food chart for lean muscle building, and for good reason. This stuff is packed with muscle-building essentials. It is a great source of key micronutrients like iron, zinc, and numerous B-vitamins. Lean beef also contains an incredibly high-quality protein complex (yes, some proteins are truly better than others). It has an impressive nine essential amino acids. What does that mean for you? The protein in lean beef is more easily digestible, which means your body can use it faster and better. Timing plays an important role in muscle building. The quicker your body can get to those nutrients, the better. Whenever you can, go grass-fed. Meat from cows that are grass-fed has higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than traditionally raised cows that are forced to eat whatever the farmer gives them. CLA has been found to reduce body fat. That’s another nutrient that will help you achieve the lean muscle build you’re looking for.
Chicken
As I said above, white meats are the more obvious go-to for a meaty protein source, and chicken is by far the most popular.
It’s low in calories, low in fat, and high in protein – but more importantly, high-quality protein. It comes in all different shapes and sizes.
For the most part, all chicken is great for building lean muscle. If you have the choice, it’s always better to stick with the lighter meat as opposed to the darker meat. It’s a bit leaner and lower in fat. Believe it or not, there really isn’t a massive nutritional difference in white meat versus dark meat like some people will have you believe. From a cooking standpoint, chicken is awesome because you have so many different tasty options. Grill it, bake it, sauté it, slow roast it- there really is no end to the meal prep possibilities. As long as you’re not loading on a bunch of unhealthy sauces or seasoning, chicken is a nice versatile choice for a lean protein source. Most people will tell you to stay away from the skin because it adds unnecessary fat to your diet. While it’s true that there are healthier sources of fat, it’s not going to kill you to eat some skin every now and again. Just know to eat this in moderation and know not to depend on skin as your only source of dietary fat.
Fish
While we’re still talking about meats, we can’t leave out fish.
I’m actually surprised this isn’t on a lot of other popular “muscle-building foods” lists. Nearly all types of fish are very healthy sources of quality protein with little-to-no fat.
For example, a typical canned tuna has around 30 grams of protein for every 3 grams of fat. Most of that is actually good fat, not the bad stuff. However, it is important to note that certain types of fish can have a higher fat content than others. Be aware of that before you pick your favorite kind. In addition to the high protein levels, nearly all types of fish contain sources of leucine. Leucine just so happens to be the most powerful of the essential amino acids that specialize in the stimulation of protein synthesis. To give you an idea of its efficiency, it has about 10 times more power than any of the other amino acids. Think of building muscle as a small fire. Now think of leucine as gasoline. See where I’m going with this? Your body is already using proteins and other nutrients to build muscles. Leucine just adds fuel to the fire to build those lean muscles. Bodybuilding.com calls it, “The Anabolic Trigger.”
Leucine just so happens to be the most powerful of the essential amino acids that specialize in the stimulation of protein synthesis.
Eggs
There’s a reason you always see those workout videos of people pounding cups of raw eggs at 6:00 in the morning (okay, you don’t have to eat them raw, but you know what I mean).
No matter how you eat them, eggs are like the breakfast-food-version of lean beef. They’re a high-quality protein source that’s loaded with nine essential amino acids and other good vitamins that are crucial for lean muscle growth.
I can already hear you asking, “What about the yolks? Aren’t those bad?” Let’s clear this up. Contrary to popular belief, eggs are not bad for you. I want to hear you say it again. Eggs are not bad for you. That’s old school thinking. Back in the day, eggs were thought to have led to high cholesterol levels simply because eggs themselves have high cholesterol content. You are what you eat, right? In most cases, yes, but that generalized speculation is exactly what gave eggs their bad reputation. Unfortunately, that’s not quite correct. The conclusion that eggs gave you high cholesterol was more based on assumption than science. Since then, there have been numerous scientific studies (like this one from the U.S. National Library of Medicine) concluding that eggs are were not found to increase the risk of high cholesterol, heart disease, or any such harm. In fact, these studies revealed the ultimate irony. Eggs actually contain numerous nutrients that help fight disease, reduce muscle degeneration, and enhance brain development and memory. So as you can see, eggs aren’t just awesome lean muscle builders, they also provide a variety of other benefits for the body. Eat them!
Oats
Speaking of breakfast food, another great option to add to your diet is oatmeal.
This is the first food on the list that isn’t here because of any impressive protein structure. No, oats are important to lean muscle growth for several other reasons.
For starters, oats are probably the most ideal source for quality carbs. They’re minimally processed. They require very little from the body for digestion (which gives them a low glycemic index value). In addition, oats are high in fiber. They make you feel more full throughout the day, and can also lead to enhanced fat loss because they kill hunger cravings. These are all important factors in building a lean muscle profile. The problem is, oatmeal has a pretty bland taste, so a lot of people load it up with brown sugar to give it more flavor. Now, I don’t have to spell it out to tell you why that’s bad. Sugar and lean muscle just do not go together. If you want to use oats to your advantage, my best advice is to just deal with the fact that it’s relatively tasteless. I used to not be a fan at first but now it’s just another meal in the day. You get used to it. Another quick thing to add is that steel-cut oats are better than rolled oats. They’re slightly lower in calories and contain no sugar.
Rice
Like oats, rice is a slow-digesting whole grain that will give you longer-lasting energy throughout the day.
It will help decrease your hunger cravings. Your muscles won’t be starving for more food an hour after you eat (a big issue with those new to muscle building because they haven’t learned the proper nutrition yet).
In terms of helping you build muscle, brown rice is important because it boosts your growth hormone levels. This encourages not only lean muscle growth but also fat loss and strength gains. In addition, it’s a great source of quality carbs. This is why you’ll often see rice paired with chicken and vegetables to help complete a well-balanced meal. While oats are higher in fiber, a lot of people will eat brown rice and oats interchangeably because their nutrient profile is very similar. It’s nice to mix things up so you’re not eating the same exact food every day. For me, I prefer my oats as breakfast food and rice as lunch/dinner food. Obviously, you’re free to eat each whenever you like.
Like oats, rice is a slow-digesting whole grain that will give you longer-lasting energy throughout the day.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is the last food on this list, and you’re probably scratching your head on this one.
If you’re like me, you can’t stand the sight, smell, or even the name “cottage cheese.” Everything about it grosses me out, and I’m not afraid to admit it.
However, I can’t deny the fact that it’s an amazing protein source. Cottage cheese is like a little secret weapon when it comes to nutrients, harbouring a relatively pure form of casein protein. Casein is important for muscle maintenance and repair. It’s a slow-digesting protein, meaning it takes longer for your body to break it down and utilize it. This is beneficial because it provides a constant source of protein for your body to use as it repairs and builds your muscles after a tough workout. To build lean muscle, your muscles need to be fed protein constantly and consistently. So if you can stomach cottage cheese, it’s well worth having that steady stream of protein readily available for your body to harvest all day long.
Conclusion
Building and maintaining a mean, lean body is completely possible if you do it right.
All of us can kill a workout in the gym, but eating smart takes a little more thought than that. There are a lot of unhealthy food choices in every store aisle these days.
Now you have an idea on some of the best foods for clean calories. As long as you check the nutrition facts on what you eat and look for high protein and low fat, you will have a solid starting point to help you craft a powerful lean muscle diet.
About the Author
Cole Matthews is a fitness expert who has nearly 10 years of experience with weight lifting and nutrition. After going through a radical transformation gaining over 50 pounds of natural lean muscle using nothing but a clean diet and a strict workout regimen, he now enjoys writing about health and fitness to help others achieve their goals in a natural way too. Read more at his blog HomeGymr.
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