How to Get Bigger Muscles and Six-Pack Abs

"How do I get bigger and more cut?"

"I want to look like Brad Pitt in Troy or Gerard Butler in 300. What do I do to get bigger arms, broader shoulders and a six-pack stomach?"

"I'm skinny and I need to gain muscle. But I want to get rid of my fat belly at the same time. What should I do?"

If you want to get bigger and more cut... if you want more muscle and a six-pack stomach... if you want to get rid of your belly and fill out your skinny frame, you'll need to ask your body to do two things:

Building muscle while losing fat.

Simple? Yes. Easy? Well... I'm afraid not.

With very few exceptions, losing a lot of fat and gaining a lot of muscle at the same time is very hard to do. That's because of the opposing demands these goals impose on your body.

To build a lot of new muscle tissue, your body needs energy. In other words, you'll need to overfeed — to consume more calories than you're burning each day. To lose fat, you need to underfeed — to consume fewer calories than you burn.

If you do try to do both things at once, your progress in either direction will be so frustratingly slow that it won't be long before you feel like throwing in the towel.

It would be nice if the energy your body needs to build new muscle tissue came from stored fat. But, when your body is in a predominantly catabolic state (which it will need to be if you want to lose fat), gaining muscle is not its main priority.

Exceptions to the rule

Of course, there are exceptions, the most notable of which are beginners. More specifically, I'm talking about overweight beginners. And by "beginners," I mean people who are new to resistance exercise.

A relatively lean beginner who wants, for example, to go from 12% to 9% body fat isn't going to lose fat while they gain muscle, mainly because they don't have much fat to lose in the first place. The leaner and more muscular you get, the harder you'll find it to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously (I'll reveal a few "tricks" you can use to do this in just a moment).

And if you're a beginner trying to gain weight and build muscle by overfeeding, your body is in an anabolic state. You won't be able to lose fat while still consuming more calories than you burn.

However, overweight beginners on an exercise and nutrition program that's geared towards fat loss can gain a significant amount of muscle mass while losing fat.

A good example of this comes from research published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise [2]. For the study, researchers from the United States Sports Academy tracked a group of previously sedentary men (i.e. overweight beginners) who performed both endurance and resistance exercise three days per week for 14 weeks.

On average, the men lost 16.3 pounds of fat and gained 9.5 pounds of muscle. In other words, they gained a significant amount of muscle while also losing a large amount of fat.

One other reason that beginners usually respond better to resistance exercise is that they're a long way from the upper limit of what they're capable of in terms of muscle mass.

The closer you are to this upper limit — known as your ceiling of adaptation — the slower your gains will be. Someone who's been working out with weights for 10 years, for example, will gain muscle a lot more slowly than someone who's just starting out.

Anyone who's been in shape before will also find it easier to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously when returning after a layoff. When a muscle is trained, detrained and retrained, there is a faster change in muscle size during retraining compared to the initial training period from an untrained state [1], a phenomenon that some refer to as "muscle memory."

From a personal point of view, it seems easier to drop my body fat to a level that I've achieved previously compared to losing it for the first time.

In many cases, the people in the before-and-after pictures you see in the magazines are fitness models who have spent a few months "slacking off" prior to getting their "before" pictures taken. Because they've been in shape before, it's a whole lot easier for them to regain their old figure than it is for someone who's starting from scratch.

The use of anabolic steroids and other drugs will also make it a lot easier to gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously. Of course, any such benefit has to be weighed against the risks associated with their use.

Whether or not you can build a lot of muscle and lose a lot of fat at the same also depends on how you define "at the same time." If you spend 5-6 weeks gaining weight, followed by 3-4 weeks losing fat, then you'll have lost fat and gained muscle at the end of the 8-10 week period (which some people might class as "the same time") but you'll have done it by alternating periods of muscle gain and fat loss.

So, what does all of this mean for you?

Rather than trying to build a lot of muscle and lose a lot of fat at the same time, you'll get better results by splitting your training goals into several phases, and working on one after the other. I suggest that you focus on one of two goals — building muscle while minimizing fat gain, or, losing fat while preserving muscle.

Once you've decided on your goal, you need to stick with it long enough to see results. Don't, for example, decide to bulk up and then give up after three weeks in a panic because you can't see your abs anymore. Or try to lose fat only to find that your strength is no longer going up as quickly as it used to.

If your primary goal is to build muscle, then it's quite normal to gain a little fat at the same time. Don't expect to stay extremely lean AND add large amounts of muscle tissue at the same time. Conversely, it's unlikely that you'll lose large amounts of fat while simultaneously gaining a significant amount of strength and size. These things just don't happen unless you're very gifted genetically, using drugs, or both.

This basic approach works fine if you're new to exercise, or you're either very lean or very overweight.

But let's assume that you've been working out for some time, you're lean already, and you want to put on some muscle without losing the abdominal definition that you've worked so hard for. Or perhaps you've already packed on a decent amount of muscle, and now you want to strip away some of the fat from your belly so people can see how muscular you are. But you also want to continue gaining muscle, albeit at a slightly slower rate.

What do you do?

Although there are many different ways to tackle the problem, these are the two methods that I think work best for most people.

1. The Sawtooth Method

Method one involves gaining muscle or losing fat until you hit a predetermined body fat percentage. I call it The Sawtooth Method.

Let's say that you start out at 10% body fat and follow one of the step-by-step muscle-building exercise routines described in The Maximum Muscle Plan. In this case, you might decide to bulk up until you reach 12%. Then, you switch gears and follow Fight Fat and Win 2.0 until you're back down to 10%.

If fat loss is a priority, you can take the opposite approach and start by losing fat until you're down to 7-8% body fat. Then, you change focus and start gaining weight until you're at 10% again.

This type of eating produces a "sawtooth" pattern of weight gain and weight loss (hence the name), with the result that you end up with more muscle and less fat after several cycles.

If you don't have access to a reliable method of measuring changes in body composition, you can just use changes in weight instead. I'll also employ a number of more subjective (but, in my opinion, still extremely useful) ways to gauge my progress.

For instance, I know that it's time to start losing fat when my lower abs become hidden under a layer of fat and I can't see them clearly. Conversely, when I start to feel irritable, tired and de-motivated on a regular basis (which usually happens after an extended period of dieting), and I'm happy with the way I look in the mirror, then I decide to focus on gaining weight and building muscle.

2. The Bracketing Method

The Bracketing Method involves cycling your carbohydrate intake over the course of the week based on the type of training you're doing.

Let's say you train with weights three days a week. On non weight-training days, you consume a basic "fat-burning" diet (see How To Burn Fat Without Losing Muscle for step-by-step advice on how to set this up).

On the days you train with weights, follow the same diet but bracket your workout with extra carbohydrate and protein, following the guidelines for pre-, intra- and post-workout nutrition described in A Simple But Powerful Way To Trigger Faster Muscle Growth. What this means is that your calorie intake is increased on weight-training days.

One variation on this method, which is particularly useful for anyone wanting to drop those last few pounds of "stubborn" fat, is to maintain calorie intake at the same level and simply alter the percentage of calories coming from carbohydrate and fat. Protein intake is kept the same.

Like The Sawtooth Method, you can adjust the program depending on whether you want to emphasize fat loss or muscle gain. For example, this 4-day routine involves training with weights (or any form of resistance) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It's set up with an emphasis on muscle growth.

Monday: Lower Body (quadriceps dominant)
Tuesday: Upper Body (push emphasis)
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Lower Body (hip dominant)
Friday: Upper Body (pull emphasis)
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off

This 6-day program, on the other hand, is designed with fat loss as the main emphasis. Only the Monday and Friday resistance workouts are bracketed with carbohydrate and protein.

Monday: Whole Body (upper body push emphasis)
Tuesday: Cardio
Wednesday: Cardio
Thursday: Whole Body (upper body pull emphasis)
Friday: Cardio
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: Off

Because of the large amount of leg work being done during the cardiovascular workouts, some of which is probably going to comprise HIIT, the whole-body workouts have no lower-body emphasis day (the legs are still worked, albeit with a lower volume).

The bottom line

Yes, you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. But unless you're an overweight beginner, returning to exercise after a layoff, very genetically gifted or using drugs, you're not going to be able to do both at anything approaching the same rate.

In other words, it's far more realistic to lose 10 pounds of fat while gaining a pound or two of muscle, or to gain five pounds of muscle while adding a couple of pounds of fat. Losing 10 pounds of fat at the same time as replacing it with 10 pounds of muscle is the exception and not the rule.

About The Author
Christian Finn holds a master's degree in exercise science, is a certified personal trainer and has been featured on BBC TV and radio, as well as in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Fit Pro, Zest and other popular fitness magazines.

If you're stuck in a rut with your current exercise and diet plan... fed up with only losing a pound here and there... or still skinny after months (or even years) of trying to build muscle and gain weight... click here now for instant access to his step-by-step muscle-building and fat-burning workout routines.

References
1. Staron, R.S., Leonardi, M.J., Karapondo, D.L., Malicky, E.S., Falkel, J.E., Hagerman, F.C., & Hikida, R.S. (1991). Strength and skeletal muscle adaptations in heavy-resistance-trained women after detraining and retraining. Journal of Applied Physiology, 70, 631-640
2. Wallace, M.B., Mills, B.D., & Browning, C.L. (1997). Effects of cross training on markers of insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 29, 1170-1175

27 Responses to “How to Get Bigger Muscles and Six-Pack Abs”

Russell on October 30th, 2009

You say that its possible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, and so I'm wondering how that's metabolically possible when one process puts your body in an anabolic state while the other puts it in a catabolic state. In other words, if you're at an excess of calories you're anabolic and gaining, and if you're at a caloric deficit then you're in a catabolic state. So how can those exist at the same time? I understand that you can gain muscle STRENGTH when losing weight, but I'm pretty sure that the cross sectional diameter of your muscle cells will not increase. Please explain!
Christian Finn on October 30th, 2009

There are plenty of studies to show that people can lose fat and build muscle at the same time. But the more "advanced" you are, the harder it gets. It's really only overweight beginners and people returning to exercise after a layoff (where the phenomenon of "muscle memory" plays a role) who are going to be able to both at anything approaching the same rate. Most people will need to be content with losing 10 pounds of fat while gaining, say, a pound or two of muscle.

You're certainly not going to lose any fat in calorie surplus. But even in a calorie deficit, provided you're lifting weights and getting enough protein, your muscles are getting the "fuel" they need to grow, albeit at a slower rate.
Andrew on October 30th, 2009

I don't understand why losing fat and gaining muscle must be cycled either via the sawtooth method or the bracketing method or some other method for that matter.

If I work out the daily calorie intake I need to maintain my current weight and I put myself in a slight deficit say, 150 calories down then surely I can still continue to push the weights and maybe even increase the weights I lift (recruitng more muscle fibre) thus building muscle AND burning the fat. So long as the deficit isn't so huge I can't perform with the weights – this should work right?

I mean to say that by creating a slight deficit in calories there is no loss in performance in the weight training routine but a potential loss in body fat. Is this not a viable option?
Christian Finn on October 30th, 2009

Good question. You're right in the sense that you will gain some muscle and burn some fat using the approach you've described. But building large amounts of muscle while in a calorie deficit just doesn't happen, unless you're in one of the categories I've described. And with such a small deficit, your rate of fat loss will be painfully slow. You can try this approach, but I don't think you'll be too happy with the results.
Viranchi on November 2nd, 2009

Hi, i was just wondering about the whole anabolic vs catabolic processes. Is it not possible to lose fat by a calorie deficit, and gain muscle, with the source of energy for muscle growth coming from the body's fat? (i.e. if the body is 'short' of calories from diet, why can't fatty acids be mobilised instead and respired to produce atp, which would drive protein synthesis?)

Cheers
Christian Finn on November 2nd, 2009

It would be great if body fat provided the energy to fuel muscle growth. Unfortunately it doesn't. Losing a large amount of fat while simultaneously replacing it with an equal amount of muscle is the exception and not the rule.
sebastian on November 2nd, 2009

How many caloies per pound of body weight should we consume if we are trying to lose body fat and for nutrient such as protein , carbs, and fats what would you suggest ,im thinking a 35/45/20, but you are the expert.
Christian Finn on November 2nd, 2009

Depends on how much exercise you're doing and how much fat you have to lose. As a rough guide, I'd suggest around 10 calories per pound of bodyweight. I've covered macronutrient splits in Are You Losing Muscle As Well As Fat?
sebastian on November 2nd, 2009

Lets say I lift weights for around an hour a day 6 days a week and after im done lifting weights I do 30 minutes of cardio , and throughout the day im pretty stationary at my job mainly just sitting at a desk. Would you still reccomen 10 calories per pound of bodyweight ?
Christian Finn on November 2nd, 2009

In that case, you'd probably need around 12 calories per pound of bodyweight. That said, lifting weights six days a week while on a restricted calorie diet isn't a great idea. Four days a week is plenty.
Chris on November 8th, 2009

Hi Christian! Just wanting to know if im going for the whole lose fat build muscle and im weight lifting 4 days a week along with eating 12 grams of calories per pound and getting all my micronutrients in . How many days a week should I be doing my cardio and for how long ? at the moment im currently doing it 4 days which are the same days I work out (Monday-thursday). Thanks really appreciate the help !
Christian Finn on November 8th, 2009

Hi Chris. It depends on a number of individual factors that will vary from person to person, but as rough guide I'd suggest 30-60 minutes of cardio 3-4 times a week.
Chris on November 9th, 2009

So what would you reccomend that I do when im not working out like my off days (fri,sat,sun) ? do I just rest it up and relax or what would you reccomend?
Christian Finn on November 9th, 2009

Depends on how you feel and what you want to do on your “off” days. If you’ve got the energy to do something and you want to go and do it then... go and do it. I'd normally recommend doing cardio and weights on separate days.
Reshaun on November 12th, 2009

I started out at 174lb with 23% bodyfat. I'm now down to 151lb with a 16% bodyfat. My goal is to get down to 145lb with a 12% bodyfat. 145lb is the lowest I'd like to go in weight so if I'm at 145lb with say 15% bodyfat, do I bulk back up using one of the add muscle programs then cycling down again to reach that magic 12% ripped bodyfat number I'm shooting for ? I think when I was losing weight, it was coming off a little faster that needed so a little more muscle was lost in the process.
Naveed on November 12th, 2009

what do you know about the Lean Hybrid muscle programme? they say you can lose fat without bulking or cutting due to a special hybrid 'super' type III muscle fibre?
Christian Finn on November 14th, 2009

Reshaun,

The approach you're suggesting would work just fine. But your body fat percentage will need to be in single digits (i.e. 9% or lower) if you want to look "ripped" – 12% isn't low enough.
Christian Finn on November 14th, 2009

Naveed,

There isn't really such a thing as a type III muscle fiber.

The muscles in your body consist of thousands of tiny muscle fibers. These fibers are classed broadly as either fast twitch (type II) or slow twitch (type I).

Studies show that there are muscle fiber "subgroups," such as type IC, IIC, IIAC, IIA, IIAb, IIAB, IIaB, and IIB (and probably a whole bunch of other ones too).

Here's what Elliott Hulse and Mike Westerdal – the guys behind the Lean Hybrid Muscle program – have to say on the subject:

"By combining resistance weight training with cardio training in the same set, we force the thicker stronger type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers to behave more like type I (slow twitch) fibers. By utilizing both types of muscle fibers in the same exercise we can actually build a "hybrid" type IIC muscle fiber that has been nicknamed a type III."

In other words, a type III muscle fiber is just a "marketing name" for a type IIC muscle fiber. They're not claiming to have discovered a new muscle or anything.

What do I think about it?

Well, I think they're making some pretty questionable claims about what type IIC muscle fibers can and can't do. If you want to lose fat then you'll need to be in a calorie deficit (i.e. burning off more calories than you take in). Having more type IIC muscle fibers isn't going to change that. As I said in the article, building large amounts of muscle while you're in a calorie deficit just doesn't happen unless you're an overweight beginner, returning to exercise after a layoff, very genetically gifted, or using drugs.

And like most things in the fitness industry, it's nothing new. Ross Enamait has been pushing this kind of thing for years without all the marketing nonsense about type III muscle fibers.

That said, I've seen a few of the Lean Hybrid Muscle sample workouts and there's no reason why you couldn't use them as part of a fat loss program. In fact, I'm planning to use a few of them myself. If you're an "advanced" trainee and you want something to take your physique to the next level, or even if you're bored with your current routine and want to try something a bit different, Lean Hybrid Muscle is worth a shot.
nando on November 15th, 2009

christian.....i been on a diet for about 4 months i been lifting weights and running about 5 times a week. i weighed 280 pounds now im about 210 pounds my goal is to get to 200, now im trying to get some muscle on to look more ripped, what do you recommend i should do?
Christian Finn on November 15th, 2009

Forgive me, but I'm not quite sure what you're asking here. Is it possible to make your question a little more specific?
nando on November 16th, 2009

sorry bout that, what are some workouts that you recommend i should do to maximize my results. to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.
Christian Finn on November 16th, 2009

Any workout routine that includes a combination of resistance training and cardio is going to help improve your body composition. If you're a subscriber to my Members-Only Area, you can use one of the same workout routines that I use myself. You could try one of the many free routines available on the Internet. Or you could get a book (Body-for-LIFE by Bill Phillips is pretty good) from your local library.
al on November 17th, 2009

can you take protein shakes and loose fat at the same time? i know my abs are there but am bulky so they don't show that much..will there be any change on my muscles and abs if i stop taking protein, and focus now more on my cardio to shed the pounds? my work out is 3 days of cardio and 2 days of weight lifting
Christian Finn on November 18th, 2009

Yes, you can take protein shakes and lose fat at the same time. And you can drop fat with the routine you're following at the moment. You just need to cut back on your calorie intake.
al on November 18th, 2009

thanks bro!
Champloo on November 18th, 2009

Hey! Your article was one of the most useful i've read so far! I'm 17 and very tall and skinny. I'm bout 6ft3inches and 150 lbs. Now I wanna build muscle i'm in decent shape. I've started working out at the gym and lifting weight on machines. So you are saying I should pack on the wieght and work out for a couple of weeks then cut it off? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks a lot!
Christian Finn on November 19th, 2009

If you're skinny, I'd suggest that you focus on gaining weight and building muscle. Don't worry about anything else. Once you've gained 20-25 pounds of muscle you can think about stripping away some of the fat.