It’s no secret that testosterone is the most anabolic hormone in the body. This is why the drug users of bodybuilding load themselves on the synthetic version (anabolic steroids) of this compound which accelerates protein synthesis. They speed up the recuperation phase of the muscle building equation so that they can work out with more frequency and lack-of-attention to recovery with damn-near “progress impunity.”
Unfortunately, it is from this “steroid culture” that we have wound up with some of the common practices that are accepted without question within both types of bodybuilding – natural and steroid-assisted. Not the least among these practices is “bulking up for bodybuilding”: a concept I once accepted to the point of eating addiction and now eschew to the point of… well, being “ripped” while making the best muscle and strength gains of my life.
“What?” you might ask. “I thought the rule of ‘bulking up for bodybuilding’ holds that we must gain some fat with our muscle in order to ensure that the muscle gets added. I thought we had to stuff down mega calories now and shed the fat later when in a ‘leaning down phase.’”
I confess: I once thought the same thing. I’d have saved myself years of slow progress and the lethargy of being a fat guy if I’d only detected the truth a bit earlier.
And what’s the truth I speak of within the context of ‘bulking up for bodybuilding?’ It boils down to this:
Do you really need to "bulk up" to 'gain muscle?' Remember that staying lean can help preserve high testosterone levels.
High Body Fat = Lower Testosterone
It’s funny how everyone wants to give us advice these days on how to raise our natural testosterone. They give us recommendations on doing everything from making herbal tea out of Tongkat Ali roots to having more sex in order to stimulate testosterone production. What too few experts seem willing to discuss is just how much of a role body fat levels play in the amount of testosterone a man will produce and maintain in his blood stream. This is a MAJOR factor. In fact, all the other tips for increasing natural testosterone levels (such as eating more cruciferous vegetables) are mere “window dressing” compared to what keeping body fat percentage down can do. This is especially true after a guy passes the age of thirty.
The reason higher body fat reduces testosterone level is because of its tendency to produce the ultimate antagonist to testosterone: estrogen. Basically, the female hormone competes with the male hormone in a man’s body and crowds some of the testosterone out. This is due to the insidious effects of an enzyme called ‘aromatase’ and a glycoprotein called ‘sex-hormone binding globulin’ (SHBG).
Testosterone is regulated by the body with a loop-feedback mechanism which is controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain. When the hypothalamus senses levels are getting too low, it sends a signal to the testes to produce more via a substance called luteinizing hormone. This hormone triggers the leydig cells to produce more testosterone. When levels are getting above adequate, the hypothalamus backs off on the luteinizing hormone release.
What typically runs this simple system amok are high estrogen levels and high levels of SHBG – both increased by body fat (particularly, fat around the mid-section). The estrogen is converted from testosterone by way of the ‘aromatase’ enzyme. This can lead the hypothalamus to the false reading that there are adequate testosterone levels since it can’t always distinguish between testosterone and estrogen within the receptor sites.
Making “bulking up for bodybuilding” even more questionable is the build-up of sex-hormone binding globulin as body fat and subsequent estrogen levels increase. This protein circulates in the blood stream and binds with ‘free testosterone’, basically making it “un-free.” It is the free form of testosterone that’s needed for muscle growth, sexual function, and general feelings of high energy and well being. As estrogen levels increase with rising body fat percentage, SHBG levels increase because of the higher estrogen.
So ‘bulking up for bodybuilding’ is a practice that’s most likely to rob us of the “hormonal gold” that packs on muscle. So the natural question arises:
Why do Trainees “bulk up for bodybuilding?”
The reason I’ve repeatedly noticed is the common confusion between “building muscle” and “gaining weight.” These terms are often used interchangeably and need to be distinguished between – even though muscle does have weight.
Since there are 3500 calories in each pound of body fat we carry, a surplus of 500 calories per day can pack on a pound of body fat each week. This fact often leads people to mistakenly believe that the 500 calorie surplus can easily be switched to a weekly pound of muscle if muscle building workouts are employed. However, muscle goes on more slowly than fat even with the best natural muscle building routine available. This is simply due to the fact that muscle building is a two-step process – one of breaking down tissue and intermittently recuperating it. By contrast, fat gaining is pretty clearly “one-step” in nature; we take in surplus calories and it ends up hanging from our bodies.
Given that most muscle building enthusiasts are deftly afraid of taking in fewer calories than they require to maximally gain muscle, they default to adding body fat with the belief that this will ensure enough “nutritional spackle” to pack on the muscle. They often do this without the least bit of consideration for their hormonal balance.
Conclusion
I’ve engaged in “bulking up for bodybuilding” by eating large amounts of calories in conjunction with my bodybuilding routines. I’ve also engaged in muscle building/strength gaining workouts while attempting to get as lean and as “ripped” as possible. No amount of “bulking up” has produced the kind of muscle size and strength gains I’ve obtained by remaining lean and ripped – and most likely bestowed with higher levels of natural testosterone.
I advise you try it – but only with an effective routine.
thank you so much for posting, I agree, fat does NOT help the progress of building muscle. You just have to make sure you have a constant flow of protein in your system.
Posted by: David layton | October 21, 2009 at 11:31 AM