If you want to gain weight and build muscle mass again after a diet, there are a few things to consider. After all, you want to improve your form successfully in the long term and not just gain weight again uncontrollably.
The danger here is particularly high, due to the long waiver in the diet, of gaining too much weight too quickly and of falling victim to the so-called yo-yo effect. However, the pounds you gain in this way are mainly unwanted fat. There are few muscles in such a short time that you actually want most of all, when you gain weight again.
So that you don’t end up like that, but instead get off to a good start in your mass phase, I would like to give you a few tips here on how to make the switch from diet to muscle building.
Please note while reading that you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. The rules are also less geared towards how you can optimize muscle growth, but rather designed to make the transition as easy as possible for you.
I have written other articles and my soon to be published book Muscle Building Basics about how you can build muscle mass effectively . This is a comprehensive guide on how to get the most out of the really important success factors with as little effort as possible.
1) Learn to maintain your weight
For heaven’s sake don’t start eating by feeling again after a big deficit. You’ve probably worked against the hunger and nutritional needs of your body over and over for months. The probability is high that you have undermined your body’s natural feelings of satiety and the like.
You should therefore first learn again to eat the correct amounts that your body needs for maintenance. Please use my calorie calculator for an orientation.
A jump in weight in the first few days is quite normal when you change your diet after a diet, even if you hit your maintenance calories. This is because other nutrients and amounts of food increase the water content in your body, among other things.
After that, however, you should first use a few weeks to get used to normal amounts again and give your body some time to find its way back to normal reactions to food intake.
2) Treat yourself to a break after a diet
Of course it is dangerous to eat uncontrollably again immediately after the end of the diet. Of course, you shouldn’t overdo it, but just don’t worry about calories and your weight for a week or two. Eat (in normal portions!) What you feel like and don’t weigh yourself during this time.
After a diet you can and should First of all, relax too
Admittedly, I didn’t do it optimally with my three-week trip to the USA this year, but that was okay too. I felt I needed that. Then I settled on the right amounts.
Believe me: Simply not worrying about your weight and calories for a while is important for the psyche and also helps you to find your way back into an orderly eating pattern afterwards.
3) Plan your muscle building and weight gain
Approaching a thing without a plan and without a goal is rarely promising. So deal with what really matters if you want to effectively build muscle mass.
If you know what is important and what is realistically possible, then set yourself a goal. A good formulation of goals is more important than many think.
Then you can deal with the planning of training for your muscle building and the right muscle building diet .
The bulking phase always gives you a little more leeway than a very restrictive diet. Nevertheless, it makes sense to plan the course here as well and adjust the plan if necessary. After all, you don’t want to build up fat, but rather as much muscle mass as possible.
Believe me, a lot can be achieved with a consistent 80/20 approach. However, this too is based on a good understanding and solid (albeit more flexible) planning.
4) Have realistic expectations
Many people also underestimate the duration of muscle building . Especially if you already have some experience with strength training, you shouldn’t expect that gaining more than half a kilo a week will make sense in the medium term.
You know what is realistically possible. Therefore, start to gain weight a little more slowly. In this way you will achieve the cleanest possible muscle gains. This will also save you a lot of dieting effort later.
At the beginning you will quickly and easily return to your old strength values. Don’t let yourself get demotivated if things go very slowly from a certain point onwards. It can also happen that it stops at some point. Perhaps then is a good time for a week of deload or a break.
Your conclusion on switching to the bulky phase after a diet
Starting to build muscle (again) after a diet and not making any mistakes is not that easy. However, it is not that difficult if you follow a few simple rules.
I hope this article has made your next transition a little easier.
Do not immediately change the direction of travel by 180 degrees, treat yourself to a break, have realistic expectations and a plan. Above all, don’t be too hard on yourself and I am sure that you will survive the change and achieve considerable success!
If you know more about muscle building and want to get as much out of as possible for yourself with a manageable amount of effort, I can recommend my book Muscle Building Basics , which will be published soon. In it I show you the really essential things that you should consider if you don’t want to waste time on unnecessary nonsense while building muscles.
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Kind regards
