Caloric surplus phase
Months of eating above maintenance, on purpose, to add size and strength
Months of eating above maintenance, paired with hard lifting so the extra calories have somewhere to go. Find the intake that holds your weight flat, add to it, pick a rate of gain to aim for. Theory is not the hard part. Most people who cannot grow are eating less than they believe, so surplus phases come with tracking, more meals and some planning around a busy day. Running feels heavier as the scale climbs, which is why this is treated as a season and not a setting.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Nick BareRecommends
Hybrid athlete · Bare Performance Nutrition founder
Eating above maintenance is what makes or breaks a building phase, says the article his company published on his approach. The advice it attributes to him: find the calorie count that holds bodyweight steady, then eat above it at whatever rate of gain you want. It also describes him fitting five meals into a busy day.
Source: BPN: Top 3 Rules to Build Muscle While Running
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance training
Lifting weights 2-4 times a week to build and hold muscle
On record from 43 of 62 tracked people: 37 do it, 4 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Protein-forward eating
Roughly 1g of protein per pound of target bodyweight, spread across meals
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 15 do it, 5 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Zone 2 cardio
Easy aerobic work you can hold a conversation through, 3+ hours a week
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 5 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cycling
Steady riding, outdoors or on a stationary bike, as daily low-intensity cardio
On record from 9 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Stability and mobility work
Daily joint, foot and breathing work to keep strength usable
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 7 do it, 1 has discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Yoga
Regular yoga practice for flexibility, strength and a calmer nervous system
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.