Hypertrophy Routine, Develop Your Muscles

With the hypertrophy routine we propose, it will help you gain muscle mass once and for all!

In this article, and in subsequent ones, a series of schemes and tips will be presented to contribute to the long-awaited
muscle increase or also muscle fibers. However, first mentally answer this:

Are you tired of wandering around your gym, going there without a specific goal?
Do you change your routine every time a friend tells you to?
Are you really looking to improve yourself and enhance your physical appearance...?

Are you looking to increase lean muscle?

If your answers to all these questions have been affirmative, you are in luck, pay attention to this article.
because we are finally going to implement the best system that will guarantee you results!
Now more than ever, if you really care about growing and developing your muscles and, at the same time, becoming more
strong, get ready to start

Index

Why aren't you getting results at the gym?

There are a number of reasons that are mostly shared by all those who lament their scarcity.
results in the sports field, and in particular with iron crossroads, thinking that their techniques do not provide the
desired outcome: the growth of muscle fibers.
You may have gotten used to the same script always: train 4 days, sets and repetitions like 3 10 or 2
15, constant series and repetitions, chest and biceps...
Among the following examples, you may identify with one or more...
Lack of a plan or objective, do you move around the room from machine to machine, doing exercises without any...
specific order? Do you repeat some exercise several times a week to avoid doing others?...
Muscle group, do you dedicate the same intensity to training legs as you do to arms? Since when have you not done it?
peso muerto? ¿entrenas el mismo músculo varias veces por semana?…
Correct technique, do you respect the range of motion? You can substantially improve by improving this.
aspect...
Do you frequently change your training routine without prior planning?
Pay attention to the number of repetitions and rest between sets
Same weight always, does it take you a lot of effort to add more weight?
Stretching and warming up, do you gradually get warm?
Eat properly, are you eating to gain weight or to define?
Rest enough, do you respect rest days? Do you know what active rest is?

Hypertrophy and Stagnation

Traditionally, hypertrophy routines have always followed the same pattern, which addressed the
recommendations from the shift monitor, heavily influenced by the magazines of the time or the fixation on the
most outstanding users.
Through this hypothesis, any novice who was just starting their journey in the realm of iron sports
I received the 'same training', the clearest example being: Monday, chest, Tuesday, shoulder..., that is to say, a
a scheme that probably everyone (myself included) will have followed at some point.
 In reality, the method worked, after all, for muscle gain, or what is referred to
Hypertrophy, it is enough to generate a stimulus, eat consciously, and rest.

Sure, for a young kid who has never had contact with dumbbells, bars, and machines, and who can
allowing oneself to take the necessary time to go train and eat, the changes were noticeable, especially during the
first year.

Routine and nutrition along with rest...

What happened next, well, we all know, a small stagnation. What was working, now
It turns out that there is no visible progress, and that produces a certain demotivation.
The simple explanation: lack of progression in the loads or linear method, only looking for the 'punch', same.
exercises, same number of sets and repetitions, apply the same intensity to all muscle groups
(same frequency to the arm as the leg...), not incorporating any strategy such as descending sets,
superseries, always go to failure...

Your body has adapted to the type of training...

Our body needs to receive new stimuli to prevent entering the comfort zone.
If you always get the same response, don't expect a different answer to magically appear.
has gotten us used to it.

Reverse grip row, another way to stimulate muscle fibers

Strategy for Hypertrophy
With the program we are going to create, the main goal is to ensure that our body does not fall into
same loop, and it ends up happening to us like before. If this is your case, you have been practically in the same
situation, it is your moment to vary.
The approach we intend is somewhat similar to a more professional programming, keeping the
distances. It doesn't matter if you are a beginner, have been training for 5 years, or combine the gym with another sport, to
This scheme can be useful for all of us, which will mainly consist of two mesocycles:
Force
Hypertrophy

Strength Mesocycle
 Why include strength training in a program aimed at maximizing muscle gain?
Those from the old school will likely be the most reluctant to introduce these variabilities, but as here
We are here to progress, and if you are still interested, pay attention. The reason is quite simple:
The stronger you are, the more load you can move, which translates into generating a greater stimulus and for
so, greater progress

There it is. Simple, if you are stronger, and you manage to lift 20kg more for the same repetitions, it's not necessary.
more explanations. Still, everything has its rules. I'm not going to argue that if you've been training for a short time, the
The mere fact of doing a 3×12 or 4×10 will increase your strength, we all know that. But what I am getting at is
If you maintain that pattern, soon you will fall "short".

Duration

7 weeks

Basic Exercises
So, the first phase we will undertake will be strength-oriented training, but be careful, this does not
it means that we will exclusively perform all the exercises in strength ranges, but we will apply
this in those who produce the most efficient impact, the basic exercises: Squats, Deadlifts, Press
Military and Banking Press.
The rest of the exercises will receive the transfers based on the improvement in these.
These exercises should endure in our routines, even those aimed at hypertrophy, as we will do more.
forward. The main argument is the number of motor units that activate (recruit), and as a consequence,
the impact they have on our hormonal environment, being conducive to an increase in production
Testosterone Growth Hormone.
The order of execution of these exercises in strength-oriented routines is a priority, which also
will lead to high fatigue, reducing our energy for the rest of the training. Therefore, the
exercises that are added usually involve smaller groups, or are auxiliary exercises

Know the RM
The weight or load we will use will be based on a percentage of our RM.
For those who don't know, RM refers to the Maximum Repetition, for us to understand, the heaviest weight.
What we can move for a single repetition, because we would fail in the next one. It is basic in strength training.
because without their knowledge we would be groping in the dark.
If you know your limit, it will be easier for you to work to overcome it.

It is the quickest explanation to defend why to calculate the 1RM.

Frequency
The frequency (F), or the number of weekly workouts (repetition of the muscle group days a week), that we are going to
to be carried out during the phase corresponding to F3 (3 training sessions a week).
At first it may sound like little, but when we get underway, we will see how the system loads us.
nervous system (CNS) and the importance of rest, both for neuromuscular fatigue and proper assimilation
of the training.
You may have heard that less is more and it's better when it comes to how many times you need to train, but the
True is that better is better...
Sets and Repetitions

In strength training, the number of sets tends to be higher than when we aim for hypertrophy.
purely.

The same happens, but the opposite, with the number of repetitions in each set. The way in which
we will work on series and repetitions, it will be about 5-6 series and between 1-6 repetitions. As for the time of
rest between repetitions will be specified each week according to the training routine.
Can you elaborate more on how much time to rest between sets?

Intensity
Regarding intensity, we will operate in ranges between 80-95% of our RM.
Can you maintain a high intensity for 1.5 hours?

Strength training increases hypertrophy

It is not even worth mentioning, but for the skeptics: training strength can lead to muscle mass gain.
there is no doubt.

Barbells and weights, basic tools for muscle growth. You can train all
the basics: squat, deadlift, bench press, and military press
Under certain denominations, it is often attributed the name of Functional Hypertrophy. In the article it is
explained what it consists of as well as a few other examples

Hypertrophy Mesocycle
What we colloquially understand by Gaining Muscle
Once we are stronger, it is now time to direct all that potential towards increasing muscle mass.
muscular, properly. For this, the main difference will be to vary both the percentage of the load on
our RM, for basic exercises, and to modify the structure of sets and repetitions.

Torso-Leg and Full Body

This mesocycle will in turn be composed of two microcycles, corresponding to two variations of routines:
Torso Pierna
Full Body
First of all, TP as its name indicates, will be worked on either upper or lower bientrain, therefore taking F2.
+ F2, that is, two days for each part, a total of 4 days per week. Here we will use advanced techniques,
like descending series, Drop Sets, or Wave Training, applying it mainly to the most powerful exercises,
like bench press. 4 pretty intense days!
On its part, FB will consist of F3. In this latter, the use of techniques such as SuperSeries and BiSeries will take place.
Composite series, so that we involve the whole body.

Duration

Torso-Leg -> 3 weeks

Full Body -> 3 weeks

Exercises

We will keep the basics, but this time we will incorporate more isolation exercises, such as
Quadriceps Extension or Hamstring Curl, for example. The order will be different, the training routine.
corresponds to the strength part or training routine focused on hypertrophy.

Series and Repetitions

Depending on the muscle involved, both the number of sets and repetitions, as well as exercises, will vary, but
In general, we can confirm: exercises for large muscles, sets of 3-4, and repetitions between 8-
12, while for smaller ones, sets of between 2 and 5, and repetitions of about 10-15.

Intensity
The intensity will fluctuate between 60-80%.

Summary Table of Hypertrophy Macrocycle

MACROCYCLE

MESOCYCLE I MESOCYCLE II
 7 Weeks 6 Semanas

Microcycle I Microcycle II

Strength Torso-Leg Full Body

7 Weeks 3 Weeks 3 Weeks

How to eat to increase Hypertrophy?

To obtain maximum benefit, it is recommended to maintain a high-calorie diet.

If we are looking for an optimal gain of muscle mass, with minimal fat gain, the solution lies in
implement the calorie cycling strategy:

HSN Protocol: Gain Muscle with Almost No Fat

Sergio Espinar 24-08-2014 Fitness 49 Comentarios

tweet

Before starting this second protocol, I want to thank you for the success of the first one (where
it dealt with the topic of losing the maximum amount of fat), which already has over 20,000 views.

As a result of that protocol, I received dozens of requests by email and especially messages on Twitter.
asking myself if I could write one about muscle gain. For this reason, I want to dedicate this protocol to
all those people who trust in HSNy, who as a result allow projects like the
dePowerExplosiveo my own move forward. That said, let's begin the protocol.
Index
First, check your current body fat percentage.

The first thing we must understand when starting a 'bulking phase' is that our percentage
corporal will mark the success of this, that is to say, those people with a high body fat percentage.
they will have a much poorer muscle gain than a person with a low body fat percentage.

Factors such as:

greater insulin resistance,

greater inflammation, and

worse glucose uptake by the muscle,

They will affect the behavior of adipose cells (cells where fat is stored) resulting in a
greater ease of storing fat. Because a diet to gain muscle mass is based on a
carbohydrate intake (I will explain why later) the result can be disastrous if we do
a hypercaloric diet under those conditions.
 For this reason, my recommendation is that before starting a bulking diet we must be in
a body fat percentage equal to or less than 15%

High carbohydrate intake

Insulin Resistance

When we subject the body to high-carbohydrate diets, our body produces hundreds of
changes but above all at the muscular, hepatic, and adipose tissue level, through the expression of genes, factors and
transporters (case of GLUT4 that increases muscle glycogen).

Starting from this, we observe how an excess of carbohydrates can be harmful if we do not have a good
insulin sensitivity, since our cells are unable to capture a large amount of glucose, giving
Place a much larger amount of free glucose, which will be stored as fat.

Let's remember that this only occurs in hypercaloric diets; in a hypocaloric diet, it can be stored.
Carbohydrates in the form of fat, but the caloric deficit itself prevents our body fat percentage from increasing.

Activation of ChREBP
An example of the changes that occur due to massive carbohydrate intake is the activation
deChREBP (carbohydrate response element-binding protein) that results in a higher number of
enzymes related to the use of glucose as fuel.
Another function of ChREBP is to increase the number of enzymes that convert carbohydrates into fat,
In addition to preventing the uptake of glucose by the liver, which will create resistance, favoring a
worse use of glucose by the liver1.
This makes no sense in a hypocaloric diet, as I mentioned above, the caloric deficit itself (AMPK)
inhibits ChREBP2, 3 thus, the importance lies solely and exclusively in hypercaloric diets, a situation that
We are going to search for ways to gain muscle mass.
 Even if we consume a high-carbohydrate diet, the caloric deficit itself ensures that the
cells use body fat as fuel.

High-calorie carbohydrate diet = insulin resistance?

Not necessarily. For insulin resistance to occur, it is usually one of the following two cases:

Sedentary people, where 90% of those suffering from obesity would fall.
2. Athletes who undergo a quite aggressive 'bulking phase.'
Since I assume that the people who will follow this protocol will be trained, let's focus on
group 2.

Bulking, the double-edged sword

Although I don't want to scare anyone, a poorly executed volume phase can lead to
irreversible changes at the metabolic level
When we do a very aggressive bulking, consuming a fairly high caloric surplus, our body
responds to that excess by storing it as fat, something that does not occur when the excess macronutrient is the
protein, as demonstrated by Jose Antonio's study4, nothing new so far.

Hypertrophy and Hyperplasia

However, when there is a high calorie surplus, a process called adipocyte hyperplasia occurs.
where the number of adipose cells increases, as shown by some studies5, 6.

If we look closely, an excess of calories, in this case with a high-fat diet (HighFatDiet), produces a
increase in the size of adipose cells (hypertrophy), but when prolonged, it can lead to
hyperplasia.

No to excessive volume
These new fat cells will remain once we finish our bulking phase and begin.
Our cutting phase means that our 'new' body will find it easier to store fat.

As I mentioned earlier, in this scenario we can create insulin resistance by the liver and
muscle, which exacerbates the problem at the adipose tissue level, leading to an increase in fat.
visceral, responsible for the majority of pathologies.

Although exercise usually acts beneficially at the adipose tissue level, such as through
interleukins (IL-6) that prevent the growth of body fat, are not enough to counter it, already
that the caloric excess always wins.

Lee Priest, famous for his wild bulking phases.

The effects of an aggressive bulking phase do not end here. The duration of a bulking phase usually has a
average duration of 3-4 months, enough time for the body to adopt a new set-point. This means
that our body takes as a reference new body weight.

If any of us tries to lose that fat, the body will oppose greater resistance by slowing down our
metabolism. This is the reason why many people find that at the end of a bulking phase
prolonged, it becomes more difficult for them to lower the body fat percentage they had before starting, extending the
definition phase, often reaching the competition needing 3-4 more weeks to achieve the
point that they needed.

So, how do I prepare my bulking phase?

As in the previous protocol, we will cycle calories again to achieve a gain in this way.
much cleaner muscle, although I must warn that gaining without increasing body fat percentage is really difficult.

The diet will be divided into two diets:

One for training days where a caloric surplus of 450-500kcal will be made and
2. one for rest days where a normocaloric intake will be made (Calories consumed = Calories that
spending).
The reason is quite simple: a small caloric surplus such as 450 kcal (which would be a surplus of 110 g)
maximum carbohydrates) is tolerated by the body thanks in part to the increase in basal metabolism due to
elevation of T3 (thyroid hormone) that facilitates a much faster metabolism, oxidizing more glucose by
part of the cells:
Increased oxidation of glucose by cells = Lower amount of glucose stored as fat
Volume with a high carbohydrate diet
Many may think that a high-carbohydrate diet is not the best option for increasing mass.
muscular, since it can be stored as fat, I repeat that it is something completely true, however just as
Studies show the minimum amount of carbohydrates needed to be stored as fat.
it is 15g/kg body8.

If we look at the previous graph, when we have depleted glycogen stores, it is necessary at
less than 48h with a high-calorie diet rich in carbohydrates to start being stored as body fat.

Since none of us are going to leave with completely empty glycogen reserves (unless we...
coming from a ketogenic diet or PSMF) the necessary time will be shorter. For this reason, for this protocol
we will need a training routine that quickly reduces our glycogen stores, so
that we will train squats, deadlifts, or bench press daily with the possibility of doing HIIT on some days.

I know this may sound contradictory, as it has always been said that during volume we must avoid the
cardiovascular exercise, however, my theory is that explosive movements like sprints or other exercises
similar ones can help us in this protocol as they quickly lower glycogen and assist us in
improve glucose uptake by the muscle, thus achieving a greater margin to increase the
carbohydrate consumption.
Due to the distribution of macronutrients, timing, and the protocol for gradually increasing calories are
very extensive topics, I will talk about it in a second part, so I can elaborate on each topic without
problems.
 A hug to everyone!

Sources
High-carbohydrate diets induce hepatic insulin resistance to protect the liver from substrate overload. Agius L.
2. Mechanism for fatty acid "sparing" effect on glucose-induced transcription: regulation of carbohydrate-
responsive element-binding protein by AMP-activated protein kinase. Kawaguchi T1, Osatomi K, Yamashita
H, Kabashima T, Uyeda K.
[Link] restriction: is AMPK a key sensor and effector?Cantó C1, Auwerx J.
4. The effects of consuming a high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance-trained.
[Link] Antonio*, Corey A Peacock, Anya Ellerbroek, Brandon Fromhoff and Tobin Silver
5. Tracking adipogenesis during white adipose tissue development, expansion and regeneration. Qiong A Wang,
Caroline Tao, Rana K Gupta & Philipp E Scherer
6. Adipocyte Turnover: Relevance to Human Adipose Tissue Morphology. Erik Arner, Pål O. Westermark.
Kirsty L. Spalding3, Tom Britton4, Mikael Rydén1, Jonas Frisén3, Samuel Bernard5 and Peter Arner1
7. Muscle-derived interleukin-6: mechanisms for activation and possible biological roles. Febbraio MA1
Pedersen BK.
8. Glycogen storage capacity and de novo lipogenesis during massive carbohydrate overfeeding in man. Acheson
KJ1, Schutz Y, Bessard T, Anantharaman K, Flatt JP, Jéquier E.

HSN Protocol: Gain Muscle with Almost No Fat. Part

2
After seeing how a bulking phase can negatively impact with too much caloric surplus
high, or how starting from a high body fat percentage can hinder muscle gain, we will see how the
The distribution of the different macronutrients plays an important role in muscle gain. Let's get started!

Index

Fats VS Carbohydrates
Before starting the debate on whether high-fat or high-carbohydrate diets are better for gaining muscle mass,
we have to know that there is a proportional relationship between the intensity of exercise and the amount of
Carbohydrates, therefore, the amount of carbohydrates will vary depending on the type of exercise we do.
and especially if we are talking about a training day or a rest day.

Although resistance exercises can provide muscle gain (especially in obese individuals or people
sedentary), the reality is that we must focus on strength exercises to gain muscle mass.

As I have mentioned once or twice, protein synthesis depending on the type of activity will be directed towards a function.
different

In endurance athletes, it is mainly aimed at generating a greater number of mitochondria.

which help to improve aerobic capacity1
In strength athletes, it is directed towards the contractile proteins of the muscle.2
As is obvious, my recommendation is to base the training on exercises where a great tension is produced.
muscle level, or in other words, weight-based training. This does not mean that one should not do it.
aerobic exercises, of course they can be done, but always as a complement and never as a method
principal.

If you read my article on how to improve your performance, you will remember that as the intensity of
exercise, the cells stop using fatty acids as a source of energy and start using glucose

Thus, very intense exercises, glucose turns into lactate, something that in turn allows to improve the
force3

Study: More carbohydrates, better performance

It is not surprising then that increasing the amount of carbohydrates in high-intensity exercises,
place to a greater performance and therefore to a greater load at the muscular level. If you have thought the same as me,
you are correct, something that was demonstrated in the following study4:
In it, 8 trained subjects were selected to perform an alternating training of 15 minutes at 60% or 85% of
VO2MAX. It was observed that when given a sweet placebo, plasma glucose and respiratory quotient (R)
decreased, which tells us that the organism was resorting to a greater use of fats as a source of
energy.

This led to greater fatigue, preventing the subjects from continuing the exercise even though they were in the
60% VO2MAX range. Having observed this, the protocol with carbohydrates began, where the subjects
they would consume 1g of carbohydrate/kg in 10 min, then 0.6g/kg every 30 min. The result was an increase
of glucose levels, allowing them to perform 19% more work before fatigue prevented them.
continue.

Study: Weight training, carbohydrate expenditure, and triglycerides

muscular
However, one should not be simplistic and think that during weight training only
we are going to consume carbohydrates as a source of energy

Tesch and colleagues demonstrated that weight training at moderate intensity resulted in a
average drop of 30% in muscle glycogen and 30% in TGIM (Triglycerides) deposits
Intramuscular) which tells us that those who have high glycogen reserves will have
best brands in exercises (for example: squats), as well as their duration, as seen in some studies5.
AKT, the key to muscle growth
AKT is one of the key proteins in protein synthesis, cell division, transport of
glucose to the cells and regulator of muscle growth.
In summary, we can say that if we encourage its expression, we create an environment for it to occur.
muscle growth7Some studies show evidence that low-carbohydrate diets or during a
A long fast can decrease the power of its effects.8what I can notice above all in
those people who follow a ketogenic diet.
Interestingly, insulin is one of the factors that stimulates this family of proteins.9, as I mentioned
In the previous paragraph, AKT (specifically AKT-2) helps to improve glucose transport into cells.
However, I would like to clarify that the role of carbohydrates is more oriented towards reducing degradation.
proteins and not to the stimulation of protein synthesis

What happens then with ketogenic diets?

Well, it inhibits the main pathway of cell growth and division.
Hence, ketogenic diets are an excellent option for people who suffer from epilepsy, but not for
high-intensity athletes. Continuing along this line, we will observe what happens when we follow a diet
low in carbohydrates.
When we follow a very low-carb diet (ketogenic), part of the proteins (among them the
muscular) are used to use the carbon skeleton to generate glucose12, where 1.6g of amino acids gives
place to 1g of glucose13.
In a hypothetical case where proteins were used to supply the 115g of glucose that is needed
brain, about 200g would be needed, which amounts to 1 kilogram of muscle tissue. Obviously, it is not given.
case, since more than 80% of the glucose generated through gluconeogenesis comes from fats.
However, it has been shown that during intense training (anaerobic), a greater amount is produced.
protein catabolism14so if we have low glycogen reserves, muscle loss will be
much bigger, something that is reflected during a fasted training with low glycogen stores15.
 Ketogenic diets and their role in hormones
You don't need to be Lyle McDonald to know that hormones will influence both our
performance, as in our recovery and therefore in muscle gain

Although there are many hormones that influence muscle level, I will talk about 3:

Testosterone
2. Cortisol, and
3. Growth hormone (GH).
As I spoke about the first two in my article, here is a brief summary:
In this same study, we can also observe higher cortisol levels when we train.
following a ketogenic diet. However, if there is one study particularly clear, it is Lane's.4in which
compared how a low-carbohydrate diet (30%) influenced versus a moderate-high (60%) following a
training at 70% VO2MAX.

Both groups consumed the same amount of protein (20-25%) so we discard the effect of one.
low-protein diet that I mentioned earlier.

The result obtained was that those who followed a low-carbohydrate diet increased their levels.
of cortisol, while those who followed a moderate-high diet did not vary. The testosterone ratio
free/cortisol decreased by 43% in those following a low-carbohydrate diet compared to those who
they followed a moderate-high carbohydrate diet.
This means that in the group that consumed few carbohydrates, they experienced a decrease in their levels of
testosterone and an increase in its cortisol levels.
 Higher testosterone, higher lean body mass and basal metabolism

Growth Hormone (GH)

Regarding growth hormone, it acts at the muscle level by stimulating growth and regeneration.
cellular, so we are interested in having a good sensitivity towards it. The growth hormone (which to
from now on we will call GH) acts at the receptor level, modifying expression through a protein
called STAT5.

As expected, the low availability of carbohydrates will influence GH, playing a special role.
ketogenic diets. In these diets, there is an accumulation of intramuscular triglycerides (IMTG)
that is associated with greater insulin resistance. This natural process will be of great importance already
What studies show how the muscle response to GH is altered with this type of diet.

Do you guess who it harms? Well, STAT5, the protein I mentioned a few lines above and that
permite el desarrollo celular a traves de GH. Así, cuantos menos «ácidos grasos» hay, mayor respuesta a la
GH is given, since high levels of fatty acids suppress up to 40% the response inside the
muscle cell

High-calorie diets: high in fats or carbohydrates?

This is the other point of importance that we had yet to address.
If we are going to be on a hypercaloric diet (eating more calories than we burn), it is important to know which
of the two macronutrients, it is stored as body fat more easily.
If we look at the studies that create this situation19, 20, 21 the result is as follows:

Carbohydrates led to a greater weight gain than fats, however we must

look beyond
This greater increase in body weight is due to a greater water retention by glycogen, since
stores an amount of water between 3-4 times the amount of glycogen, thus, if we increase the amount by 300g
from stored glycogen, we will gain between 900-1200g of water.

Something very curious in the study is that after following a high-calorie diet and maintaining an intake of
High carbohydrates, the % of fat recovered much faster than with the high-fat diet.

The reason for this is that high-carbohydrate diets speed up our metabolism.
If we look closely, the group that consumed a high-carbohydrate diet (CHO overfeeding) had a metabolism
much more active than the group that was on a high-fat diet (FAT overfeeding).

My opinion is that this great increase in metabolism in the carbohydrate group is due to:
higher levels of T3, and
a greater oxidation of glucose by the cells.

Thus, those who followed a high carbohydrate diet led to increased fat storage.
low-carb those who based their diet on fats.

Fats are more efficient at being stored as body fat than carbohydrates.
 As expected from this graph, the amount of protein stored as fat is nonexistent.
something we discussed in previous articles
For this reason, we will base our diet on a moderate-high carbohydrate consumption.
a correct amount of saturated and mono-polyunsaturated.
With this, I say goodbye for today, where in part III we will talk about how to structure the diet,
supplementation and examples of diets made by me to make it easier for you to get an idea

A hug to everyone!
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2. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. Schoenfeld BJ.
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G, Will S, Dawson P, Hurley BF.
4. Effect of carbohydrate feedings during high-intensity exercise. Coggan AR1, Coyle EF.
5. The effect of carbohydrate supplementation on multiple sessions and bouts of resistance exercise. Journal of
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6. Glycogen and triglyceride utilization in relation to muscle metabolic characteristics in men performing heavy-
resistance exercise.
7. Regulation of skeletal muscle growth by the IGF1-Akt/PKB pathway: insights from genetic models. Stefano
Schiaffino corresponding author1 and Cristina Mammucari2
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Korenchuk S, Zhang SY, Sundaresan G, Eberwein DJ, Brown KK, Kumar R.
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Nicholas R. Rensing, BS, Liu Lin Thio, MD, PhD, Kelvin A. Yamada, MD, and Michael Wong, MD, PhD
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Nutrition. Philadelphia
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States 1, 2
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GWARTNEY, M.D.
16. Effect of short-term starvation versus high-fat diet on intramyocellular triglyceride accumulation and insulin
resistance in physically fit men. Johnson NA1, Stannard SR, Rowlands DS, Chapman PG, Thompson CH,
O’Connor H, Sachinwalla T, Thompson MW.
17. Free fatty acids inhibit growth hormone/STAT5 signaling in human muscle: a potential feedback mechanism
[Link] and carbohydrate overfeeding in humans: different effects on energy storage. Horton TJ1, Drougas H,
Brachey A, Reed GW, Peters JC, Hill JO.
19. Effects of short-term carbohydrate or fat overfeeding on energy expenditure and plasma leptin concentrations
in healthy female [Link] M1, di Vetta V, Guenat E, Battilana P, Seematter G, Schneiter P,
Jéquier E, Tappy L.
[Link] and carbohydrate overfeding in humans: diferent efects on energy storage. Tracy J Horton, Holy Drougas,
Amy Brachey, George W Red, John C Petrs, and James 0 Hil

HSN Protocol: Gain Muscle with Barely Any Fat. Part

3
Well, earlier than expected, we find ourselves facing the last part of the protocol to increase muscle mass.
with hardly any fat. I admit that both this protocol and the one for breaking down fat require a lot of work behind it, already
that just searching for the studies that confirm my theories took me more than 40 hours. For this reason, the best
the way you can thank me is that this serves as a starting point for changing your physique and about

all your health, although I admit that sharing the protocol on Facebook and Twitter doesn't feel bad to me

Index

Carbohydrates, cornerstone
As we discussed in the previous parts of the protocol, carbohydrates have certain advantages when it comes to
we talk about muscle gain, as it facilitates us:
higher performance
a greater recovery, and
a lower storage in the form of fat as long as our insulin sensitivity is high.
The distribution of macronutrients will vary minimally depending on the day, which will be
divided according to:

training day, and

day of rest,
Unlike the protocol for destroying fat, there will not be a VLC (Very Low Calorie) day.

Training Day

The distribution for these days will be as follows:

Caloric excess: 400-500Kcal

Carbohidratos: 55%
Proteínas: 25%
Fats: 20%

Special mention goes to fats, where we will make a greater consumption of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
not forgetting about saturated fats, which play a fundamental role in maintaining cholesterol and synthesis of
hormones like testosterone, so including whole eggs in the diet can be an excellent
option.

About how to distribute macronutrients throughout the day, the 'nutritional timing' of each macronutrient will be
the following:

Carbohydrates

In my opinion, there are two moments when carbohydrates lead to a better use of them: PRE and
POST workout.
In pre-training, it helps to improve performance, especially when we enter ranges.
anaerobic, as glucose becomes the main fuel at the cellular level. My recommendation is
take around 0.5-1g of carbohydrates/kg of body weight, 70-90 minutes before training,
being able to make a brief intake of 0.2-0.3g of carbohydrate/hour of exercise during the
training.
In the post-training, we will add around 1.5-2g of carbohydrate/kg as post-training along with the
protein, where in the case that we have another training session on the same day,
We will introduce carbohydrates in liquid form to replenish glycogen as quickly as possible.

Example distribution of carbohydrates in the peritoneum

Thus, a person weighing 70 kg would consume the following intake:

PRE-WORKOUT 60g of Carbohydrates

 INTRA-TRAINING 20g of Carbohydrates

POST-TRAINING 120g of Carbohydrates

TOTAL 200g of Carbohydrates

The remaining carbohydrates can either be divided among the other meals or included in a single meal.

This last one seems ideal to me, especially if that meal where we are going to include the rest of the carbohydrates is the
dinner, since as I have mentioned before, it can help us fall asleep more quickly.

Proteins

Another point in the diet for increasing muscle mass is protein; however, I think it has been idealized.
the contribution of that macronutrient to muscle gain is considerable.

It is true that in diets to lower body fat percentage, the role of protein is incredible, due to its effect.
satiating, metabolism booster, helping to maintain muscle mass and prevent a significant drop in
testosterone etc.

However, it should be remembered that the amount of protein in the muscle is 16.4%, so there is not
the need to follow an extremely high-protein diet to increase muscle mass.
The contribution of 2g/kg seems more than enough in any sports modality.

How to distribute protein throughout the day

How to distribute protein throughout the day is simple: Divide the protein intake you need by
the different foods.

In this way, the protein contribution per meal will be very similar, benefiting protein synthesis. As a way of
summary and in order of importance we need to ensure that:

1. Ingest all the protein we need. This is the most critical factor; if we don't get the protein that
we need the muscle it does not have 'bricks' with which to repair the 'walls' that we break with it
training
2. High-quality protein (complete amino acid profile). Therefore, animal proteins have a value
important in the diet, as they provide us with vitamins, water, and protein. This does not mean that we cannot
using plant proteins by combining cereals and legumes, of course it can be done, however it will be more
it's difficult to adjust since they provide us with other macronutrients. Personally, I prefer an 80:20 ratio of proteins.
animals/plant proteins seems correct to me.
3. Number of meals. Is there a minimum number of meals per day? Yes, my recommendation is a minimum of 3.
meals, although ideally it can be between 3-5 meals to maximize protein synthesis and especially for
that it is more convenient to input all the calories, which in some cases can reach nearly intakes of
4000 kcal.
Fats
As I commented earlier, ideally the consumption of fats should be directed towards foods like avocado, salmon, tuna,
sardines, anchovies, olive oil or flaxseeds, which are high sources of mono and polyunsaturated fats.
We can also include some MCT like coconut oil or directly MCT, with an important role on
the metabolism of fats and thyroid

How to distribute fat throughout the day

Regarding the distribution of fats throughout the day, I believe they can be allocated similarly to protein.
uniform form in the different foods except for those people who have dual training,
where in that case it is better to avoid them in the first post-workout so that glucose absorption is higher
quick.
Rest Day

The days off will have the following distribution:

Caloric excess 0 kcal (Normocaloric Diet)

Carbohydrates 40%

Proteins 25%

Fats 35%

In this way, we slightly reduce carbohydrates and increase fats to a more common percentage.
for the general population than for athletes.

Practical Case
Let's take the case of a 25-year-old person who weighs 80kg and is 1.80m tall who wants to gain muscle mass.
with this protocol.
When calculating the calories needed based on your body type and activity on a normal day, it amounts to 2494 Kcal.
We round it to 2500 Kcal. These will be the calories consumed on rest days.
Later he calculates how much he needs for a day of training and gives him 3000 Kcal, so he
we will add 450Kcal, resulting in 3450Kcal

With the proposed distribution we would have the following:

TRAINING DAYS
 CARBOHYDRATES 475g

PROTEINS 215g (53g per meal)

FATS 75g

REST DAYS

CARBOHYDRATES 250g

PROTEINS 160g

FATS 100g

If we look at the amount of protein over two days, it gives us a value close to 2.6g per kg of body weight for the days of
training and 2g for rest days, as I said, an amount more than sufficient to increase mass
muscular.
Regarding carbohydrates and fats, we see how they vary, especially carbohydrates.
reducing 225g.
Thus, we will achieve a much higher sensitivity to glucose, as we prevent saturation of
glucose by the muscle

FAQ

What supplementation should I take?

I always recommend creatine, I believe it is essential in any bulking phase. Other supplements
Beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and HMB can be of great interest for improving recovery and power.
increase the training volume, which as is normal, will result in greater performance.

How should I take creatine?

Unlike what many professionals and non-professionals comment, there is no need to make a
loading phase with creatine, although it is true that the levels increase much faster. My recommendation
It is to ingest 0.1g per kg of body weight, both on training days and rest days, without the need to
take breaks.

What foods can I put in?

Everyone, there is no need to eliminate any food. I believe this is one of the main mistakes in the diet of
volume, looking for "clean" foods. When we need almost 4000Kcal, relying on "rice and chicken" can go back
the diet is very monotonous and especially heavy to reach those amounts of calories. For this reason, I recommend
support the diet with "less common" foods such as nuts with honey, ice creams, homemade pizzas, cereals with
chocolate, chicken fajitas with sauce..etc, that is to say, I would follow a philosophy of the type IIFYM.

Until when can I stay with this protocol?

The ideal is for you to alternate periods of bulking and cutting, so 3 months with this protocol and
A month with the goal of destroying body fat can be an excellent option to improve your physique.

Can you drink alcohol on the diet?

No, I'm sorry but I'm inflexible on that subject. Obviously, I'm referring to drinks like rum, whisky, vodka, etc.
Beers and wine can be included in meals from time to time, as their alcohol contribution is much more
low. The reason for this is that we halt the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, we decrease synthesis.
protein synthesis and most importantly the resynthesis of glycogen, which means that recovery from training is much worse.

Does anything happen if I consume 3g of protein per kg of body weight?

It will only increase renal filtration and you will oxidize more protein, or in other words, your body will metabolize.
the excess of protein without any effect on protein synthesis or increase in muscle mass. Believe me, the
muscle gain concerning protein intake is not linear; if you gain 0.500kg of muscle with 2g/kg, it does not
you will gain 1kg of muscle by consuming 4g.

Can I follow this protocol with intermittent fasting?

It is indeed possible, however, if you are going to have 4 or even 5 meals, perhaps intermittent fasting may not be for you.
better option, since the meals you are going to make will be very close to each other, so the synthesis
Protein intake may be somewhat lower, however, yes, muscle mass can be gained through intermittent fasting.
although I can't assure you that it is the same amount as a normal distribution.