30 Seconds SummaryCan Natural Competitors Expect to Grow into a Show?
- Natural athletes face significant challenges in gaining muscle and losing fat simultaneously to achieve competition readiness without steroids.
- Scientific studies show that while beginners can gain notable muscle mass quickly (even in a calorie surplus), growth rates decrease significantly with advanced training experience.
- For seasoned athletes, data demonstrates some potential for simultaneous muscle gain and fat loss, but these changes are modest and less likely as athletes reach lower body fat percentages necessary for competition.
- Hormonal changes at extremely low body fat levels impair muscle growth, leading to muscle and strength loss in natural competitors during contest preparation.
- Most natural bodybuilders will need to see the scale go down to reach competition leanness, as gaining muscle at the rate required to balance fat loss is highly unlikely.
- Despite possible slight increases in muscle mass during 'peak week' due to high carbohydrate intake, this is primarily due to water retention, not actual muscle gain.
Biolayne
Peter Fitschen
