subject: Whats the differece between mass gain and lwan muscle gain [print this page] Sports nutritionists, personal trainers and gym-junkies often use quite specific terminology when they talk about muscle gain. They may refer to mass gain' or bulking up' on one hand and lean muscle' on the other. So, what's the difference?
Mass Gain
The term mass gain usually refers to the goal of packing on as much weight as possible with little concern about body fat. It's often called bulking up'.
Training and eating for mass gain maximises the rate at which muscle can be built but also increases the amount of fat being stored. This approach is popular with bodybuilders and rugby players who will aim to bulk-up in the off season, gaining as much muscle as possible, then train to reduce body fat, sometimes called cutting', as they approach the new season.
Mass gain is achieved by consuming more calories than are required to maintain weight. This can be anywhere between 500 to 2000 calories above maintenance levels. Such calorific consumption creates an anabolic environment in the body, providing it with lots of energy to help build new tissues.
Mass gain products like Sci-MX Nutrition's Mass System are high in calories and help people meet the calorific demands needed to gain mass. These are particularly useful for people with small appetites who find it difficult to eat large volumes of food or those who are naturally slim and find it difficult to gain weight.
Lean Muscle Gain
Lean muscle gain involves training to put on muscle while keeping body fat to an absolute minimum.
This can be a slower process than mass gain as lean muscle can only be gained at a rate of 0.5 to 1.5 of pure muscle per month if fat gain is to be kept in check.
Like mass gaining, a positive calorie balance needs to be achieved in order to promote lean muscle growth. A calorie intake of 250 to 500 kcal above maintenance will create this positive energy balance with minimal fat gain, particularly if the proportion of those calories obtained from protein sources is increased. When exercising regularly, this calorific excess can be easily obtained with a meal replacement such as Sci-MX's Lean GROW MRF in addition to your regular meals.
Whats the differece between mass gain and lwan muscle gain
