A simple way of looking at this and discovering the best workout program for you is to learn a few terms and a few scientific facts. Find out more.
There are a million ways to get big and a million ways to get lean and depending on your particular sport, a billion ways to condition yourself. The difficult and tricky task is figuring out which exercise and diet program is for you.

Billions of dollars are spent every year trying to discover what workout and nutritional program is best for you. The quest for this can be maddening, but there is an answer. A simple way of looking at this and discovering the most suitable program for you is to learn a few terms and discover a few scientific facts.

Most exercise and diet plans are geared around being two simple concepts. You are either getting lean or you are gaining mass. You cannot put on lean muscle mass alone.


Anabolic Vs. Catabolic


There are two states that the body can be in. The process of anabolic means to gain mass and size, and the opposite of that is a catabolic state. Contest preparation (the idea of getting lean) also refers to the catabolic state. Off-season and building mass relates to the anabolic state.

Don't be fooled into thinking that you can do both at the same time. The body's set up with your enzymes and other body chemicals to either gain weight or lose weight, not to do both simultaneously.
Anabolic state: To obtain more calories than you are using as fuel on a daily basis.
Catabolic state: To burn more calories than you are taking in on a daily basis.
Static state: To take in the exact same calories that you are burning off.

Basic stuff right? Well, keep it that way and stop asking questions like: "Dr. Ryan, how can I gain muscle and burn fat?" You can't defy the physiology (laws of science) associated with the human body. No pill, no protein, no diet, no exercise, no steroid, is going to change that law of science.

So, the next time you read something that calls for gaining, "Build muscle and lose fat," a red light should go off in your head and you should realize it is marketing BS.

However, you have to understand that if you are burning your own fat as a fuel, it is possible to take in lower calories and still gain muscle mass. This only applies to individuals who have a significant amount of body fat. If you are a lean person (less than 20% body fat) you are not going to have enough fat to make much of a difference.