A must-listen for your next building phase if you want to gain muscle while staying lean.

This episode is for those who are doing a reverse diet, about to build, or already in a growth phase and low-key panicking about the scale, their jeans fitting, or “getting bulky.”

Bella and I talk through what a real muscle-building phase looks like; the mindset, the training precision, and the nutrition structure it takes to add lean tissue without letting it turn into a sloppy bulk. We discuss why muscle growth is a long game, why it should be taken just as seriously (if not more) than a cut, and how to stay locked in when you’re not getting those fast, visible “I’m leaner!” wins.

Topics Discussed:

• Why muscle growth is slower than fat loss, and what that means for your expectations
• Top mistakes people make in a building phase
• Mindset blocks: scale going up, clothes fitting different, fearing feeling “bulky”
• Tracking strength, training intensity, and pushing to failure
• Exercise selection for max muscle growth vs “just working out”
• High reps vs low reps vs half reps - Actual physiology behind rep ranges
• Nutrition in a build: timing, quality, and why “just eat more” isn’t a muscle-growth strategy
• Fasted training in a build (and why we don’t love it)
• Digestion, enzymes, and making sure you can actually absorb the food you’re eating
• Creatine: what it does, what it doesn’t do, and why you should take it
• How PEDs and influencers can make bad training appear good
• When to cut vs when to keep building, and why chasing constant weight loss stalls your physique
• The benefit of a coach during a build (accountability, photos, adjusting food, keeping intensity high)

Key Links:

📱 Christina's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knifina/  

💪 Cut & Conquer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cutandconquerfitness/  

📝 Coaching Application: https://cutandconquer.typeform.com/CQA-application 

🌍 Free FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/weightsandwellness/

🌶️ Shop our Meal Prep Seasoning: https://healthydevil.ca/collections/all 

Episodes Referenced:

How to Not Get FAT During Your Building Phase: Tips for Lean Muscle Growth Without Feeling “Bulky”:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1N4zCPaSwfGddwmB3T3O56?si=taEKQ7f-T7CXnaaQW_j2sA 

Why I Gained Weight for 15 Months Straight:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0oBmilMC9EaXzUL5RTkrgN?si=zhF-7c9VQRWjotSVEhEvLg

Cutting vs Bulking - Which Should YOU Do First?:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/61p9b8jmToiP6Db3nrK71X?si=yerbgLicTeG7Meq1HShz4A   

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.