EP177: Muscle Growth Tips For Your Building Phase

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?: