Bodybuilding In the Winter

As a bodybuilder, you will go through two distinct phases throughout the year. Since we are entering the winter phase at this time it's a perfect time to review the season. The winter bodybuilding season is when you consciously allow your weight to increase. A general rule of thumb is to let your weight increase by 10% between November 1 and the end of February. The increase in body mass will promote muscle growth so that when you get shredded again next summer you will have more muscle to display.

Your body will not build muscle and lose fat at the same time, hence the switch in the winter from fat loss to muscle gain. We do this because if you want to look lean all year it will generally be harder for you to put on muscle. The human body will naturally resist building new muscle because it will perpetually require more calories from then on to function, and the body always strives for efficiency. Requiring more daily calories isn't very efficient, so you have to create an ideal situation in which to add muscle. This includes plenty of heavy stimulation to your muscle, an increase in daily calorie intake, and a decrease in calorie-sucking cardio. This will create the perfect environment for muscle hypertrophy.

In the winter phase you will generally phase out cardio. Some bodybuilders phase it out completely, and some simply cut down to 1-2 sessions per week. Personally, I cut it out completely from November 1 through the end of February. There are no competitions to contend with if that's your thing, and there are generally no beach trips to look good for. This is why in the winter the calorie consumption increases and the cardio gets phased out. This is by no means an excuse to eat whatever you want. When you hear about an increase in calorie intake, this refers to eating more of the good clean foods you eat all year. These foods include primarily lean proteins and vegetables.

The third distinction with the winter phase is the weights being lifted. Since you aren't spending time doing cardio you can generally add 1-2 more lifts per muscle group during your gym sessions. You should also increase your weight and decrease your reps per set. This will maximize muscle gain during this time and make a real noticeable difference next summer. If your normal rep range is in the 8-12 range, you should increase your load until you can perform 4-6 reps with good form. This will provide your muscles with the added stimulation they need to grow and create the optimal situation for hypertrophy.

To sum it up, the winter phase of bodybuilding consists of:

1:Increased calorie consumption and decreased cardio to increase your weight by 10%

2:1-2 more lifts per gym session

3:Lifting heavier weights than usual with fewer reps per set