Body Composition

Crash Dieting is Still a Bad Idea

A recent study indicates that jumping right into a severe energy deficit was just as effective as a progressive stepwise energy deficit for body composition. So are they equivalent? Well, no. A larger net energy deficit should mean greater fat mass loss, but that’s not what happened.

Can You Stay Shredded?

Getting and staying lean is often viewed as a holy grail, but few can actually maintain a shredded physique year round. Why is this? Are there inevitable physiological consequences that make it very difficult to stay really lean, or are people just doing it wrong?

Do Oral Contraceptives Affect Your Gains?

A recent study examined the effects of oral contraceptives on strength gains, hypertrophy, and anabolic signaling. Do female lifters need to worry about hormonal contraceptives affecting their gains? Read on to find out.

Body-Fat and P-Ratios: A Rebuttal To The Rebuttal To The Rebuttal

We published articles that questioned the popular belief that high body-fat levels impair p-ratios. Menno Henselmans published a rebuttal on his site shortly thereafter. We responded to his rebuttal, and shortly after our rebuttal was posted, Menno added to his article to respond to it. Unfortunately we feel the need to respond yet again, as his response lacked substance and was pretty misleading.

Should You Cut Before You Bulk?: How Body Fat Levels Affect Your P-Ratio

Should You Cut Before You Bulk?: How Body-Fat Levels Affect Your P-Ratio

Many people believe that if you get lean before you start a bulk, you’ll gain muscle more efficiently. Their reasoning often relates to concerns about insulin sensitivity: if you have more body fat, your insulin sensitivity will be lower, so you’ll gain more fat and less muscle in a calorie surplus. However, the evidence for this concept is surprisingly thin and shaky. In this article, we delve into what the science really says on the topic.

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