How to nail your building phase

by Sophie Allen

I am so excited that building phases are finally getting the attention they deserve! Not only are they great for building muscle and getting stronger, they are also helping women feel more comfortable and empowered in their bodies, and detach themselves from their weight. Take that diet industry!

However, this doesn’t mean that building phases don’t come with their challenges. If you’re looking to do a build soon, here are my top tips for ensuring that your time in a surplus is as beneficial as it can be! 

  • Give yourself time: Building muscle isn’t a quick process! Make sure you dedicate AT LEAST 4-6 months to this process, and try not to quit as soon as you feel uncomfortable. That is where the growth happens gf!
  • Train hard: Like, really hard. You need to ensure you are giving your body a reason to grow some muscle with sufficient training stimulus. Put the extra food to good use, and make sure you are pushing yourself in the gym. 
  • Keep your surplus small: You don’t need to eat in a massive surplus to gain muscle, and this will only increase your chance of fat gain. Keep your surplus conservative (around 5-15% extra on top of your maintenance). 
  • Prioritise sleep: We want to help build the ultimate anabolic environment for our body, which means plenty of sleep! Aim for 7-9 hours each night. 
  • Focus on recovery: Make sure you are giving your body time to recover and build that extra muscle! 
  • Prioritise carbs: Most of your extra calories should be coming from carbohydrates to help with your energy and training.
  • Focus on performance: Instead of focusing on the scale or how you look, choose performance based goals instead. Time to hit some new PB’s gf! 
  • Embrace the changes in your body: Understand that this is a temporary phase, and there will always be a time to cut again in the future if you choose to. Enjoy your extra energy and strength, and understand that if you want to build muscle and change your physique, then this is what you need to do!

If you're unsure on where or when to start a building phase, let me help you! Head to the coaching tab to browse our membership options at TWS, for less than a cup of coffee a day get your custom training and nutrition sorted. 

Soph xx 

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