These Diet Mistakes Are Ruining Your Muscle Gains

Avoid these most common diet mistakes for gaining muscle and bulking.
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0:00 Intro
0:52 Not knowing maintenance
2:37 Surplus compliance
3:49 Not tracking bodyweight
6:37 Not adapting surplus to bodyweight
10:30 Not using weekly averages
12:58 Too much pulsatility
15:14 Too Much Junk Food
16:48 No junk food
19:23 Cutting too much
21:10 Bulking too long

[@RS-pn9wu]

I'm making all of these mistakes on purpose to shock my body

[@Tagerrun]

Don’t forget to sun your taint too

[@dolaudz3285]

You gotta confuse your body. Eat some asteroids, too.

[@cordova7572]

Whatever it takes, right babe?

[@saturnine1979]

Gotta keep the body guessing

[@joshuaday9069]

Dont forget to disappoint the body

[@Ceredron]

I was guilty of 1 for the longest time. It is incredible how much paying attention to even the most basic concept of day to day tracking of calorie and protein macros can help dictate your growth. Once I started getting a good idea of calories (don't even need to be super exact), my week to week weight fluctuations, and tracking my gym progress, I took off and started getting big. I could tell the first time a buddy casually called me "the jacked one" in conversation and let's be real - that's what we're all here for.

[@tylerlewin___]

If you don’t mind me asking man, what lifting program did/do you follow?

[@ted3846]

"The Jacked One" this put a smile on my face. 👌

[@suhwateezea.214]

Lol the trophy

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Woooo! That's it right there! - Dr. Mike

[@OutrageIsNow]

@@tylerlewin___you don’t necessarily need to follow a program. Just listen to Dr Mike’s advice. If you listen to enough of what he says, you can design your own program. The best advice I picked up from him was to pick 4 exercises where I wanted to get stronger. I work them throughout the week close to failure (I take the last 2 sets to failure).

[@jordanhiller3866]

Started in January @ 145lb 5'9 male Now 165 and still 5'9 male. All thanks to Dr. Mike

[@trevorshishkin6653]

lol at clarifying you are still the same height and sex haha😂

[@jaredlisle3055]

Congrats on still being a male, I knew you could do it!

[@motoinsanity2619]

Bro if your not putting on an inch of height a month your doing it wrong gotta start tracking you ego or you will never grow taller bigger ego equals growth!!! Glad your still one of us to if you miss more than a day a month of working out you become a they them gotta be careful.

[@TheBswan]

Keep training and one day you can still be 5'9 male. I believe in you bro. Source: am a 5'9 male

[@jordanhiller3866]

Thank all for the love and support. Happy to report I've done my first cut down to 157. Still 5'9 male. Thank you dr. Mike. Respect.

[@nikolakrastev8880]

Yeah not eating enough is a huge issue (I am relatively skinny so I know from experience)

[@TheBswan]

I started tracking protein only, realized on some days I was waaay under 1g/lb body weight. Once I hit my protein target consistently I started making big gains for the first time in my life

[@supagreatman2826]

Drink calories

[@Holly1007C]

This is a great summary of training phases and great reminders of not chasing anything in particular but rolling with the flow

[@HeadCannonPrime]

This is probably the HARDEST part. I can go in the gym and sling weight all day. But the constant measuring, counting, tracking is the worst part (for me). Some people can just do it and I'm totally jealous of them, but I'm not one of them.

[@JARTFreaks]

The key is to not be too hard to yourself and just estimate your intake at days which have been too stressful. At some point it just becomes something you are used to. Wish you the best

[@Xoulrath_]

For me, the tracking has been great. I've got a massive appetite, and it only grows when I'm training seriously. So I could easily consume an extra 1,000+ calories more than I need if I didn't track, and I wouldn't even notice it. It sucks that you can't do it, but if you're making progress and hitting your goals, then it doesn't really matter. Good luck.

[@OutrageIsNow]

I eat relatively the same meals and food every week so it became second nature for me to be able to track macros. It took a lot of the guess work out

[@akbananachucker2441]

@@Xoulrath_ what foods are you talking about? If it's junk food then it doesn't count.

[@Xoulrath_]

@@akbananachucker2441 I literally don't even understand what you are asking. Nor do I understand why you are asking it. This is a fitness channel. Why the fuck do you think that I would be consuming junk food as part of my day to day diet? Furthermore, even if I were eating junk food, those calories most certainly do count. So again, I really don't know what the fucking point of your post is.

[@Lookatthebottom]

You got me on track last year and I was gaining a half pound a week for months. I slacked off for a couple of months and fell way behind. I'm almost back to my best weight, but I've just been working harder, eating more and hitting the scale, not calculating. This is what I needed to hear.

[@TaoJChi]

23:07 "you go to Texas you're half the size of a real person" 😂I'm dying!

[@nicorellius]

This video was so informative. I can relate to so much of it, just coming off a 6 month bulk (162 to 176 pounds). I am in maintenance now (chillin out and re-tuning), but I have some great information on what to do next. Thanks Dr Mike!

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

My pleasure! - Dr. Mike

[@paulogorris18]

Gaintaining works if you gaintain harder than last time

[@C0d0ps]

Harder than last time 🍆

[@gigithebird2151]

Bros trolling

[@deyvisonwillamy6931]

Gaintaining Works if you ALREADY have a decent physique Bruh

[@marco.pereira]

Haha 😂

[@israelp348]

But his FRIGGIN' cookbook!

[@seamusmorgan4982]

thank you for this incredible information. I know I know this stuff but it is good to hear it coming from you as well. I have also struggled with gaining weight mainly because I am now realizing that I was afraid of getting fat.

[@RenaissancePeriodization]

Yep, it's ok because you can get un-fat ASAP any time you want! - Dr. Mike

[@Ruthlesss86]

16:00 I definitely agree, i sweat differently when I have a poor diet before workouts. I get like a greasy sweat. It's nasty.

[@TomieGG]

Can you talk about how effective or ineffective Mike Mentzer's approach to bodybuilding was?

[@Andrew-kr2qg]

Thanks for all the information, and the laughs! 👍💪

[@PedroRibeiro-zs5go]

This is the best KZbin channel on fitness! You ROCK! ❤

[@nadawiib]

ANOTHER CASUAL RP BANGER 🙌🙌

[@robholloway5049]

Such a great video thanks Mike

[@NorbertDz]

amazing and informative as always 👌

[@georgivuldzhev4083]

Just started a bulk this week, perfect timing Dr. Mike

[@charlesnewcomb3739]

Same

[@kaleb3251]

Bouta start mine in a few

[@akbananachucker2441]

Just started this week too

[@akbananachucker2441]

Worried about the fat loss. Do I work out in a deload and can I fast to make it go faster or am I supposed to make it go slow back down?

[@joeb5763]

Just started last week. Impeccable timing!

[@MiguelHernandez-xj1rt]

This is pure gold! Things didn't start going my way till I really started to count calories . Thanks Dr.Mike!

[@johnsmith2221]

Very sound advice, excellent video.

[@jusefconesa7442]

I love Dr Mike and his power point presentations he made for the class

[@stoempert]

Excellent video

[@philiptowsey6282]

I really enjoy your videos dr mike. Since I subscribed recently I have learned a lot about taking breaks from bulking and going into a cut phase to drop fat etc . Your videos are very informative and I have learned a lot from you and you have a very good sense of humor aswell . Keep pushing out videos my man 👍🏼

[@User-54631]

I enjoy the banter, as a skinner guy and a hard gainer. I’ve had to fight the urge to do the dirty bulk.

[@dashingduff2985]

Really good timing to see this 👌

[@jkrak6990]

Dr mike, ive bought your watch and changed my physic drastically! (Obviously training to what you've and Jonni shreve have taught me)

[@cjromerofficial]

Not sure if you’d made one yet, but I’d love to see a video on using the RP Hypertrophy app during a maintenance phase.

[@ArtOfHealth]

Fun stuff. Relax and enjoy this hobby. Watch for fatigue. Gaining muscle is difficult. Don't stress over this. Thanks Doc.

[@FullromFabian]

Thanks!

[@Wetterwet]

Another great video

[@Zmeyuk]

Hello, sir, thank you for sharing your knowledge! Great content. Спасибо, мужик! Also i have a question about recomposition thing, im always trying to stay in maintenance calories and weight, training 3 times a week with enough protein intake, is it worth it? Or i just need to eat more and then go shredding?

[@edwardguy6048]

Dr. Mike I’m 53 and a recreational bodybuilder and having a cheat meal almost makes me feel guilty at times….I appreciate your insight!

[@MoFromEgy]

I watched your interview with Fouad , Great work my man , keep up the good work 💪💪

[@akbananachucker2441]

Where was this? Was it for members only? Or did I miss it?

[@JuneauGTW]

Hey Dr. Mike, I'm certain you have already made videos for newbies, but I would appreciate some advice for getting started on this stuff. I haven't spent any amount of time working out before. I just lost a decent amount of weight (I had a kid, forgot to eat as often as usual, and lost 30+ lbs in his first 2 years), and I would like to build muscle and make these changes more permanent. Where do I even start? Counting calories, protein, carbs, and fat intake? How should I exercise? How do I avoid burning out while still making progress?

[@stefanravalli6940]

In regards to your video about de-loading and talking about dropping calorie intake to maintenance during those weeks, do you do it IMMEDIATELY on the first day of maintenance or might it be better to drop to maintenance only AFTER your muscles are no longer sore from the previous week? Wondering if the muscles are still needing the calories while they are rebuilding, even though you are entering a rest/low-intensity phase.

[@CQuizeo]

This is awesome all this RP content plus the Fouad and mutant & mouth interviews. When is the next making progress video coming out?

[@akbananachucker2441]

Next year 😁😂👍

[@usefulnuisance]

i love how inside 20 seconds Mike said "perseverant" and "logician". i'm over here gettin vocab gains!

[@hikingviking8309]

The best listenable content comes from this channel.

[@StewCatz]

Coming from competitive running and climbing and now transitioning to more lifting and BJJ, I have made these mistakes. My previous sports aren't my only priority now and the culture in both leads to being incredibly fat averse. I need to save this video and listen to it once a week or something as I've made most of these mistakes out of habits. Thanks Dr Mike.

[@ArtOfHealth]

I wrote them down on paper and now it's up on the wall. If I don't see it often, I soon forget it.

[@bigpickenergy5321]

Great tip. Im starting to think lack of calories is really my issue with hardly not growing..

[@user-zy2sk7so1j]

Dr. Mike you’ve been asked this a million times, but on average how many calories per pound of body weight is a good starting point. At what body fat percentage would you use lean mass to to gauge your calorie needs. Thanks!!

[@hassanlahlou7805]

this is SO GOOOOD

[@ketaminefrog]

You should do a video about restdays, how to recover, how many calories to eat, ice baths, what to avoid, etc. Personally I feel like my rest days are kinda crap because I don’t know how to properly rest

[@MrAdamo]

He’s covered all of that in a bunch of different videos but never synthesized as you stated. You might be able to watch those videos and come up with your own mental map of what to do on rest days

[@FriendJenn]

I saw one video where he says not to do the ice bath/contrast shower types of things because it's about adaptation and not trying to recover faster. Really helpful video!!

[@FriendJenn]

It was from a year ago. 👍

[@TheGreektrojan]

He did do that in a recent video kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmPVfWaaeJ5lia8. Proper diet, high quality sleep, and stress management. There is no magic "recovery" protocol.

[@Madchris8828]

Probably the best dieting video Dr. Mike has made

[@Tmoney7994]

Mike's little quips are golden 😂

[@unclemoneymoneyuncle8702]

24:19 and the next bits had me rolling, great stuff! I've been monkeying around with weight and where/what feels good, was up to 240 earlier this year at a pinnacle, 230 was maintainable more easily, summer time I cut down and now am nice and dry at 220, funny thing is I'm nearing my previous peak strength at less weight and I swear my muscles look n feel more full, going to have to measure to compare... But I'm teetering on feeling beat and worn in this last intense push so I'm going to lighten the lifting load for a week and recheck in with myself, extend if need be, really just depends when things feel right again.

[@StephColbertsonStrength]

I definitely struggle trying to lower the surplus without worrying that I’m pulling it down too far.

[@nohalfmeasures6]

This channel should have multi-million followers, even at 688k, this is an undervalued gem imo. Love the channel, not sure if it's the Russian dry humor, but I find myself enthralled more than any fitness channel lol. 😂😂 😍😍

[@filipinoSpice10]

Doc Mike. Thank you for this video/class/knowledge. I was freaking out because of my weight when i weigh myself every week.😂😂😂😂 i need this right now and thank you!!!!❤❤❤❤❤

[@daver5255]

adhd training my entire life. I can't imagine how much i would fuck shit up with this guidance. Thanks Mike!

[@fifis101]

Currently going through my 5th year of training. I really didn't want to force feed this year so I went with the maintenance approach. It definitely can feel like i'm spinning the wheels a bit but I know for sure the 1-2kg I have gained are all muscle. Maybe I'll push more food next year and do a comparison but buling and cutting make it very hard to measure results when they are only small.

[@YamanoRyuu]

Same experience for the last year, eating the same but clearly more muscular.

[@amperage8032]

Did you change your training or was it something else? Growth can happen at maintenance so I’m curious what do you attribute your increase to? I struggle with staying in a surplus, appreciate your feedback.

[@fifis101]

@@amperage8032 I have put more and more effort into the quality of my training. Dropping the weight and really slowing down the reps. Milking the eccentric. I have also moved to a delaod every 4 weeks. I was finding I could make progress for 3 weeks but then the 3rd, not so much. I swap between two similar programs each month and push to beat the weight/reps from the month before, even if it's only very small.

[@YamanoRyuu]

@@amperage8032 In my case, my routine underwent the following changes: 1) I increased the number of recovery days, moving from a 5-6 day per week schedule to 3 or 4 days, with each day focused on full-body workouts. My preferred routine alternates between heavy, rest, light, rest, medium, light, rest (if 3 days per week, it goes heavy, rest, medium, rest, medium, restx2). The 4 days a week setup appeals to me due to its well-distributed volume. 2) I enhanced my training volume, but I didn't measure it by the number of sets. Instead, I focused on total reps (reps x sets). For lighter days, I aimed for 12-15 reps, while medium days targeted 8-12 reps. Heavy days still maintained a range of 5-8 reps, but I never went below 5. 3) I increased relative intensity rather than the absolute intensity. Rather than fixating on achieving a high percentage of my one-rep max (RM), I concentrated on intensity within the range of 10-15 reps (for example), often reaching failure in the last set (expect on heavy day). This shift is crucial; many people become overly focused on lifting heavy weights as the sole measure of intensity. However, combining higher reps with increased volume can lead to muscle growth with reduced systemic fatigue. 4) I allowed strength progression to occur naturally, preferably with a double progression approach to ensure mastery of each weight.

[@tythiel7253]

Mannn I should have been watching your videos rather than all of the other wastes of time. Sir, you are the man. I have much to learn.

[@aplive58]

This is a great video. Very informative and holistic. Would love a video like this but for cutting. I'm stuck at about 15% body fat. Since I cut at 193 lbs, I've hit plateaus at 185, 175, and now 172.

[@zsahe21]

Hey Dr. Mike. Do your students ever confront you in class about your online videos? How do those conversations go? I appreciate your content, and I'm waiting for your OF.

[@smiccles3544]

Could you make a video analyzing the effects of intermittent fasting on a bulk?

[@uroskovacic2469]

The eyebrows are back

[@baronvonhoughton]

The ending made me laugh in an empty room, fair play Dr you're the man.

[@elischrock5356]

Thank you for kindly doing the needful... or whatever.

[@supersalty4588]

When can we expect stats in the RP App. I'm running out of room writing my lifts next to my feelings in my diary

[@andrewcunningham101]

Great video. Wish I could see a loop of Dr Mike trying to say “critical” 3 times in a row at 2.25.

[@darietto75]

Mike do you think that once in a while doing 3,4 days of keto ( or some form of lowcarb) could be a good way to reveal our real bodyweight?i am at maintenence, I eat a lot of fruit vegetable, water and understand what is my real weight is really hard due to the water and the undigested foods in the morning. Thanknl you really love your contents!

[@AdamMc192]

*Mike honestly looked like Jason Genova on stage in that thumbnail* he's got the dieting dialled in over the last few years.

[@Ezratal]

This dude cracks me tf up

[@JuneauGTW]

Taking the John Wick analogy to eleven is exactly what I needed. I'm a man of "sheer [d]ucking will."

[@taitcarrillo8926]

Tracking weight / mirror are way easier metrics for me than tracking food. I know what 3500 cals looks like, but sometimes I simply cannot eat that much. As long as I’m slightly heavier by the end of the month I’m on the right track.

[@robertdowney5937]

Do you have high calorie shakes in your diet?

[@taitcarrillo8926]

@@robertdowney5937 Yea but not as often anymore because those fuck up my digestion. Too many calories too quick.

[@robertdowney5937]

@@taitcarrillo8926 divide it in two times

[@Joe___R]

As far as adjusting your diet, I give any change two weeks to see what direction it is actually going. Your body takes some time to realize that the diet change is not a fluke and that it can rely on it to continue. That is why if you overeat or fast once your body doesn't really change.

[@vpandemix]

dr mike t-shirts always on point

[@daikatarokamegawa542]

10 common mistakes. An even, round number we all like, lists of 10 items do well in popularity. I see what you did there doc!

[@birddogmi67]

Great relevant video for my lazy monitoring of my weight . I did touch myself a bit😂.

[@roger6nelson]

Quality videos

[@marlon6116]

Greg's body dysmorphia kickin in😳😰

[@Coltrane360]

I wonder if you ever did a video on Mac from it's always sunny dirty bulk

[@gorilladigits8223]

Have any studies been done about a possible difference between the effectiveness of a 500 calorie deficit with no cardio vs maintenance calories with 500 calories worth of cardio? Intuitively I feel like the extra calories in the diet would contribute positively to muscle retention (as long as the cardio isn’t too intense)

[@jonathanmason3495]

shit I can't find the study but I recall one which looked high protein calorie deficit vs high protein calorie surplus and if memory serves correct there was a tiny amount of muscle gain in the deficit group with body fat reduction, with the expected result for the surplus group. The caveats of the study were; participants were advanced/expert lifters, study was short (3 months - 6 months I believe), and the performance of the deficit group was inhibited by higher levels of fatigue. Sorry I can't link, hopefully someone sees this and can find it

[@CaptainBrash]

If you've just had a cut and are about to bulk about how long should you spend finding your maintenance before adding more calories? You mentioned a week at maintenance but is that enough time?

[@nomynameisnotmaryjane]

My question is not directly related to this topic, but I still would like to ask - does donating blood affect muscle gain in any way? And how it relates to the diet while trying to gain - should I eat even more during surplus or just rest more etc.

[@emanueldtribie3941]

I don't talk to regular people anymore..I love it!

[@ericreed2064]

I wasn't a fan of Dr.Mike at first, and I think it was just my horrible focus and how he is able to throw so much information so quickly. I've adapted though, and I love this channel now!

[@_baller]

"we allowed to say that on KZbin.....? we'll find out.." 😁

[@inhatzulu]

‘It’s a hobby,and it must to be fun!”..this is something that is rarely heard in a fitness video

[@justindover859]

Has he done any videos on measuring body fat and wich scales might be more reliable etc

[@EGstill85]

I am currently planning on entering a bulk phase after cutting and then unsuccessfully trying to gaintain for way too many months. I ended up getting used to doing an unhealthy amount of daily cardio. Does it make sense for me to simply ramp down my cardio and keep my calories the same? Wouldn't that put me into a surplus? Any help is appreciated!

[@Shvabicu]

I gotta say about ⅓ of my dietary intake on a bulk is junk food. Otherwise I just can't get myself to eat that many calories and diet fatigue kicks in super early. What I do though is try to have the junk after workouts so as not to affect my gym performance and it works.

[@GeorgeEdwardsVlog]

Maintenance today is 4400 for me. Trying to battle out a deficit and it’s rough. I have no trouble getting a surplus.

[@robizm1000]

Do you have a video like this for cutting?

[@thexs1118]

I'm from Irvine!

[@rachelwilkins1759]

RP give better advice for free on KZbin than most trainers overcharge for 🤧

[@ellatoll4]

hiya team, can you pretty please do a series on bulking guidelines for women? :) ps. thanks for all the knowledges

[@akbananachucker2441]

No! Women already have everything else. This is our thing. Stay away from the weights. Jk jk jk. 😂😂

[@IamtheFREY]

Obviously you may need to figure out your maintenance and track calories. For me, changing the window from when I eat and what I eat are enough to move my weight up and down without needing to do this. I do loosely track protein, especially while in a deficit.

[@hamzariazuddin424]

Great video -- i would love to know whats an appropriate weight gain per week. I dont want to put on too much fat. I see scale going up but i worry its too fast....I was 76kg 4 months ago now 82Kg. Strength has gone up but not so much so alot of that is fat. Whats a good amount of KG to put on per month?

[@fuzzyblueninja]

Question for a newbie weight lifter, how long would a muscle gain period be for a woman? Then would I do a rest phase, then go into weight loss and back into muscle gain?

[@brendan4859]

This thumbnail is terrifying. I didn't even know there were that many forehead veins.

[@xX_dash_Xx]

i'd love this video just applied to fat loss phases

[@jimmyOHMAN1]

On a maintenance phase, do we dial back how hard we train as well? Or just dial back the calories?

[@hempwick8203]

Should I eat meat first and alone, or mixed into my pasta? You mentioned elsewhere there's a difference in the enzymatic and digestive environment between carbs, fat, and protein, but I do not recall what you said or what video. Does it make more sense to eat meat, veggies, and starches together?

[@kimmoffat6429]

Just watched this with my 7yo and now she's a huge fan! Thanks for keeping it "clean" Dr Mike 😉

[@josephgrover6113]

Started the video when my daughter got in the car. Definitely awkward

[@Mikaeel84]

11:03

[@robbiewalker8403]

"Daddy, I want to do dances on TikTok!" "Well that sounds like fun honey I think that's a grea......WAAAAITAMINUTE"

[@jswoleinyourhole2864]

But if you're already overweight can't you be in a deficit and still build muscle up to a point?

[@donnaryan71]

yes. he has other vids about this, search his catalogue

[@tomisaacson2762]

Yes, as long as you're getting enough protein. 0.8 g/lb should be more than enough for most people (unless you're like 400 lbs lol)

[@mrsmith5114]

Isn't it possible that if some one is over weight, eating high protein, working out 5 days a week that they are losing weight while gaining muscle?

[@gur262]

Yes. 120 kg in January 107 now and I gained some muscle still. Even before that I swapped severe man boobs for half muscle both at 120 kg.

[@mrsmith5114]

@@gur262 Slow and steady wins the race :) Hard to tell if thats really muscle or mostly the muscle you had from carrying that much weight. Hope you stick to your grind my friend, you are well on your way!

[@johnbeeler25]

What’s the best way to find out what your maintenance calories are?

[@xberman]

So, Dr Mike, I am a beginner (for the 3rd time already) and I'm gaining a little weight while my pants are falling off cos I'm also getting leaner. Is this gaintaining? Should I eat more fore better muscle building? Should I just keep this until I hit a weight/muscle plateau?

[@TheAmrein]

I find it hard to track, when bulking my weight will be like 1.5kg up.for 3 days, then drop 1.5kg for one day, then up 1kg the next, etc. So my weekly averages are like, up 1kg, maintained, down 0.2kg, up 0.25kg, maintained... I mean, I am gaining, but I'm unsure of the rate