While losing weight and losing fat may appear to be the exact same things, in reality this is not the case.  If you apply the wrong bodybuilding diet, at the very least half of your weight loss will come from muscle tissue and bone mass!  Thus, it is of utmost importance that when a bodybuilding diet is implemented, that it be done using sound bodybuilding nutrition principles. 

With that being said, please take a look at my latest bodybuilding diet advice article where I discuss the difference between weight loss and fat loss and I also discuss how to maximize fat loss while retaining, or even increasing, muscle tissue.

Gaining muscle size and gaining strength are two different adaptations.  Gaining muscle size requires the muscle fiber to increase its diameter through the accumulation of protein and other energy substrates such as glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and even some fats (intramuscular fats).  This is called muscle hypertrophy and in order to train for it one must use repetition ranges of around 6-15 reps, generally speaking, and keep the rest periods to a minimum in between sets (between 60-90 seconds).  When training in this manner, some strength gain is experienced but not nearly as much as if one trained just for strength.

Gaining maximal muscle strength however is a totally different type of adaptation.  Basically the brain has to become better at activating as many muscle fibers possible in order to move a weight from point A to point B.  This is called a neural adaptation because it happens at the nervous system level.  The more muscle size one has, the more strength potential an athlete possesses.   In order to train for maximal strength, one has to train with nearly maximal weights; mostly hovering in the 2-6 repetition range, and also, one has to rest 3-4 minutes in between sets of the same exercise.  In this case, muscle hypertrophy will be minimal but strength gains will be maximized.

It would seem that one cannot achieve maximum muscle size and maximal strength gains at the same time, but if one uses clever periodization training techniques, you can have the best of both worlds.  As a matter of fact, top experts like Charles Poliquin propose that it is imperative for the bodybuilder to include maximal strength training in the bodybuilding program as after enough muscle size is achieved, one needs to train that new size for strength as well in order to ensure continued growth.

So with that said, here is my Periodized Bodybuilding Training Routine for Achieving Maximum Muscle Size and Strength at the Same Time.

With the Holidays approaching, many people's bodybuilding routines get affected adversely due to the tight squeeze many experience in the amount of free time that they have available to themselves.  Between Holiday shopping and finalizing any sort of projects at work (or even at home) before the end of the year, it seems that there is just not enough time in the day to get a good bodybuilding workout in.   

However, with good planning and a properly designed workout that can get you in and out of the gym in 25-30 minutes, you can squeeze in your bodybuilding routines at any time of the day. 

Here are some good bodybuilding routines that you can use to get you through the Holidays in one piece:

• Short 25-30 Minute Bodybuilding Workouts
• Bodybuilding Training During the Holidays
• Bodybuilding Routine for Busy Bodybuilders

Is there a time that is better than others to perform your bodybuilding workouts for best results?  If you ask ten bodybuilders, more than likely, you will get ten different answers.  However, if you ask me, I'll tell you that it depends on what you are looking to accomplish. 

For fat loss with muscle gain, I feel working out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is the way to go.  Since your glycogen (stored carbohydrate) levels are low, it will be easier for your body to use the fat stores for energy. As long as you are not a hardgainer who has a raging metabolism and can easily burn muscle, or a bodybuilder with diabetes who needs to watch his/her blood sugar, this is a good strategy.  And if you are concerned with cortisol levels and being catabolic due to training in the morning before eating, drinking water and taking 5 grams of glutamine, 5 grams of creatine, 5-10 grams of branched chained amino acids, and 1 gram of Vitamin C prior to the workout will more than protect your muscle mass.  Working out in the morning on an empty stomach takes some getting used to but I promise you that after two weeks your body will be adapted to it. 

When muscle gain is your main bodybuilding goal, training in the afternoon offers the advantage of a higher glycogen level created by the multiple meals consumed, and thus, this results in more energy to push yourself harder.  Hardgainers should definitely stick to training at any time other than in the morning on an empty stomach.

With all of these being said, at the end of the day, in bodybuilding consistency of execution is what wins the game.  So even if fat loss with muscle gain is your goal, and you cannot train in the morning, then the best time to train is whenever you can allocate the time to perform your bodybuilding workouts.

Since training time is often a subject of controversy, I not only wanted to give you my opinion on the subject, but also the opinion of top bodybuilding legend (IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Hall of Famer) and fitness expert Lee Labrada on what is the best time to perform your bodybuilding workouts.

Please feel free to comment and let us know what bodybuilding workout times have worked best for you and why.