Must I be fat/massive in the first place?

[Babymaster]

Hi,

I want to build my muscle big and rock hard.

Is it that must gain weight in the first place and then cut down body weight to build muscle?

or

I can build my muscle w/o getting fat and then cut down my weight later on?

[triqqey]

if you are new to weightlifting just lift weights with what is high intensity for you (meaning challenging weights that make you put forth an effort to lift) and read into creating for yourself a diet geared towards what's called a "clean bulk." being new to lifting will give you what's called "newbie gains." basically, almost any program you go on will grow your muscle, provided you give your muscle enough proteins to use and take care of all the other basic vitamins your body needs. browsing around this website will introduce you to many lifting programs. there's the popular bodypart split, german volume training, Bill Starr's 5x5, Rippetoe's Starting Strength, etc. Just pick a program and run with it for at least 4 weeks to see how much you like it and whether or not you get the results you're looking for.

if you have been at it (weightlifting) for years already, then the most efficient way to get the body you want is to bulk up (which usually includes the side-effects of gaining a little fat) up and over the target weight, then cut down to the body mass you desire. there's a reason why the bulk/cut system is so popular among bodybuilders: because it's a tried and true system. you can gain a lot more muscle in a shorter period of time compared to keeping yourself in top shape and adding to that. the only downside, however, is that you'll go through a short time there of a higher bodyfat percentage. once you cut, however (and cutting is a million times easier with more muscle), you'll be back to the desired bodyfat percentage/look that you went for from the beginning, albeit with bigger muscles.

[Riddick2112]

you can build muscle without getting fat but most likely you wll be shortchanging your gains by trying to stay so lean. In many cases you wont gain any muscle at all by trying to keep a visible 6-pack. You need extra calories to build muscle and it's damn difficult if not impossible to eat only the exact amount of extra needed to keep your gains optimal but with no added fat.
on the other hand I dont think there is any reason a person needs to become a Pillsbury doughboy while bulking. The trick is to keep fat gains under control while maximising your muscular gains and that will simply take some experimentation with your diet.

here is a link to a site that explains it all pretty well:

http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/Topics/Diet.htm

[hrdgain81]

Depends on your body type and genetics really. Some people can bulk up cleanly and add solid muslce mass without much fat gain at all. But it isnt impossible to clean bulk even if your not geneticly preprogramed for it.

It will all depend on diet and your dedication, some people find it easier to just eat the shit out of everything while they bulk, and worry about fat loss later. But what ever way you decide to go with it we are here to help.

[widdoes2504]

Hrdgain hit the nail on the head. It really depends on the individual. For myself, I prefer to clean bulk as much as possible simply because I hate to have to cut later on, but you have to find what works for you. Good Luck!!!