A muscle-wasting program can transform your figure or damage your health if the precautions described below are not taken. In this phase of bodybuilding, the aim is to have a minimum of body fat for a maximum of muscle. To optimize body weight and rise to the challenge, every mistake costs: poor protein intake, excessive caloric deficit, increased fatigue, deficiencies... the health risks are real.
Between catabolism, irritability and reduced basal metabolic rate, ifsports training and diet are poorly adjusted, the whole dryness process is compromised. To prevent the body from depleting its muscle mass, it's important to review the basics: adjust macronutrient intake, maintain your weight training routine, and manage your daily effort and energy balance.
A well-thought-out caloric deficit helps you to maintain your weight over time... so you can achieve your aesthetic or sporting goals without damaging your health.
What is a qualitative muscle dry?
What is muscle toning?
Drying out in bodybuilding means leaning out your muscles to shape them better. There are two main reasons why a sportsperson might want to dry out: either for aesthetic reasons, or for performance purposes if, for example, he or she is involved in a competitive sport with a weight category, or if he or she wants to optimize his or her body weight.
Dry weight training therefore requires you to review your diet to reduce the number of calories consumed each day, in order to lose a pre-defined number of kilos. This plan is accompanied by a weight-training and sports program adapted to weight loss.
How does muscle drying work?
Dry is not a classic diet, because it works differently.
It aims to reduce body fat in favor of lean body mass, whereas in a slimming diet, the aim is to lose weight overall.
So, to optimize body mass, we focus on :
- Reduce your calorie intake with a diet program adapted to this dry period;
- increase energy expenditure through specific sports training.
Are dryness and muscle gain compatible?
In theory, we don't dry out to gain muscle, because that's not the point of a dry-out. For beginners, the combination of a low-calorie diet and a sports programme may increase muscle mass, but this remains marginal.
Above all, this is not the idea. You dry to maintain muscle mass and lose body fat.
Caloric and macronutrient requirements calculator
Recommended macronutrient breakdown (approx.)
The physiological dangers of drying out
Loss of muscle mass
The first danger and number-one fear of lean enthusiasts is muscle wasting, which occurs through a physiological mechanism known as muscle catabolism.
When all goes well, lipids and carbohydrates are used for energy production, and only 5% of proteins also contribute to this¹. The rest is used for protein synthesis, which aims to restore and maintain lean body mass, but this synthesis only works ifcalorie intake is sufficient and balanced.
However, in a weight-loss diet, the risk is to have a calorie intake that is too low. In this case, the body adapts and a leakage of proteins compensates for the lack of macronutrients to produce energy. This leakage can amount to as much as 25% of the protein consumed¹, in which case the body draws on its muscle reserves.
The consequences are felt both aesthetically, where muscles shrink, and in terms of performance, which declines.
Hormonal imbalances
The hormones that modulate satiety are particularly affected by an overly restrictive diet. Examples include :
- leptin, which decreases with the reduction of body fat, thus increasing the sensation of hunger;
- ghrelin, also known as the hunger hormone, which is higher, resulting in greater stimulation of hunger;
- cortisol, which increases in response to physiological stress, leading to greater fat storage and cravings for fatty, sweet or salty foods.
We also know that a low-fat, low-carb diet reduces testosterone levels². Low levels are synonymous with sarcopenia (muscle wasting),irritability, acceleratedosteoporosis,anemia, thinning and weakening of the skin, and delayed healing¹.
Testosterone levels are naturally lower in women who diet, and the hormonal variations associated with excessive dieting can alter their menstrual cycles, even causing amenorrhea (a cessation of menstruation).
A slower basic metabolism
A poorly managed low-calorie diet leads to metabolic disturbances, starting with a slowdown in basal metabolic rate .
Already, the basal metabolic rate is linked to weight, so mechanically, the more you lose, the more it tends to slow down. In addition to this logic, the body also adapts and activates the "survival" mode in the event of prolonged caloric restriction. It then lowers its basal metabolic rate³ to compensate and reduce its energy expenditure. According to scientific studies, this drop in metabolic rate can be as much as 15%, even with combined exercise.
There is also a change in the body'suse of lipids . The percentage used in the 5 hours following a meal decreases as the diet is prolonged. This reduction in lipid oxidation may facilitate lipid storage and be responsible for the weight regain mechanism known as the yo-yo effect.
How to dry safely?
Favoring a gradual caloric deficit
For effective fat loss, the body needs time, which translates into gradual calorie loss.
In general, we aim for a reduction of around 300 to 500 calories in relation to general needs (base + activity), or 2 kilos per month. In this way, we avoid a reduction in basal metabolism and rapid weight regain after the dry period.
Include fat in your meal plan
Eliminating fats from the diet is one of the most common mistakes made when dieting.
Lipids, made up of fatty acids, exist in the body as triglycerides, forming adipose tissue, or as phospholipids in cell membranes. In the latter case, they contribute to the fluidity of membranes and the proper functioning of cells, ensuring, for example, the transport of vitamins within them.
Fatty acids have different metabolic functions and play a part in regulating them. Cholesterol, for example, is a precursor of steroid hormones such as estrogen and testosterone. It is also involved in the membranes of brain cells.
So the idea of drastically reducing lipids as part of a diet is totally counterproductive for both health and weight loss. On the other hand, choosing the right fats and eating foods rich in essential fatty acids is a real plus in the lean phase.
Balancing cardio and strength training
Another classic mistake is the wrong balance between cardio and strength training. We mistakenly think we're burning fat with excessive cardio like High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), but we forget the importance of strength training.
Physical activity influences body composition by preserving muscle. To be effective, the quantity and content of a physical activity session must be adapted to the individual and his or her objectives.
Using the right food supplements
Choosing dietary supplements can quickly become a difficult task when you consider the sheer number of products on the market. While some substances should be avoided, others can make a real contribution to physical progress. This is the case with certain whey products, for example, which present no danger to health (if the composition is additive-free and the traceability of raw materials is beyond reproach) and which provide a high level of highly bioavailable protein.
Whey protein
Only 117 kcal per shaker for 23 g of protein
- 100% made in France 🇫🇷
- No additives, no sweeteners
- Isolate naturally rich in BCAA (5 to 6 g/serving)
Available in packs of 3 to 4.5 kg
Creatine in the dry is also an interesting option, as it helps to optimize sports sessions by helping the body to renew its energy. Contrary to popular belief, creatine is not a steroid and is ideal for use in the dry diet.
Our tips for a successful dry run
A balanced diet and foods to avoid
Diet plays an important role during a lean period, and needs to be carefully adjusted. In addition to cutting calories, the emphasis is on eating properly. Among the foods to adopt in all lean programs are chicken breasts, vegetables, fruit and cottage cheese.
But what are the main principles to follow?
Firstly, replace processed and industrial foods with fresh fruit and vegetables, rich in vitamins and minerals. Then, remember to consume good carbohydrates for the glycogen reserves they provide, and an appropriate quantity of lipids, which are ultra-important. As for proteins, we increase them precisely to consume between 1.6 and 1.8 g/kilo/day in the dry phase.
Training to maintain muscle mass
The aim of training is to maintain a suitable workload, combining :
- weight training to maintain muscle mass ;
- endurance to optimize energy expenditure.
The key is to adjust the amount of cardio and weight training to increase the intensity of effort while avoiding overtraining.
The need to listen to your body to dry without risk
It's often thought that you need willpower to succeed in your weight loss programme, but you need to learn how to regulate yourself. Wanting to practice and follow a program to the letter without adapting your program to your results and your state of fatigue is counter-productive.
Maintaining your weight over time and achieving the figure you want requires regular monitoring. To monitor your progress, weight-loss experts recommend regular measurements, such as weekly weigh-ins on an impedance meter or monthly measurements. This is good advice for fine-tuning your program.
A healthy lifestyle is also important, and stress and fatigue are two bad habits to combat.
Conclusion
Lean bodybuilding can't be improvised. Between the caloric deficit to be progressively sought and the maintenance of a precise and adapted physical activity , every detail counts to reduce body fat. If the approach is demanding, the body needs support and flexibility. So forget drastic deprivation. It's important to respect the body's energy requirements and maintain regular physical activity, all while taking care of your lifestyle. Here are the best precautions to take and advice to follow for a safe muscle lean. Precaution is a guarantee of effectiveness, so with a well-constructed program, it's perfectly possible to dry out and stay in shape.
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