Exercisers And Athletes by Charles Staley

Fundamentally, there are two ways you can approach physical activity. You can “exercise,” which is the term normally used when your goal is oriented toward improving your appearance. “Exercisers” tend to view the terrain through the prism of energy balance: if the exerciser wants to be leaner, she’ll restrict calories and increase energy expenditure, with the goal of a net calorie deficit.

Or, if the exerciser thinks he’s a “hard gainer,” and wants to beef up, he’ll try to increase calories (particularly calories from protein) while conserving energy by training hard but brief, and maximizing rest and avoiding aerobic activities. In other words, give the muscles reason to grow through brief, hard workouts, and then create the opportunity for growth by providing a caloric surplus and plenty of building blocks in the form of amino acids.

In both cases, the approach is scientifically sound, and will lead to the desired result. With that said, there’s another way to conceptualize your life as a physical being…

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