Fat Intake Directly Impacts Your Muscle-Building Ability
Fat isn't the villain that makes you gain weight; it's an indispensable raw material for hormone synthesis.
Many people flinch at the mention of "eating fat," believing it's the biggest obstacle to fat loss. But this idea is actually backward. Fat is the primary raw material your body uses to synthesize hormones (including testosterone), and hormones directly determine whether you can effectively build muscle.
When body fat is too low, or if you intentionally avoid fats for a long time, your body's ability to synthesize hormones will decline. It won't drop to zero, but it will fall out of optimal condition. At this point, no matter how much protein you eat or how hard you train, the effects will be diminished.
Coach Kai suggests consuming 0.5 to 0.7 grams of fat per kilogram of body weight, and fat should not account for less than 15% of your total caloric intake. This doesn't mean you should eat a lot of fat, but rather that you shouldn't treat fat as an enemy and intentionally exclude it from your diet.
The Three Macronutrients Are All Essential; Fat Is Not an Outsider
Protein builds muscle, carbs provide energy, and fat regulates hormones. None of the three can be neglected.
Many people's dietary logic is: protein first, carbs depending on the situation, and as little fat as possible. But this kind of allocation actually worsens your muscle-building environment.
The three macronutrients each have their own tasks in the body:
- Protein: The main raw material for muscle synthesis; essential for both muscle gain and fat loss.
- Carbohydrates: The most direct fuel for training; without enough, you won't have the energy to push through each set.
- Fat: The foundation for hormone synthesis; long-term deficiency can lead to an imbalance in the entire endocrine system.
Consuming 2000 calories can yield vastly different body composition results for someone eating whole foods (chicken breast, brown rice, avocado) versus someone eating hamburgers and fries. The former gets enough protein and healthy fat sources, allowing them to retain muscle. The latter's high-sugar, high-fat, low-protein diet means a significant portion of the weight they lose will be muscle.
How to Distinguish Between Good and Bad Fats? Choosing the Right Fats Can Make a Difference
Fitness enthusiasts should prioritize unsaturated fats and avoid trans fats and overly refined vegetable oils.
Not all fats are equally beneficial for the body. Unsaturated fats (such as olive oil, avocado oil, fish oil, nuts) help reduce inflammation and support hormone synthesis, making them the top priority for fitness enthusiasts.
In his muscle-building diet recommendations, Coach Kai highlights the following categories of high-quality fat sources:
- Avocados, avocado oil: Rich in monounsaturated fats, highly calorie-dense and stable.
- Olive oil: Suitable for low-temperature cooking or drizzling over food, a good choice for daily intake.
- Salmon: Provides both high-quality protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Nuts: Convenient, calorie-dense snacks, ideal for lean individuals looking to boost calorie intake for muscle gain.
- Whole milk: Protein and fat in one go, a practical choice during the bulking phase.
As for foods like fried chicken, fast food, and sugary drinks, while they are high in calories, their nutritional density is extremely low. Eating too much of these only leads to fat storage and offers no substantial benefit for muscle synthesis. Occasional consumption is fine, but they should not be used as the primary means to increase a caloric surplus.
What About Eating Out? No Need to Panic, But Be Strategic
Eating whole foods 80% of the time, with 20% flexibility, is the long-term sustainable approach.
Coach Kai mentioned a very practical framework: as long as your daily calorie and macronutrient intake are controlled overall, having some fried chicken or deep-fried snacks for dinner using your remaining allowance won't make you gain weight. The problem is never one meal, but rather the long-term overall proportion.
His recommended mindset is: eat minimally processed whole foods 80% of the time, and use the remaining 20% for flexible choices. Forcing yourself to eat only boiled meals and feeling guilty about consuming any fat will, in the long run, elevate cortisol levels, which can paradoxically lead to muscle loss and weight gain.
If you frequently eat out and cannot control the type of oil used, occasionally consuming re-used oil is not the end of the world. However, if you can cook at home, try to choose avocado oil or olive oil; this is a healthier and more beneficial long-term strategy for muscle gain.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much fat should I consume during muscle building?
Coach Kai recommends consuming 0.5 to 0.7 grams of fat per kilogram of body weight, ensuring that fat accounts for no less than 15% of your total calorie intake. Below this amount, hormone synthesis will be affected, thereby hindering muscle-building performance.
Can I eat fried foods to increase calorie intake during the bulking phase?
Occasional consumption is fine, but it's not recommended to use fried foods or fast food as the primary way to achieve a caloric surplus. These foods are high in calories but low in protein, and consuming too much will only lead to fat storage with limited benefits for muscle synthesis. To boost calorie intake, prioritize healthy, calorie-dense foods like nuts, avocados, salmon, and whole milk.
How significant is the actual difference between good and bad fats for fitness?
The difference primarily lies in the hormonal environment and inflammatory response. High-quality unsaturated fats (olive oil, fish oil, avocado) help maintain normal hormone secretion, creating a more stable environment for muscle synthesis. Long-term intake of low-quality fats (trans fats, overly refined vegetable oils) may interfere with the endocrine system, affecting training recovery and muscle gain efficiency.
The content of this article is excerpted from Coach Kai's YouTube channel videos. Training advice is for reference only. If you experience discomfort or injury, please consult a professional physician or physical therapist.
