NLP657 - 5 Expert Tips for Eating in a Caloric Surplus to Build Muscle (Without Getting Fat)

The Next Level Health & Fitness Podcast (Formerly The Key Nutrition Podcast)

Brad Jensen

Health & Fitness, Weightloss, Motivation, Mindset, Food, Nutritionadvice, Fitness, Muscle, Gym, Nutrition, Musclebuilding, Mealprep, Keynutrition

4.9 • 766 Ratings

🗓️ 14 March 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Struggling to eat enough to gain muscle? Or maybe you’re eating in a surplus but gaining too much fat? In today’s episode, I break down 5 expert strategies to help you maximize muscle growth while keeping fat gain under control. From calorie-dense food swaps to supplements that actually work, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to help you bulk the right way.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

How much protein you actually need (and why too much can hurt your gains)
The best high-calorie foods to eat more without feeling stuffed
How to time your meals for better digestion and energy
How to track progress and adjust your calories to avoid unnecessary fat gain
The top supplements for muscle growth – including GDAs for glucose control

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Host Brad Jensen – @thesoberbodybuilder

Co-Host Craig Smith - @greatestdaymindset

Next Level Nutrition – @mynextlevelnutrition

Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Why a proper calorie surplus is key for muscle gain

04:10 – Tip 1: Optimize Your Protein Intake (Without Overdoing It)

08:30 – Tip 2: Eat Calorie-Dense Foods to Make Surplus Easier

13:55 – Tip 3: Meal Timing & Frequency for Digestion and Energy

18:40 – Tip 4: How to Track & Adjust to Prevent Excess Fat Gain

23:15 – Tip 5: Smart Supplementation (Including GDAs for Carb Utilization)

28:45 – Bonus Tip: The Mindset Shift You Need for Long-Term Gains

32:00 – Outro: Recap + final thoughts

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Brad Jensen and you're listening to the Next Level podcast.
0:27.5	Welcome back to another edition of the Next Level podcast, your tips and tools to help you get to your next level.
0:33.1	Solo episode today. I'm jamming with you. I hope you guys listening Tuesday's episode and got a, at least a good comical relief, if you haven't, go back and listen but uh if you knew the show welcome
0:38.4	uh glad you're here we've been doing this a long time and uh we get some cool changes uh
0:43.7	some upgrades plan for the show in the coming months so stay tuned for that but um i'm just honored
0:51.3	you guys are still here, still here listening.
0:56.1	Somehow, some way.
0:59.8	So, um, I want to jump right into the episode.
1:02.6	Actually, before I do, I just got to give a shout out to this round of the next level experience.
1:03.2	Holy crap.
1:04.1	You guys are crushing it.
1:06.3	It's just cool to watch people start to open up.
1:08.4	It's taking about a month and it's just like the flood gates are opening. Boom, boom, boom, boom, like we're going. So, um, okay, but this is totally
1:17.5	unrelated, but we're going to jump right in. I currently have, um, actually a number of people, both men and
1:27.4	women in a calorie surplus right now,
1:29.7	looking to build muscle.
1:30.7	I'm probably starting a cut here in the next couple months as we go into summer.
1:34.6	We've strategically planned this out.
1:36.4	This is called nutritional periodization.
1:38.4	And more women than I typically have in a surplus, which I think is really cool,
1:42.6	which speaks to the volumes that people are starting to understand, especially women that, like, to get the look they really
1:48.1	want and they see these gals in the gym, they also understand they have to go through these
	...

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