This is a guest post by Pauline Nordin from Fighter Diet.

Gaining muscle is a process that takes progressive training (as in heavier work load, more reps with a given work load, etc.), calories, and recovery.

If you don’t eat enough, your energy will suffer and what happens is you won’t be able to train hard to stimulate those muscles to grow. The reason why people lose muscle when trying to cut some body fat is they stop training as hard due to lack of energy. You see, if you can keep on training as intensely as you can during your normal higher-calorie diet, you prevent most of the muscle loss during a leaning out phase.

It’s easy to gain muscle if you’re ok with getting a bit smoother during the process. With lots of carbs in your system and plenty of rest in-between sessions without energy-wasting cardio sessions, you will get more buff!

However, what to do if you want to get cut AND have muscle? It’s everyone’s desire, but listen, that process will always be a compromising project: you can burn some fat and build some muscle, but muscle gains AND fat loss will take a bit longer than if you paid all attention on one or the other.

FYI I’ve never focused on one or the other. When I did, all I got was a body that was smoother and less defined. And that is not what I like at all! Different body types require different approaches: One that easily muscles up usually makes you work way harder to get cut. If you have less muscle but burn fat by merely looking at broccoli and peddling a few strokes on the bike, then gaining quality meat on your scrawny (or skinny fat) frame will be harder. Pros and Cons with whatever you got.

Here are 7 tips on how to gain muscle while minimizing fat gain:

1. Eat starches, grains and fruit ONLY when you need them. For example, breakfast after a night’s fast, before your workouts, and in the hour after your workout. At other times eat veggies as your source of carbs.

2. Make sure you train hard and keep a workout diary. That way you know if you are just going to the gym doing the same old or you are actually pushing harder each time. Your goal shall be to outperform yourself every time, even if it’s not possible. The AIM shall be that, no matter what.

3. Stay consistent. Don’t try to find a perfect diet that you start out on after another binge of junk. When you overeat crap you get fat, simply put. It also wreaks havoc on your blood sugar, which is NOT good for your muscle growth.

4. Eat REAL food and complement with protein powder. Protein bars are not good snacks. They have energy but not many real nutrients. It’s actually better IMO to eat a hamburger than a protein bar. In the case of the hamburger, it’s real food. Something that can be on the shelves for years cannot be good for you, with the exception of POWDERS (protein powder).

5. Eat moderate amounts of nuts and oils. Yes, they are “healthy” but they don’t really fuel your workouts. They are good for hormonal health, joints etc., but don’t eat a fat and protein diet and believe it’s gonna make you train like an animal.

6. Think about your digestive system. You need alkaline foods like veggies daily in order to keep your body healthy. When you build muscle you need a lot of protein, but protein makes your body acidic. You can fix that bad state by eating tons of greens.

7. Consistency. Stop being impatient. Impatient people don’t get results. Why? They won’t last long enough to reap results.

Pauline Nordin is an athlete, model, and trainer. Check out her site Fighter Diet.