With all the recent talk here and everywhere else about The Holy Grail (building muscle and burning body fat simultaneously), you'd think that perhaps that was ideal, right?

I mean, who doesn't want to build muscle and drop body fat at the same time?

I know I do!

However, it may be the slower route to go. Let me explain.

There is a large body of evidence on building muscle. Same goes for losing fat. Conceptually, doing either is really quite easy. The effort is difficult, but the idea is pretty simple.

If you want to build muscle, you have to have a calorie surplus.

If you want to shed body fat, you have to run a calorie deficit.

It's really very simple and just boils down to a math problem. Indeed, aren't many of life's problems just math problems?

Back to the real story. What is the best way to get totally buffed? I mean big like Jay Cutler and ripped like Clarence Bass?

Based on years of personal experience as well as the collective knowledge of thousands upon thousands of personal trainers, bodybuilders, and other fitness athletes, it's clear to me that there is a better, more effective approach.

Now, I'm not saying that what's in The Holy Grail is wrong. It's perfectly correct. You most definitely can gain muscle and lose fat within the same time period. All I'm saying is you can get big and ripped faster if you take a different approach.

And that approach is to "zig zag" or take a "stair step" approach to your fitness goals. Why not take 3-4 weeks, build muscle, then take another 3-4 weeks to drop whatever fat you build up in your "bulking" phase?

In a month's time, you will not have gained a significant amount of body fat, but you could certainly pack on 2-4 pounds of pure muscle. So every 8 weeks, you could add 2-4 pounds of quality muscle to your frame. That means there is the potential for adding between 12 and 30 pounds (give or take) a year while not increasing your body fat. In fact, even if you maintained your fat poundage, you will have lowered your body fat percentage significantly because you've added so much lean mass.

I will tell you this is the better, faster way to the body you want. Yes, you will gain some body fat in the first phase, but you'll lose it all and more in the following phase. In that second phase, you're not even trying to add muscle; you're only seeking to maintain it.

So your body doesn't go on overload, get overtrained, and you will never lose muscle mass. The second phase is all about losing body fat while maintaining muscle mass.

It doesn't sound as good or sexy as "build muscle and burn body fat simultaneously," but it sure works better.

Bodybuilders for decades have used this very system to fashion their championship bodies. The results come whether you take steroids or not, though I will say that "chemical enhancements" will certainly speed your progress. In the short term.

Nobody really knows the long-term effects of competent steroid use. You know, the kind administered by a doctor and followed to the "T" by the user.

But I digress. If you want to learn more about this "stair step" approach, you should check out SSTS.

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