Whether it is bulking or cutting that you’re working to accomplish, make sure that your diet is in order. Remember that training is only 25% of the battle; the other 75% is nutrition. You can train hard, but without the proper nutrition you’re not going to be able to accomplish your goals.

Calorie manipulation is the key to accomplishing your goals. As a general rule for bulking aim for 18-20 calories per pound of bodyweight (for instance a 180 pound man should take in 3300-3600 calories per day). If you’re looking to cut fat, go for around 15 calories per pound of bodyweight.

Protein is a must for those looking to add quality muscle to their frame. Take in around 30% of your calories from protein. For bulking or maintaining your weight, consume around 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you’re cutting you should go close to 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight to prevent muscle loss.

Good fats such as Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) are your ally, especially when looking to add muscle. The use of good fats can increase the absorption of protein. Sources for such EFA's can be found in fresh fish, nuts and oils (such as olive oil). When bulking take in 20-30% of your calories from fat.

Carbohydrates are essential in fueling your muscles, whether you’re bulking or cutting. Carbohydrates allow glycogen stores to be replenished therefore giving you more energy for your workouts. Carbohydrates should make up around 40-50% of the calories you take in.

When is comes to nutrition, make sure the changes you make to your diet are gradual and not drastic. By slowly altering your diet, whether it be adding more calories or other changes, you can find out what works best for you.

Do not expect that fat loss and muscle gain will happen overnight. It took time to gain the fat, so what makes it any different losing it, it takes time.

Try to drink 1-2 gallons of water per day. Doing so, especially while on a high protein diet, will help to flush out the kidneys and keep them functioning properly.

Do not look to protein powders ONLY for nutrition. For the best muscle gains (cutting or bulking), 70% of your nutrition should come from good solid meals. The other 30% can come from protein powders or other supplements.

A good rule to remember when it comes to cutting, in order to burn fat you should burn more calories than what you take in. When looking to add quality muscle in your bulking phase, take in more calories (mainly from lower fat foods) than you can burn.

Try to get around 8 hours of sleep per night. Keep in mind that you don't grow when your in the gym (working out just triggers muscle growth) but sleeping is when your muscles have a chance to repair themselves and grow. If you're not getting enough sleep at night, it's going to take much longer to recover from your workouts, leading to overtraining.