Along with the Mr. Olympia competition, pro football, and the return of The Walking Dead, the fall season also happens to be the time many lifters begin to consider bulking up in order to unveil a bigger and stronger body the following spring. Trouble is, adding mass while achieving the strength gains and a physique you’re content with can be tricky to pull off.

“People think that more working out makes more muscle — period,” says celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson. “Mass is a lifestyle, and it takes proper nutrition, timing of that nutrition, and recovery. Oh, and more working out, too.”

We asked Peterson a handful of dietary questions surrounding mass gains in hopes of clearing up any confusion.