Food to gain muscle mass. How to eat to gain muscle mass? High calorie foods

If you engage in strength sports, you need to reconsider your nutritional principles. will help you choose the right diet. This is very important, as nutrition plays a huge role in the recovery process after long hours of training. Without a balanced diet, it is impossible to build muscle mass, no matter how much you sweat in the gym. A simple example: for steady muscle growth to occur, you need to consume 1.5-2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.

You need “building material” that will help you gain strength and build muscle. Hard, grueling workouts (especially for a working person) require serious energy expenditure, but it is also needed in order to successfully restore muscles and body systems. All this expense should be compensated by food. Otherwise, you will quickly lose weight and lose strength. This is true - you can follow all the rules of training, while using special programs for gaining muscle mass, but you will not get anything except losing body weight.

Without proper nutrition, muscle mass growth is impossible. We will tell you the secrets of proper nutrition that will help you soon become strong and build muscle.

Rule 1: Don't fast before or after training

A hungry body depletes its own resources during training. After all, he somehow needs to replenish the reserves of expended energy - so he burns proteins. Remember how you start a car ride? That's right, from refueling. The body also needs refueling to gain strength. We recommend eating a carbohydrate meal about an hour before starting your workout. Carbohydrates are easily and quickly absorbed and fill the entire body with energy. Of course, you shouldn't overeat. If you prefer protein foods, then at least an hour and a half should pass from the moment you eat them to your workout.

It is necessary to eat well after training. After all, if you do not replenish the spent energy, muscle synthesis will not begin; on the contrary, the body will become exhausted. About 15 minutes after training, you should eat carbohydrate foods, as well as minerals and vitamins. We think the ideal post-workout food is apples and bananas, along with a homemade energy drink. It’s very simple to make: squeeze a lemon into half a liter of water, add 2 tablespoons of honey, two tablespoons of cane sugar, a few vitamin C tablets, and rosehip syrup to taste. You can put a little raspberry jam and add green or black tea. Keep this drink on hand at all times.

Rule 2: Eat plenty and fully every day!

Many athletes are mistaken in the belief that training builds muscle. No, powerful training, on the contrary, destroys muscles! Supercompensation mechanisms that repair and build muscles are launched after training. This means that your muscles grow larger between workouts, a process that requires constant reinforcement with the right foods. Muscles will not grow from emptiness - they need material. The best materials are proteins and carbohydrates, and biochemical processes in the body are provided by vitamins and minerals.

Rule 3: Nutrition depends on body type and metabolic characteristics

If you have a tendency to lose weight, if you have difficulty gaining weight, it means that your metabolism is fast. This means that the diet should be plentiful and varied. It needs to include a large amount of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. It's good for you to eat 4 times a day, maybe even 6 times, and eat a variety of foods. Tune in to having a “big meal” three times a day; the remaining meals will act as “refueling”. This is absolutely necessary, since you can’t build muscles out of thin air! And, in addition, you also need energy for training, and just for life - walking, working, etc. At the same time, you should not get carried away with sugar and sweets - there are many products containing “healthy” carbohydrates.

If you gain weight easily and quickly, it means your metabolism is quite slow. In this case, it is recommended to provide the body with calories mainly from low-fat and protein foods. Some carbohydrate foods can be replaced with dietary protein foods, focusing on foods rich in vitamins and minerals. Try not to eat before bed, and in general eat not too large portions, but often enough. If you already have excess fat reserves, first get rid of them.

A few more tips

You may be surprised, but the most useful and effective product for building muscle is recognized buckwheat! True, from the British point of view, oatmeal is better, but this only means that they have not tried buckwheat. This amazing cereal contains a record content of energy-giving carbohydrates and 12% easily digestible protein, which is necessary for building muscles. In addition, buckwheat contains B vitamins and minerals. But there are very few fats, and even those are beneficial.

Valuable protein for athletes is also found in eggs,- try to eat 3-5 egg whites every day. By the way, it is better to limit the yolks; they can be consumed no more than 1-3 per day.

It is better to exclude pork from the diet,- This meat contains a large amount of saturated fat, which will later be difficult to get rid of. Remember that too much fatty food clogs the body without bringing any benefit to it.

Heavy loads require constant replenishment of the body with vitamins and minerals. It's worth buying for this vitamin and mineral complexes and take them regularly. Particular attention is paid to B vitamins and vitamin C.

Forget about chips and sausage! Eat natural foods: cereals and vegetables, salads with olive oil, seafood, fish, dairy products. Fully highly desirable Avoid foods containing preservatives, dyes, flavors and other chemical additives.

Products useful for strength athletes

As sources carbohydrates Buckwheat porridge is suitable, as well as rice and other cereals, bread, pasta, bananas, honey.

To saturate the body proteins, eat cottage cheese, egg whites, white chicken meat, fish, beef and nuts, drink milk.

Vitamins and minerals found in vegetables and fruits, berries, herbs and dried fruits.

Approximate daily diet for those who are prone to rapid weight loss

8.00 – Breakfast

1. Omelet, fried from three eggs, complemented with black bread.

2.1/3 cans of corn.

3. Pear, bunch of grapes or melon slice.

4.Black tea with raspberry jam added.

You came to the gym and want to gain lean muscle mass. We will tell you about three basic nutrition rules that will help you gain weight without fat.

So, you came to the gym and want to gain lean muscle mass. Today we will share with you three nutritional rules that will help you achieve this goal.

The path to a perfect body is like a roller coaster, where weight gain alternates endlessly with “cutting.” Athletes have to go through the same thing for years, because they gain fat along with muscles, and during the “cutting” process they lose muscle along with fat. How to break the vicious circle and build lean, ripped muscles? Read on.

Rule 1: protein is the boss of everything

In order for muscles to grow, your diet should mainly consist of protein foods. In turn, an increase in muscle mass will ensure more efficient fat burning. Use 2 – 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of weight to provide the body with building material for regeneration and building muscle tissue after training.

Useful article:

Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, whey protein, low-fat milk and cottage cheese are the best sources of protein.

Rule 2: healthy carbohydrates

Carbohydrates give you energy for tough weight training and prevent your body from breaking down the proteins needed for muscle growth. In addition, they are involved in the secretion of certain hormones and the restoration of muscle fibers. Thus, cutting back on the amount of carbohydrates in your diet while gaining muscle mass is pointless. The main thing is to know what carbohydrates to eat and how much.

To start, set a limit of 4 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of weight and stick to it for 4 – 6 weeks. Watch:

If you start to gain weight and become more defined, then keep carbohydrates at this level.
If the weight is gone, and during training there is no feeling of fullness and muscle congestion, increase the norm to 4.5 – 5 grams per kilogram of weight.
If you notice that your abs have begun to disappear, then eat less carbohydrates – 2.5 – 3 grams per kilogram of weight.

It is important to adhere to the initial norm for 4 – 6 weeks before adjusting it. The body needs time to notice changes and respond to them. Frequent fluctuations in carbohydrate intake distort the picture and make it difficult to create a competent menu.

Healthy carbohydrates are found in wild or brown rice, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, oatmeal (NOT instant), fruits and vegetables. Avoid processed and simple carbohydrates.

Rule 3: Make friends with fats

Fats regulate testosterone production, keep metabolism in good shape, serve as an important source of energy and, paradoxically, help burn subcutaneous fat! Your daily diet should be 30 – 35% consist of healthy fats.

Useful article:

Look for foods like eggs (yolks), avocados, extra virgin olive oil, natural peanut butter, nuts, and fatty fish.

What to do if you find it difficult to consume your daily calorie intake

Athletes with fast metabolisms are familiar with the situation when they eat to capacity, but still do not meet their daily calorie requirement. There is a solution: 5 – 6 meals a day, consisting of small amounts of high-calorie foods. Rice, potatoes, pasta, whole grains, fruits and vegetables will provide you with energy. Red meat, fish, poultry and eggs will serve as building materials for muscles.

You will gain muscle mass slowly but surely, and a fast metabolism will maintain your relief for a long time.

How to avoid gaining weight while gaining weight

To build lean muscle, you need to maintain a healthy calorie surplus. How many calories to add to your daily requirement depends on the amount of energy you expend during the day, particularly during exercise.

If you train intensely, you will stay dry and have a surplus of 300 – 500 kilocalories. Try to first increase your daily intake by 300 kilocalories, and after 6 – 8 weeks, evaluate the result. Ideally, weigh yourself on a fitness scale: you will find out the exact ratio of fat and muscle mass in your body and be able to make an objective decision. In a simplified version, track changes in your abs.

What to eat immediately after a weight training session

After a grueling workout with iron, the body needs nutrients to start the recovery and growth processes. Without a portion of protein and carbohydrates, the body will break down the muscles you are trying to increase into energy.

Within 30 minutes after training you should refuel 30 – 40 grams of whey protein and 40 – 80 grams of simple carbohydrates. And within an hour after this snack, a hearty meal rich in proteins and complex carbohydrates should follow.

One final caveat: even if you do everything right, you will gain a maximum of half a kilogram per week. Yes, I would like more, but at this speed you will be sure that it is lean muscles that are growing and your health is not suffering.

As you know, half of the result in gaining muscle mass lies in nutrition. Because of this, most people who want to build muscle are wondering how to eat right to gain muscle mass. In fact, there are a lot of foods that are recommended to be eaten during this period. Among them you can find both regular egg white and brewer's yeast, milk, and cottage cheese.

Proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass

Before you start learning about the foods you should eat when you set a goal to build muscle, there are a few tips to consider. These tips will help you decide what to eat and what foods in your diet can lead to inhibition of muscle growth. So, you should pay due attention to the following products:

Buckwheat and oatmeal. These two cereals must certainly be included in the diet of a person who wants to achieve muscle growth due to their enriched composition. Buckwheat contains a large amount of protein. The percentage of protein is 12%. This amount of protein allows you to achieve muscle growth. Buckwheat also contains the necessary amount of carbohydrates required before training. Oatmeal is no less healthy than buckwheat, so you should eat these porridges as often as possible.
The diet needs to be diluted with a product such as eggs. Eggs are a source of protein, which is required for muscle growth. How many eggs should you eat per day? You need to eat at least 4 - 5 eggs a day. Do not oversaturate your body with yolks. Powdered eggs can replace eggs.

Eggs are a source of protein

You need to exclude from your diet meat such as pork, which contains harmful fats that allow you to build not only muscles, but also fat mass.

It is better to exclude from your diet processed foods that contain unnecessary calories and fats. Instead, food should be healthy and easily digestible.

These can be all kinds of cereals that contain a sufficient amount of carbohydrates, while their calorie content is low. Barley, rice, buckwheat, and pasta may appear in the diet.

Don't forget about proteins, which include products such as cottage cheese, egg powder, eggs, and chicken breast. Vegetables and fruits should be consumed in the required quantities. In addition, to gain muscle mass, a man must follow the consumption of dietary supplements. How much protein, fat and carbohydrates do you need to consume to gain weight? The calculation of their ratio should be 30%, 60%, 10%, respectively.

You should eat cottage cheese

10 foods for muscles

Meat such as beef is perfect for growing muscle mass. Various recipes can be used to prepare it. When purchasing this meat, you must ensure that the fat content in it does not exceed 3 - 5 g per 100 grams of product. In addition to the fact that dishes made from this product are tasty, they contain protein in the amount of 23 - 25 grams per 100 grams of product, zinc, iron, phosphorus.
Chicken breast should be included in cooking recipes during the period of muscle gain. It enriches the body with protein, which is used to build muscles, better than other products. In addition to chicken breast, you can use other parts of it, for this you need to take into account how many calories you should consume per day. For people prone to weight gain, chicken fillet is the best option; for thin men, you can eat dishes prepared from chicken parts with a low fat content - thighs, wings, drumsticks. This product contains about 25 grams of protein per 100 grams of meat.

Chicken breast should be included in cooking recipes

To grow muscle mass, you need to eat fish. After all, this food contains the necessary amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which do a good job of destroying subcutaneous fat, having the proper effect on the male body. To gain muscle mass, it is necessary to take into account the physique of men, and based on this, choose fish that contains the required amount of calories.
The diet must certainly include eggs, mainly boiled or steamed dishes made from them. If for some reason eggs cannot be consumed, then egg powder can replace them. Eggs contain 12 grams of protein per 100 grams, and provide the body with the amino acids it needs. In order for their full amount to enter the body and lead to an acceleration of the process of gaining muscle mass in men, you need to know how much of this product you can eat per day. Typically egg rather than yolk. But this does not indicate that only egg whites should be used in recipes used for preparing dishes; yolks are also needed, but it is recommended to reduce the portion of their intake by three times in relation to whites.

Eggs must be present in the diet

Cottage cheese is a source of casein. In addition to the fact that cottage cheese strengthens bones, due to its calcium content, it contributes to the formation of a beautiful body and is involved in muscle gain. Cottage cheese has minimal calorie content, so you can eat it without fear of harming your figure. This product can be eaten at night, a few hours before bedtime. Recipes for its preparation include many dishes, among which cottage cheese can be either a dessert or a snack.
Oysters are a food for everyone, but in terms of protein content they are ahead of cottage cheese, as they contain 20 grams of protein per 100 grams of product. Calorie content is minimal.
Oatmeal is also good for muscle growth, because it contains about 12 grams of protein and 65 grams of carbohydrates. Porridge has a low calorie content, but saturates the body well, so before training you can get a boost of energy and strength necessary to perform physical activity.

Oatmeal is also good for muscle growth

The calorie content of almonds is quite high, but their benefits for muscle growth are also significant.
Beetroot consumed before training allows for muscle growth and is a stimulus for increasing muscle tissue. If beets in their pure form are not an attractive product, then you should take advantage of interesting recipes for cooking from them.
Garlic is a muscle growth stimulant. This product is calorie-free, and therefore indispensable for gaining muscle mass. With the help of garlic, food acquires a special taste.

Garlic is a muscle growth stimulant

What other foods promote muscle growth?

Food during the period of gaining muscle mass is varied, and besides, these are mainly those products that will not be difficult to buy. In addition to the fact that the food consumed must be enriched with proteins and carbohydrates, it must contain fiber in sufficient quantities. When gaining muscle mass, you should not eat sweets, especially at night. After all, sweets, even in small quantities, can lead to excess weight not related to muscles. In order to better understand what we are talking about, and how much of what to eat before training, what should be avoided at night, it is worth considering the recommended products using the example of the following table. This table is a clear example of the food that should be consumed:

Vegetables	Fruits	Carbohydrates	Squirrels
Peas	A pineapple	Rice	Eggs
cucumbers	Orange		Chicken
Broccoli	Banana	Pasta	Turkey
Onion	Grapefruit	Beans	Beef
Pepper	Peach	Potato	Salmon
Mushrooms	Apple	Whole wheat bread	Tuna
Asparagus	Berries		horsemeat

Pasta is a unique product that contains carbohydrates. Pasta has some benefits related to energizing the body. The amount of quality product consumed helps normalize metabolic processes, helping to normalize weight. Pasta is best consumed after and before training, provided that the quantity meets the established norm. . You should not eat pasta at night.

Pasta is a unique product that contains carbohydrates

Peas can also be considered one of the foods that help you gain muscles. At the same time, boiled peas do not contain fat, but they contain sufficient protein, as well as carbohydrates, namely 6 grams and 9 grams, respectively.

In order not to break down and not get confused in your diet, it is better to create a schedule in which you will calculate calories and the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which is very important when gaining muscle mass. Used for this purpose can be not only products such as cottage cheese, eggs, rice, meat, fish, but also nuts, for example, peanuts, milk and products made from it. Each meal with this diet should be enough to replenish the body with the necessary nutrients, regardless of when the meal was taken, before training or at night.

The favorite food of most athletes is various smoothies, for the preparation of which dry additives are used, a mixture that contains vegetables, fruits, and nuts. What nuts should you eat throughout the day to achieve your goal and how many of them should you eat?

Frozen berry smoothie

Nuts are a high-calorie product, because the fats they contain amount to more than 50 grams per 100 grams of nuts.

But these fats are necessary for the body to normalize its functioning, and it is impossible to completely abandon them.

It is precisely because nuts contain large amounts of fat that their consumption is kept to a minimum. The most commonly used nuts are walnuts, cashews, pine nuts, and almonds.

Peanuts, like other nuts, are in demand when gaining muscle. Peanuts differ in that the fat content in them is minimal compared to other types of nuts. This is why peanuts are more in demand than the nuts mentioned above. The following table will help you verify this:

100 grams of product	Proteins, grams	Fats, grams	Carbohydrates, grams	Calorie content
Peanut	26.3	45.2	9.9	551
Pine nut	11.6	66.9	19.3	673
Walnut	15.6	65.2	10.2	648
Almond	18.6	57.7	16.6	645

Peanuts, like other nuts, are in demand for muscle gain

The table will become a guide for dishes based on recommended products. In addition, peanuts can be an excellent addition to curd mass, which uses cottage cheese, milk, and fruits.

Milk is also a useful product for gaining muscle mass. After all, milk is the main component of various cocktails and smoothies that are recommended before training. For example, in order to prepare a mixture at home that could act as a protein shake, you need to mix the following ingredients:

Milk – 500 grams.
Banana.
Honey – 2 teaspoons.
Peanuts – 50 grams. If desired, peanuts can be combined with any other nut.
Low-fat cottage cheese – 200 grams.

Making a smoothie

This smoothie contains 144 grams of carbohydrates and 65 grams of protein. Various products are suitable as ingredients for preparing cocktails and smoothies, in particular regular or soy milk, cottage cheese, egg whites or eggs, dry herbs, fruits, and berries.

It has already been mentioned that porridge should be in the diet of an athlete who dreams of muscles. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to such cereals that are a source of carbohydrates, such as:

Barley consumed during the day will ensure the growth of muscle fibers and provide the body with immune protection. Barley can be served with egg white. Vegetables, meat and fish go well with it.
Rice porrige. Rice occupies a special position among cereals when gaining muscle mass. This is due to the fact that rice is a kind of absorbent for the body, which helps it get rid of toxins. Rice is well absorbed by the body and does not overload it. Despite the fact that rice is a source of vegetable protein, its structure is quite similar to animal protein. Therefore, people for whom food of animal origin is taboo should consume rice. In addition, rice goes well with most foods, so its use cannot be called monotonous. Rice and vegetables, or rice and milk, go well together.

Eat rice porridge

Semolina porridge, which is usually prepared using milk, is a source of protein. In addition, semolina is nutritious and satisfying; with its help you can satisfy your hunger. Semolina promotes weight growth, and if milk was used to prepare it, the effect will not be long in coming.
Buckwheat and oatmeal are popular foods that provide nutrients to the body before a workout.

The role of brewer's yeast in gaining muscle mass

There is an opinion that a person who loves beer feels a lack of a certain substance, which is brewer's yeast. But not everyone knows that for the body, brewer's yeast is not only beer, but also a more useful product, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. After all, beer is contraindicated during training, as it negatively affects the athlete’s regime. In particular, the sports regime is affected by alcohol, which contains beer and other dyes and preservatives. Therefore, beer should not be consumed during training, in particular before it, but yeast during this period is more useful than ever.

In order to replenish the body with the necessary substances that beer contains, you can take brewer's yeast, which replenishes their deficiency.

Brewer's yeast is designed to provide the body with protein, which accounts for 52% of its total weight. In addition, brewer's yeast is enriched with B vitamins, amino acids, enzymes and nucleic acids.

By starting to use brewer's yeast correctly before training, you will be able to provide the body with energy, strength, and endurance from the first day, which is extremely important for an athlete to receive before training.

Use brewer's yeast

While beer is completely contraindicated for sports, beer tremors have a positive effect on the body. Brewer's yeast is not recommended for use by people with severe osteoporosis. Having understood the benefits that brewer's yeast brings to the body, it is important to know how much of it you can take. To do this, you should study the instructions and not exceed the indicated dosage unless absolutely necessary, which is usually 100 milliliters. Brewer's yeast will help you gain muscle and replenish your body with protein.

Having familiarized yourself with the foods that are sources of proteins and carbohydrates necessary for muscle growth, you can easily calculate them throughout the day. What and how much you need to consume before and after training depends only on the characteristics of the human body.

Putting your body into the so-called anabolic mode, when muscles begin to grow much faster after training, is not so difficult. We are, of course, only talking about methods that do not cause harm to the body. So, in order for muscles to grow by leaps and bounds, experts recommend a strict proper diet. Here's what to eat to gain weight.

Proteins: beef, legumes, chicken, protein powder concentrates, fish, low-fat dairy products - cottage cheese, cheese, milk and yogurt. The goal is to gain at least 2 g of protein per kilogram of weight. Moreover, you cannot eat all the protein in one sitting. During a single meal, the body can absorb a maximum of 40 g of the substance. Therefore, food rich in protein will need to be distributed over 5-6 meals throughout the day.
Carbohydrates: vegetables, grains and fruits, special carbohydrate powder concentrates - this is what to eat to gain weight. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy in the body. If you do not consume them together with proteins, then the diet will have no effect: the body simply does not have enough energy to break down proteins and perform intensive training. There is one more nuance here: the amount of accumulated calories depends on the amount of carbohydrates consumed, which in turn shows how much energy a person has expended. So, in order to gain muscle mass, you need to accumulate more calories than you burn. Famous bodybuilder Dorian Yates suggests starting with 350-500 g of carbohydrates per day and monitoring muscle growth using weights. If the weight stays the same, it means that the body does not have enough calories and an additional 100 g of carbohydrates should be included in the diet. Carbohydrate foods include: pasta, mashed potatoes, raisins, rice, honey, oatmeal cookies, pancakes, applesauce, and ripe bananas.
Fats. They help muscle cells metabolize glucose, which means they store more fuel for each cell's growth potential. Professionals assure that fats supply the body with approximately 15% of all daily calories. For example, meat contains up to 48% fat, which is why it is so important in an athlete’s diet. Nutritionists advise focusing on vegetable fats, with the exception of fish oil (Omega 3 fats), which is extremely healthy. It is found in salmon, sardines and mackerel. These dishes should be eaten at least 2 times a week. During heavy training, eat 1-2 eggs every morning.

Do not overuse artificial vitamins, proteins and carbohydrate powders. Recent studies have shown that natural plant foods contain a large number of new compounds - the so-called phytosubstances. They contain antioxidants and prevent the development of complex and serious diseases - cancer, tuberculosis, nervous and skin diseases. That is why a bodybuilder’s daily menu should include 2-3 servings of vegetables and the same amount of fruits. In winter, fresh frozen berries are added to yogurt, smoothies or oatmeal. Rice and pasta can be “diluted” with stewed cabbage, mushrooms, onions and sweet peppers.
After training, professionals advise feeding the body with “fast” carbohydrates - those that are absorbed into the blood immediately after consumption: raisins, bagels and honey. For example, the famous athlete Jay Cutler saturates himself with carbohydrates while still in the locker room: he takes a box with rice mixed with honey and raisins to the gym. He advises consuming 1.5 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight. But it is better to consume whey protein after training. It is quickly “absorbed” by the muscles.
It is better to break your diet into frequent snacks. In small doses, the necessary substances are completely absorbed into the body and at the same time provide a constant flow of amino acids.
It is recommended to drink a drink of 1 gram of vitamin C and 1200 IU per day. Vitamin E. These vitamins destroy harmful free radicals that accumulate during sports training.
Immediately after training, along with carbon products, experts advise taking glutamine and creatine. These nutritional supplements increase the body's endurance and have a great effect on the immune system.

How to gain muscle mass? This topic really excites almost anyone who has ever crossed the threshold of the gym. Here are 15 tips to gain muscle mass faster.

1. The basis of everything is protein

Imagine a long Christmas tree garland of multi-colored ball decorations. This is a model of a protein molecule. Well, each colored ball is one amino acid. When such a protein “garland” enters our digestive system, gastric juice dissolves the intermediate connecting links and the “balls” of amino acids break free. They enter the blood and, together with it, begin their journey through our body. In muscle cells, the “balls” are again collected into garlands, but in their own way, in a new order. This is how a new protein molecule is born, which adds to your muscle mass. It turns out that in order to grow your own protein (muscle) tissue, you need to eat “foreign” protein - animal and plant. Here are the main sources of protein for a bodybuilder: beef, chicken, fish, legumes, protein powder concentrates, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products - cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and milk.
Your goal is 2 grams of protein per kilogram of your weight. All this protein should be evenly distributed over 5-6 meals. The secret is that “at a time” the body is able to absorb no more than 30-40 g of protein.

2. Eat More Carbs to Gain Muscle

It is known that plants “feed” on the sun. Moreover, growing plant tissues accumulate the energy of solar photons within themselves. And all this energy is “hidden” in special molecules called carbohydrates. By eating plants, you nourish yourself with this energy. It becomes the driving force behind all life processes, including training and muscle growth. It is for this reason that protein intake must be seasoned with carbohydrates. Otherwise, the protein assembly line inside your muscle cells will stop, like any “de-energized” mechanism. The main sources of carbohydrates for a bodybuilder are vegetables, cereals and fruits, as well as carbohydrate powder concentrates. If there is a chronic lack of carbohydrates in the diet, the body uses your muscle tissue as “fuel”. It is clear that all the training is going down the drain.

3. Calories are a growth factor

Scientists came up with the idea of measuring the amount of food in special units - calories. They also measure the energy expenditure of a person. It would seem that no matter how many calories you burn, you need to replace the same amount at the kitchen table. No, you need to “eat” more calories! Remember, muscle growth itself requires an influx of energy. So, if you consume exactly the same number of calories as you expend, nothing is transferred to the muscles, and they do not grow. The post-workout growth effect, on the contrary, is based on excess calorie consumption. The famous “Mr. Olympia” Dorian Yates offers the following formula: “Start with 350-500 grams of carbohydrates per day, and then follow the scale readings. If you are training hard, but your mass is not growing, then you are not getting enough calories. Then you can safely add another 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. And so on until the scales show a confident weight gain.”

4. Fats are friends, not enemies, to gain muscle mass.

The secretion of essential hormones and the intake of fats are directly related. Our body “makes” the main anabolic hormones from fats, including testosterone. That's why switching to a low-fat vegetarian diet always results in a drop in libido - less testosterone is secreted in the body. However, excess fat is just as harmful as its deficiency. Paradoxically, fatty foods lead to the same result - a drop in testosterone secretion. It turns out that you need to take fats in moderation. What kind of measure is this? Professionals believe that fats should account for no more than 15% of all daily calories. (For comparison: our traditional menu contains fats up to 40-48%.) According to nutritionists, you need to eat less animal fats and more vegetable fats. The only exception is fish oil or, in scientific parlance, Omega 3 fats. These fats are extremely beneficial in all respects. Most importantly for a bodybuilder, these fats help the uptake of glucose (blood sugar) into muscle cells. As a result, more “fuel” accumulates inside the cell and the growth potential of the cell increases significantly. So, if you want to gain weight, eat salmon, mackerel or sardines 2-3 times a week. When you train especially hard, eat 1-2 egg yolks in the morning. The yolk contains cholesterol - the “raw material” for the production of testosterone.

5. To gain muscle mass, eat a varied diet.

What if, instead of natural products, you take protein and carbohydrates in powder, fish oil in teaspoons, and vitamins and minerals in tablets? Is it possible to grow up on such a diet? Hardly. Today, nutritionists have discovered about fifty fundamentally new compounds called phytosubstances in “living” plant foods. They have the properties of powerful antioxidants, are able to prevent the development of serious diseases, strengthen the immune system, neutralize pathogenic microorganisms, and generally make us stronger and healthier. There are almost no such herbal substances in freeze-dried store products. Perhaps it is precisely for this reason that city residents are increasingly suffering from cancer, tuberculosis, skin and nervous diseases. In any case, the experience of bodybuilding shows that on a diet poor in natural vegetables and fruits, muscles for some reason refuse to grow. Your daily menu should include at least three servings of fruits and the same amount of vegetables. In winter, fresh frozen blueberries, currants, strawberries or melon pieces can be added to yogurt, oatmeal or a protein shake. Shredded stewed cabbage, mushrooms and finely chopped onions and sweet peppers go well with rice or pasta. At least once a day (or better yet, twice) eat a large portion of vegetable salad, preferably with a seasoning based on natural vegetable oil. In winter, such salads can be prepared from fresh cabbage, adding pre-cooked beans, green onions and chopped bell peppers.

6. More is better

You need a lot of carbohydrates to restore the huge energy costs of training. This means that you need to choose foods that contain the most carbohydrates. Such “mass-gaining” foods include: mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, raisins, honey, pancakes, oatmeal cookies, muffins, apples and ripe bananas. These products will allow you to reach your daily “norm” of carbohydrates, without the risk of filling your stomach until you can’t breathe.

7. To gain muscle mass, eat slow-release carbohydrates before training.

There are two types of carbohydrates: “fast” and “slow”. Some are digested almost instantly. Others linger in the intestines, gradually releasing energy. How to distinguish one from the other? Foods with “fast” carbohydrates are usually sweet. Here are examples: jam, pastries, pies, sweets... Oatmeal, rice, potatoes are “slow” carbohydrates. They do not have a sweet taste. These carbohydrates are ideal for fueling before a workout. They gradually “feed” the blood with glucose. As a result, the level of glucose in the blood remains stable, and this is a condition for an even mood and high muscle tone. If, on the contrary, you eat something desperately sweet before training, then the glucose will “burn out” quickly. The body will be left without “fuel” and will begin to consume glycogen - emergency reserves of carbohydrates in the liver. As a result, the rest interval between workouts will be longer. Until the body restores what was spent, you will feel overwhelmed.

8. To gain muscle mass, pay full attention to your post-workout meal.

Ultra-intensive training causes an increase in the secretion of cortisol, glucagon and catecholamines, hormones that can trigger a chain reaction of muscle tissue destruction. These hormones are always released in response to stress, physical or nervous. (This is why stress usually leads to weight loss.) Your task is to fuel up with “fast” carbohydrates immediately after training. They provoke the secretion of insulin, and it is the first enemy of the evil trinity and neutralizes its destructive influence. Excellent sources of “fast” carbohydrates are bagels, raisins, honey... You can try the formula of professional Jay Cutler on yourself. He advises eating 1.5 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of your weight while still in the locker room. Jay himself takes a box of rice with him to training, to which raisins and honey are added. As for protein, he recommends whey, in powder form - such protein is quickly “absorbed” by tired muscles.

9. Snack as often as possible to gain muscle mass.

Multiple meals (small portions up to 8 times a day) were invented by doctors. However, bodybuilders were the first to adopt this nutritional strategy. Here is the opinion of the famous pro Mike Matarazzo: “When I broke my daily diet into many small meals, I immediately gained weight.” When you eat frequently, with short breaks, your muscles are provided with a constant supply of amino acids (from protein) and glucose (from carbohydrates). Amino acids “repair” muscle tissue damaged by training loads, and glucose maintains high levels of insulin in the blood, thereby preventing catabolic processes in muscles, and increases glycogen reserves (in fact, this is the same glucose stored for future use). If you decide to eat a lot, but rarely, you are guaranteed to have a distended stomach, mood swings, drowsiness and an increase in subcutaneous fat.

10. To gain muscle mass, don’t forget about vitamins C and E

During the training process, the athlete’s body produces free radicals in unimaginable quantities. These harmful compounds destroy muscle tissue. Moreover, scientists consider them the main cause of many diseases - from skin to cancer. And yet athletes remain healthy people into old age. Science does not yet know how the athlete’s body copes with free radicals. However, sports physiologists advise bodybuilders to take large quantities of antioxidant vitamins C and E. These vitamins can destroy free radicals. Experiments involving weightlifters and bodybuilders clearly confirmed that a “cocktail” of 1200 i.u. Vitamin E and 1 g of vitamin C sharply reduce the level of creatine kinase in the blood of athletes. It is a byproduct of free radicals breaking down muscles. The smaller it is, the smaller the scale of destruction.

11. To gain muscle mass, use the “services” of creatine and glutamine

As a nutritional supplement, creatine has no equal - it really increases endurance, muscle energy levels and stimulates protein synthesis. In short, he works hard for three people. Glutamine is always second in the “best supplement” category. This amino acid has a beneficial effect on the immune system, in other words, on the body's defenses. And they, as scientists have accurately established, are directly related to his ability to recover after physical exertion. The higher your immunity, the less rest you need between workouts. Additionally, glutamine helps store glycogen and blocks the effects of the infamous cortisol. These two super supplements are best taken immediately after a workout, along with a high-carb meal. The influx of carbohydrates, as already mentioned, sharply increases the level of insulin in the blood, and it, in turn, helps creatine and glutamine penetrate muscle cells. The optimal dosage is 3-6 g of creatine and 5-10 g of glutamine per day.

12. Follow the scale

The reading on your bathroom scale is directly related to the amount of carbohydrates you consume. How? It's very simple: if the scales show that you are gaining from 200 to 500 g. per week, which means you eat enough carbohydrates. If your weight is not growing, then the carbohydrates you ate are most likely not enough.
You should aim for daily intake for 4-6 years. carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight. If the scale arrow still does not move in the desired direction, add another gram per kilogram of your weight. Simply put, if you honestly eat 4-6 years. carbohydrates, but there is no result, try to bring this number to 5-7 years. True, here you can no longer do without powdered carbohydrate concentrates.

13. In addition to scales, you will need a gauge

To assess the prospects of an attack, an experienced commander resorts to a variety of ways to assess the situation. So you can’t limit yourself to just scales. There is such a wonderful thing - a gauge for measuring skin folds; it allows you to more or less accurately determine the specific ratio between muscle and fat in the composition of your body. Simply put, it helps you find out whether you have more muscle or fat. When you gain weight, some portion of the gain is bound to be fat. The main thing is that this fat gain does not take over the muscles. Measuring the thickness of the skin folds (this should be done by someone who knows how to use a gauge) will show whether you are moving in the right direction. If, for example, you gained one and a half kilograms of weight in 2-3 weeks, and the caliber shows that more than a kilogram is pure muscle, you deserve the highest rating. But if you have gained equal amounts of muscle and fat, it means that you have clearly gone too far with calories and carbohydrates - you are gaining fat at the same rate as you are gaining muscle.

14. Drink more water to gain muscle mass.

If you don’t drink water in the right amount, you will remain at your previous weight. Why? Yes, because your body is 75% water, and no growth without it is simply impossible. When the body becomes dehydrated, water leaves the muscle cells and thereby triggers the destruction of muscle tissue.
Don’t forget, by the way, that the effect of creatine and glutamine is largely based on the effect of “swelling” of the muscles, that is, filling them with fluid. By “attracting” water into muscle cells, creatine and glutamine push muscles to further growth.

15. To gain muscle mass, eat meat

Recent research by scientists has shown that natural beef is no worse than lean chicken breasts or fish. Lean parts of the carcass - rump, flank - contain the same amount of dietary fat and cholesterol, but in terms of “energy-intensive” B vitamins, including B12, as well as creatine, iron and zinc, beef has no equal. Vitamin B12, iron and zinc act as “catalysts” for cell growth; in particular, they are necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells (erythrocytes). In addition, zinc works on the “production” of testosterone, the male sex hormone responsible for muscle strength and size.

Conclusion

So, if you want to gain muscle mass, eat a lot, but sensibly - then you will not gain fat, but first-class muscle mass!