We all know that to gain weight you have to eat, right ?
I have seen people trying to gain weight ( muscle ,not fluids and fats) but they are consuming calories either near to their BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) or lower than it. And I can guarantee you that they wont achieve their goals any time soon.
There's one occasion in which I ordered a burger with extra meat and fries and my friend was like " I thought that you are on a diet and couldn't eat like those oily stuff. " I didn't respond to that.
The things is I never really diet except for the few months when I first started out my journey to build a physique that girls would set their hair on fire for.
So, Never Diet, But Eat According To Your Goals.
I'm not going to look down my nose at other alternatives approaches to size building, but in searching for a mass-yielding magic bullet, many bodybuilders forget the tried-and-true strategies that packed on muscles for decades. I refer to the core foundations of mass building as "Seven Pillars Of Nutritional Wisdom."
#1 Total Calories Intake Must Exceed Need
In order to pack on some serious muscle mass, you must take in more calories then you you need each day. For example, if the total calories for your basal metabolic rate and daily activities are 2500 kcal, you must consume at least 2900-3000 kcal daily which is a surplus of around 400-500 kcal.
To meet that goal, use protein drinks to supplement your daily meals, especially when you are rushing for classes or assignments and you don't have time to sit down and enjoy a healthy lunch or even a mid afternoon snacks.
Note: You will not build muscle, though if you just solely load up on low-calorie protein drinks but don't take in enough total solid-food calories.
#2 Carbs Are Anabolic
You can eat plenty of protein everyday and still end up wanting for substantive gains in muscularity. This is due to the fact that you needs carbs to stimulate an anabolic ( growth enhancing ) environment by elevating insulin levels in your body, as insulin promotes increase in muscle mass and prevent breakdown of muscle tissues
Don't get me wrong here, you need insulin to create that anabolic state in your body but consuming 3 bowls of white rice at once will spike your insulin level so high that it has a reverse effect towards your testosterone level.
Note: On a daily basis, take in at least 2.5 g of carbs per pound of your body weight.
#3 Eat more Carbs Than Protein
My apologies to certain diet doctors or consultants who treat carbs like the plague, but any mass-building diet should encompass more carbohydrates than protein at least 2.5g of carbs and 1-1.5g of protein per pound of body weight.
If you decide to ignore this sage advice and experiment with a meal plan that's higher in protein than carbs, then expect to stay small. This is because you are not eating towards your goal which is to gain mass and strength.
Besides that, bombarding your body with endless intake of protein will trigger the breakdown of protein at a higher rate than the usage of protein to build those rock-solid muscles. Excess protein will be broken down by the liver through a process called Deamination and since you are feeding your body with so much protein, your body will adapt to the condition of having excess protein and it will break down those protein as efficient as possible.
Note: At least 2.5 g of carbs and 1-1.5g of protein depending on your physique.
#4 Fat Is Not All That
Dietary definitely has its place in the mass-building process, but do not embrace high-fat diats based on eschewing carbs in favour of loads of fat in the pursuit of Mass Gains.
1g of Carbs = 4 kcal
1g of Protein = 4 kcal
1g of Fats= 9 kcal
Dietary fats support the production of hormones such as testosterone and, to a lesser extent, Growth Hormone. It is important to consume mono or poly-unsaturated fats and not to totally cut it down from your diet. But that note that I'm asking you to embark on a high-fat diet because you will definitely gain fat due to a surplus of calories which is unnecessary for your body.
You should derive all the fat you need as a byproduct of eating whole eggs, red meat,salmon or peanut butter. ( Refer to my post on Essential Fats to know more about alternatives sources )
#5 Don't Expect To Stay Cut While Bulking Up
Lifters who hope to stay cut and ripped as they get bigger are in for a rude awakening. These misinformed muscle seekers tend to skimp on carbs and calories in favour of more protein in their diet.
If your current fitness goal is to gain mass and strength, you must have a surplus in your total daily calories intake because you body need these extra calories to build muscles. But to stay shredded, it's a totally different case because you need to be in total calories deficit to melt away those subcutaneous fat to look ripped as hell.
Be realistic. It's OK to lose some definition while you pack on some serious mass. The cuts will come when you tear it up later , whether in preparation for a contest or for looking good on the beach.
#6 Protein-To-Carb Ratio
Fix and ensure protein intake of at least 1-1.5g per pound of body weight and bump your carbs to 3g per pound of body weight. Experiment with this ratio for two weeks; if you don't see improvement in your physique, then increase your carb intake to 3.5g per pound of body weight.
Use 1g of protein and 3g of carbs per pound of body weight as your starting guideline and slowly increase the ratio if you are not getting noticeable results in one month time.
Remember to eat five or six meals daily and by that I meant solid food meals,and not just a protein shake. Supplements are supplement for a reason, because they are there just to supplement your main solid-food meals. Personally, I hate it when people mention that the only reason I'm able to get to this point because I consume protein shakes. Supplements are nothing if you failed your solid-meal plan.
#7 Don't Fear The Scale
To gain muscles, expect to gain weight. Shoot for adding to approximately 1 pound per week while in growth mode. If you gain more than that, the weight gained is most probably fluid or fat. But if you gain less than that, tweak your carb intake as described in Pillar #6.
If the scale is moving up as what you have planned, stay the course until you have all the mass you want and need.
Then sit back, enjoy your success in gaining those good quality mass, and prepare to dial in the cuts and conditioning that will put the icing on the cake of your body of work.
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