Lifting weights stimulates muscle growth, but this can only happen if the proper nutrients are available! What is the most important nutrient for muscle growth? PROTEIN. This should become the focus of your diet. A rule of thumb is to consume about 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight. Your personal goals may require a different amount, but this is pretty typical for muscle building. Consuming a variety of foods high in protein is also key, as each will provide different amino acids (the ultimate muscle building blocks). There are lots of lean meats to eat, and I highly recommend exploring options outside of simply chicken and tuna.
The amount of carbohydrates and fats you consume will have to be individually determined. If your goal is to bulk up, then these numbers will obviously be higher than someone cutting. There are a few rules that everyone should follow.
· Avoid consuming simple or processed carbohydrates. This means anything with added sugar, including candy, soda, most juices, and basically every sweet and treat you can think of.
· Avoid white carbohydrates. These carbohydrates do not contain nearly the amount of healthy nutrients as their whole grain counterparts. Also, they tend to have a high glycemic index which can lead to fat storage. Foods to avoid include white breads, white rice, and white potatoes.
· Avoid saturated and trans fats while consuming monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated and trans fats can be found many places like fatty meats, butter, and processed foods. Always check the label if you’re unsure. Mono and polyunsaturated fats are great for lots of bodily functions. Foods like almonds and other nuts, fish, olive oil, and natural peanut butter are great sources of these “good” fats.
So now it’s time to put all these tips together and make an effective strength training routine.
Breakfast
2 eggs + as many egg whites as you’d like + some type of lean meat. This is a great high-protein and low carbohydrate breakfast that also provides many other important nutrients in the two egg yolks.
Lunch
Some type of lean meat + vegetable. This provides more protein as well as great vitamins and minerals from the vegetable. Meats can be anything: chicken, turkey, tuna, lean beef, pork, even venison, bison, ostrich, whatever you enjoy. Mix things up, prepare things differently, do whatever is necessary to allow you to keep eating healthily.
Dinner
Same guidelines as lunch. Again, try to mix things up. Having a variety is important to consuming all the different nutrients.
Since you should be eating closer to five meals per day, what should you be eating in between?
Pre-workout
Take any pre-workout supplement in the suggested dosage. Also, it is a good idea to have a source of whey protein prior to working out. Having this readily-absorbable protein available will help your muscles recover faster. Blending a whey protein shake with some milk and a fruit or two can give you great energy and essential daily nutrients (besides tasting pretty great, too). Check out bodybuilding.com for great deals on all the best supplements.
Post-workout
Take any post-workout supplements, including more whey protein. I wasn’t completely truthful when I said to avoid simple sugars at all times: it can be beneficial to muscle recovery to consume some simple carbohydrate source directly after exercising. A great way to accomplish this is to add some honey to your protein shake (which tastes awesome with vanilla flavored protein).
This is a pretty general outline, but keeping these important nutrition tips in mind is absolutely crucial for maximizing your muscle building gains. As you can see, it’s best to develop a complete strength training routine to incorporate all of these essential elements.
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