Tuesday, November 5, 2013

How To Build Muscle With Your Diet

By Arnold Sylvester


If you were told most men in your local gym, even the ones in fairly good shape, have no idea how to build muscle you would probably think it was utter nonsense. However, due to the widespread number of gimmicks and false advertising on supplements and new products, this is exactly the case. New items are released every day offering quicker, easier, autopilot results...

But if you have taken the time to try these products, you will have noticed a recurring theme - none have actually worked for your body yet.

Yet, despite every product claiming to be the best thing ever developed, the fundamental rules to hypertrophy remain unchanged from 30 years ago. Applying these age old rules will yield more results than any fly-by-night product claiming instant success, and that is guaranteed.

Today we will be focusing on just one of these fundamental rules - the diet.

Make no mistake about it. If you want to build mass you must structure your diet to suit this goal. Yet this is an error which most fitness enthusiasts fail to correct. Instead, you will often see guys training their heart out in their local gym but completely neglecting their body when it comes to nutrition.

Why do these mistakes continue to be made?

Usually, it's simple because the word diet conjures up images of starving yourself. After all, you didn't ask how to lose weight, you asked how to get bigger - you asked how to get lean fast...

Well, you still need a diet even if your goal is to achieve more size and strength. Without proper nutrition, your gym based efforts will only take you so far and if you want to truly reach your full physical potential you must provide your body with excellent fuel for the journey which lies ahead.

The following three steps will help you to get moving in the right direction:

1) Sort out your protein intake to allow for new muscle growth.

You may already be familiar with whey protein drinks. However, you'll need a lot more protein that this if you plan to build some serious size and strength in the gym. That's why chicken, fish and eggs are vital ingredients to your daily eating habits. 1.5 grams of protein is adequate for each pound of your body weight per day.

2) Sort out your carbohydrate intake to promote gains in size.

Carbohydrates are the nutrient which we can play with in order to find our optimal consumption. For most guys the problem doesn't lie in getting enough carbs, it lies in getting them from the correct sources.

The majority of your carbohydrate content should arrive in your system from nutritious, slow release foods such as wholewheat pasta and porridge.

Try to begin a healthy diet by eating about 1.5 grams of carbs for each pound your body currently weighs. If you find you are adding body fat, lower this amount in the coming weeks until you hit the sweet spot. Likewise, you can increase it if you are not seeing any gains.

3) Sort out your fat intake to find the missing key.

Healthy fats are one of the best ways to increase lean tissue over a short period of time. Most men falsely assume that everything needs to be low fat or fat free, but your body actually uses fats to build more muscle and burn unwanted body fat.

Aim to eat around 0.5 grams of fat per pound of body weight.

If you can take care of the three problem areas above, you will separate yourself from the chasing pack in your local fitness center and begin packing on lean size in next to no time at all. The next time somebody quizzes you on how to build muscle, they may even be shocked to hear you recommend proven, simple changes to the diet rather than blowing your monthly budget on the latest supplements and workout gear.




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