Nutrition for gaining muscle mass

It is important for every athlete not only to choose the right training program, but also to take a responsible approach to nutritional issues. Gaining muscle mass cannot be achieved if you do not monitor what, how and when you eat.

The first thing that all athletes should learn is that nutrition while gaining muscle mass is very different from the so-called proper nutrition, and even more so from a diet while losing weight. What exactly are these differences, you will learn from our article.

Whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle mass, you first need to know your metabolic rate and calculate your basal metabolic rate. So you will find out how many calories your body needs to function properly with minimal physical activity.

Factors such as gender, height, weight and age are taken into account. Keep in mind that the results obtained are only approximate, since individual factors affecting metabolism - the presence or absence of bad habits, the peculiarities of the endocrine system, genetics and much more - also matter. Basal metabolic rate corresponds to the number of calories needed to maintain weight.

It is calculated according to the following formulas given in the table:

Next, we multiply the resulting number by the level of physical activity:

• 1,2 - predominantly sedentary lifestyle;
• 1,375 - average activity level, 1-3 light workouts per week;
• 1.55 - high level of activity, 3-5 intense workouts per week;
• 1,725 ​​- very high level of activity, heavy physical activity 6-7 times a week.

The final figure will roughly reflect how many calories you need to maintain your weight. Further steps are simple: if you want to lose weight, this number should be gradually reduced, if you want to gain weight, increase.

Nutrition program for gaining muscle mass

Muscle growth is impossible without regular proper nutrition. Choose the highest quality products so as not to clog the body with toxins and toxins. When choosing protein, give preference to chilled meat, fish and poultry. Of the carbohydrates, the most useful are cereals that have undergone the least technical processing - they retain a large amount of fiber and useful microelements. In polished cereals, almost nothing useful remains.

Give preference to carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, their intake does not lead to an intense release of insulin, which means you will not gain excess fat. Leave simple carbohydrates for Saturday or Sunday, on this day you can quite afford to arrange a cheat-day and have whatever you want. This will further accelerate the metabolism, create a positive psychological effect and simply allow you to enjoy delicious food.

The frequency of strength training in the gym is also important. The more often you exercise, the more energy you expend. To gain weight, the calories burned need to be more than compensated for. Therefore, eat one or two more meals on your workout days than on your rest day. This will greatly speed up the recovery process.

Basic principles

To make it easier for novice athletes to understand what to start from when drawing up a diet for gaining muscle mass for a week, we summarize a few basic principles:

1. It is recommended to drink 1-2 glasses of still water immediately after waking up. This will prepare your gastrointestinal tract for the upcoming breakfast and normalize the water-salt balance in the body.
2. Breakfast is the most plentiful and high-calorie meal. It should be based on complex carbohydrates, and moderate amounts of protein and unsaturated fatty acids will also benefit. It's okay to eat some simple carbs and have a cup of coffee to wake up and recharge your batteries.
3. Eat several meals throughout the day. It is desirable to be varied in order to obtain different amino acids from different protein sources. For someone, two meals are enough for a set, but for someone, five meals are not enough. It all depends on your body type, metabolism, genetics, gastrointestinal tract function and level of daily physical activity. Keep your portions small so that you feel hungry again two to three hours after eating. The meal should be composed of animal protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber.
4. Eat carbohydrates before training. This will give you strength and improve blood circulation in your muscles by providing more glycogen. After your workout, you will need a fast absorption protein Egg whites or protein shakes are best.
5. Most dietitians recommend limiting carbohydrate intake after 6-7 pm or cutting them off altogether. Of course, this largely depends on your schedule and the needs of the body, but the bottom line is clear: the closer you sleep, the less energy your body needs. Surges in insulin levels at this time will lead to the accumulation of adipose tissue, and it is also not recommended to overwork the pancreas.
6. The last meal should consist of slow-release protein. This will prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue during sleep. The ideal option for this is low-fat cottage cheese. It is a lightweight, low-calorie product that will supply your muscles with amino acids for 4-6 hours.
7. Don't forget the importance of water. Gaining mass involves eating a large amount of protein foods, this creates a strong load on the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys. In order not to harm your health, be sure to drink enough water. Your minimum rate is 3 liters per day. This normalizes appetite, improves skin condition and accelerates metabolic processes in the body.
8. Chit Day Chit Day Strife. Of course, periodically it is worth giving yourself a little rest from proper nutrition, but not everyone and not always will benefit from it. Endomorphs are better off using a refeed (loading with complex carbohydrates) instead of the classic cheat day. This will replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores, but will not lead to the growth of adipose tissue.

For men

For men, gaining muscle mass is associated with an increase in strength in basic exercises. Of course, this requires energy, which the body gets mainly from carbohydrates. There should be a lot of carbohydrates: depending on the daily activity and the tendency to gain weight, their amount varies from 4 to 10 g per 1 kg of body weight per day. This is a large amount of food, so it will be more convenient to divide it into several parts. The more often you eat, the easier it will be for the gastrointestinal tract to assimilate all of this food.

All carbohydrate sources are weighed dry (raw). This greatly simplifies all calculations. For example, 100 g of oatmeal (dry) contains about 65 g of carbohydrates. Record this meal in your food diary, so it will be easier for you to understand how many macronutrients you need to eat after that during the day.

By the way, you shouldn't be afraid of simple carbohydrates either. If you are not prone to diabetes and do not have problems with being overweight, you can easily afford some simple carbohydrates every day. Of course, it will be better if you get them from natural sources: fruits, berries or honey. Confectionery products, such various cakes, chocolate bars, baked goods, in addition to sugar, contain a large amount of saturated fatty acids. Together, this causes a strong surge in insulin, which sooner or later will lead to a set of excess fat, even in ectomorphs.

How to eat while gaining muscle mass to get the most out of your gym workout? Additionally, take special supplements for athletes in a strictly dosed amount. Besides energy, you need strength. ATP molecules are responsible for the strength of the muscles and the load that they can withstand. The fewer there are, the fewer reps you can do with a specific weight. The accumulation of ATP molecules is promoted by creatine.

In addition to sports nutrition products, creatine is found in large quantities in red meat: beef, pork, lamb. The conclusion is simple: men on a regular basis need to add red meat to their diet to gain muscle mass. Creatine has another beneficial property: it improves the flow of glycogen and water into the muscles. As you know, one glycogen molecule "attracts" four water molecules. Due to this, the muscles visually look more rigid and filled.

Red meat isn't the only source of protein. Eating a healthy diet for muscle mass requires protein to be obtained from a variety of foods. A variety of protein sources are great: chicken and turkey fillets, dairy products, fish and seafood. Vegetable protein obtained from cereals and legumes can be ignored in the total calculation of macronutrients. Its amino acid composition is not as rich as that of animal proteins. Total protein in the diet should be at least 1.5-2 g per 1 kg of body weight. This is the minimum amount that can replenish your energy expenditures and start the processes of muscle tissue recovery after strength training.

For the normal assimilation of protein foods, the body needs fiber. Desirable from fresh fruits and vegetables. Fiber is considered a non-digestible carbohydrate, so fiber can be left out of the total macronutrient count.

Without what else is it impossible to gain muscle mass? No increased hormonal levels. Strength training has been shown to promote increased secretion of testosterone and growth hormone. But where does the body get fuel for their synthesis? Hormones are synthesized from cholesterol. If it is quite thesis, then cholesterol is "good" and "bad". "Bad" cholesterol is found in trans fats and has an extremely negative effect on the cardiovascular system.

"Good" cholesterol is found in plant foods and has many beneficial functions, including:

• normalization of the endocrine system;
• lowering the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood;
• increased sexual activity;
• improving the functioning of the digestive system.

Conclusion: the body needs fats. The best sources of fats: vegetable oils (flaxseed, olive, sesame, grape seed oil), fish oil, egg yolks, nuts, seeds, avocados.

For women

The principles of good nutrition for female athletes who are gaining muscle are almost the same. You need to get more energy than you expend, have enough protein to support muscle repair and growth, and consume enough fat for all body systems to function properly.

Focus on the quality of your food. "Dirty" food is not acceptable. Everyone knows that excess weight in women is stored differently than in men: most of the fat accumulates on the buttocks, lower abdomen and on the inner thighs. This is incompatible with an aesthetic athletic build. It is unhealthy food that contributes to fat accumulation: foods with a high glycemic index, fast food and fast food.

Your norm of carbohydrates is 3.5-6 g, proteins - 1.5-2 g, fat - 0.5-1 g per 1 kg of body weight. If the products are of high quality, this will be enough to provide the body with everything it needs.

A program for gaining muscle mass for different types of body structure

Nutrition for weight gain will be different for people with different body types.

There are only three of them:

• ectomorph
• mesomorph
• endomorph

Let's talk about each of them separately.

For ectomorphs

An ectomorph is a person who finds it difficult to gain weight. They usually say about such people "eats as much as he wants and does not get fat." In the gym, they have to fight desperately for their success, and nutrition plays a key role in this.

The most important principle of nutrition for ectomorphs: there should be a lot of food. If four meals a day are not enough, increase the number of meals to six. Still not seeing the results? Eat 8 times a day! Just do not forget to take additional enzymes so that the food can be fully absorbed.

There should be a lot of proteins and carbohydrates. The most common mistake that an ectomorph can make is to feel hungry. You should always have at least some food with you, so as not to leave catabolism and a single chance to destroy your hard-to-gain muscles.

It is recommended to do a cheat-day on weekends. On this day, you can afford to eat anything you want without remorse. It's funny, but often these days contribute to a breakthrough in mass gain.

For mesomorphs

Mesomorph is a person whose genetics are the best fit for strength training. He needs to adhere to proper and abundant nutrition, but minor deviations from the diet will not cause significant consequences.

Usually mesomorphs have 4-6 meals a day to gain muscle mass. They are based on complex carbohydrates and high-quality protein. No matter how “genetically gifted” you are, without proper nutrition, regular training and self-discipline, you will not achieve success in sports. Here is a detailed description of the nutritional features of mesomorphs.

Depending on the form, a cheat day or carbohydrate load is done on the weekend. This allows you to train even more productively and gives you a good psychological release.

For endomorphs

Endomorph is a person genetically inclined to be overweight and overweight. For endomorphs, gaining muscle mass is quite difficult: if you go overboard with calories a little, and instead of muscle, you already build up fat. Therefore, for the organization of competent nutrition, endomorphs should be especially careful when calculating calories and macronutrients.

The goal of any athlete while gaining mass is to build as much muscle and as little fat as possible. Endomorphs can only feel this fine line by experience. Everything here is purely individual. Gaining excess weight by eating 6 grams of carbohydrates per kg of body? Reduce to 5. Wrong anyway? Add cardio a couple of times a week. Your main task: to catch the optimal balance for your metabolism between consumed and consumed calories. Only then will you be able to gain lean muscle mass.

How to train while recruiting?

Nutrition is an important aspect of fitness, but without exercise, nothing happens. The muscles simply won't have the incentive to grow. Plan your schedule so that you have time to go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Contrary to popular belief, this does not take much time. Agree, almost everyone is capable of dropping into the gym for an hour after work or study, if there is a desire.

The training is built around the basic exercises performed with free weights: squats with a barbell, bench press, deadlift, pull-ups on the bar, push-ups on the uneven bars, bench press standing or sitting, various dumbbell presses, etc. They will take up about 80% of your training. Spend the remaining 20% ​​on isolated exercises - those in which only one muscle group is involved. This will make you stronger and improve the relief.

The main training principle that you must adhere to is the principle of progression of loads. This means that in each workout, you have to do a little more than the previous one.Did you 10 reps of your bench press that week? Try 12 today! Did you sit down with a 100 kg barbell last Friday? Try squatting 105 this time.

Add cardio as needed. However, it should be dosed so that you don't burn too many calories. Let's say 15 minutes of walking at a brisk pace on a treadmill as a warm-up is fine.

Train in a variety of ways, because in addition to increasing strength and mass, you have the opportunity to develop in other directions. Practice CrossFit and you will be faster, more functional and more enduring. Don't be afraid to try new things and you will find exactly the form you have always dreamed of.

Watch the video: 7 Fundamentals of Eating for Muscle Growth. Mass Class (January 2025).