Nutrition plan for building muscle

what to eat to building muscle, When people think of bodybuilding, they consider weight training the key component, but nutrition is almost as important in achieving the physique you want. Just as you need to understand your muscles and how they work, you need to be aware of the basics of nutrition: protein, carbohydrates (“carbs”), and fat. Each plays a critical role in your
diet.

In bodybuilding, “diet” simply means your overall eating habits. To add muscle, you have to consume a lot of calories. You can’t get huge by eating like a bird.

“Train big, eat big, sleep big”—that’s the advice some people give.

There’s no single perfect diet for everyone, just as there’s no perfect weight training regimen for everyone. As you learn about nutrition, you’ll be able to craft an eating plan that helps you achieve your fitness objectives.

Now let’s focus on the three basic macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fat.

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Best protein for building muscle and strength .

Though we have a separate section in this blog where we will discuss exclusively the role and importance of protein for bodybuilding because we are discussing nutrition we cannot leave this essential macronutrient.

Of the three macronutrients, protein is the most critical for bodybuilders. Protein is responsible for growth, maintenance, and repair of muscle tissue, which is why top bodybuilders constantly monitor their protein intake.

In general, a bodybuilder needs twice as much protein as the average person. The best sources of protein are eggs, fish, poultry, meat, and dairy products—the animal proteins. Plant proteins—from foods like rice, beans, corn, peas, and nuts—are not as easily assimilated into the body as animal proteins.

The U.S. government recommends that the average person eat 0.36 grams of protein every day for each pound of body weight. For a 180–pound man, that’s about 65 grams of protein per day. If that person is a bodybuilder, conventional bodybuilding wisdom says that he or she should consume twice that, because it’s believed that too little protein will lead to greater muscle soreness and fatigue after a workout.

Carbohydrates for building muscle and stronger

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. About 50% of a bodybuilder’s calories should come from carbohydrates.

Carbs fall into two categories: simple and complex.

Simple carbs provide a quick burst of energy. When they are digested, they turn into glucose, a major source of energy that can be burned rapidly.

Complex carbs, on the other hand, fuel the body over a longer period of time.

Everyone needs both types of carbohydrates, but bodybuilders should focus on complex carbs because they provide a more sustained energy supply throughout the day.

Complex carbohydrates are broken down further into fibrous and starchy carbs. Sources of fibrous carbs include asparagus, green beans, broccoli, lettuce, mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini.

Examples of sources of starchy carbs are red beans, corn, oatmeal, peas, pasta, potatoes, rice, and tomatoes.

All carbohydrates break down into glucose, raising your blood sugar levels faster than any other nutrient. As a result, the pancreas releases insulin to remove surplus sugar from the bloodstream and maintain normal levels.

Research, including a study at the University of Washington School of Medicine, has found that exercise— particularly strength training—increases insulin sensitivity in the muscles. So if you’ve just worked out, more of the carbs you eat afterward will be carried by insulin directly to your muscles for replenishment. (Incidentally, this goes for protein
too, which is why it’s helpful to consume a mixture of protein and carbs after training—we’ll discuss this later.)

On the other hand, if you’ve been sitting on the couch watching football, those carbs will  just get stored around your waist.

For this reason, we recommend that most of your carbs come before, during, and shortly after training. It also means that you need to eat fewer carbs when you want to get lean—you need to keep insulin levels low. For muscle gain, Meadows prefers to add carbs (shakes included) to meals around training time first, before adding them to other
meals.

Eat two grams gram of carbohydrates per pound when you want to put on muscle.

Role of fats in muscle and strength gaining.

Of all the macronutrients, fat has the worst reputation. People hear the word “fat” and think obesity, but fat plays a vital role in a well–balanced diet.

It should comprise about 10% to 15% of your food intake.

Fat is a secondary source of energy, but it has twice as many calories per gram as protein or carbohydrates. It’s easy to understand why people gain weight by eating too much fat.

In addition to providing energy, fat cushions and protects the major organs and insulates the body against extreme cold. It also helps maintain healthy skin and hair and transports vitamins A, D, E, and K throughout our bodies.

There are three different types of fat:

• Saturated
  
• Unsaturated
  
• Polyunsaturated.

Saturated fat has been linked to high cholesterol levels and an increased risk of heart disease. Foods high in saturated fat often taste good, but your diet should not include large amounts of this type of fat. Saturated fat is found primarily in animal products such as beef, lamb, pork, butter, and most cheeses.

Foods high in unsaturated fat include avocados, cashews, peanuts, peanut butter, olives and olive oil. This type of fat is preferable to saturated fat.

The third type, polyunsaturated fat, is present in almonds, pecans, walnuts, most margarine, mayonnaise, and soybean oil. Medical research has shown that some people who eat large amounts of polyunsaturated fat along with small amounts of saturated fat have lower cholesterol levels than others.

Aim for 0.4 grams per pound of your body weight daily to start.

Vitamins and Minerals for body and strength building.

Vitamins are organic substances that contribute to many important bodily functions. We all need specific vitamins in certain amounts for optimum health. However, most nutritional experts believe that no one—not even a bodybuilder— needs vitamins in massive amounts.

Some people take huge doses of Vitamin C to try to prevent colds, but this is generally not considered beneficial, and the result is simply high–priced urine.

Vitamins fall into two categories: water soluble and fat soluble.

Water–soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body, and excess amounts are eliminated in urine. Because they can’t be retained, water–soluble vitamins need to be taken daily if you don’t get enough of them in the food you eat.

Fat–soluble vitamins, unlike water–soluble ones, can be stored. They can, therefore, be taken less often. Important fat–soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K.

Unlike vitamins, minerals are inorganic substances. They promote the growth, maintenance, and repair of tissue. Minerals also assist in muscle contraction and the functioning of the nervous system.

Some common minerals are calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Like vitamins, minerals are needed in relatively small amounts.

How many calories should you consume in a day?

How many more calories you need depends on your metabolic rate and on the intensity and frequency of your workouts. There’s no single answer for everybody, but as a bodybuilder, you need more calories than a sedentary person in order to achieve muscle gain.

Some people have a much higher metabolism than others, meaning that they burn many more calories than other people with the same activity level. In general, the harder you train, the more calories you need. Top bodybuilders don’t train at the same intensity year–round. It’s impossible to do so—both mentally and physically.

You should learn to be flexible in the number of calories you consume. For instance, if you’re not going to the gym often to work out, you need to reduce your food intake.

If your calorie intake matches your workout intensity, you shouldn’t develop a weight problem.

Don’t automatically increase or decrease your calorie intake at the beginning. Start your workout program, continue eating as you normally would, and then see if you gain or lose weight. If you’re losing weight (and you don’t want to), you can afford to take in more calories.

On the other hand, you may find that you’re not losing weight even with intense workouts. Because muscle weighs more than fat, it’s possible— even common—to add muscle and lose fat without dropping weight.

Bodybuilders must learn to personalize their eating habits and calorie intake just as they fine–tune their workout regimens.

When and how much to eat?

Ideally, most men who are looking to get or stay lean and weigh around 180 to 200 pounds (82 to 91 kg) will shoot for about 400 to 500 calories per meal, take in about 200 to 300 calories per snack, and consume pre– and post–workout shakes.

Of course, if you are active during the day or looking to pack on a lot of sizes, you’ll want to increase your daily caloric intake.

If you want to get more scientific with your approach to eating, I highly recommend keeping a food journal and writing down exactly how many calories you consume each day. Breaking down the meals and foods into protein, carbohydrate, and fat will be even more helpful. After calculating how many calories you consume in an average week, you can recalibrate your plan by tweaking your calorie consumption.

Another point to keep in mind is that you’ll want to increase your protein intake while decreasing your overall carbohydrate intake if your protein intake is not in line with daily average requirements.

Also, to allow your body to process the meal that you just ate before your next feeding, you need to wait about three or four hours, depending on the size of the meal and your activity level. If you just trained you can have a protein shake before and after your workout and then another meal about an hour after that. Your body is primed and ready to metabolize the fuel that you’re giving it within the three–hour window surrounding your workout.

Add Muscle and lose fat – Sample meal plan

Anyone looking to lose body fat while trying to add muscle should work with this sample layout and daily meal plan:

7:00 a.m.: Breakfast

• Spinach egg omelet (two or three whole eggs or three whites and one whole egg)
  
•  Spinach and mushrooms sautéed in olive oil over medium heat
  
•  Coffee or tea (optional)

10:00 a.m.: Midmorning snack

• 1/4 cup of almonds or walnuts
• Hummus and vegetables
12:30 p.m.: Lunch

• Grilled chicken breast
• Black beans or lentils (optional)
• Mixed greens salad with 1 tbsp olive oil or flax oil and lemon

3:30 p.m.: Midafternoon snack

• Greek or Icelandic plain yogurt
• 8 ounces (237 ml) of green or Yerba Mate tea (optional

5:30 p.m.: Workout
• 30–45 minutes of training

6:30 p.m.: Post–workout shake (consumed immediately following your
workout, only on workout days)

• Protein shake (30–40 grams of whey or vegetarian protein powder)
• One piece of fruit
• 12–16 ounces (355–473 ml) of water

7:30 p.m.: Dinner
• Grilled salmon (cooked in olive oil)
• Broccoli or another green or colorful vegetable

10:00 p.m.: Pre–bed snack (optional)
• Cut up vegetables and hummus
Note: The supplements which have been suggested in the above sample meal plan is to
be discussed in upcoming chapters.

Common Nutritional Tips for Effective Muscle and Strength building:

Here we’ll touch on some of the broad “dos” and “don’ts” of food selection and
preparation.

• Pay attention to the ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fat in your meals. Ideally, your diet should consist of about 50% carbs, 35% protein, and 15% fat.
• Choose fresh fruits and vegetables instead of canned or frozen ones. The latter often contain sugar, salt, and preservatives that can be harmful
• Select fresh meats instead of processed meats (like lunch meat) for the same reason that you choose fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Eat white meat (such as chicken breasts) instead of dark meat (such as chicken thighs), because white meat has less fat. Remove the skin to further reduce the fat.
• Eat fish, which typically has even less fat than white meat. A popular choice for bodybuilders is tuna, which is inexpensive and easy to take with you, select tuna that’s packed in spring water, not oil.

Muscle Food

• Broil or bake your meat, poultry, or fish. Never fry it.
• Don’t overcook vegetables, because overcooking destroys many of the vitamins and minerals they contain.
• uy low–fat or no–fat versions of dairy products like milk and yogurt.
• Use fewer egg yolks, because they’re high in fat and cholesterol. You don’t have to give them up entirely.
• Choose whole grain bread, which has more fiber and are more nutritious than bread made with white, processed flour.
• Avoid toppings that are high in calories and fat. When eating meats, avoid gravy. With pasta, stay away from sauces made with heavy cream.
• Pick fruit instead of candy if you want to eat sweets. Go easy on fruits and fruit juices, because they’re still rich in sugar and calories.
• Add variety to your diet. Eat a wide range of healthy foods. The more you enjoy your food, the more likely you are to stick with good eating habits.
• Eat nuts and dried fruit for a quick snack but in moderation.
• Always eat breakfast. Some people skip breakfast to try to cut calories, but that’s not wise. You need a good supply of fuel to start your day. Otherwise, you may find yourself low on energy and be tempted to eat junk food.
• Wait at least one hour after eating to work out so that your food can be properly digested.

Learn to discipline yourself so you don’t succumb to impulsive eating. We all “fall off the wagon” sometimes and eat foods that aren’t a part of our recommended diet. Just try to make sure that you do so only occasionally, and then resume your eating plan.

Conclusion:

Your body is literally made up of the foods that you consume, so if you’re consistently downing unhealthy beverages and carbohydrate, then you can expect to see your pants size grow and your energy levels drop.

On the other hand, if you’re eating lively foods like vegetables, berries, nuts, good fats, beans, and lean protein, you will be able to accomplish your muscle mass and strength goals. And overall, you’ll look and feel amazing!