Muscle Building Nutrition

Consuming proper muscle building nutrition in the correct ratios will put you on the road to supercharged workouts with incredible results.

The food in your muscle building diet can be subdivided into 3 broad categories: protein, Carbohydrates, and fats. These three ingredients serve as the fuel for your engine, and the raw materials for building muscle tissue. 

30%-40% of every meal should consist of protein.

Protein is a must for gaining muscle mass. If you don't have enough protein in your diet our body will stat to cannibalize it's own muscle tissue to get the amino acids it needs to survive.

The protein in your muscle building diet should make up at least 35% of your overall caloric intake.  This translates to 40-60 grams of protein per meal for males less then 200 lbs and will be enough to maintain your appetite, increase your muscle mass, accelerate recovery and keep body fat levels low.

The best protein sources are beef, chicken, or fish (Tuna or Salmon). From the dairy group try cottage cheese, yogurt and partly skimmed cheeses. If you decide to use supplement shakes try whey, casein or milk protein blends. 

Carbohydrates are your bodies fuel source. If you are not eating enough carbs you will feel sluggish and tired. You will have a hard time pushing through those intense workouts.

Eat carbohydrates from a variety of high-fiber, complex and low-glycemic carbohydrates as opposed to simple carbs (sugars) Complex carbs release more slowly into the blood stream. This produces a more steady energy source and less fat storage. This is critical or your intense training workouts.

Try high-complex, muscle building carbs such as bran, barley, buckwheat, beans, brown rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, pasta, potatoes and whole grains in your nutrition for muscle building.

10%-15% of every meal should consist of fat.

This may fly in the face of everything you've heard over the years, but fats are just as important to Muscle building nutrition and recovery as carbs and protein.

Stick with unsaturated fats. It will increase muscle tissue synthesis and also contribute to fat loss. This may sound contradictory but hear me out. Increasing the consumption of unsaturated fats tricks the body into thinking it's fat levels are higher than needed, so the body responds by making stored fat more available as a fuel source.

Olive oils and fish oils are two great sources of fats.

Avoid trans fats at all costs. It will damage your body and put a road block in your weight lifting goals. trans fats are found in many  foods including margarine, shortening, and fried foods like French fries and fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers.

Plan your Muscle building nutrition Ahead of time.

As we discussed earlier, you are going to be eating every 2.5 to 3 hours. All the principles we have discussed so far will not work if your body does not get the proper nutrients when it needs it.

You may have to get a little creative but it should not be too difficult.  This might require you to spend a few hours on Sunday evening cooking and storing all your food in Tupperware containers. This might mean waking up half an hour early so that you can cook all your meals ahead of time for the day. This might require you to carry a lunch bag wherever you go. This might mean packing a few shaker bottles if you know you will be on the road most of the day. The bottom line is prepare ahead of time.

The hardest part is getting started. Once you get the ball rolling it becomes much easier.  Reviewing these muscle building nutrition principles, applying them consistently over time, and making them a part of your lifestyle is the secret. Take the next 12 weeks and put these muscle building principles into action.