Beginners often do not realize that nutrition is the key to success. Training, of course, is important, but they are in second place. What should be the proper nutrition for the mass? We’ll talk about this now.
Basic Rules
Now we’ll try to tell you as clearly and concisely as possible about the most important principles that you should adhere to in your diet with regular bodybuilding. First of all, be aware of the fact that in training you are destroying your muscles, not pumping them. They grow during recovery (most in a dream), requiring a lot of energy for such a process. Where does this energy come from? Of course, from food. In order for your muscles to begin to grow in volume, you first need to damage them (which we do in the gym), and then supply enough building materials (proteins) and energy (carbohydrates).
It’s easy to guess that muscle growth requires excess nutrients, and therefore it’s important to get more calories than you burn in a day. Of course, the food should be right, because fast food here certainly will not help.
How many calories do athletes need while gaining muscle mass? The answer is simple: your weight is x 30 + 500. Here is such a simple formula. For example, if you weigh 70 kg, then you need to eat 70 x 30 + 500 = 2900 calories daily. I ate more - I grew more. Such a truth.
Body types
Nutrition for the mass cannot be universal, because we are all different. As you know, there are 3 types of physique: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph. Mesomorph (middle type) is ideally suited to the above scheme. A lean ectomorph can safely throw 1000, not 500 calories, since such a person has an extremely fast metabolism. As for the endomorph (characterized by a rapid gain in fat mass), such an athlete needs to be more attentive to the consumption of carbohydrates and fats (it is desirable to minimize their intake in the evening), as well as reduce the bonus from 500 to 200-300 calories. In more detail about rations we will tell further.
Nutrient Ratio
This is a pretty painful topic. Take a look around: today it is full of obese people who eat extremely much junk food that is stored in fat. How to prevent this? First of all, stop eating fast food and sweets (1-2 times a month you can, of course, however, know the measure), and also take into account the very proportion of nutrients. A healthy diet for muscle mass (its set) should consist of the following:
- Proteins - 20-30%.
- Carbohydrates - 50-60%.
- Fats - 10-20%.
Next, we will analyze each of the above components in more detail, and also specify how many of them should contain a program for gaining mass.
Protein (protein)
Do not forget that protein is the most important building material for your muscles. Keep in mind that animal protein (or protein) is much better than plant protein due to a better amino acid set. Important information: the amount of protein consumed should be 2 grams (maybe a little more) per 1 kg of weight. Only in this case will the increased growth of your muscles begin. Sports nutrition for mass gain will help to fill in the missing amount of protein, if you are not able to eat the right amount of natural food.
Carbohydrates
We go further. Carbohydrates are the best source of energy. We think that you remember the most important principle in nutrition: you need to get more energy than it is spent during the day. Only an indicator of 50-60% of carbohydrates in the diet should already speak about the importance of this nutrient. In principle, they should be 2 times more than protein, that is, 3.5-4 grams per 1 kg of body weight. It is worth noting that they have about the same story as with proteins (the presence of animal and vegetable), because carbohydrates are divided into simple (sweets) and complex (pasta, cereals). The first, in turn, cause a huge jump in insulin, which is why they are absorbed extremely quickly by the body. This often leads to the accumulation of subcutaneous fat.
Now you understand why it is harmful to eat sweets (nevertheless, fruits are rich in vitamins and fiber, and therefore they should not be neglected). Complex carbohydrates, on the contrary, are absorbed quite slowly (several hours), which allows you to gradually saturate the body with the necessary energy.
Fats
Nutrition for the mass (as for drying) must include fats. Their complete absence can threaten you with health problems. As in previous cases, there are 2 types of this nutrient: saturated (lard, margarine, butter) and unsaturated (vegetable fats, fish) fatty acids. The first should not be more than a quarter of the total amount of fat in the diet. Try to eat more fish, which is rich in omega-3s, which normalizes metabolism and improves heart function.
When is it better to eat and in what quantities?
Fractional nutrition is the key to success. If you break down meals 5-6 times during the day, this will accelerate the metabolism in the body, helping it better absorb nutrients and enhance fat burning processes. This approach will allow you to absorb more protein, which is so needed by the muscles.
The diet for weight gain should clearly distribute all the food our body needs into equal parts. Keep in mind the basic principle: carbohydrates always go along the falling line (that is, a lot in the morning and less in the evening), and protein (protein) - in a straight line (it should be consumed in equal portions throughout the day). This is the golden rule of bodybuilding. In particular, carbohydrate loading is important before and after strength training, as the body needs a huge amount of energy. So what should be a diet for mass gain? Below is a great example:
- 2 whole eggs and 3 egg whites + 100 g oatmeal (possible with nuts or raisins);
- 250 g of pasta (hard varieties) / cereals (rice, buckwheat) + 200 g of steak / chicken breast + vegetables;
- 200 g of rice + fish / lean meat + vegetables;
- 200 g of chicken breast with cheese;
- 200 g cottage cheese / casein cocktail.
Here is a mass gain. In principle, such a diet will suit many athletes. What do we get? In the morning, the body is loaded with a high-quality protein-carbohydrate mixture, which prevents catabolism and triggers anabolic reactions.
Training should ideally be between the second and third meals. In order to preserve muscle glycogen and insulin production during work in the gym, you can drink various carbohydrate drinks.
The last two meals exclude carbohydrates. The focus is on proteins.
We especially want to focus on the fifth meal (before bedtime). Cottage cheese or a cocktail contains casein (the so-called slow protein), which allows you to nullify the catabolism in the body during sleep, as well as saturate your muscles with the necessary building material.
Here is a nutrition program for gaining mass. Do not forget about water (non-carbonated), because even with weak dehydration of the body in the muscles, the recovery process is inhibited. Golden rule: 1 liter of water per 30 kg of body weight.
Mass gain for girls, whose nutrition as a whole coincides with that recommended for men, is somewhat more difficult. Firstly, the fair sex is significantly lower than the level of testosterone in the blood. Secondly, they need to receive much less calories (1500 kcal per 50 kg of weight), and therefore it is much easier to break. All other principles are maintained.
Weight Lifting Sports Nutrition
Many beginners overestimate it. In principle, for those people who weigh 70-75 kg, there is practically no point in taking additional food. This is because 140-160 grams of protein and 250-300 grams of carbohydrates are easy to eat with natural food. Of course, with a gradual increase in quality body weight (over 85 kg), much more nutrients will already be needed. What kind of sports nutrition is ideal for gaining muscle mass? This is whey protein. This protein supplement is ideal for post-workout intake, as well as in the morning when the body is undergoing energy deficiency.
As a rule, modern world-famous manufacturers (Optimum Nutrition, Dymatize, BSN) make high-quality products with a protein content of up to 90%.
No less popular is the gainer. This carbohydrate-protein supplement allows you to replenish energy losses after training (100% recovery is possible only after a full meal, 40-90 minutes after the gym).
Next on the list is creatine monohydrate. This substance will help increase strength and overall muscle mass. BCAA will be an excellent choice for taking during and after strength training, as it will prevent catabolism in the body.
Sports nutrition will help you achieve your ultimate goal. But do not think that it fully replaces natural food. This is far from the case. Imagine a cake. So, cakes are ordinary food, and cream are sports supplements. That is, the basis should always be standard food, which will certainly allow you to produce a set of muscle mass. Sports nutrition will only accelerate this process by 5-15%.
Anabolic steroid
Anabolic steroids are pharmacological drugs that mimic the effects of the male sex hormone testosterone. They allow you to accelerate the synthesis of protein (protein) inside the cells, which causes muscle hypertrophy (anabolic process). In addition, they significantly accelerate recovery time, reduce the effects of catabolic hormones and accelerate metabolism. Of course, such properties allow you to quickly build muscle mass. However, the use of such drugs entails side effects (liver problems, hormonal failure, testicular atrophy, masculinization, and others), and therefore you should always be prepared for deliberate harm to the body if you decide to take this path.
The nutrition program for the mass gain of absolutely all professional bodybuilders includes steroids, and therefore do not console yourself with false illusions about a huge body without doping.
Basic Rules
Summing up all of the above, we indicate the most important principles in nutrition:
- For quality growth, it is necessary to create a positive calorie balance.
- Chop food in 5-6 receptions.
- For 1 kg of body weight should be 2-2.5 g of protein, 3.5-4 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of fat.
- The priority is animal protein, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as foods rich in omega-3s.
- Do carbohydrate loading before and after your workout.
- Carbohydrates should always go in a falling line, proteins - in a straight line.
- Avoid simple carbohydrates and fast food.
- You can add sports nutrition to your diet, but don’t overdo it, pay tribute to natural products.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Anabolic steroids will speed up your nutrition by weight at times, however, carefully weigh the pros and cons before you start taking them.
Conclusion
Gaining muscle mass is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. I ate more - I became more. If you do not grow in mass, increase the amount of food consumed (especially carbohydrates and protein). If you started to swim in fat, reduce calories. Everything is very simple. Above, we described all the subtleties that a program for mass gain should have. Good luck in achieving your goals!