Can you think of any better feeling than taking off your shirt on the beach and seeing the heads turn as you reveal your athletic physique? Or walking into a party and seeing people checking out your arms? Maybe having someone come over to you in the gym and asking how they can get abs like yours? It all comes down to two simple things: build muscle, lose fat. It’s that simple…
In order to build lean muscle mass you need to combine an adequate calorie intake with a solid muscle strengthening program. A large number of calories are needed to fuel both workouts and muscle tissue building. Whilst eating enough calories is important, it is also important to eat the right kind of calories.
Carbohydrate - this is the predominant energy source for strength training. Stored as glycogen in the muscles, it is the fuel used to supply energy for short, intense bursts of power or long duration exercise. Consumption should be around 2g per 1lb of bodyweight. You can find out more about carbohydrate here
Protein - this is the basic building material for muscle tissue, and is critical for anyone engaging in high-intensity resistance exercise since increased amounts of protein become necessary to support muscle growth. Try to eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily. You can use our online tool here to calculate this. This daily requirement can be easily achieved by supplementing your diet with protein supplements.
Essential Fats - After taking care of your carbohydrate and protein needs, there is a little room left for healthy, essential fatty acids. The right kind of fat is an essential nutrient, however, you only require a small amount of it to remain healthy. Less than 30% of your total daily calories should come from unsaturated fat sources.
Eating this way ensures you are providing your body with adequate nutritional support. Frequent, small meals provide a consistent supply of nutrients for efficient muscle growth, and also helps maintain a faster metabolic rate. To gain muscle, you should be consuming at very least, about 500 calories above your daily requirements. You can use our online tool here to calculate this.
