Learning how to build muscle requires work both in the gym and in the kitchen. Sadly, most people do not realize the importance of the latter and wave goodbye to potentially great gains as a result. Make no mistake about it, learning how to structure your diet is just as important as learning how to deadlift or bench press...
Given that the majority of the hypertrophy process occurs while your body recovers at home, it really makes sense to learn how to structure your food intake to match your fitness goals.
Of course, many people do make this dreadful mistake. You can workout as hard as you want to, but you cannot outwork a terrible diet. The truth always comes about six months down the line, when you look in the mirror and wonder where your hard toil in the gym has gone.
The fact is your diet represents the toughest challenge to your fitness goals. After a while, even the most gruelling of training programs becomes fun. It becomes a challenge you'll enjoy. The diet part, however, remains a constant test to most people.
If you are one of the individuals who totally neglects their diet altogether and then hopes to trick their body into giving huge results, you need to change your mentality before you will be able to get any significant results. However, if you are one of the many individuals who actually wants to know how to do this the right way, but can't seem to get started with it, then you're in luck.
When in doubt, trust science. The latest research on hypertrophy shows a proven three step formula for setting out a food plan to build size and strength. It is:
1. 1.5 grams of protein per lb of your current body weight.
2. 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per lb of your current body weight.
3. Aim to eat about 0.5 grams of fat per lb of your weight.
But before you look at this like a set of rules, remember the most important factor here is that no diet fits everyone. This merely gives you a starting point, from which you can experiment by raising or lowering certain nutrients until you find an optimal intake to give your body results. I:8:T
You may be somewhat surprised to hear this, but the main nutrient which most people are lacking is protein. Sure, most guys purchase a whey protein supplement these days but the majority are doing it just because society tells them they need one. For many, this is the only protein they intake on a daily basis and it is simply not enough to build lean size.
If you are like most men, your daily fat intake could also do with a boost. Fat is an often misunderstood nutrient because it is unlucky enough to share the same name as your body's worst enemy. That's where the similarities end, though, in fact a good dietary fat intake has been scientifically shown to aid in lean muscle building as well as weight loss. You will find a lot of your healthy fat intake through your protein sources, like fish.
Now comes the interesting part. When you have your protein and fat intake set correctly, carbohydrates will determine what type of physique your body can achieve. Start with the recommended amount and note your results, before increasing the amount if you want to add more size or decreasing it if you feel you are adding body fat.
What you do in the gym only plays a small role in the physique you are trying to build. Learning how to build muscle in the kitchen is really as important as perfecting your lifts and smashing a brand new personal best lift in the squat rack.
Given that the majority of the hypertrophy process occurs while your body recovers at home, it really makes sense to learn how to structure your food intake to match your fitness goals.
Of course, many people do make this dreadful mistake. You can workout as hard as you want to, but you cannot outwork a terrible diet. The truth always comes about six months down the line, when you look in the mirror and wonder where your hard toil in the gym has gone.
The fact is your diet represents the toughest challenge to your fitness goals. After a while, even the most gruelling of training programs becomes fun. It becomes a challenge you'll enjoy. The diet part, however, remains a constant test to most people.
If you are one of the individuals who totally neglects their diet altogether and then hopes to trick their body into giving huge results, you need to change your mentality before you will be able to get any significant results. However, if you are one of the many individuals who actually wants to know how to do this the right way, but can't seem to get started with it, then you're in luck.
When in doubt, trust science. The latest research on hypertrophy shows a proven three step formula for setting out a food plan to build size and strength. It is:
1. 1.5 grams of protein per lb of your current body weight.
2. 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per lb of your current body weight.
3. Aim to eat about 0.5 grams of fat per lb of your weight.
But before you look at this like a set of rules, remember the most important factor here is that no diet fits everyone. This merely gives you a starting point, from which you can experiment by raising or lowering certain nutrients until you find an optimal intake to give your body results. I:8:T
You may be somewhat surprised to hear this, but the main nutrient which most people are lacking is protein. Sure, most guys purchase a whey protein supplement these days but the majority are doing it just because society tells them they need one. For many, this is the only protein they intake on a daily basis and it is simply not enough to build lean size.
If you are like most men, your daily fat intake could also do with a boost. Fat is an often misunderstood nutrient because it is unlucky enough to share the same name as your body's worst enemy. That's where the similarities end, though, in fact a good dietary fat intake has been scientifically shown to aid in lean muscle building as well as weight loss. You will find a lot of your healthy fat intake through your protein sources, like fish.
Now comes the interesting part. When you have your protein and fat intake set correctly, carbohydrates will determine what type of physique your body can achieve. Start with the recommended amount and note your results, before increasing the amount if you want to add more size or decreasing it if you feel you are adding body fat.
What you do in the gym only plays a small role in the physique you are trying to build. Learning how to build muscle in the kitchen is really as important as perfecting your lifts and smashing a brand new personal best lift in the squat rack.
About the Author:
Author bio: You can see the exact strategy teaching you how to deadlift as well as crucial, simple tips discussing how to build muscle straight from Russ Howe PTI, the UK's most watched source of personal training information online.