It is widely accepted that mass nutrition would make up at least 70% of the total equation of building muscles and mass.
Generally speaking if you are working out regularly and doing the right exercises in the right way and eating healthy- low fat, high fiber, low glycemic index, moderate to high protein every day, you will have a lean and nice physique over time.
However, to add to your muscle mass, to maintain it and to get quicker and long lasting results, you may need to do a little more.
Mass Nutrition Guidelines:
• Eat constantly in small quantities. Consuming multiple small and healthy meals every 1.5 to 2 hours will stimulate hormones that will help prevent your metabolism from slowing down.
• Total daily caloric intake is the most important element of mass nutrition. Sufficient calories from a combination of healthy nutrients help the body to build new muscle tissue and to avoid the breaking down of muscles as a result of training hard. But remember that there is no point of eating empty calories that do nothing but add mass to your waistline.
• Eat twice as much as you normally would: Two servings of vegetables- not one, two eggs and two pieces of toast – not one of each, double up the servings!
• Adding mass requires sufficient protein and amino acids as protein is the building blocks of muscle growth. Keep in mind that calories go hand in hand with protein. You need adequate amount of protein and caloric intake to experience proper muscle growth.
• Low glycemic carbohydrates such as beans, whole meal pastas, brown rice, sweet potatoes and oatmeal should make up the big part of your daily carb intake. These slow digesting carbs will help you burn much more fat during your exercise and throughout the day, and reduce the effect of insulin, the hormone that initiates both hunger and fat storage.
• Make sure that you have a whey protein shake with a simple carbohydrate before and after your workout to speed up the absorption of protein into muscles. You would normally eat the healthy complex carbohydrates that are full of fiber.. not this time! Stick to your protein shake and simple carb prior to and straight after your workout or latest within an hour.
Mass Nutrition Foods:
• Water: Stay hydrated by drinking water to help the nutrients’ transport to your muscles and keep your muscles looking full.
• Lean beef: High content of protein and good content of fat to help mass better than any other food.
• Egg white: One of the purest forms of protein in the world with a protein to fat ratio of 60:1.
• Skinless chicken and turkey: Excellent source of high quality protein, very low in saturated and trans fats.
• Bean and legumes: Great source of protein and fiber for a regular bowel movement and proper insulin response that are critical to muscle growth.
• Garlic: A high garlic intake influences hormones that support growth, and combined with a high protein intake produces increased testosterone levels and less muscle breakdown.
• Fish: Your body needs healthy fatty acids such as Omega 3.
• Peanut butter: Great to add to shakes or to spread on whole meal toast but avoid peanut butters that have added sugar in them.
• Whey protein: If there was one supplement that should be incorporated into your diet, it should be whey protein.