Nutrition

The most important key to building muscle for those of you struggling to gain weight is nutrition. People sometimes tend to shy away from this aspect because it is difficult, but it is very necessary. The first thing to do if you are a tough winner is to start tracking everything you eat to see where you are. I believe that smartphone apps are the easiest and most efficient way to track my food, but do what works best for you. Once you get the hang of it, take a look at the overall calories and protein you eat on a daily basis. If you are trying to gain muscle and have a fast metabolism, you should consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Ideally, you should also get a healthy balance of fat and carbohydrates. In some cases, 30 to 40 percent of your calories must come from protein, and the rest can be split between carbohydrates and fat. For example, I’m aiming for a 35% protein, 40% carbohydrate, and 25% fat diet. Although you must eat healthy, you must still eat a ton if you are a tough winner. If you are exercising on most days, you should be consuming something close to 1000 calories above your basic caloric intake to begin with. However, you’ll want to tailor this based on how your body responds. So once you consume a large caloric surplus and eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight in healthy foods, you are well on your way to growth.

The right supplements can help

First I would like to emphasize that if you don’t want to spend the money or are against using supplements for any reason that is okay, they are not required to gain weight. That being said, they are very helpful, especially when you’re trying to increase your protein intake and gain weight. Earlier I talked about mass gainers and how they are mostly empty calories and I stick with it. Mass Gainers are essentially protein powders packed with loads of extra empty calories. I would recommend having a simple whey protein shake to help add healthy extra calories and protein. You’ll be better off and save money by drinking a protein shake or two and eating more healthy foods instead of using bulk gainers. One trick that I used when I was initially trying to gain weight, and still use it today, is to drink a protein shake before bed. This is a great way to add some extra calories and help boost muscle growth overnight.

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