Proper muscle building nutrition is more important than the workouts themselves in obtaining the perfect body shape. The right foods will play a large part in gaining lean muscle mass and fat loss. Post-workout recovery is critical as this is when you build muscle with the right amount of nutrition and rest.

How much do you need to eat for proper weight gain?

Well you need to eat around 15-20 times your bodyweight (in pounds) in calories to help gain muscle. So if you weight 150lbs that’s 2500-3000 calories per day. The extra calories you take aid the body to repair and build muscle.

Calorie counting is good and bad. If you’re eating junk food with zero nutritional content then you won’t reach your goal. Protein intake needs to be increased to at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you like metric it’s 2.0-2.5 grams of protein per kilogram.

The protein that you eat from animal sources, beans, diary, fish, nuts and seeds will provide your body with important amino-acids. This will in turn build and repair muscle. Protein and fats are superior in muscle growth than carbohydrates.

How often should you eat in a day?

This depends on the individual and what foods they eat. You must let the foods be absorbed and utilized by the body before eating again. In my food combining article I stated how each food digests at different rates. Example: fruits take 30-40 minutes, vegetables 45-60 minutes, starch foods 60 minutes, nuts and beans 2-3 hours, diary, fish and meats 2 to 4 hours.

So eating every 3 to 4 hours is ideal. Stick to lean meats, vegetables, oatmeal, fruits, nuts, beans and dairy. Avoid simple carbohydrates, sugar, wheat and starchy foods. You want constant energy levels during the day and not insulin spikes going up and down.

You need Fat to lose Fat!

Studies have shown that dietary fat has a direct relationship with testosterone production. An increase in dietary fat intake seems to bring on an increase in testosterone levels. Taking coconut oil increases metabolism up to 25 percent. Fish oils not only provide essential fatty acids but also help with joint pain from intense workouts.

Drink Water!

If you’re dehydrated your body takes longer to repair itself so drink plenty of water during the day.

Multivitamins and Supplements

“You can’t make a mule out of a thoroughbred” – if you’re not training, eating and resting correctly.

Some people think supplements is the magic bullet but they are more like icing on the cake. Supplements only make a 10 percent difference. So here a few that may help you:

• Protein Whey – most of the protein shakes out there are just protein isolates with lots of sugar. That’s just a bad combination that you don’t want to put in your body. Stick to 100% all natural whey if you’re thinking of buying these products. Whey will provide the body with essential amino-acids and proteins for muscle growth.
• Creatine also helps in gaining muscle mass. It helps the body to produce energy faster. This helps you to train harder and get faster results.
• Omega 3 Oils, Glutamine, Chondroitin and Selenium will help with post-workout joint pain.
• Multivitamins also help with the extra demands you put on your body via training. So replenish your body with the right amount of vitamins, minerals and trace elements with multivitamin supplement.

My final tip is rest more – if you don’t, you won’t grow. Your body does not grow in the gym but grows when you are resting.

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