Gaining muscle mass is a complex and rather long process that requires changing your diet, increasing physical activity and organizing proper daily rest. And the main mistake of beginners is that they focus on training, but lose sight of the need to work on their diet. A diet for gaining muscle mass consists of consuming large amounts of protein, which is a building material for muscles, and carbohydrates as an energy source. Of course, you can purchase a gainer that contains the optimal amount of proteins and carbohydrates, but even this does not reduce nutritional requirements.
Main principles of the diet
A sports diet is a balanced diet that involves frequent meals in small portions. Of particular importance is the type of products and their quantity. Not all food, even if it contains protein, is suitable for the diet.
Meal frequency
Numerous studies have shown that to gain muscle mass you need to eat frequently - at least 5 times a day. This makes the anabolic effect almost permanent, as a result of which the muscles receive the amino acids necessary for growth. If you eat food rarely, but in large portions, then the excess nutrients will be stored by the body in the form of fat. And then you will have to think not about gaining muscle mass, but about losing weight.
Thanks to the large selection of sports nutrition, it is not difficult to organize the right snacks without harm to your health and muscles. Ideally, you should stock up on protein bars that are high in protein.
Calorie content of food
In order for muscles to receive nutrients for active growth, you need to consume only high-calorie foods. But this does not mean that you need to lean on cakes and fast foods. It is important to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy high-calorie foods. For example, beef is high in calories and healthy, but sausage is high in calories and not healthy.
Approximately 70% of the diet should consist of high-calorie foods. The remaining 30% comes from vegetables and fruits. You shouldn’t rely too much on them - the fiber contained in the composition stimulates intestinal contractions, which prevents the full absorption of nutrients.
Combination of fats and carbohydrates
When gaining muscle mass, try to limit yourself in consuming saturated animal fats (margarine, lard, fatty meat, sausages). Better yet, give them up completely to stimulate muscle growth, not cellulite.
But the presence of carbohydrates in the diet is mandatory. Moreover, fast carbohydrates do not need to be avoided, but they can be consumed only after training to restore strength. Whenever possible, choose something natural, such as a multi-ingredient protein. It will help the body recover and gain strength after training of any intensity. The rest of the time, give preference to slow carbohydrates. And the best representative of this group is cereal.
Drinking regime
An important condition for gaining muscle mass is drinking plenty of water. And we are talking specifically about water, and not about liquid in principle. Drinking tea, of course, is good and even healthy, but it cannot relieve dehydration.
Remember that without water, metabolism slows down and natural processes in the body are disrupted. And those who regularly engage in sports experience a tremendous need for water. Therefore, remember - you need to drink 3-4 liters a day. Distribute this norm over several doses, it is advisable to drink 2 glasses every hour.
It is especially important to drink fluids during exercise. Always keep a bottle of plain water with you. If you don't feel like drinking water, buy an isotonic drink. This sports drink quenches thirst well and restores water-salt balance.
Calorie intake for fast weight gain
A man who decides to gain weight must follow a certain diet. Basic conditions:
- fractionality;
- balance of substances;
- optimal calorie content.
You can calculate the amount of food a man needs to quickly gain weight by using a computer program (online service) or manually. To recover quickly without consequences, a man will have to consume 300-350 kcal above the norm.
Formula:
weight×10 – 5×age + 6.2×height + 5.
The resulting number is multiplied by one of the coefficients:
- 1.2 – should be chosen by a man leading a sedentary lifestyle;
- 1.38 – for a man who plays sports up to 3 times a week;
- 1.55 – receiving physical activity up to 5 days a week;
- 1.73 – doing exercises daily;
- 1, 9 – for a person who trains twice a day (professional athlete).
Time and frequency of meals
When gaining muscle mass, you need to eat small portions every 2 hours. In this case, eat the main amount of food from your diet in the first half of the day, before 16:00.
How to eat during the day:
- Breakfast. The most dense meal, which should include carbohydrates and proteins. Be sure to have breakfast within an hour of waking up. But don't forget that the morning should start with a glass of warm water.
- Before training. The last meal before training should take place 2 hours before visiting the gym. It should consist of complex carbohydrates, proteins and fiber. For example, you can eat a serving of pasta with chicken breast and an apple for dessert. Half an hour before training, drink a gainer if you were unable to eat a full meal.
- After training. After training, drink a gainer or protein, you can get by with a banana. A full intake should take place 40 minutes after training. It is important that it includes as much protein as possible and slow carbohydrates as a side dish. For example, pink salmon with rice.
- Before bedtime. You should not eat food immediately before bed. An hour before bedtime, you can take a glass of kefir or a small portion of cottage cheese. Fruits should not be consumed in the evening. You can drink casein at night for muscle growth.
Meals for weight gain
Boiled potatoes, which help a man gain weight
To gain weight, develop a diet, determine how much food you eat. Great products that can give a man a chance to gain weight quickly:
- drinks: coffee with cream; cocktail with cottage cheese, banana;
- second: oatmeal, pasta, baked potatoes, fish, meat, vegetables, sour cream.
It is difficult for an athlete to eat right. A good way to maintain a diet and the correct ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates is to take special formulations (sports nutrition). With the help of this product you can gain weight and quickly build muscle mass. Boxers and weightlifters often use it to gain weight.
It is risky to thoughtlessly buy such products to gain weight, so consultation with a doctor is required.
Even if a man succeeds in gaining weight without “mathematics,” the result will probably be disappointing. Eat well and mindfully. Gaining weight quickly without following a diet is a vain fantasy.
- Complete, high-quality protein is an element of paramount importance. At a minimum, to gain weight, a man should eat 2 servings of meat (fatty fish), 3 eggs, and at least 100 g of cottage cheese (5-9%) per day.
- Some people who want to eat healthy and gain weight refuse pasta, but when gaining weight, carbohydrates are faithful helpers. Their man needs 4-8 g per kilogram of weight. A couple of spoons of jam, sugar, and flour products will do a good job for someone who wants to gain weight.
- If you need to gain weight quickly, a man should eat omega-six and omega-three fats to ensure that testosterone is produced correctly. Sunflower seeds, trout, salmon, hazelnuts are your comrades. Leaning on sausage and kebabs (pork) in order to gain weight is dangerous: your cholesterol level will quickly increase. You need to eat wisely!
Anyone who sets a goal to gain weight will have to quickly learn to stick to a routine. Ignoring the schedule means complicating an already difficult path. Regular physical activity is a must. Without it, you can’t even dream of gaining weight quickly. It is better to gain weight by increasing your muscles, not your belly. We recommend reading: how to gain weight Don’t forget about: how to eat right
What foods should be in the diet
Be sure to keep a list of foods that should be in your diet when gaining weight.
Slow carbohydrates:
- porridge;
- nuts;
- mushrooms;
- potato;
- durum pasta;
- whole grain zeb.
Proteins:
- fish;
- eggs;
- beef, veal;
- milk, cottage cheese, kefir, natural yogurt;
- beans;
- lentils.
The listed products must be included in the diet when gaining weight. You can’t do without sports nutrition. Whey protein will help you achieve your goal faster, and amino acids will protect your muscles from destruction.
Advice from experienced bodybuilders
Experienced bodybuilders give advice to beginners on how to gain weight faster:
- Don't skip meals. Good nutrition is the first step towards success. Moreover, you should avoid foods that do not have potential benefits for the body.
- Love strength training. Cardio exercise is good for losing weight, but gaining weight without strength training is impossible. Deadlifts, squats with dumbbells, push-ups - all this will help you become stronger and build muscle.
- Progress. Once you learn to do one exercise well, you can’t stop there. Increase your load to improve your performance.
- Have a good rest. Rest is very important for muscles. It is in sleep that they recover and grow. Therefore, 8 hours of sleep is mandatory.
- Get help from a trainer. The first classes in the gym should be with a trainer, who will draw up a training plan and show the correct technique.
To get a beautiful figure, learn to eat right. And do not forget that reducing the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed can cause vitamin deficiency. Vitamin and mineral complexes will help fill the lack of necessary elements.
Increasing diet
To gain weight for a skinny guy, you need to expand your diet. Such a task is sometimes impossible, as it might seem at first glance, because not everyone can force themselves to increase the amount of food consumed. Three meals a day need to be increased to six times, which requires eating every two hours. Moreover, you need to eat full portions.
In order for a man to gain weight, at first he will have to literally push food into himself, because at first there will be no appetite above the usual norm. By increasing your diet by literally 500 calories, you can gain a kilogram in just 7 days.
What to do if it’s difficult to change your usual diet
If it is difficult to significantly increase your calorie intake, you can correct this problem by developing a suitable diet. The optimal menu consists of the following set of food products:
- For breakfast - an omelette baked in the oven, a sandwich with cheese and butter, a cup of brewed coffee, and don’t forget about vegetables and fruits.
- Second breakfast - cottage cheese, you can eat nuts and apples.
- Lunch should be comprehensive and varied. You definitely need to eat porridge or pasta with meat. Vegetable salad is also useful, since this dish increases the digestibility of food.
- It is also recommended to eat food an hour before the planned workout. The most beneficial would be a cocktail made from milk, banana and cottage cheese. All ingredients are mixed using a blender.
- For dinner, nutritionists advise treating yourself to baked fish or meat with a side dish and vegetables.
In between scheduled meals, it will be useful to treat yourself to sweets and nuts. As for the use of sports nutrition, many men who are unable to gain weight often resort to such supplements. In fact, if you organize your menu correctly and eat right, there is no need for sports supplements.
Eat more protein
To gain weight for thin people, you need to include foods containing proteins in your menu. Protein is essentially a building material for muscle tissue. This substance is found in large quantities in the following products:
- eggs;
- almond;
- milk;
- peanut;
- fish;
- red and white meat.
With each meal rich in protein, muscle deposits will increase.
Include carbohydrates in your diet
Eating foods containing carbohydrates will help a guy gain weight quickly. Enter the following food into the menu:
- oatmeal;
- pasta and bakery products;
- brown rice
This diet will help you cope with weight gain in just a week, while most of it will accumulate as fat. Men often doubt the advisability of consuming carbohydrate foods, but introducing them into the diet is extremely important.
Eating only protein foods is undesirable, since energy will be consumed exclusively as a source. Accordingly, there will be no talk of weight gain. The body needs an alternative, which is carbohydrates. If you supplement your breakfast, lunch and dinner with vegetables, you will be able to gain weight. This food is rich in carbohydrates, thanks to which the man's body will gradually increase in weight.
