Simple Nutrition Rules to Get Stronger and Build Muscle
How you look is largely influenced by what you eat. Lack of muscle mass, high body fat, lack of energy at work or at the gym, bad skin, digestive problems, … All of that can be caused by unhealthy nutrition.
Since there’s a lot of confusion about what to eat and why, here are 8 simple nutrition rules that will help you build muscle, lose fat & get stronger.
1. Eat Breakfast. You get energy from the first hour and you’ll be less hungry the rest of the day. It also sets the trend: you’ll tend to eat healthier if your day starts with a strong & healthy breakfast.
Your best bet: omelets, smoothies & cottage cheese. Read how to build the habit of eating breakfast and try these breakfast recipes.
2. Eat Every 3 Hours. The easiest way: breakfast, lunch, dinner, post workout, pre bed and 2 snacks in between. Benefits:
Less Hunger. Eating more smaller meals vs. few big meals will decrease your stomach size. You’ll feel full faster and your waist will trim.
Less Cravings. Not eating for long periods usually causes overeating at the next meal or ending at the candy machine.
Eat at fixed times every day and your body will get hungry at those fixed times. Example: 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 6pm, 7pm & 10pm.
3. Eat Protein with Each Meal. You need protein to build and maintain muscle. Proteins also help fat loss since they have the highest thermic effect. And they satiate: proteins make you full longer than carbs.
How much protein should you eat daily? At least 1g per pound of body-weight. That’s 200g/day if you weigh 200lbs. The easiest way to get this amount is to eat a whole protein source with each meal. Some include:
Red Meat. Beef, pork, lamb, deer, buffalo, etc.
Poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck, etc.
Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.
Eggs. Don’t believe the cholesterol myths. Eat the yolk.
Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc.
Whey. Not necessary but great for easy post workout shakes.
4. Eat Fruits & Veggies with Each Meal. Most of them are low calorie: you can eat your stomach full without gaining fat or weight. Fruits & veggies are also full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber which helps digestion.
Some of my favorite fruits & veggies are: apples, berries, pineapple, oranges, bananas, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, pumpkin, beans, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, roman lettuce, chicory, peas, etc
5. Eat Carbs Post Workout Only. While you need carbs for energy, most people eat more than they need. Limit your carb intake to post workout only.
Eat Fruits & Veggies with all Meals. These contain little carbs compared to whole grains. Exception: corn, carrots, raisins.
Other Carbs Post Workout Only. This is rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, quinoa, oats, etc. Avoid white carbs and eat whole grain.
Exception. If you’re a skinny guy who wants to gain weight: eat carbs post workout and post post workout. More if needed.
6. Eat Healthy Fats. Healthy fats improve fat loss and health. They also satiate, digest slowly and are cheap. Eat healthy fats with every meal and avoid artificial trans -fats & margarine. Balance your fat intake.
Saturated Fats. Increase testosterone levels. Dietary cholesterol is not bound to blood cholesterol. Real butter, whole eggs, red meat.
Monounsaturated Fats. Protect against heart diseases and cancers. Extra virgin olive oil, olives, mixed nuts.
7. Drink Water. Strength training causes water loss through sweating which can impair muscle recovery. Drinking water prevents dehydration but also hunger since an empty stomach can make you think you’re hungry.
1 US Gallon Water/Day. Drink 1 cup of water first thing on waking up, 2 cups with each meal and sip water during your workout.
Get a Brita Filter. Cheaper than bottled water and tastes better than straight tap water. Try also green tea & water with squeezed lemon.
Ignore Water Intoxication. Eating healthy as explained in this post will make sure you replenish your electrolytes. Unless you do crazy stuff like drinking 2 gallons water in 10mins, you’ll be safe.
8. Eat Whole Foods 90% of The Time. Read 10 foods you think are healthy but aren’t and 20 super foods. To really get the results you want, 90% of your food intake should consist of whole foods.
Whole Foods. Unprocessed and unrefined (or little refined) foods that come as close as possible to their natural state. Examples: fresh meat, fish, poultry, eggs, veggies, legumes, fruits, rice, oats, quinoa, …
Processed Foods. Usually contain added sugars, trans-fats, nitrates, corn syrup, sodium and more chemicals. Examples: bagels, fruit bars, cereals, pizza, cookies, sausages, frozen meals, supplements, …
Eat whole foods 90% of the time. Difference in result is insignificant compared to eating 100% healthy. So if you eat 6x/day, you can eat 4 junk meals per week guilt-free. Same with alcohol & sweet drinks: 10% of the time is ok.
Example Diet.
Breakfast: eggs with veggies, orange, green tea
Snack: mixed nuts, pear
Lunch: tuna, roman lettuce, olives, olive oil
Snack: cottage cheese with apple
Post workout: ground round, quinoa, spinach, banana
Dinner: chicken, spinach, baby carrots, pear
Pre-bed snack: cottage cheese, berries, ground flax seeds, fish oil
Nobody has time to cook 6x/day. Prepare your food for the day while making breakfast or dinner. This takes about 1 hour and is key to making this work.
7 Muscle-Building Strategies for Guys
If you're looking for quick muscle building, go no further than your local gym, where doctors say that major strength gains can be had in just a few weeks.
Last year, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association updated their recommendations for physical activity. In addition to regular cardio workouts, Americans are now being encouraged to perform resistance training at least twice a week, working every major muscle group.
Spero Karas, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedics in the division of sports medicine at Emory University, says that testosterone, the male hormone responsible for muscle growth, maxes out between the ages of 16 and 18. It reaches a plateau during the 20s and then begins to decline. As a result, muscle building after the adolescent years can be challenging, he says.
Fortunately, a little strength training goes a long way -- particularly in the early days.
"When someone starts a fitness program, especially after not doing anything for awhile, the initial strength gains tend to be dramatic and quick," Karas says. "In the first 12 weeks, it's not uncommon for a guy to see a 10, 20 or 30 percent jump in strength."
During the first weeks of a new training regimen, strength gains come from the recruitment of new muscle fibers, which make the muscles stronger and more visible.
Even though muscle recruitment does not result in more muscle mass, says Karas, it will definitely make your muscles look bigger.
One reason is that muscles take in water and swell during training. Another is that muscles burn fat, which tends to make the muscle look more prominent.
After the first three months of strength training, muscle gain is much slower. At that point, you're aiming for an actual increase in muscle mass, which takes time to develop.
"After you've maximized the recruitment, you've reached the plateau, which is when the increase in strength and muscle mass becomes an arduous task," Karas says.
Whether you're committed to the long haul or just want some muscle-building tips, here are seven ways to maximize your gains.
(What have you done to try and build muscle in the past? What worked? Join the discussion on WebMD's Men’s Health: Man to Man board.)
8 Foods that Pack on Muscle
If muscles were made from chips and beer, we'd look huge. But they aren't, and we don't—unless you count that sack o' fat up front and dead center.
If not Doritos and double bock, then what? We decided to delve deep into the human anatomy to find the secret spot on every muscle where the word "ingredients" is stamped. With the help of Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., an exercise and nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut, and a really big magnifying glass, we found it. Eight foods are on the list: eggs, almonds, olive oil, salmon, steak, yogurt, water, and coffee. Add these ingredients to your stomach and faithfully follow the directions on the package—"Lift heavy weights"—and you can whip up a batch of biceps in no time.
Photo: Bananastock
EGGS
The Perfect Protein
How they build muscle: Not from being hurled by the dozen at your boss's house. The protein in eggs has the highest biological value—a measure of how well it supports your body's protein needs—of any food, including our beloved beef. "Calorie for calorie, you need less protein from eggs than you do from other sources to achieve the same muscle-building benefits," says Volek.
But you have to eat the yolk. In addition to protein, it also contains vitamin B12, which is necessary for fat breakdown and muscle contraction. (And no, eating a few eggs a day won't increase your risk of heart disease.)
How they keep you healthy: Eggs are vitamins and minerals over easy; they're packed with riboflavin, folate, vitamins B6, B12, D, and E, and iron, phosphorus, and zinc.
ALMONDS
Muscle Medicine
How they build muscle: Crunch for crunch, almonds are one of the best sources of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E—the form that's best absorbed by your body. That matters to your muscles because "vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that can help prevent free-radical damage after heavy workouts," says Volek. And the fewer hits taken from free radicals, the faster your muscles will recover from a workout and start growing.
How many almonds should you munch? Two handfuls a day should do it. A Toronto University study found that men can eat this amount daily without gaining any weight.
How they keep you healthy: Almonds double as brain insurance. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that those men who consumed the most vitamin E—from food sources, not supplements—had a 67 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease than those eating the least vitamin E.
Photo: Thomas MacDonald
SALMON
The Growth Regulator
How it builds muscle: It's swimming with high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids. "Omega-3's can decrease muscle-protein breakdown after your workout, improving recovery," says Tom Incledon, R.D., a nutritionist with Human Performance Specialists. This is important, because to build muscle you need to store new protein faster than your body breaks down the old stuff.
Order some salmon jerky from www.freshseafood.com. It'll keep forever in your gym bag and tastes mighty close to cold-smoked cow.
How it keeps you healthy: By reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Researchers at Louisiana State University found that when overweight people added 1.8 grams of DHA—an omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil—to their daily diets, their insulin resistance decreased by 70 percent in 12 weeks.
Photo: Hilmar Hilmar
YOGURT
The Golden Ratio
How it builds muscle: Even with the aura of estrogen surrounding it, "yogurt is an ideal combination of protein and carbohydrates for exercise recovery and muscle growth," says Doug Kalman, R.D., director of nutrition at Miami Research Associates.
Buy regular—not sugar-free—with fruit buried at the bottom. The extra carbohydrates from the fruit will boost your blood levels of insulin, one of the keys to reducing postexercise protein breakdown.
How it keeps you healthy: Three letters: CLA. "Yogurt is one of the few foods that contain conjugated linoleic acid, a special type of fat shown in some studies to reduce body fat," says Volek.
COFFEE
The Repetition Builder
How it builds muscle: Fueling your workout with caffeine will help you lift longer. A recent study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that men who drank 2 1/2 cups of coffee a few hours before an exercise test were able to sprint 9 percent longer than when they didn't drink any. (It's believed the caffeine directly stimulates the muscles.)
And since sprinting and weight lifting are both anaerobic activities—exercises that don't require oxygen—a jolt of joe should help you pump out more reps. Skip it if you have a history of high blood pressure, though.
How it keeps you healthy: By saving you from Michael J. Fox's fate. Harvard researchers found that coffee drinkers have a 30 percent lower risk of Parkinson's disease than nondrinkers.
BEEF
Carvable Creatine
How it builds muscle: More than just a piece of charbroiled protein, "beef is also a major source of iron and zinc, two crucial muscle-building nutrients," says Incledon. Plus, it's the number-one food source of creatine—your body's energy supply for pumping iron—2 grams for every 16 ounces.
For maximum muscle with minimum calories, look for "rounds" or "loins"—butcherspeak for meat cuts that are extra-lean. Or check out the new "flat iron" cut. It's very lean and the second most tender cut of beef overall.
How it keeps you healthy: Beef is a storehouse for selenium. Stanford University researchers found that men with low blood levels of the mineral are as much as five times more likely to develop prostate cancer than those with normal levels.
Photo: Rodale Images Rodale Inc.
OLIVE OIL
Liquid Energy
How it builds muscle: Sure, you could oil up your chest and arms and strike a pose, but it works better if you eat the stuff. "The monounsaturated fat in olive oil appears to act as an anticatabolicnutrient," says Kalman. In other words, it prevents muscle breakdown by lowering levels of a sinister cellular protein called tumor necrosis factor-a, which is linked with muscle wasting and weakness (kind of like watching The View).
And while all olive oil is high in monos, try to use the extra-virgin variety whenever possible; it has a higher level of free-radical-fighting vitamin E than the less chaste stuff.
How it keeps you healthy: How doesn't it? Olive oil and monounsaturated fats have been associated with everything from lower rates of heart disease and colon cancer to a reduced risk of diabetes and osteoporosis.
Photo: Rodale Images Rodale Inc.
WATER
The Muscle Bath
How it builds muscle: Whether it's in your shins or your shoulders, muscle is approximately 80 percent water. "Even a change of as little as 1 percent in body water can impair exercise performance and adversely affect recovery," says Volek. For example, a 1997 German study found that protein synthesis occurs at a higher rate in muscle cells that are well hydrated, compared with dehydrated cells. English translation: The more parched you are, the slower your body uses protein to build muscle.
Not sure how dry you are? "Weigh yourself before and after each exercise session. Then drink 24 ounces of water for every pound lost," says Larry Kenney, Ph.D., a physiology researcher at Pennsylvania State University.
How it keeps you healthy: Researchers at Loma Linda University found that men who drank five or more 8-ounce glasses of water a day were 54 percent less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack than those who drank two or fewer.
Nutrition is very important not only for the overall health of your body, but for losing weight and building muscles also. A healthy diet is crucial when it comes to gaining some muscles. Without eating the rights foods in the right quantities no matter how much you exercise you will not achieve that big and bulky look you have always wanted. The best foods you need to consume are the ones that are high in protein, as these are the building blocks for muscle growth.
Let's have a look at the foods that offer the highest source of quality proteins: 1. Chicken and turkey. These lean meats should not be absent from a bodybuilder's meal as they are packed with proteins and are low in fats.
2. Fish. Coldwater fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines are not only rich in proteins but they also contain omega 3 fatty acids, which speed up muscle recovery and growth. 3. Beef. Red meat is an excellent source of proteins but due to the fact that it also contains saturated fat it is recommended not to eat beef daily. As longs as you mostly eat turkey and fish you can incorporate 2 or 3 red meat meals a week 4. Eggs. An egg omelet is your best friend when it comes to building muscles as eggs are the most pure source of proteins. Although there was a lot of controversy surround the egg yolk, according to new research the yolk is packed with vitamins and proteins and should also be consumed in moderate quantities. 5. Legumes. Vegetables and beans are a high source of proteins and fiber. Fiber helps your digestive system to function properly and it helps the body to maintain proper insulin levers. A healthy digestive system will aid in the absorption and assimilation of vitamins and nutrients, which is required for muscle repairing and growth. Dark beans contain the most proteins, and you should try and include these in your diet regularly. 6. Carbs. Our body also needs carbohydrates in order to bold muscles. But stay away from high processed and high glycemic carbs. These will increase you insulin levels and as a results, your body stores fat and this is exactly what you do not want happening. Instead choose carbs that have a low glycemic index. Vegetables and fruits are excellent with providing your body the carbohydrates it needs. 7. Whey protein. Nothing compares with a whey protein shake before and after your workouts. Lean meats also contain proteins, but it takes the body a longer time to absorb proteins from a piece of meat then from a protein shake.
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