Protein Powders & Protein Supplements

By Author: Whitehead Roberts
Total Articles: 96
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UP YOUR CALORIES

To add muscle mass, you have to take in more calories than you need for body weight maintenance. A lot of guys think they can't add muscle mass because they aren't predisposed to adding muscle, or they're not working out hard enough in the gym. In fact, if you're training hard with weights and you're not adding as much muscle as you think you should, you're most likely under eating. Our prescription is for you to significantly increase your daily calorie intake.

How to do this: Eat more. And keep reading. Many of our following strategies give the specifics on how to include more calories in your daily diet.

EAT MORE PROTEIN

The amount of protein needed for growth and recovery can vary somewhat from one person to another. Taking in at least 2g of protein for each kilogram of body weight each day ensures that you're getting what you need to maximize your growth. If you weigh 80 kilograms, you should try to consume approximately 160 grams of protein a day.

How to do this: This may sound like a lot, but it really isn't. You can easily accomplish this by taking in six servings ...
... of protein in roughly equal amounts every two to three hours. Add one to two protein shakes per day and add lean meat to three meals and have a protein shake before and after your workout.

EAT MORE CARBS

Eating a diet that's high in carbs is critical for muscle growth for numerous reasons. Taking in ample carbs ensures that your body doesn't reach for muscle to burn for fuel. Carbs help to fuel the processes of muscle growth and help to blunt the negative effects of the catabolic hormone cortisol. Taking in plenty of carbs before and after you work out will help make you stronger and more energetic for subsequent workouts.

How to do this: Include carbs in each of your first four meals of the day. Include a big bowl of oats with your breakfast. Add a couple of slices of whole grain toast to your morning snack. Include a side of brown rice or sweet potatoes with your lunch. Have slow digesting carbs such as oats or fruit with your pre-workout protein shake and simple carbs such as dextrose or glucose with your post-workout shake.

INCREASE YOUR FATS

As long as you're healthy and on a regular exercise regimen, dietary fats are an essential part of health and growth. Fats are divided into healthy and unhealthy categories, and you need to emphasize healthy fats, such as those found in salmon and other fatty fish, nuts and seeds, avocadoes, and oils such as olive and flaxseed. But don't fear the saturated fats found in lean meats, eggs and dairy products. A little bit of saturated fats can help boost testosterone levels and spur growth.

How to do this: Add avocadoes to your sandwiches or make guacamole. Add chia seeds or flaxseeds to your cereals. Use flaxseed oil as the basis of salad dressings or add to protein shakes. Consider adding snacks such as nuts and seeds as a way to boost total calorie consumption.

EAT MORE MEALS

If your goal is to add more muscle, then you need to eat more meals a day. Those who complain about their inability to add muscle simply aren't eating often enough. If you have a fast metabolism and go without food for several hours, your body turns to muscle mass as a primary energy source, breaking it down, making it very difficult to make gains.

How to do this: Shoot for eight meals per day. Add a snack in the morning and afternoon. Make sure that you take in a protein shake with carbs before you hit the gym. Drink another shake right after your workouts. This makes a huge impact on the total number of calories you consume each day. Plus, those calories and critical nutrients are taken in at the most critical times of day for muscle growth. Add a late-night snack that's high in protein, moderate in fats and low in carbs. Good options include cottage cheese, boiled eggs, casein protein shakes and nuts and seeds.

TAKE IN LIQUID CALORIES

Adding more calories is overwhelming with eating more than you naturally want to. Once you get full, really full, it's hard to chew and swallow another bite. But liquid calories go down much more easily, making them a great choice for overeating to help stimulate muscle growth.

How to do this: In addition to taking in protein shakes before and after your workouts, consider adding yet another shake to your routine shortly before you go to bed. Casein protein powder are a great slow-digesting protein source that supplies your body amino acids throughout most of the night while you sleep.

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