Knowing what foods to eat to build muscle is an important part of your bodybuilding program. Eating food that helps build muscle will ensure that you are not wasting all that hard work you are doing in the gym.
Lifting weights forces your muscles to work hard, and can also cause minor injury to muscles. Although those injuries can heal very quickly, eating the right foods that build muscle can really speed up the process. Food supplies fuel that the body needs, and the right food can do wonders.
When looking into the types of food that helps build muscle, you probably immediately think of eating a low fat diet. That is great, but probably the most important type of foods that build muscle are foods containing high levels of protein. Foods like meat, fish, chicken, eggs, cheese and other milk products. Nuts are also a great protetin source.
There is an optimum amount of protein that your body needs for building muscle effectively. Do you know your lean body mass weight? Yes? Great! Take that figure (in kilograms) and multiply it by 2.75. You have now got your daily protein requirement. If you do not know your lean body mass weight, you will need to apply one of the formulas that calculate this.
Foods that build muscle include carbohydrates. Many uninformed people believe that all carbs should be eliminated in order to obtain a fit, lean body. Nothing could be further from the truth. So long as the carbohydrates you ingest include plenty of fibre, carbs will contribute to building muscle mass ? not body fat. Great carbohydrate based foods include rice, oatmeal, bananas and other types of fruit such as apples and pears.
Fats need to be reduced when you are consider what foods build muscle mass. Fat can never be eliminated completely (and nor should you try to do this), but reducing fat can have a healthy effect on your attempts to build muscle mass. Most foods that contain protein also contains fat, so when choosing your proteins, providing you opt for the ones that are low in fat, you will be on the right track.
When eating to build muscle, make sure you drink water. Liquid is important for hydration, and a dehydrated body is sluggish, and can even make you sick. This is not a recipe for obtaining the healthy, fit physique you are striving for.
Most experts agree that between 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day helps flush toxins and hydrate the body. And that is for everyone, regardless of activity levels and desire to have a buff body. So for those of us on bodybuilding diets, who are conscious of building muscle, water is even more important.
Foods that build muscle are great, and an essential component of your bodybuilding program. But do not be lulled into a false sense of security and think you can slow down on your workouts. Both bodybuilding exercises and bodybuilding diets are required to get a body to die for as quickly as you possibly can. Even if you are working on improving your physique slowly, you should combine a bodybuilding diet with bodybuilding workouts for best results.
Tags: apples and pears, bodybuilding program, building muscle mass, foods that build muscle, foods that contain protein, lean body mass, lifting weights
1 Comment // Posted on July 14, 2010 // Health
Some people want a body that is toned and trimmed. Some want to get really muscular and bulky. If you want to pack on the muscles in a major way, you should practice several of these effective ways to build muscle fast. For many, building muscle mass will seem easier than keeping the weight down. However, you still have to exercise the same care and discipline in your training to reach the size you are aiming for. The first of these is in regard to your workout schedule. There is a widespread misconception that hitting the gym everyday will speed up and grow the body’s muscle mass faster. This is actually going to do more harm than good. You should train for an hour for 2-4 days every week only. The periods of rest between exercise days are very important in body building because it allows the torn tissues to be fixed and developed during rest. When you exercise, remember to use high power in lifting the weight; and control as you descend. This will get your body to increase body mass, endurance and strength. Check that your form is correct so you don’t risk straining other parts of your body. Sometimes a slight shift in position is all it takes to considerably advance your workout session. When you commence your program your personal trainer will most likely start you with lesser amount weights and higher reps. As your body becomes accustomed to the stress of regular workouts, the weight load will gradually increase to push your body’s to its maximum capacity. It is essential that as much as you are able, you must have a trained spotter closeby to assist you with the heavier loads you are attempting to lift. Even if you are in a hurry to build your muscle quickly; never compromise your well-being in working out. Obviously, when youworkout your body will get sore. Anyone who has hit the gym knows what that feels like. When you that certain muscle groups are sore do not over exercise them. You can train other body parts but allow that particular part to mend itself completely before you exert effort on it again. Many trainers would advice on exercising two muscle groups that work well with each other at the same time. For instance you can exercise the biceps and back on Monday and your chest and triceps on another day. A 2-3 minute rest between sets is most optimal. If you want to trim your body, a low calorie diet is a must; in building muscle mass, the opposite should be applied. Think bulk, bulk, bulk. Consult with your professional trainer as to what specific body type you have and what food plan will work best for you but generally you have to take in an average of 3000 calories per day. Obviously this doesn’t give you a license to eat as much fatty food as you want. Sensible eating should be followed. Incorporate in your food protein, carbohydrates and fiber. Reasearch on what health supplements and protein shakes can safely fill in the required amount of calories in your diet. There are several ways to build muscle fast but always take time to think and study the given routines and products that present themselves to you thoroughly. You have many chances to look great, but you have only one body to keep. Make the most out of it and stay healthy.
Tags: building muscle mass, closeby, slight shift, workout schedule
1 Comment // Posted on April 25, 2010 // General