Not everyone wants to be a body-builder nor does everyone want to be huge but there are a good number of guys out there for whatever reason are looking to bulk up and become more muscular than what they are now. Maybe they're underweight. Maybe they're short and think being more muscular will solve some of life's obstacles. Maybe they don't have a specific cause they are trying to address but quite simply want to get bigger - muscular.

So how does that happen? Well, the answer is easy but the process it not. First, the Answer:

Eat lots.
Train hard.
Rest lots.
Be consistent.

Seems simple right? Eat lots (of the right foods of course); train hard and lots; do it consistently; and finally... rest. Rest you say? Yes rest. Growth comes not from training but from resting and letting muscles heal; repair and grow but more on that later.

So yeah, simple. Not quite because here comes the process part:

Lots of eating:
Yes, it's true. In order to put on size you need food but the correct types of food. You need proteins; carbs and fats. Typically for putting on size you need more carbs than protein but in order to keep this simple for you beginners let's just say protein; carbs; and fats in a 40%/40%/20% ratio. 40%/40%/20% meaning 40% of your total daily calories from protein, 40% of your total daily calories from carbs and 20% of your total daily calories from fat.

Protein you say? Yes, protein. Protein is the building blocks of muscle so since we're looking to put on muscle we'll definitely want a lot of this good stuff. But what kind of proteins? These are the generally accepted protein sources:

Lean Steak (eye of the round, inside round, top sirloin, tenderloin, sirloin tip)
Lean Ground Beef (Extra Lean if possible)
Chicken Breast
Lean Ground Chicken
Turkey Breast
Learn Ground Turkey
Egg Whites
Whole Eggs (Omega 3's are beast for heart healthy)
Salmon
Tilipia
Tuna
Cottage Cheese
Milk
Whey Protein

Lots of variety to choose from to keep the protein sources interesting and not totally boring.

Now, what about carbs? So easy, so convenient, so tasty. Yes this is true but the general rule of thumb is if you can buy it per-packaged and it tastes good out of the bag or box then it's not the kind of carb that you want. Good, clean sources of carbs is what we're after. And those are:

Oatmeal
Yams/Sweet Potato
Lentils
Beans
Brown Rice
White Rice (yes this is fine when consumed with a lean protein source and some fat)
Whole Wheat Pasta
Regular Pasta (see the explanation for white rice)
Whole Grain Cereals
Whole Grain Breads

The question I know you're wondering is... don't carbs make people fat? The answer to that is complex but the short answer is yes and no. When consumed in abundance leading a sedentary lifestyle (little activity) and when those carbs are mostly simple (sugar) carbs and processed (not in their natural state) then yes that typically will lead to a person storing body fat but when used in a balanced diet combined with physical activity then no you won't store body fat or at the very least the storage will be minimal but since we're on the quest for muscle a little body fat is needed.

So why does the body need carbs? Simple: energy. If you were to not eat carbs and just live off protein and fat or just protein then the body would begin using protein as an energy source and since protein cannot be stored in the body like carbs and fat can then that protein has to come from somewhere. But where? Muscle! Yes the very muscle you are trying to increase. Carbs give you the energy you need to get through a day and to conduct your training. They spare the body of having to rely on protein in your muscle to provide you with energy.


Now that we have protein and carbs covered we need to add in the fats. Like protein and carbs, fat is just as important to our muscle building goals. Like carbs there are good carbs (complex, starchy) and bad carbs (simple, sugar processed) and with fat there are good fats and bad fats. The fats that we're looking for are Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. These are considered Essential Fatty Acids. Essential in the sense that they body requires them. Some sources of these fat sources are:

Omega 3 Eggs
Walnuts (raw)
Almonds (raw)
Cashews (raw)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Avocado
Natural Peanut Butter
Natural Almond Butter
Natural Cashew Butter

Why is fat important? Well, it's important for a couple reasons. 1) The body is made up of fat so it just makes sense to feed the body the things that it requires. The body is made of water yet we wouldn't think of restricting water so the same applies with fats. 2) It stimulates various hormones in the body namely Testosterone. 3) Metabolism increase. 4) Suppresses Insulin Release (insulin secretion = fat storage). 5) Stimulate Growth Hormone. So with all these reasons why fat is important in the body it makes little sense to restrict fats - the good fats at least. But what about the bad fats that come from french fries, bacon, burgers, etc. As the old saying goes... you are what you eat but a little treat every now and again won't hurt you so enjoy - but in moderation!


Now that know the nutritional components required to building muscle how does one put it all together? Here's a sample nutritional plan based on 2500 calories:


2500 Calories (40/40/20)


Meal 1:
2 Omega 3 Eggs
6 Egg Whites
1.5 Cups Oatmeal (cooked)


Meal 2:
5oz Lean Steak (cooked)
1 Cup Brown Rice (cooked)


Meal 3:
5oz Chicken Breast (cooked)
1.5 Cups Yams (cooked)


Meal 4:
5oz Lean Steak (cooked)
1 Cup Brown Rice (cooked)


Meal 5:
5oz Chicken Breast (cooked)
1.5 Cups Yams (cooked)


Meal 6:
1 Scoop Whey Protein Isolate (30 gram scoop)
1TBSP Natural Peanut Butter


Calories: 2538
Protein: 258grams
Carbs: 249grams
Fat: 56grams


Simple. Easy. Effective. Do that til you get bored and then sub in some new carb and protein sources to create the same macro-nutrient balance. Nutrition is the first and most important aspect to any weight gain or weight loss goals. Without sound nutrition as the foundation it won't matter how hard or how often you train because the results will be less than impressive.


Now that we have an effective and sound muscle gaining nutritional strategy we can hit the weights and start building it! Til next time...