The purpose of this guide is to give you simple and effective nutritional advice for building muscle. There is no single plan which works for everyone as every person has their own individual needs. Below we will look at some of the different best practices that you can use to create your own plan.
Topics covered in this guide:
- Best Practices
- Nutrition Advice
- Best Practices
Best Practices
1. Increase your knowledge
Increasing your knowledge is important. The more you learn about the science behind nutrition and the effect it has on your body, the better your decisions and results will be. If you want to add muscle mass you need to focus on getting the right amount of calories and protein so that your body can repair and build your muscles.
2. Create a nutrition plan specific to your needs
Having a proper nutrition plan in place is key for building muscle. For the best results, you should consider making a meal plan. This will allow you to consistently fuel your muscles for optimum growth with the right nutrition each day. To learn more about meal preparation, visit our meal prep guide.
It’s important to keep your plan realistic and achievable. There is little point in making a meal plan which means you eat 7 times a day if you travel a lot for work. You should look at your current lifestyle and create a schedule that you will be able to stick with.
It’s also important to analyse your body type (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph) when deciding how to approach your nutrition plan. Each type requires a different approach in order to get results. By knowing your body type you can approach your plan in the most effective way.
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3. Track Your Progress
You should keep a track record of your progress to evaluate if your plan is working. You can create a simple spreadsheet which contains information about your BMI (body mass index). This should contain information about your age, weight, height and lean/body fat percentage. Having this information will enable you to see what changes have worked well and what could be improved with your plan.
Nutrition Advice
We’ve covered some important methods above which can be used to manage your nutrition plan. Now we turn our focus to nutritional intake.
1. Eat enough protein
Protein contains essential amino acids (the building blocks for muscle growth) and is essential for maintaining and promoting muscle mass. After your workouts your muscles will be damaged and look to your body for a source of fuel to help recovery. By having enough protein in your diet your body will be able to recover much faster and promote muscle growth.
In order to work out how much protein your body requires for building muscle you should calculate your macronutrients. This process will assess your individual needs and provide you with exact quantities of how much protein, carbs and fats are required to achieve your goal.
2. Focus on the quality of your food
It’s well known that building muscle requires you to eat a balanced diet which contains the right amount of carbs, fats and protein. One important factor to consider is the quality of the food you are eating. The phrase “dirty bulk” means you eat unhealthy high-calorie foods, such as takeaways, with the aim of quickly adding mass. Although this may show some results, it’s not recommended in the long term as it can lead to health problems. You should focus on eating on foods which are “clean” and less processed as they contain more nutritional benefits.
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2. Drink plenty of water
Drinking enough water is one of the most important things you can do to build muscle. Keeping your body and muscles hydrated is vital because your body needs to replace all the fluids lost when you sweat. Not having enough water can lead to muscle cramps, fatigue and exhaustion at the end of your workout. Protein synthesis (the process which causes muscle growth) will also be slowed and cause delays in your recovery process if you are dehydrated.
3. Make sure to include fat in your diet.
A common misconception when it comes to building muscle is that you should avoid eating fat because it will make you fat. This is true to an extent but not all fats are bad and some are essential.
The fats you want to avoid are known as saturated fats. This is because they can cause cholesterol to build in your arteries. In the majority of today’s supermarket products, saturated fat content is highlighted. Common foods which are high in saturated fats include red meats, pastries and full-fat dairy products.
The fats you should be consuming are known as healthy fats. There are two types: monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. These fats are good for your heart and keeping your cholesterol levels under control. Examples include fish such as salmon, trout and tuna. You can also find them in nuts.
4. Use Supplements
Supplements are a popular choice in people’s diets as they are a quick and convenient way to achieve your nutrient intake. When it comes to building muscle, the most common supplements are whey protein and amino acids. Whey Protein is used for muscle building because of its high protein content, quick absorption and convenience.
Amino Acids such as BCAA’s or Glutamine are known to help stimulate muscle protein synthesis. You should research all supplements and make sure they are safe for you before taking them.
Explore our Build Muscle Foods guide which looks at the different types of foods which are great for promoting muscle growth.
