What should one do to bulk up ? I'm a rather skinny guy who trains with heavy weights regularly, yet can't seem to put on any weight.
Skinny Reader
Good point. For some guys, gaining weight can be extremely problematic. The only way you'll pack on some pounds is by training hard and eating more. This said, here are ten nutritional rules you'll have to follow in order to gain weight without gaining too much fat.
1- More, more, and more food
Chances are, if you're training and not growing, it's because you aren't eating enough. How can you expect to gain weight if you don't consume enough calories to cover your daily calorie burn rate?
As an average male, you should consume roughly ten calories per pound of bodyweight just to maintain your current bodyweight. Now to gain weight, you should consume at least 500 calories more than your normal caloric intake.
The more you eat, the more growth potential you create. You should obviously be selective with your choice of food in order to gain quality mass without gaining excess fat.
2- Eat more often
Eating more often goes hand in hand with eating more since, logically speaking, the more meals you eat, the more calories you'll ingest. Eating more often will also help with digestion. It's obviously easier to eat eight smaller meals of 500 calories each than four huge meals containing 1000 calories each.
Also, when it comes to bigger portions, some food doesn't get processed correctly due to a lack of hormones in your metabolism. That excess food can potentially turn to fat down the road. Keep in mind, however, that by eating more, you'll automatically gain some mass from fat.
Don't forget that when you eat less often, you allow for a longer lapse of time between each meal, causing your insulin and concentration of nutrients to peak and drop, resulting in mayhem when it comes to your metabolism.
3- Get all the right proportions
Protein is the main building block of muscle tissue and unquestionably the most important nutrient to gain weight and build mass. But keep in mind that you should always ensure that you're getting the right amounts of carbohydrates and fats.
The recommended proportion of carbohydrates, protein and fat for a bulking diet is 50/35/15, respectively. This proportion applies to all diets regardless of the total caloric intake. Again, expect to gain some fat from this sort of diet.
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4- Calorie-dense food
Always try to eat more calorie-dense food. See it as being more efficient. The more calories you get per gram of food you ingest, the better, because you'll have to eat less of it. They'll also satiate you faster.
For example, try to reduce your vegetable consumption because they're low on calories and 80% of each veggie is water. Instead, try eating red meat, eggs and tuna. Weight gainers are also a very cost effective source of calorie-dense nutrients that will help increase your overall caloric intake.
5- Don't forget your multivitamins
Calorie-dense food generally lacks micronutrients such as vitamins, water and certain minerals. To avoid the pitfalls of micronutrient deficiency, I strongly recommend taking a multivitamin every day.
Vitamins are needed to maintain optimal levels of micronutrients. Try to take them between meals for faster digestion.
6- Post-workout nutrition
After a grueling workout, your body's macronutrient levels are depleted and your muscle fibers will be screaming for nourishment. This is why a good post-workout meal is the most important meal of the day for anyone who's aiming to put on some weight.
Always try to eat within one hour following each workout, for optimal results. Your body has the capacity to absorb more protein at that stage than at any other time of the day. Generally, you should try to consume 45-50 grams of protein and up to 1.5 times that amount of carbohydrates after each workout.
7- Sleep on a full stomach
The second most important meal of the day is the one you eat before going to bed. The average male burns 67 calories/hour while sleeping. So if you expect to sleep eight hours, try to get in roughly 536 calories before going to bed.
Growth hormone levels peak during sleep since the body does a large part of its recovering at night. There's a popular belief that everything you eat before going to bed will turn to fat. It's partly false. Obviously, if you munch on a Big Mac right before bedtime, it will likely be stored as fat. Instead, ingest a quality protein shake -- they're low on fat and simple carbohydrates.
8- Gotta love that meat
It's simple; if you plan to grow, you need to eat meat. Meat is extremely high in protein, is a good natural source of creatine, and has loads of calories.9- Drink plenty of liquids
Water, juice and milk. Hydration is key in increasing body mass, since 60% of your body consists of water. You lose water through perspiration and urination, and will increase your loss drastically with severe physical exhaustion.
Make sure to replenish yourself with fluids often. Drinking water will help improve your digestion, while milk is filled with quality proteins and juice will provide all the essential sugars your body needs.
10- Increase your caloric intake gradually
Slowly get your body accustomed to the increased caloric intake. Try increasing your daily caloric intake by 125 to 250 calories until you reach the desired level.
Until next time, good luck and keep on pumpin'.
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