Nutrition IS about 70 percent of gaining muscle!!! Want to be big and muscular? Eat good!
I learned it the hard way myself. No matter how hard you train you wont gain anything if you are not eating enough. I have wasted few months of good training and not gained any muscle because of this. This post’s goal is to help you guys with nutrition sharing all the tips I know and use. With this info you are definitely a big step closer to successful muscle gain!

1. Eat each 2-3 hours.

You need to constantly supply your body with nutrients. We skinny guys have a very fast metabolism and tend to under-eat. From now on, if you are working out and want to gain muscle – eat 5-8 times a day. Yes it will be hard to do, especially if you work 9-5. But take something pre-made at home to work and just snack it when you have free 10 minutes. I used to do it when working in a warehouse. I worked for 9 hours a day but was still able to gain because I’d manage to eat two times during the work hours. So, it is possible!

2. The more protein the better

Eat one gram of protein per pound of your weight. Yes that’s a lot of protein but you can get some help from supplements. But the best option is to eat proteins with every meal. Eat a lot of chicken, turkey, eggs, cottage cheese, fish etc. Protein is the fuel for muscle growth. They consist of amino-acids that are necessary for muscle and are building blocks of muscle!

3. Drink shake straight after the workout

Buy some whey gainer and make a shake at home before heading to the gym. Then after you are finished with workout drink it as soon as possible.
P.S. A shake an hour before workout can be good too. But you would better eat whole foods before workout.

4. Eat as soon as possible after a workout

Yes, you already drank a shake. But the most of it was used to restore your energy after a grueling workout and now you need to eat again to let muscle grow. A good healthy meal with meat and vegetables would be best. The hour after the workout is “magical” window. And the most of food you ate will go to muscles.

5. Eat breakfast

A huge thing. I usually didn’t eat breakfast before going to school or work. It was a big mistake. Your body is in catabolic state after the night’s sleep because it hasn’t had any nutrients for a long time. You must stop this state by eating good amount of carbohydrates because they will give you a nice surge of energy for the rest of the day. I prefer to eat rice or pasta because they are a great source of carbs. If I can’t I get cottage cheese, a fruit (banana or apple) or shake instead of fruits.

6. Drink a lot of water

Water is very important for muscle. It not only keeps your body hydrated but also helps your body to digest proteins. Also about 60-70 percent of all bodyweight in us. So drink water, drink water.. oh…and did I mention… drink water! ;)

7. You can cheat once in a while

We are not loosing weight so eating at McDonalds or pizza sometimes is good for us. This food has a lot of calories and we need that. But don’t make a habit of it. Once or twice a week you can cheat, but most of the time you should eat whole foods! No need to gain fat.

8. More calories In then Out of body

Your body only grows when you get more cals to your body than it burns during the day. Amount of calories per day depends on your bodyweight, activity and other things. The are a lot of ways to calculate your basal metabolic rate but I choose to follow this one. To calculate BMR multiplying your weight by 20. For example if you weigh 120 pounds you should eat 2400 calories at minimum a day. Now that you know your BMR you should add 500 calories a day to gain muscle. In total you should eat 2900 calories a day at 120 pounds to see gains.

Now we’ve got the basic covered. I swear, it’s huge mistake not to eat enough. I could have already gained more muscle if I was eating enough. Don’t make my past mistake. Use these rules daily and watch the muscle grow! If you liked the post and found it useful, you should subscribe to email updates from 36pounds.com, that way you will stay up-to-date with the newest posts from me always!

UPDATED: You can download a bigger, better, more in-depth Guide on Nutrition for Gaining Muscle! Do it and you will know everything you need to know about nutrition!

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Cheers,
Adrian

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