Sample menu for weight gain. How to create a nutrition program to gain muscle mass? Recognized as the best options

Have you always considered yourself too skinny? Skin and bones? While most people need to lose weight, gaining it back can be a very difficult task.

Do you want to know how to quickly gain weight without harm to your health? In this article we will tell you how to increase body weight in a short time.

1. Eat frequently to consume more calories

Although everyone should follow this rule, this is especially important for those who are trying to gain weight quickly. Eating often means eating five to six small meals a day that contain as many calories and nutrients as possible.

This doesn't mean eating junk food and sugar, it means more protein and complex carbohydrates. If you want to gain healthy weight, don't store fat. Your snacks should be nutritious but high in calories, think about:

• nuts
• nut butter
• dried fruits
• avocado.

And this is your evening snack. Forward!

And while this is a great way to gain weight, it's not healthy, so avoid sugary drinks and coffee. And replenish your fluid supply with plain water and smoothies (like an iced milkshake) or skim milk or juice shakes for a more active increase in calories.

Diet menu for weight gain

Have you already figured out how to gain weight in a short time? That's right, you need to eat well, that is, consume enough calories for muscle growth. And you need to take into account the amount of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The bottom line is that each of these nutrients is very important in nutrition, and they must be present in the diet of a person who wants to gain weight quickly.

To make things easier for you, we have compiled an approximate diet for weight gain for men and women. To begin with, you can use them as they are on the site or you can customize them to suit you by replacing products or increasing their quantity if you feel that this will not be enough for active growth.

For men

Breakfast

Dinner and supper

Snacks between main meals

Sample menu for girls

Breakfast

Lunch - dinner

Snacks 2-3 times a day

To gain weight as quickly as possible, you can use the suggested nutritional options. If there is no result, then the calorie intake needs to be increased. This can be done by simply doubling the number of servings, or adding 1-2 more meals, or adding high-calorie foods. It's your choice, whichever is more convenient for you.

2. Eat the right types of fats

You want to gain weight and look healthy, not like a skeleton with a belly. Then maximize your intake of cereal, dairy products, nuts (including nut butters), and meat, and avoid ice cream, fried foods, and fatty junk foods.

Healthy fats should come from fish, peanuts, cashews and olive oil. Beware of saturated (bad) animal fats. If you want something tasty, bran muffins, yoghurt, fruit pie and fitness bars are good alternatives.

3. More protein

While it's a myth that the more protein you eat, the more muscle you'll build, protein is an important part of your diet. It is a building material for our entire body: muscles, bones, skin, hair and blood. So complete your menu.

Foods enriched with proteins include meat, cheese, milk, fish and eggs. For vegetarians, protein can come from soy products such as tofu, or better yet from a combination of foods such as rice or corn and legumes.

4. Increase the amount of carbohydrates in your diet

Although they are criticized, carbohydrates provide energy and help build muscle and are involved in all life functions. Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. But it is better to avoid simple carbohydrates. They hold empty calories and are likely to be stored as fat because sugar quickly entering your bloodstream causes your blood sugar levels to spike.

Buckwheat, rice, pasta (pasta made from durum wheat), potatoes and all grains fall into the approved category. Glucose from them is released into the blood slowly and provides a stable supply of energy for a long period, without causing insulin surges that lead to fat deposition.

When gaining weight, the total calorie intake per day is calculated. And to gain weight, you need to increase your daily caloric intake. Eating before bed will add another meal and increase your overall caloric intake.

In addition, the body needs about 3-4 hours to digest and absorb food. After this time, he is in a state of hunger and begins to use muscles to obtain nutrients. That is, it begins to destroy hard-earned muscles.

To avoid gaining excess fat, you can eat the following as your last meal before bed:

• cottage cheese
• white meat
• fish.

2. Exercises to gain weight quickly

If you decide to go to the gym or have some equipment at home, pay attention, this will allow you to properly create a training program. And also use our selection tips, because the length of the limbs, size and muscle strength impose certain restrictions on training.

1. Strength training

To gain weight quickly, it is not enough to simply increase your caloric intake. The fact is that the body must see the need to gain additional muscle mass. Because more weight means an increase in the load on the cardiovascular system and an increase in the load on the nervous system. Which, for safety reasons, our body will not do. He must see a clear need to gain muscle.

Strength training will help us with this, as it will give a signal that the existing muscles are not enough and we need to build new ones. And increased caloric intake will be a good opportunity for weight gain.

Yes, cardio training develops some of your muscles, but how can you gain weight quickly if your body does not receive sufficient strength training? No way. And here training with additional weights will come to the rescue. This is a good complex.

This doesn't mean you have to become an affiliation with the gym (although that certainly works!). Perform push-ups, crunches, lunges and squats in the comfort of your own home. But to speed up the process and get better results, you need to use additional weight.

Exercise will also increase your appetite. A protein bar or shake after your workout will give your muscles what they need.

2. Increase physical activity

As stated above, in order to gain weight, the body must receive a stimulus. Your muscles should receive more load and work harder. If your loads are small, change them and make them more challenging.

Buy strength training equipment for your home. This will work if you only have 15 minutes before going to work, then you can flex all your muscles by doing a quick muscle building program that will set you on the right path.

3. Use less energy outside of training

Besides storing, burn as few calories as you can. Grab the remote, your milkshake, and collapse on the couch. 🙂

If you really are becoming less mobile everywhere, then it is important to do strength training. Even if you don't see fat on your body, visceral fat (the kind that covers your internal organs) may appear unnoticed. And internal fat loves inactivity. So before you sit down to watch a movie, pump the iron. And only then have a movie marathon with a few light snacks.

• Bring snacks, cheese, nuts. They can be consumed between meals. This is convenient when it is not possible to take buckwheat with meat with you
• If you feel like you're gaining extra fat, reduce your calories, eliminate or replace unhealthy foods with healthier ones, and do more exercise to burn fat.

It is generally accepted that there is no ceiling for gaining weight in the human body. There are known facts when excess weight reaches several centners, which turns a person into a helpless cripple. This is an unhealthy weight, fat. Most often, this is due to various diseases beyond the control of current medicine.

Proper use of products to gain muscle mass eliminates unhealthy consequences. However, those who want to increase it would do well to remember the precept of ancient doctors: do no harm!

For muscles to grow, you need to eat a lot, regularly, often. Food should be of high quality and high in calories, but with healthy protein rather than harmful fat calories. It is not advisable to save on food, since the lack of balanced nutrients during intense training clearly has a negative impact on health.

1. cottage cheese
2. beef
3. chicken fillet
4. turkey meat
5. red fish
6. fish fat
7. buckwheat
8. oatmeal
9. water.

The listed products (except water) contain a complex of vital substances: proteins, healthy carbohydrates and fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, microelements. Water in the right amount promotes normal digestion, maintains strength, and adds energy.

Protein foods for gaining muscle mass

Excellent products for gaining muscle mass are the recognized “protein leaders”: eggs, cottage cheese, meat, fish, cereals, nuts.

Cottage cheese consists of proteins that are absorbed in different ways: some quickly, others slowly. This is the special value of a fermented milk product containing more than 20 percent of proteins.

Beef, white meat chicken (breast), and turkey top the list of products interesting for athletes.

Salmon, more than any other seafood, helps build muscle, and thanks to its positive effect on metabolism, it accelerates the desired result.

Fish oil also affects metabolism. Possessing an anti-inflammatory effect, it supports the body after active training.

Eggs themselves are a balanced, complete mini-product for sports nutrition.

Oatmeal is good for everyone; it is included in a variety of menus: from dietary to sports. Her presence is very useful in our case. Oatmeal contains enough healthy carbohydrates to help maintain a feeling of fullness and blood sugar levels.

Buckwheat porridge also affects muscle growth, so it cannot be ignored when choosing protein products for gaining muscle mass.

Edible nuts and seeds, in addition to plant proteins, supply the body with antioxidants that accelerate recovery processes after exercise.

High-calorie foods for gaining muscle mass

Typically, men gain muscle mass. They want to look more courageous, for this they are ready to give up some harmful hobbies and even go to the gym. But it turns out that this is not enough, you also need to watch your diet. Since a diet of high-calorie foods for gaining muscle mass, along with training, provides the expected result.

The principle of nutrition for a man who wants to have a beautiful and strong torso is that he must receive all nutrients, vitamins and minerals from food. But the amount of protein should prevail; per day with this regimen you should consume significantly more protein foods than usual.

• Protein is meat, fish, eggs, milk. Its daily requirement is at least 2 g per kilogram of body weight. It is absolutely necessary to receive more than you spend, because only in this situation will muscle mass actually increase. Experienced people advise not to take into account protein of plant origin, only from animal products.
• The second rule: in order for the protein supplied with food to be successfully converted into muscle fibers, sufficient energy is required for active metabolism. Energy functions are known to be performed by healthy, complex carbohydrates. These are various cereals, vegetables, wholemeal bread - but not semolina or rich pastries.

In general, the proportion of nutrients differs significantly from the usual daily diet in that the protein content is increased at the expense of fats. Like that:

• 20–30% proteins
• 50 – 60% carbohydrates
• 10 – 20% fat.

It is allowed to create a diet taking into account individual tastes, giving preference to your favorite dish or product for gaining muscle mass. The total amount of high-calorie foods should not exceed 70% of everything consumed per day.

A daily portion of high-calorie foods for weight gain should be eaten in six to eight meals. Start your morning with carbohydrates, and leave the lion's share of proteins for dinner.

Products for gaining lean muscle mass

Gaining lean muscle mass is building muscle without or with minimal fat. This is usually achieved in two steps, dividing sports training and taking products for gaining lean muscle mass into two stages:

1. gaining muscle mass
2. muscle polishing (getting rid of fat).

Experts who share this opinion are convinced that it is unrealistic to gain lean mass right away and you should not feed yourself with empty hopes. It's better to eat right and exercise regularly.

Nutrition at different stages is fundamentally different. If in the first case the body needs an excess of calories, then in the second it needs a deficit. This diet is achieved by limiting carbohydrates.

As you gain weight, eat frequently to maintain your body's constant, even nutritional support. The peculiarities are the difference in needs during the day. In the morning and throughout the first part of the day, you need a source of energy, that is, carbohydrates. From lunch until night - protein. Before training, it is advisable to take slow carbohydrates and proteins, drink water after it, and after a while again feed the body with high-grade proteins and carbohydrates. Casein protein is helpful at night.

The second period is fat burning. Here is a sample diet:

• rice (boiled)
• chicken breast

• low-fat cottage cheese
• egg or egg white
• vegetable salads
• water.

The main thing in a dry diet is to exclude simple carbohydrates in the form of sweets, juices, and baked goods with fatty creams. Otherwise, the products for gaining muscle mass remain the same.

Rating of products for gaining muscle mass

There are different ratings of products for gaining muscle mass. Most of the products are similar, they just occupy different positions. The proposed simple set consists of food products rich in healthy proteins and carbohydrates:

• chicken breasts
• fresh natural beef or veal
• rice, buckwheat, oatmeal
• pasta
• potato
• black bread

Carbohydrates – for breakfast and 25% of the norm – after classes. Fats no more than 15%. Without plenty of water, muscle growth is impossible.

• sunflower seeds, mackerel, kiwi, pineapple, venison, coffee, beef, ginger, natural yogurt, turmeric, cucumbers, chocolate milk, buckwheat, almonds, cherry juice, marshmallow, watercress, sesame halva, eggs, tuna, papaya, sweet pepper, herring, lentils, pasta (pasta), asparagus, sprouted wheat, spirulina (green algae), still mineral water, turkey meat.

Other rating options are also possible. But not only the quality, but also the quantity of food is important. First you need to double the usual portion. And also prepare yourself psychologically: tune in to the optimal diet and training regimen, be sure to fulfill all the requirements and believe in success. Without a person’s diligence and willpower, no products for gaining muscle mass will help.

Cheap Products for Gaining Muscle Mass

To ensure that everyone can afford a good figure, you can create a diet of cheap products for gaining muscle mass. For example, like this:

• pollock fish is a source of the cheapest proteins and essential fats;
• fish fat;
• chicken fillet;
• skim cheese;

• rice, oatmeal, millet, buckwheat (one at a time, for variety) as a side dish;
• mashed potatoes);
• egg powder (many times more protein than in the fermented milk group);
• eggs;
• mushrooms;
• beans;
• affordable vegetables, herbs, fruits, nuts;
• dried fruits;
• water.

In a budget diet, you should focus on quality, giving preference not so much to taste and smell as to healthiness. Although it is quite possible to combine both.

There are special tables for calculating calories. Over time, it is possible to determine how much of something there is “by eye.” Low-calorie vegetables don't count.

It is useful to prepare steamed, stewed, boiled dishes. Vegetables, herbs, and fruits are eaten raw.

The Best Foods for Gaining Muscle

The best products for gaining muscle mass, of course, are purely natural, organic products. If such nutrition is supported by regular physical activity, you can achieve an ideal figure and weight.

• Water is the number one product on this list. And for good reason, because both the muscles and the entire body in chemical composition are solid water, only about 20 percent is everything else. You need to drink constantly, and during exercise - intensively, in order to replenish moisture lost through sweat and breathing.
• Sea fish of all types, especially tuna and herring. Proteins and unsaturated omega-3 acids protect your own muscles and joints from self-eating after intense exercise. The body, in dire need of protein, does not stand on ceremony, and omega-3s slow down protein hunger - until lunch or dinner. It is advisable to eat fish three times a week.

• Milk and lactic acid products are indispensable in the diet of every healthy person. Milk relieves muscle pain, yogurt, kefir, and yogurt contain vitamin D and calcium needed for bones and muscles, and lactic acid bacteria are important for stimulating digestive processes.
• Chicken eggs are easy to digest protein, vitamins A, D, E, which are very necessary for the strength of muscle ligaments. Nutritionists recommend up to ten eggs a week.
• Meat, but not all of it. We choose beef, chicken, and turkey - a source of essential amino acids and creatine, which helps increase muscle mass and reduce fat reserves.
• Cereals and leguminous plants also make an irreplaceable contribution to the good. And also soybeans, lentils, buckwheat, sprouted wheat, even pasta, especially with vegetable oil and vegetables.
• Vegetables and fruits: potatoes, hot and sweet peppers, lutuk and other salads, spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, imported pineapples, papaya, kiwi and native strawberries, cherries, currants, cherries - do not deny yourself anything, everything is beneficial if the food is fresh and the diet is balanced.
• Nuts and seeds – roasted, raw, mixed with other ingredients, but in moderation: a handful per day.

The article discussed natural products for gaining muscle mass. There are other means that may give quick results, but are fraught with undesirable consequences. The choice is always up to the individual. Although, undoubtedly, gradual effectiveness is better than a hasty and bright effect, but with a health risk.

Often beginners don't realize that nutrition is the key to success. Training is, of course, important, but it comes second. What should proper nutrition be like for weight? This is what we will talk about now.

Basic Rules

Now we will try to talk as clearly and concisely as possible about the most important principles that should be followed in nutrition during regular bodybuilding exercises. First of all, be aware of the fact that during training you are destroying your muscles, not building them. They grow during recovery (most of all during sleep), requiring a lot of energy for such a process. Where does this energy come from? Of course, from food. In order for your muscles to begin to increase in volume, they must first be damaged (which is what we do in the gym), and then supplied with a sufficient amount of so-called building materials (proteins) and energy (carbohydrates).

It's easy to guess that muscle growth requires an excess of nutrients, and therefore it is important to get more calories than you burn in a day. Of course, the food must be right, because fast food definitely won’t help here.

How many calories does an athlete in the process of gaining muscle mass need? The answer is simple: your weight x 30 + 500. Here is such a simple formula. For example, if you weigh 70 kg, then you need to eat 70 x 30 + 500 = 2900 calories daily. The more you ate, the more you grew. Such is the truth.

Body types

Nutrition for weight cannot be universal, because we are all different. As you know, there are 3 ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs. The above scheme is ideal for a mesomorph (average type). For a skinny ectomorph, you can safely add 1000 rather than 500 calories, since such a person has an extremely fast metabolism. As for the endomorph (characterized by a rapid increase in fat mass), such an athlete needs to be more attentive to the consumption of carbohydrates and fats (it is advisable to minimize their intake in the evening), and also reduce the increase from 500 to 200-300 calories. We will talk about diets in more detail below.

Nutrient proportions

This is a rather painful topic. Look around: nowadays there are a lot of obese people who eat an extremely large amount of junk food that gets stored in fat. How to prevent this? First of all, stop eating fast food and sweets (1-2 times a month is possible, of course, but know when to stop), and also take into account the very proportion of nutrients. A healthy diet for muscle mass (its gain) should consist of the following:

• Proteins - 20-30%.
• Carbohydrates - 50-60%.
• Fats - 10-20%.

Protein (protein)

Don't forget that protein is the most important building material for your muscles. Keep in mind that animal protein (or protein) is much better than plant protein due to its higher quality amino acid set. Important information: the amount of protein consumed should be 2 grams (maybe a little more) per 1 kg of weight. Only in this case will increased growth of your muscles begin. Sports nutrition for weight gain will help fill the missing amount of protein if you are unable to consume the required amount of natural food.

Carbohydrates

Let's move on. Carbohydrates are the best source of energy. We think that you remember the most important principle in nutrition: you need to get more energy than you expend during the day. Only a figure of 50-60% carbohydrates in the diet should already indicate the importance of this nutrient. In principle, there should be 2 times more of them than protein, that is, 3.5-4 grams per 1 kg of body weight. It is worth noting that with them the story is approximately the same as with proteins (the presence of animal and vegetable), because carbohydrates are divided into simple (sweets) and complex (pasta, cereals). The former, in turn, cause a huge jump in insulin, which is why they are absorbed by the body extremely quickly. This often leads to the accumulation of subcutaneous fat.

Now you understand why eating sweets is harmful (however, fruits are rich in vitamins and fiber, and therefore cannot be neglected). on the contrary, they are absorbed quite slowly (several hours), which allows you to gradually saturate the body with the necessary energy.

Fats

Nutrition for weight (as well as for cutting) must necessarily include fats. Their complete absence can threaten you with health problems. As in previous cases, there are 2 types of this nutrient: saturated (lard, margarine, butter) and unsaturated fatty acids. The former should not make up more than a quarter of the total amount of fat in the diet. Try to eat more fish, which is rich in omega-3, which normalizes metabolism and improves heart function.

When is the best time to eat and in what quantities?

Recipe for success. If you split your meals into 5-6 times throughout the day, this will speed up your body's metabolism, helping it better absorb nutrients and enhance fat burning processes. This approach will allow you to absorb more protein, which is so necessary for your muscles.

A diet for weight gain should clearly distribute all the food our body needs into equal parts. Remember the basic principle: carbohydrates always follow a descending line (that is, a lot in the morning and less in the evening), and protein (protein) always follows a straight line (it must be consumed in equal portions throughout the day). This is the golden rule of bodybuilding. It is especially important before and after strength training, as the body needs a huge amount of energy. So what should your diet be like to gain weight? Below is a great example:

2 whole eggs and 3 egg whites + 100 g of oatmeal (can be with nuts or raisins);

250 g pasta (durum varieties) / cereals (rice, buckwheat) + 200 g steak / chicken breast + vegetables;

200 g rice + fish / lean meat + vegetables;

200 g chicken breast with cheese;

200 g cottage cheese / casein shake.

This is how the mass gain turns out. In principle, such a diet is suitable for many athletes. What do we get? In the morning, the body is loaded with a high-quality protein-carbohydrate mixture, which prevents catabolism processes and triggers anabolic reactions.

Training should ideally be between the second and third meals. To maintain muscle glycogen and insulin production while working out in the gym, you can drink various carbohydrate drinks.

In the last two meals, carbohydrates are excluded. The main focus is on proteins.

We especially want to focus on the fifth meal (before bed). Cottage cheese or a cocktail contain casein (the so-called slow protein), which allows you to eliminate catabolism in the body during sleep, as well as saturate your muscles with the necessary building material.

This is what a nutrition program for weight gain looks like. Do not forget also about water (non-carbonated), because even with slight dehydration of the body, the recovery process in the muscles is inhibited. Golden rule: 1 liter of water per 30 kg of body weight.

Weight gain for girls, whose diet generally coincides with that recommended for men, is somewhat more difficult. Firstly, the fair sex has significantly lower levels of testosterone in the blood. Secondly, they need to receive much fewer calories (1500 kcal per 50 kg of weight), and therefore it is much easier to break down. All other principles remain the same.

Sports nutrition for weight gain

Many beginners overestimate it. In principle, for those people who weigh 70-75 kg, there is practically no point in taking additional nutrition. This is because 140-160 grams of protein and 250-300 grams of carbohydrates are easy to consume with natural foods. Of course, with a gradual increase in quality body weight (over 85 kg), much more nutrients will be required. What sports nutrition is ideal for gaining muscle mass? This is whey protein. This protein supplement is ideal to take after a workout, as well as in the morning when the body is experiencing an energy deficit.

As a rule, modern world-famous manufacturers Dymatize, BSN) make high-quality products with a protein percentage of up to 90%.

No less popular is the gainer. This carbohydrate-protein supplement allows you to replenish energy losses after training (100% recovery is possible only after a full meal, 40-90 minutes after the gym).

Next on the list is creatine monohydrate. This substance will help increase strength and overall muscle mass levels. BCAA will be an excellent choice to take during and after strength training, as it will prevent catabolic processes in the body.

Sports nutrition will help you achieve your ultimate goal. But do not think that it will fully replace natural food. This is far from true. Imagine a cake. So, the cakes are ordinary food, and the cream is sports supplements. That is, the basis should always be standard food, which will definitely allow you to gain muscle mass. Sports nutrition will only speed up this process by 5-15%.

Anabolic steroid

Anabolic steroids are pharmacological drugs that mimic the action of the male sex hormone testosterone. They allow you to speed up the synthesis of protein (protein) inside cells, which causes muscle hypertrophy (anabolic process). In addition, they significantly speed up recovery time, reduce the influence of catabolic hormones and accelerate metabolism. Of course, such properties allow you to build muscle mass very quickly. However, the use of such drugs entails side effects (liver problems, hormonal imbalance, testicular atrophy, masculinization, and others), and therefore you should always be prepared to deliberately cause harm to the body if you decide to take this path.

The nutritional program for gaining weight of absolutely all professional bodybuilders includes steroids, so do not indulge yourself with false illusions about a huge body without taking doping.

Basic Rules

Summarizing all of the above, we indicate the most important principles in nutrition:

1. For quality growth, it is necessary to create a positive caloric balance.
2. Divide your meals into 5-6 meals.
3. Per 1 kg of body weight there should be 2-2.5 g of protein, 3.5-4 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of fat.
4. Priority is given to animal protein, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as foods rich in Omega-3.
5. Carbohydrate before and after your workout.
6. Carbohydrates should always go in a descending line, proteins - in a straight line.
7. Avoid simple carbohydrates and fast food.
8. You can add sports nutrition to your diet, but don’t overdo it, give natural products their due.
9. Drink plenty of water.
10. Anabolic steroids will speed up your weight gain significantly, but carefully weigh the pros and cons before you start taking them.

Conclusion

Gaining muscle mass is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. I ate more - I became more. If you are not gaining weight, increase your food intake (especially carbohydrates and protein). If you start to gain fat, reduce your calorie intake. Everything is very simple. Above we described all the subtleties that a weight gain program should have. Good luck in achieving your goals!

Many men dream of a beautiful, ripped body with big biceps and abs. But how to eat correctly and as efficiently as possible in order to gain muscle mass without harm to the body? Unfortunately, few people puzzle themselves with this question and cause significant harm to their body. However, proper pre-exercise nutrition, a training program and healthy foods will help you achieve greater muscle size. The main thing is to follow the nutritional rules for gaining muscle mass.

Body types

This is the first step for a novice athlete - to determine your body type in order to competently create a training plan, schedule and regimen. There are basic types that need to be clearly distinguished. Examples:

1. Ectomorph. It is characterized by high speed, as well as leanness and energy. Accumulation of fat is absolutely not scary for people with these types. The fact is that in their body all nutrients are consumed very quickly, and because of this, major difficulties arise with gaining weight. The training and nutrition program should be very specific, such as increased protein intake before and after training for muscle growth. However, the result in ectomorphic men is impressive due to the lack of fat and narrow bones.
2. Endomorph. But this type of man is the absolute opposite of ectomorphs. They, on the contrary, are usually slow people with large reserves of fat, for whom it is very difficult to lose weight, but easy to gain. It is quite easy for them to increase muscle weight, but most often the result remains unnoticeable due to the thick layer of fat. The main goal of endomorphs is to create the right workouts for maximum fat burning in the body. As an example, it is recommended to create a training program so that after training you do not eat fatty, starchy and unhealthy foods.
3. Mesomorph. This is perhaps the “best” (comfortable) of all three body types for bulking. Men of this type are naturally muscular and have no body fat. It is easiest for them to gain weight, and they almost do not need to put any supernatural effort into this, unlike the other two types. Mesomorphs combine the good qualities of both ectomorphs and endomorphs at the same time, so their program for gaining muscle mass is no different.

Let's move on to proper nutrition. The amount of carbohydrates, fats and proteins should exceed the body's energy expenditure per day, which means that in order to grow muscles, you will have to eat a lot of food.

Proteins are the main activators of tissue growth, including muscle. With their lack of mass gain and strength increase does not occur, which means that all classes and training pass by. Unfortunately, protein is found in large quantities in meat, fish, poultry, eggs and all dairy products, which we do not recommend eating due to their harm to health. It is better to take plant proteins. However, remember that the usual daily protein requirement for an adult is 1.2-1.3 g per 1 kg of body weight. When gaining weight, you need to increase this amount to 2-4 g for maximum muscle growth.

Carbohydrates are the main sources of energy for our body. They are needed to help you feel alert enough to exercise and also help break down proteins into amino acids in your body. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. The former are found in a variety of fruits, as well as sugar. They are easily absorbed in the body and are also quickly consumed, so they are not used in proper nutrition. The body will take much longer to process complex carbohydrates, so they can be used as an energy storehouse for athletes. Complex carbohydrates are found in legumes, most vegetables and cereals. They are recommended to be consumed before training.

Fats are our body’s main assistants in the production of hormones and enzymes that promote weight gain. They are not so important during short-term and intense exercise, because the male body processes them much more slowly than carbohydrates. But they are indispensable during long workouts, when there is no time to have a snack.

Errors

Most often, the main mistake of beginners is this: after a few months they continue to eat according to the once and for all invented “program”. This is not true, since the body’s growth has increased, and, accordingly, more and more nutrients are needed to successfully gain weight.

This will allow you to gain muscle volume as quickly as possible, but in men fat may begin to form on the stomach and lower back. This is normal because for every three new pieces of muscle there is approximately one piece of fat. It can be removed later with the help of abdominal and relief exercises.

Carbohydrates that the body absorbs during meals are converted into a special protein - glycogen. Its main concentration is in the muscles and liver, and during exercise, glycogen is quickly consumed in huge quantities. Depletion of reserves leads to the fact that the body begins to break down protein molecules in the muscles, which leads to a decrease in their volume. This can only be avoided by timely replenishment of carbohydrates after exercise. As an example, after a half-hour workout, you need to drink fruit juice, and two hours later, eat pasta or other carbohydrate-rich foods. Then the spent glycogen will be replenished again, and the body will not have to break down muscle tissue again.

Sweating also greatly affects body weight. You need to record your weight before and after training, and then replace lost fluid at the rate of 1.5 liters per 1 kilogram of weight lost.

Fatty foods in the diet for muscle growth

You can often come across the statement that you need to stop adding fatty foods to your diet when you are gaining weight. It is based on the fact that fats, although they have great energy potential, take a long time to break down, which causes general lethargy of the body. However, this is an important element of our body, because without it there will be no correct and efficient flow of metabolic reactions in the body.

Some unsaturated fatty acids are simply not produced in our bodies, so eating foods rich in fat is beneficial. However, with the abuse of such food, many problems actually arise: obesity, metabolic disorders, increased cholesterol levels, the formation of body fat, as well as a slowdown in the growth of body tissues. Follow your daily diet as closely as possible; you can add fresh fruits to your menu every week to increase muscle mass.

Sports nutrition complexes

Now there are really a lot of them in the world. There are even special calculators that allow you to calculate how much of a certain product is needed in the diet so that men gain 3-5 kg ​​more muscle per week. Here are examples.

Perhaps the most famous sports nutrition complex for gaining muscle mass is protein. This is an assistant for a man of any physique; as an example, it is he who is responsible for the growth rate of muscle tissue after training. The daily norm in the diet is 60-150 g, for each man it is purely individual. Trainers recommend stretching your protein intake up to 6 times a day and not exceeding 1 kilogram per week, but we suggest you avoid these artificial supplements altogether.

Nutrition for gaining muscle mass is not complete without creatine. This is the most powerful supplier of energy to the body, a must for men who love long and intense workouts. This product is taken in small portions, most often before training, only 3-5 grams (along with a portion of protein), but the effect is impressive.

Gainer is another complex that provides the body with energy. Especially recommended for ectomorphs for muscle growth. It should be taken after training, no more than 1 serving.

Complexes of vitamins and minerals are necessary in the daily menu of athletes for the normal functioning of all body systems during weight gain.

In general, any sports nutrition complex for muscle growth is not very dangerous for the body, and sometimes even useful for men with an ectomorph physique. You can include them in your daily menu, as well as create a program for taking them, but you should think three times before saturating your diet with artificial additives.

Weight gain for thin people

For ectomorphs, weight gain does not happen in a week, but usually lasts for many months. Due to the fact that people, even with a “fat” menu, do not gain weight at all, this will not be so easy to do. For proper muscle growth of an ectomorph, everything is important, examples: diet, training program, quality of products and a strict daily routine. He should eat before and after workouts and increase his food intake to 5-6 times a day to achieve proper results. As an example, you need to eat protein-rich foods after training and include complexes in your menu to achieve growth. At the same time, engage in heavy, but short-term training several times a day.

For an ectomorph, the most important rule is increased food intake in the diet. You need to eat much more than usual, definitely high-calorie foods. It is not recommended to overeat too much before training, but after it is easy. For ectomorphs, overeating a little is even beneficial (for specified purposes), so there is no need to deny yourself anything. Any “healthy” foods will benefit muscle growth.

So, nutrition for gaining muscle mass depends on many factors: body type, weight, and muscle strength. When gaining weight, it is important to remember that training must be regular and the food must be healthy, then you will achieve the desired effect.

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Effective muscle growth is impossible without compliance with three factors - anabolic nutrition, and. Neglecting even one of them will do little to build a beautiful body.

In this article we will talk about nutrition for gaining muscle mass. You will finally be able to get your mass off the ground. Forward!

Nutrition for weight gain - the engine of your growth

Nutrition is the engine of your bodybuilding progress. Many people guess about this and even know something. But when you start strength training, don't worry too much about your diet. At most, they add a little more meat; at worst, buy a can of protein. However, such nutrition for gaining mass will not affect your training successes at all - neither on the rate of growth of your muscles, nor on volume.

You need to take nutrition seriously!

On the Internet you can find a huge number of different weight gain diets. Every author wants to bring something new, although 90% is based on unchanging principles, which we will talk about later. You must create a diet for yourself, and not take other people's thoughts.

The principles of nutrition for gaining muscle mass are suitable for everyone: both beginners and experienced fighters. This scheme can be used at any time, and not just during the mass-gain period. The only thing you need to remember is that you cannot sharply increase or decrease the amount of food entering the body; let the body adapt to the changes.

How to gain weight: what you need to know

To provoke such a resource-intensive process as muscle growth, it is necessary to supply the body with sufficient energy and material to create new muscle tissue. All these resources need to be obtained from food!

The main pillar of muscle building is excess calories. You should receive more nutrients and energy from food than you expend, approximately 15-20% above your norm. When gaining weight, it is better to overdo it and get more calories than not get enough. Here the question may reasonably arise: “Won’t I gain excess fat in this case?” Yes, you will!

Along with your overall muscle mass, you will increase your body fat content. But this is an inevitable process. You can't gain weight with lean muscle alone. One cannot live without the other, and one must come to terms with this. In any case, it is easier to remove fat () than. So focus on how to gain weight in your entire body and don't think about fat.

More, more calories!

The body is a self-preserving system. Adding 5%, 10%, or 30% extra calories to your diet may not be enough. To break through the dead point, start adding calories to your diet gradually until your weight increases by 500-800 grams per week. If there is no increase, increase the amount of food ( add in 200 calorie increments), if the increase is large, reduce it (otherwise the excess will quickly turn into fat). Weigh yourself once a week at the same time.

Meals for gaining weight should include several additional meals. For example, your diet consists of 3 meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner. Start surprising your metabolism by adding two more meals. You will immediately receive an excess of energy and nutrients beyond your basic norm. Plus, make sure to have a purely protein meal (casein, cottage cheese) shortly before bedtime.

The amount of food you should eat per day while gaining muscle mass should be greater than when you were not exercising. Break your diet into 5,6 or 10 meals (whichever is more convenient for you), the main thing is that the total amount eaten is greater than before. It is more convenient to use approximately equal periods of time between meals. This way you will ensure a uniform supply of amino acids and nutrients to your body. This keeps your metabolism at a constantly high level.

Break your diet into 5-6 meals, more if possible

The effect of anabolism (formation of new body tissues) from food taken lasts 3-4 hours. That is why it is worth eating evenly, but often. It is very difficult to take and assimilate the same amount of food in 3 meals, firstly, due to the volume of food eaten, and secondly, there is a possibility that the nutrients will not be fully absorbed due to their excess. Try not to take long breaks between meals (more than 5-6 hours). If you can’t have a full meal, eat bananas or drink a protein shake.

Almost 70% of the food you eat should be high in calories, otherwise your digestive system will suffer from food overload. You should not base your diet on vegetables. The body needs fiber, but in reasonable quantities, so the content of vegetables should not exceed 30% of an athlete’s diet.

The more food enters the body, the more water the body needs to digest it. Strength training triggers numerous metabolic processes that also require water. Drink at least 3 liters of water per day. Avoid feeling thirsty.

A particularly important point in nutrition is the correct distribution of nutrients entering your body. In the modern world, unfortunately, this incorrect distribution ruins the health of many people - cardiovascular and other diseases appear. This is due to the large amount of incoming fat, and very tiny portions of protein, which is so necessary for the construction of the necessary structures.

Therefore, your task is to make the proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates not just correct, but healthy.

Correctly balance the amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in your diet

Optimal nutrient ratio :

Proteins – 25-30%, fats – 10-15%, carbohydrates – 50-60%

This ratio maintains the correct quantitative supply of amino acids (the building material of your muscles), energy for the growth process in the form of carbohydrates, as well as the content of healthy fats necessary for normal life.

You should receive your calories based on this ratio (). To make the calculation easier, use this hint - 1g of protein gives 4 kcal, the same amount of carbohydrates, 1g, and 1g of fat gives 9kcal. In order to get, for example, 3700 kcal you will need (based on B-Zh-U 25-15-60) 230 g of protein, 60 g of fat, 555 g of carbohydrates.

Make sure you get 1.5 - 2 g of protein per 1 kg of your body weight. You can get half of your daily protein intake from sports nutrition.

How to make nutrient ratios work for your growth

It would seem that everything is simple - I ate the required amount of BZHU and the muscle began to swell! But it's not that simple. In order to ensure maximum digestibility of food, you should not have problems with the gastrointestinal tract and you must correctly combine certain foods. To properly combine nutrients you need to know what they are.

Squirrels

Squirrels are fast and slow. A fast protein is one in which the amino acids are in the most split state, practically free. Such protein is quickly, and most importantly, easily digestible, because... its design is simple and does not require additional splitting. Examples are free form amino acids, whey protein isolate, egg whites and milk proteins.

We need fast proteins immediately after training. They stimulate the production of insulin (transporter of amino acids and glucose) and somatotropin (growth hormone). Also, after sleep or a long break from food, you need to fuel yourself with fast proteins.

A slow protein is one in which the amino acids are in a bound form. It takes a long time to break down and is slowly absorbed, supplying our body with building material for many hours. The best time to take slow protein is any other time when you are not taking fast protein. For example, before a long break from food (during work) and before bed. Examples of long-lasting proteins are cottage cheese and casein.

Try to combine plant proteins with animal proteins.

The best proteins (in order of value for an athlete): meat (poultry is preferable), most seafood and fresh fish, dairy products (low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat cheese, low-fat yogurt, milk, kefir), eggs (you can safely eat 6-8 eggs a day, if you don’t have problems with cholesterol), legumes (beans, peas, lentils), nuts.

Avoid the following proteins: smoked meat, red meat, homemade cottage cheese, dark meat of turkeys and chickens, sausages, ham, salami, yoghurts with sugar.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, like proteins, are also fast and slow. Fast carbohydrates often taste sweet. These include fructose and glucose. Such carbohydrates quickly enter the bloodstream, raise insulin levels and are quickly absorbed. Examples of such carbohydrates are honey, jam, buns, raisins, white bread, chocolate, etc.

Long carbohydrates contain a large amount of dietary fiber. Such carbohydrates take a long time to digest and gradually give us their energy. These are cereals and porridges (rice, millet, buckwheat), bran, rye bread, pasta, legumes, nuts, etc.

Try to base your diet on slow carbohydrates. After a workout, fast carbohydrates (fast energy) are suitable, and after a long break without food and after sleep, take slow carbohydrates to recharge your energy for the whole day. The main thing is not to eat carbohydrates before bed.

The best carbohydrates:

Cereals: porridge (buckwheat, rice, millet, pearl barley, oatmeal), pasta (made from durum wheat), noodles (not instant), bread (black, bran, rye), cereal or muesli. Vegetables: potatoes, carrots and beets should be reasonably limited due to the large amount of starch they contain.

Fats

Fats are either good (unsaturated) or bad (saturated).

Harmful fats are found in butter, fried foods, mayonnaise, ketchup, and sausages. Unsaturated fats are necessary for normal functioning of the body and reducing the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.

The best fats are found in sunflower, olive, flaxseed oils, nuts, avocado and fish (eat fish without restrictions, it is rich in healthy fats such as Omega-3).

Morning

A complete breakfast (fast and slow carbohydrates + fast proteins).

During the day

Pre-workout nutrition

2 hours before training you need to eat slow carbohydrates and fast proteins. Carbohydrates promote the production of glycogen (an energy transporter), and proteins will supply the body with amino acids for anabolism.

Half an hour before training

Whey protein isolate + amino acids.

Immediately after training

Post-workout nutrition

An hour (maximum one and a half) after training, a full meal is necessary. Food should be rich in slow carbohydrates and proteins. This should be your most powerful meal. You consume the highest amount of nutrients.

No later than 2 hours before bedtime

Slow carbohydrates + slow proteins.

Before bedtime

Only slow proteins.

Beware of sweets. All these delicious confectionery things look delicious, and when they enter the body, they quickly increase blood sugar levels. In response, our body turns glucose into fat.

Limit your intake of fast carbohydrates and fats. Avoid foods such as sausages, smoked meats, mayonnaise, ketchups, fatty meats, and margarine. Your body builds new structures using proteins and takes energy from carbohydrates. Excess saturated fat only worsens your health and is deposited on your body. For fats, gain the norm with vegetable fats, incl. vegetable oil, fish and seafood. Take Omega-3 fats separately, they have a positive effect on the health of the whole body.

Don't forget about fruits and greens. They are rich in minerals and vitamins.

Give preference to natural foods

In conclusion, it must be said that the diet of different people depends on metabolism. If you have a fast metabolism, then you need a lot of everything - proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins. If your metabolism is slow and you gain excess fat easily, then get the calories you need from lean foods and proteins. Don't eat to your heart's content. It's better to eat smaller portions, but more often.

Approach nutrition issues responsibly

You train only once every two or three days for an hour and a half, and eat every day every day after 3 hours. Sticking to such a schedule is difficult. Therefore, draw up your diet for weight gain right on paper. This will discipline you and make you stick to it consciously.

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