Proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass

Rules necessary for organizing proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass

In order for proper nutrition to gain muscle mass to produce results, you must follow the following rules:

• the body must receive more calories than it expends during training;
• after training, you should consume a protein-carbon mixture;
• During the first hour after training, you should eat a hearty meal in accordance with the previously thought out diet;
• you should eat often, but in small portions;
• You should drink a lot of water, more than two and a half liters per day;
• it is worth calculating the correct amount of BJU;
• it is worth correctly distributing nutrients throughout the day;
• You should definitely eat protein foods before bed, for example, casein protein or low-fat cottage cheese.

An example of a ready-made menu for each day of the week

An approximate menu option allows you to get used to the new diet and learn how to properly distribute calories throughout the day. As you get used to it, you will be able to vary different dishes based on this pattern.

For teenagers 15-18 years old

For men

For women

Diet for gaining muscle mass

A healthy diet should include the following foods:

• protein - lean meat of various varieties, not only dietary, poultry, low-fat cottage cheese, milk, eggs, lean fish and other seafood;
• carbohydrates - cereals, durum wheat pasta, brown bread, fruits, potatoes no more than twice a week, other vegetables and dried fruits;
• fatty – vegetable oils, nuts, avocados, seeds, fatty fish.

From all the products you can make a varied diet for the whole day.
If you are short on imagination, you can search the Internet for an approximate menu for every day. For example, it is recommended to eat oatmeal, a few bananas and egg whites for breakfast. The next meal includes buckwheat porridge, steamed pink salmon, several eggs and vegetables. For lunch, it is advisable to cook buckwheat, steamed beef and vegetables. The fourth meal again involves pink salmon and buckwheat with vegetables. Half an hour after strength training, you should eat oatmeal, a few bananas and egg whites. For dinner, it is advisable to have chicken fillet and vegetables, and before bed you should eat low-fat cottage cheese. The indicated menu is good only for one day, the next one should be composed of other products. To make it easier to maintain proper nutrition during training, it is worth thinking through the menu for the whole week in advance, so that if necessary, you can take food prepared in advance with you.

Meal regimen: when and what to eat to build muscle

How to better distribute food and training

It is best to eat nutritious foods 2 hours before training. Give preference to dishes with a sufficient amount of complex carbohydrates. They give the body the necessary energy supply for an effective workout.

Important! The best option for eating before training is a portion of durum pasta, porridge or vegetables. A protein-carbohydrate mixture in the form of a cocktail will also be useful (you can drink it 30-60 minutes before the start of class).

Don't skip meals after finishing your workout. At this time, all substances important for muscle recovery are absorbed as actively as possible. Immediately after strength training, you should take a serving of Lily gainer or eat 2 bananas. A complex meal after 40-60 minutes should contain proteins and slow carbohydrates. This nutrition plan will speed up muscle recovery after active exercise.

What time to eat

In order for muscles to gradually increase in volume, athletes need to build a correct, balanced nutrition plan. Together with regular foods, the body receives the necessary energy and nutritional components that support important metabolic processes (including muscle tissue receiving “building” material for recovery and growth).

An increase in muscle mass occurs only when enough nutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) enter the body. For ordinary people, 3 meals daily is enough. For athletes who work for weight, long breaks between individual meals are not suitable. They create a certain nutrient and calorie deficiency. For this reason, for active weight gain, you should adhere to a schedule of 5-6 small portions of food every day (break - no more than 3 hours).

Such a meal schedule allows the body to digest incoming food much easier and faster, as well as promptly receive all the necessary substances to restore and increase muscle tissue.

Options for simple and tasty recipes for balanced dishes

Experimenting with familiar and healthy foods allows you to add special variety to your diet. By periodically changing your usual menu, you can easily stick to your chosen diet without resorting to unhealthy foods.

Buckwheat in a merchant's style. This dish combines the most useful products for the nutrition of an athlete “on the mass”. Required Products:

• buckwheat – 300 g;
• beef (it is better to choose a lean piece) – 200 g;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• carrot – 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.;
• salt, pepper - add to taste.

First, chop the onion and grate the carrots. Cut the meat into small cubes. Take a deep frying pan, add vegetable oil and fry the onions, carrots and meat for 10 minutes. Then add a little water, spices and simmer over low heat with a lid. Boil the buckwheat and add to the pan after cooking the vegetables and meat. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and let sit for about 20 minutes before serving.

Lavash with tomatoes and cheese. This recipe is suitable as a breakfast dish, as a snack, or as an addition to a main course (for example, soup for lunch). If you don’t know how else you can eat cottage cheese, the option with lavash will greatly diversify your usual menu. For athletes, it is best to add cottage cheese that contains the least amount of fat to this dish. For preparation you need:

• lavash (Armenian, thin) – 1 pc.;
• cottage cheese – 200 g;
• grated cheese – 30 g;
• tomato – 1 pc.;
• bell pepper – 1 pc.;
• pickled cucumbers – 2-3 pcs.;
• salt, pepper, herbs - to taste.

First, salt the cottage cheese and spread it in a thin layer over the entire surface of the pita bread. Sprinkle the cottage cheese evenly with grated cheese on top and pepper. Then arrange the chopped vegetables and finely chopped herbs. Wrap a sheet of pita bread in a tube and cut with a sharp knife into equal portions of 3-4 cm.

Note! You can use your favorite vegetables and spices for the filling, and you can also change the types of cheese. This recipe is the basis for the most daring culinary experiments.

Foods prohibited when gaining muscle mass

When organizing proper nutrition for muscle growth, you should exclude the following foods from your diet:

• fatty varieties of pork and lamb;
• chips, crackers and other similar dishes;
• instant porridge;
• pasta and mashed potatoes, as well as soups that can be prepared in 3 minutes.

If you feel a lack of carbohydrates, you can snack on whole grain bread, bananas, grain bread or low-fat dairy products.
You should not rely on canned, pickled products, as well as smoked and salty foods. Salted dried fish should also be excluded from the athlete's diet. Proper nutrition during muscle growth is a protective mechanism for the body. He experiences great stress during physical training and loses not only calories, but also nutrients. For this reason, in order to support the body, nutrition must be balanced and meet the standards.

Author:

Adam Khasanov more details

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Advice from nutritionists

N. Fedorenko, nutritionist, nutrition consultant for the FoodEx portal

The main rule of any mass gain: the proportion of muscles gradually increases due to the consumption of additional portions of food (calorie surplus). For some people, to gain weight, it is enough to increase the total calorie intake by 10-15% (endomorphs and mesomorphs, since they gain weight without much difficulty), but lean athletes need an even larger increase in nutrients (+ 20-30%).

Increasing caloric intake does not mean doubling portions of food, leaning on sweets and fatty foods. The menu for active weight gain consists of healthy foods containing essential vitamins and nutrients. The frequency of meals should be increased to 5-6 times at equal intervals throughout the day.

K. Litvinova, nutritionist, fitness trainer

To effectively gain muscle mass, in addition to strength training, you need to pay great attention to your diet, its calorie content and food content. I advise my clients to focus on protein foods and cereals. Such products help saturate the body with energy and the necessary substances for muscle growth. However, many people forget to calculate how much protein a particular body needs - approximately 2 grams per 1 kg of weight (however, you should not eat more than 2-3 eggs per day).

Also, for progress in the gym you need a drinking regime, a positive mood and enough sleep. At the same time, you should not have a late meal on the eve of bedtime - heaviness in the stomach will prevent you from falling asleep, interfering with proper rest. The best option is a light snack about 2 hours before bedtime.

L. Denisenko, nutritionist, author of a popular blog on proper nutrition

Be sure to keep a food diary for menu planning, progress notes, etc. It is also useful to write down your feelings during the day, note periods of hunger and other nuances. Such a diary helps analyze the menu, make the necessary adjustments, and prevent breakdowns, overeating or calorie deficit. Monitoring yourself and your nutrition will allow you to quickly achieve the desired progress in building muscles.