Gaining healthy weight has always been a struggle. Most people looking to gain healthy weight and/or muscle mass don’t know where to even begin. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a pro; if you haven’t figured out, by now, that there’s a Science to weight gain, then I’m sure that you aren’t on the right track. In this article, I’ll be going over some key factors to aid you in your weight/muscle gain transformation.
GO FOR THE GAIN! Eating to Build Lean Muscle: Knowing Exactly What to Eat
Eat! Eat! Eat!
Gaining muscle requires the body to intake more calories than it burns through normal activities during the day. Protein is one of the keys to healthy weight gain. Protein choices should always be lean, and you want to make sure you have just the right amount of protein to aid you in reaching your goals. Just like anything else, you want to be sure you’re not consuming an excessive amount of protein, because the body then starts to store it as fat.
A general rule of thumb is to consume roughly around one gram of protein (per pound) of body weight; ( if you weigh 150 pounds, and want to gain muscle, you should intake 150 grams of protein per day).
Carbohydrates should be anywhere from 1.5 to 3 grams per pound depending on the amount of body fat you have. That’s right! Not being able to eat carbs is now a thing of the past! So many people think that unwanted fat is the result of carbohydrate intake; however, that doesn’t have to be the case. Complex carbs are essential for weight gain and feeding the body with the energy.
***Simple carbs on the other should only be consumed before/after the workout (sparingly).
Keep a food journal
Keeping a food journal is simple and doesn’t require much detail as to why it’s necessary, outside of the obvious. What else is going to help you keep track of what you’re eating and drinking, and let you know what’s working vs. what’s not in conjunction with reaching your goals? The food journal can also serve as motivation for you during your transformation journey.
Compound Exercises
A compound exercise is an exercise that engages more than one muscle at a time. These exercises usually hit two or more different joints at a time which stimulates an entire muscle group simultaneously.
The most significant advantage of a compound exercise is the ability to burn more calories while working out due to you working more than one muscle at a time. The more muscles and joints involved in a workout, the more fat you burn.
Drink a whey protein shake during workout
A whey protein shake during exercise can help with increasing muscle strength and endurance. If your goal is to put on mass, you can drink up to 45 grams of protein in a single workout session (no more than three times a week). Protein shakes work best using the following: plain water, low-fat cow’s milk or almond milk.
Set goals
Be sure to know where you started and be clear on where you’re going. Set short and long term, obtainable and realistic goals and check them off as you complete them. This can also be used as a means of motivation.
As stated above, gaining healthy weight can be tricky but, as long as you’re consistently setting and achieving your goals, exercising and making sure to eat and drink the right things you’ll be just fine!
