Relative to carbohydrates and protein, fat has received considerably less attention as a credible macronutrient and supplements for athletic improvement. In fact, the recommendation to avoid fats is a prevailing suggestion. Often fueled by public misconception, fats have taken on an unfavorable reputation as strictly harmful. Much of the trepidation arises from the fact that high intakes of fat are associated with heart disease and cancer, and that fat contains more than twice as many calories (9 calories per gram) as do carbohydrates and protein. What is neglected, however, are the many essential physiological functions that are accomplished through the ingestion of fats. Furthermore, although some types of fats can be delineated into harmful categories, others, when used correctly, can be deemed beneficial.

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Here is some information about foods to eat to help you build muscles. When you start an exercise program with the goal of building muscles, you must change your diet accordingly. If you start exercising and burning more calories, and do not increase your food intake, you will lose muscle mass.

Protein

If you start exercising regularly, you need to eat more protein. If you aren’t getting enough protein in your diet, then your body starts using its own sources of protein for energy. 60-70% of the body’s protein is found in muscle tissue, so your body will eat away at your muscles, which will slow your metabolic rate, reduce your strength and stop all muscle growth.

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Weight gain is hard work for everyone even though there are trainers who say it is easy for some. It’s under eating that can be the problem. That means your training becomes restricted by how much you can eat. It comes back to the old theory. To get BIG, you need to eat BIG – and the time to do this is when you’re young – when your body is building.

Weight gain diet and nutrition is so important for results. If budget is a concern, try using tinned fish as the basis of your weight gain diet. Replace fresh meats like steak and chicken with tinned tuna and tinned salmon. You can also drink skimmed milk in place of protein drinks. However whilst the protein content of milk is excellent, the ratio of protein versus sugar isn’t as good as protein drinks. (2 litres of milk contain 36g of protein but also 48g of sugar – not so good!)

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Diet and nutrition is the single most important factor in wanting to gain weight. You can do all the weight training you want, but if your are not feeding your body the necessary food and nutrients it requires for maintenance and growth, then it will all be a waste of time, not to mention unhealthy. Knowing what to eat to gain weight is essential for putting on the pounds. In a nutshell, your weight gaining diet should include high protein foods, high carbohydrate foods, and good fats.

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Protein is an important part of any weight gain diet. If you are not getting the necessary daily protein intake from normal foods, drinking protein shakes is a good option and they don’t necessarily have to taste bad!

If you are short on protein to begin with your might be putting your muscles in a catabolic state (where you actually break down muscle tissue). By getting up to an intake recommended for someone who works out consistently and at least at a moderate intensity, the extra protein will help you either maintain or build muscle. I would recommend 1-1.5 times your bodyweight in grams of protein to take in daily. Don’t forget to include the protein already in your regular diet though.

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This is a question I received from a blog reader which I have answered on the site for the benefit of all.

Question: I have often seen it recommended that bodybuilders should drink a lot of water. Is it really necessary to drink several liters of water a day in addition to other fluids, even when you are not thirsty? How much would you recommend?

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Part of an ongoing study into the impact of drinking milk after heavy weightlifting has found that milk helps exercisers burn more fat. The study by researchers at McMaster University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by the Department of Kinesiology’s Exercise Metabolism Research Group, lead by Stuart Phillips.

The study by researchers at McMaster University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by the Department of Kinesiology’s Exercise Metabolism Research Group, lead by Stuart Phillips.

The researchers took three groups of young men 18 to 30 years of age — 56 in total — and put them through a rigorous, five-day-per-week weightlifting program over a 12-week period. Following their workouts, study participants drank either two cups of skim milk, a soy beverage with equivalent amounts of protein and energy, or a carbohydrate beverage with an equivalent amount of energy, which was roughly the same as drinking 600 to 700 milliliters of a typical sports drink. Read the full article »

The point raised in the article is nothing new and highlights the importance of including milk in your weight gaining diet post workout. Drinking protein milk shakes is a great way to include protein and milk in your diet, which is not only beneficial for muscle gain but offers many other positive health benefits. For guidance on how often to drink protein milkshakes, read the sample weight gain diet which helped me gain 48lbs whilst maintaining a body fat percentage of about 10% which I am very happy with.

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So your getting ready for your max bench this week, have you eaten for maximum performance? Trying to get ready for a big day in the gym or any other sporting type event can be an exercise in futility if you do not prepare yourself. Part of preparing yourself means eating the correct food, taking the correct supplements and mentally focusing on the task at hand. Amateur and Pro athletes alike have similar eating plans for performance.

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Bore bore bore! Yes I know, talking about weight gain diets can be an unbelievably tedious subject. I remember many years ago reading huge books on individual amino acids, and individual vitamins and their effects. a very stimulating bed time read that was. All that matters, is what is the best way to eat to get big, and what is the bet way to eat to get ripped.

To get big:

Eat a lot! You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who come to me complaining that they can’t put on any weight, but only eat 2500 calories a day. Invariably they miss breakfast, and maybe have a sandwich for lunch. You have to eat big to get big.

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What does getting big actually mean? You can get big and fat (easy) You can get big and lean (hard) or you could get mid way between the two. This is what is normally called “bulking up”

Bulking up is not for everyone. If you are overweight to begin with, and have a tendency to get fat, then I’m afraid this is not for you. If your metabolism is average to fast, then this can be an effective way to get more muscle, get stronger, and smash through those barriers.

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