Category Nutrition

In this article we are going to talk about gaining weight.

Wait! Are you saying, Gain weight?

I thought that the great expectation today is to lose weight. Who on earth wants to gain weight? Well, if you’re reading this, you’re likely one of the many people who are really struggling to gain weight.

3 ways to gain more weight in an intelligent way

In fact, when I talk about gaining weight I mean gaining lean mass or building muscle .

Not only do you not want to gain weight, but you want to increase lean muscle mass. So if you want to learn what to do and what not to do to gain muscle mass, read on to find out.

My own history

I personally totally understand those who want to gain weight because I have been in that situation. I’ve been a skinny guy all through high school and most of college.

Sometimes it seemed like no matter what he did in the kitchen or the gym, he couldn’t make the scale go up a single pound.

I first started exercising when I was in college and my body weight was around 60-65 kilos at 1.78 meters tall. So I was pretty skinny and I never thought I could reach 85 kilos (which I’m weighing today) without looking fat.

Anyway, my point is, I’ve been there and I know how you can get out of it.

The easy (and stupid) way

The easiest way to gain weight would be to eat exactly how you are eating right now and simply add a medium-sized pizza every day. If you do, you will gain weight and will probably gain it fairly quickly.

If pizza isn’t exactly your thing, you can drink a 1,000 kcal weight gain shake or a few bags of tartlets every day. Either of those things will work too.

However, there is a problem with all these strategies. After a month or two of doing it, you are definitely going to gain weight but you probably won’t be happy with how your body is changing.

And the reason for this depends on what you’re doing in the gym (assuming you go to the gym), you may or may not end up being stronger or more muscular after overeating, but you will definitely end up fatter. Probably much fatter.

That’s why your goal shouldn’t just be gaining weight. You need to rethink this to gain as much muscle and fat as possible. And achieving that takes a different approach than simply “eating a lot more”.

The intelligent way

Very well, to be bigger but also without being fat, you must follow three simple steps:

1. First of all, you should eat just a little more calories than you burn.
2. You must have a high protein, high carbohydrate diet.
3. Do compound exercises with a lot of weight.

If you can implement the above steps correctly, you can gain weight while improving your body composition. This approach is much more likely to bring you closer to the body type you hope to achieve.

Alright, now let’s look at a little more detail in each of these three steps and see how you can implement them in your own lifestyle.

Step 1. Eat a little more

Weight gain and weight loss are as simple as calories in and calories out. If you are not eating enough calories, you will not gain weight. And that’s the only reason some people don’t gain weight.

Your appetite alone is not enough. The problem is that when your natural appetite is really low, you really feel like you are eating a lot of food but you really aren’t.

In fact, I’ve known people who had this problem and they calculated that they were eating between 3,000 and 4,000 calories, but when I asked them to keep track of everything they were eating, they found that they were consuming only about 2,000 kcal. per day.

Muscle development occurs when you have a caloric surplus. Your body will need just a little extra energy to start building muscle effectively.

Now, once people discover that they actually eat less, they begin to exaggerate with the amount of calories they eat, which is not optimal for rebuilding your body.

You think that if overeating a little is good for muscle development, eating a lot more will be even more beneficial, right?

Well not really.

Based on research and studies conducted so far, it has been scientifically proven that you will build muscle at the maximum rate possible and minimize fat gain when you eat only 10 to 15% more calories from the ones you burn .

So if you do the math, for most people this is only 200-400 kcal above your maintenance level. If you put that in your food, it can be just an extra sandwich or just a tall glass of milk. That’s! That’s all you need to eat to put your body in a slight caloric surplus and start changing your look.

If you eat a lot more than that, your muscles simply won’t be able to keep up with the amount of food you’re eating. Therefore, all the extra calories will be stored as body fat.

Let’s move on to step 2!

Step 2. High amount of proteins and carbohydrates

You probably already know that protein is given a lot of importance in the world of bodybuilding. And the reason for this is that it supports muscle growth. There’s a ton of studies to back that up, so there’s no catch here.

The amino acids in protein are the building blocks of our muscles, so it makes perfect sense to eat plenty of it. If you don’t, you will always have trouble building muscle.

Apparently the optimal amount of protein you need to eat to build muscle efficiently is around 1.5 gram per kilo of body weight . So if you weigh 70 kilos, you will need to eat 105 grams of protein per day. This should represent about 30-40% of your caloric intake on average.

Now when it comes to carbohydrates, there is a lot of debate. You rarely see someone recommending eating a lot of carbohydrates. As you probably know, there is a lot of hype around low-carb diets these days.

In fact, low carb diets are not effective at all if you like fitness or weight lifting or any other sport or physical activity. Low carb diets are good for overweight and sedentary people, but for active and healthy people they are pretty bad.

Eating carbohydrates will actually help you build muscle faster.

Carbohydrates will increase the amount of glycogen in your muscles. As you may know, glycogen is the fuel our muscles use in the gym when we exercise. More glycogen means better workouts, and better workouts will result in more muscle development.

Another way that a high carbohydrate diet helps is to maintain a higher insulin level, which will reduce the rate of muscle breakdown by keeping your body in an anabolic state for longer periods of time.

So, if you want to build muscle as fast as possible while gaining little fat, you need to eat enough protein and carbohydrates while keeping your total caloric intake just 10-15% above your maintenance level.

Step 3. Do compound exercises with a lot of weight

Let me start by telling you that if you miss the first two steps, step 3 is really not going to matter that much. A proper diet is extremely important! So make sure your diet is under control and only then continue to step 3.

What you do or don’t do in the gym will greatly affect your results.

The best types of workouts for people who do not use steroids are those that focus on compound exercises like bench press , military press , squats and deadlift . All of these exercises should definitely be in your training plan.

The reason compound exercises are superior to isolation exercises is because they allow you to progressively overload your muscles more effectively. You can increase the level of tension in your muscles over time much more effectively.

This is the main driver of muscle growth and while there are several different ways to do it, the most effective is to get stronger. That’s why the strongest people in your gym are also some of the biggest. So if you want to build a great physique, you need to start lifting heavy weights and building your whole body strength.

That’s basically it. These are the only 3 things you need to do to gain weight consistently and effectively and to make sure that much of that weight is muscle and not fat.

Summary

Here’s a quick rundown of the 3 smart ways to gain more weight:

• Eat a little more.
• A diet high in protein and carbohydrates.
• Lifting weight

Are you struggling to gain more weight? Leave a comment below.

If you’re serious about your health, then you probably already know which foods to eat and which to avoid (any processed food or high glycemic index ). Even though you already have this knowledge, you could still be missing some hidden benefits in the foods you eat.

To unlock the full nutritional potential of your meals, remember that the vegetables, fruits, and other whole foods we eat are living organisms, too. As such, they have their own self defense biomechanisms to protect them from predators. The byproduct of these biological mechanisms such as trace elements, carotenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids and phytochemicals can also protect us from health problems.

Garlic

Garlic offers enormous health benefits , but many people shoot themselves in the foot for the way they cook with it. People tend to mince garlic and immediately throw it into a heat source. There’s no question that the added garlic adds an unparalleled depth of flavor, sadly, the rush to pan kills the primary health benefits of garlic.

Garlic contains a protein element called alliin and a heat-sensitive enzyme called alliinase . When you cut a thin membrane from garlic, alliin and alliinase are synthesized into an antimicrobial compound called allicin, which may have the ability to fight cancer and heart-related diseases.

Garlic sounds amazing so far, but here’s the catch: A group of food chemists pointed out that applying heat immediately after cutting garlic destroys alliinase – that very enzyme needed to form the most valuable component of garlic. . By this time, most of its healing properties have been completely lost and are on fire.

The good news is that you can still cook garlic and reap its properties (and flavor), simply by letting the chopped garlic rest for a bit. That’s it. Once you mince the garlic, keep it away from heat and let it rest for 8-10 minutes before cooking. This short wait time allows the allicin process to complete.

Potatoes

The fast-digesting starches found in potatoes actually raise blood sugar almost as high and as fast as eating white sugar with a spoon. This is especially true if you buy the standard supermarkets like the white meat Russet or ready-to-fry potatoes.

Although our bodies are designed to handle the rapid rise in blood glucose from high glycemic foods with a hormone called insulin, consuming large amounts of sugary foods on a regular basis can lead to a condition called resistance to insulin.

At that point, blood glucose can no longer be adequately controlled without medication. The development of this process usually leads to type 2 diabetes.

The solution is to cook the potato and then chill it in the fridge for approximately 24 hours. The colder temperature lowers the glycemic index of starches, lowering it by 25 percent, resulting in a rise in blood glucose. The pancreas will thank you, as it is responsible for the release of insulin. Excessive demands on the pancreas from repeated glucose spikes damage the organ over time.

From that moment on, the cold will lower the glycemic index of the potatoes for you to enjoy, worry-free. You can also slow down the digestion of starch by adding fat to potatoes (olive oil for example)

Carrots

For mysterious reasons, carrots cut after they have been cooked provide more nutritional value than cut them before they have been cooked.

For some, this may be a disappointing realization, as raw carrots are some of the most portable and convenient veggies for snacking.

Surprisingly, cooking the whole carrot and then slicing it will increase its nutritional value and improve the taste. Carrots cooked without chopping tend to be sweeter, but more importantly, they retain about more than 25 percent of a compound called falcarinol, which protects carrots from diseases caused by fungi in nature. Falcarinol has cancer-fighting properties.

Carrots also contain beta-carotene – a healthy compound that makes them that orange color. Do not forget that in order to absorb this nutrient you have to combine them with some fats.

Walnuts

Nuts of all kinds are packed with protein, omega-6 fatty acids, trace minerals, and make a great and convenient snack. Unfortunately, nuts in their unaltered form also contain high amounts of “anti-nutrients,” more specifically phytic acid, lectins, enzyme inhibitors, and in some cases, even mold.

Phytic acid and these anti-nutrients are indigestible in humans and wreak havoc on the body as they greedily cling to minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, and others. Consuming a large amount of these nuts without first putting it through a process called sprouting could lead to severe mineral deficiencies and loss of bone density.

Sprouts consist of soaking the walnuts in water (salted water, or sometimes an acidic solution also works) for a predetermined length of time. Exposure to moisture mimics something that occurs in nature when walnuts create enzymes to break down anti-nutrients. What this ultimately means is that properly sprouted nuts have increased their nutritional value and will be easier to digest.

The dive time depends on the type and quantity, and can vary from a few hours to a full day.

Vegetables

Boiled vegetables are still a staple among fat-loss-wanting people and bodybuilders’ diets. Chicken and boiled vegetables, anyone? Certainly, it is quick, comfortable and easy to do. But have you ever wondered why the cooking water turns green after broccoli floats around for a while? Perhaps even sadder is that the water pours quickly without even a shrug of the shoulders, leaving nothing but a less nutritious bundle of green matter fibers that can hardly be called broccoli.

It turns out that boiled veggies are perhaps the fastest way to lose nutrients. In addition to making the step towards an absolutely tasteless meal, boiled vegetables filter out all the valuable nutrients soluble in the cooking water. At that point, you should only drink the water in order to save the loose nutrients.

If you want to take advantage of eating veggies in the first place, consider sautéing the veggies with a little butter or oil, or even steaming it.

It doesn’t matter how hard you train or how blessed you happen to be genetically. Without proper nutrition , you will never reach your full potential when it comes to gaining muscle mass .

Even those people who seem to gain muscle mass just by looking at the weights can benefit from having proper nutrition on their side.

But sometimes feeding your body can be tricky. Unless you know what you are doing, poor nutrition can lead you astray and become a hindrance rather than a help.

Nutrition tips to gain muscle mass

In this article I will show you 5 rules that you can follow this New Year to gain muscle mass .

1. The frequency of meals

It doesn’t matter how often you eat, it doesn’t matter if you eat three times a day or take six containers of food to work, this is not more important than the total number of calories and macronutrients. Some men and women prefer to eat four times a day, while others can eat eight times a day. The best choice is the one that allows you to stay on your diet. As long as you manage to consume the calories and macronutrients you need. The number of servings won’t make a difference.

We have to have a rational mindset and remember that if your calorie intake is almost 4,000, it could be difficult to eat only four meals (it would give us 1000 calories per meal)

2. Consume shakes

Instead of struggling to get 3,000-4,000 calories per day from whole foods, using protein / carbohydrate and fat shakes can help you reach your daily goals without making you feel uncomfortable or bloated from so many whole foods. Skip “weight gainers” products that provide 1,000 calories or more and are full of simple sugars and unhealthy fats. Look for products like whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, and whole egg, which have high protein values ​​of 159, 104, and 100, respectively. Do you want to be more practical? Create your own shake rich in nutrients: you can add protein powder, ground oats, banana, ground almonds, flax seeds, dried coconut, natural nut butters, oils and anything else you want to include.

3. The body type

One factor that is often overlooked when planning a diet and training program is your body type. You might get the best bulking diet out of a magazine or online, but it might not do you much good if it was designed with someone else in mind. Ectomorphs generally require more calories, carbohydrates, and often more fat in their diet, while endomorphs will want to be more careful with the total number of calories to see how their body reacts and avoid unwanted fat gains. Mesomorphs are the lucky ones. They will generally see relatively good results with moderate calories.

These categories play differently for each one, but are great for helping you set your expectations and strategies. Don’t be obsessed with them, but definitely keep them in mind.

4. Eat simple carbohydrates

Would you like to eat a plate of spaghetti? Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it once in a while. Just be sure to time your carbohydrate intake correctly, especially simple carbohydrates. The two best times to eat these are first thing in the morning – because you are coming off “fasting” and after your workout, when you can use carbs to kick start recovery, refill glycogen stores and help. in the process of muscle growth.

5. Plan your day

Having a plan of when you are going to eat, what you are going to eat and how much you are going to eat instead of just improvising increases your chances of success. muscle growth is not an excuse to eat more. If you want to maximize results, use the same precision with your bulking diet as you would for definition. Take some time each week to dedicate yourself to creating your diet. It’s the best way to guarantee results!

After you have finished your training , your body is very exhausted and looking for nutrients to use to start the repair process, which allows us to heal and get stronger for our next exercise session . During the first 90 minutes after our training session, our insulin sensitivity is much higher and slowly decreases.

This is because our weight training routine has shocked our body and uses a lot of its fuel right away and is willing to replace it. So during this time, it is a good idea to eat a lot of carbohydrates.

Increased insulin levels after training is not harmful and will not cause an increase in fat storage as the nutrients will go to skeletal muscle at this time.

After training, fast absorbing carbohydrates are recommended. You will need blood sugar levels to rise rapidly to transport nutrients to the muscles . Carbohydrates with a glycemic index of 100 would be the most optimal. We also want it to be in liquid form for faster absorption. Maltodextrin and dextrose are the best options.

After your training you can consume up to 30% of your total daily calorie consumption without worrying since your body will not store it in fat, as I said before. There are several things to take into account when post-training:

• Don’t stop eating, even if you’re not hungry or don’t want to.
• Drink plenty of water with food and afterwards.
• Eat some protein with your meal, so carbohydrates and water will help transport protein into the cell to begin repairing muscles. (There will be a small insulin spike in your system.)
• Try to avoid consuming fat with this meal, as it slows down the rate of digestion and lowers the insulin spike.
• A post-workout drink, such as a commercial meal replacement supplement, is optimal for providing adequate amounts of protein and carbohydrates, to aid protein synthesis and limit protein breakdown.

Supplements you can use in post-training:

1. Whey protein

It is essential in creating the insulin spike and in helping to build new muscle. It is a must to consume it if you train. Some say you need a ton of protein right after training, but if you eat tons of protein, you’re just going to pee it out.

Protein companies want to make you think that you should consume large amounts of it and that way they make more money. So don’t eat more protein than your body can handle or you’ll end up in the bathroom.

2. Dextrose and maltrodextrin

These are also very important in achieving your insulin spike. It also helps to quickly reload your glycogen reserves. They are cheap and you can buy them in almost any store.

3. Creatine

During the insulin spike, if creatine is present in the blood, it enters the muscle along with the insulin. Creatine increases your ATP (adenosine triphosphate) stores faster rather than letting your own body replace them.

4. Antioxidants

These supplements are important in reducing muscle fatigue. They are used for your body to create the two enzymes to control free radicals. They reduce muscle fatigue by preventing free radicals from damaging muscle tissue. Some oxidants are vitamin E and C or zinc, to name a few. There are many more and you can buy them as supplements.

5. BCAA (branched-chain amino acids)

BCAAs are great for maintaining nitrogen balances. They are digested in skeletal muscle and prevent muscle fatigue.