Build Muscle Mass

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Build Lean Muscle Mass

If your goal is to put on lean body mass and/or increase strength, consider following a nutritional guideline set for a bodybuilder.  Begin by setting realistic goals and focus on the long-term goals most beneficial for your respective sport and position.  Keep in mind the following tips when you design a program to build lean body mass and/or increase muscle strength.

• Be consistent and diligent with your supplements.
• During the offseason, follow the nutrition guidelines for bodybuilders.  Then during the preseason, follow a more sport-specific program to maximize your strength, power, and recovery.
• Monitor your body composition.
• Add 2 calories for every 1 lb of lean body mass.  Add the calories to your protein and CHO intakes and leave your fat intake at roughly 20%.  Divide the additional calories equally among all your daily meals.
• Eat 5 to 6 smaller meals a day to give your body a steady supply of calories and nutrients and to keep your blood sugar at a constant level.
• Eat whole foods.  Avoid processed foods.
• Eat high quality, low fat proteins (such as egg whites, chicken, turkey, tuna, lean red meat, low fat dairy products, and low fat protein supplements).
• Consider consuming a high protein, low fat powder weight-gain drink as a snack or part of a meal.
   

Supplement at least a multivitamin.
 

• DO NOT consume too much protein.  The human body can only assimilate (take in, digest and absorb) about 25 – 40g of protein per meal.
• Eat more complex CHO such as brown rice, whole-grain pasta, potatoes, whole-grain bread, and beans.
• For snacks, eat sports-nutrition bars that are low in fat and high in CHO and PRO.
• Consume an energy drink.
   

Wait at least 1 hour before consuming your post-training meal.  Studies show that if you train hard for about an hour, your GH and testosterone levels (which are essential to building lean body mass and strength) will reach a peak.  However, if you eat during or directly after training, your hormonal responses will be reduced.

*CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO

An athlete weighs in at 169lbs and 15% body fat.  He wants to put on 6lbs of lean body mass in the offseason.   

169 x .15(%) = 25.35 (lbs of actual body fat)

169 (total body weight) – 25.35 (lbs body fat) = 143.65 (LEAN BODY MASS)

*to figure out any number in kilograms, divide the number by 2.2*

So… 143.65 (LEAN BODY MASS) / 2.2 = 65.30kg

To calculate how much additional energy should be consumed, multiply your LBM (in kilos) by 1.5…

65.30 (kg0 x 1.5 = 215 (additional calories per day)

These additional calories should be consumed by either CHO or PRO, not fat!