Building strength and muscles is not just about working hard in the gym day in and out. Though, it certainly is like winning half the battle. But, then what about the other half? Nutrition, it is! Bodybuilders and trainers will often tell you how bodybuilding is more than 50 percent nutrition. A fact most of the people tend to ignore. Are you doing the same? We hope not! For a strength gaining and muscle building diet comprises of three basic components – protein, carbohydrates, and fats. It’s like the whole bodybuilding world revolves around them. Let’s get to know more about them, shall we?
The Three Essential Components To Make Up Your Diet
Our body is nothing more than a machine that requires fuel to keep working well. However, it doesn’t mean you can feed it anything in your sight or starve it of the nutrients it requires. Especially when it comes to gaining strength and building muscles you can’t go wrong with it. Therefore, forget everything you’ve known till now and absorb all you can to make a plan worth your dreams.
Protein
Protein, as you might already be aware of, is the building block of muscles. It’s the very thing that makes them. So as to put it in simple words, without an adequate supply of protein, your body would not support muscle growth. Without it, you probably would not have even grown up. After all, apart from water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body. It is responsible for building, repairing, as well as the maintenance of the muscle tissue. In addition, it is also vital for the absorption of nutrients and production of hormones like testosterone.
Therefore, do make it a point to consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight every day. That would be 200 grams a day if you weigh around 200 lbs. The reason why it is so is because every one of us has different body types. Thus, the amount of protein required differs from person to person. Since it can be consumed in the form of supplements yet one of the best ways to get this much amount of protein is by eating whole protein source with each meal. To name a few are:
- Red Meat: Lamb, pork, beef, buffalo, etc.
- Dairy: Milk, quark, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.
- Poultry: Eggs. chicken, duck, turkey, etc.
- Fish: Salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, etc.
- Whey protein
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are among one of the most feared nutrients eliminated by people from their diet plan. Initially, cutting the carbs may help reduce weight drastically. But, then it is the body’s primary source of energy. Cutting them for long is never recommended by anyone. If you have to, cut down the simple carbs or refined carbs as you might know it.
Simple carbs are found in foods like sugar, white rice, bread, etc. The ones low in fiber and high in glycemic index. Therefore, they digest quickly and promote short-term fullness, leading to overeating. In such case, HGH energizer supplements and likewise come into play. They help to restore the depleted glycogen from the muscle tissues to repair and build them after being torn apart during the workout. Another great way to do the same is by consuming the complex or the healthy carbs post workout.
They, on the other hand, are found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Unlike the simple carbs, they are packed with nutrients and are rich in fiber. The long, complex chains allow it to break down slowly, which contributes to building lean muscle mass in the body. Unlike the empty calories of the simple carbs, complex carbs act as the best source of fuel to train hard. Your diet, therefore, should consist of 55% to 65% of carbs. The key lies in eating the right food than to avoid it all together. Because if you don’t, the body will turn to the next source of energy, protein.
Fats
In order to gain strength and muscle mass, the last thing you would want to have on your plate is a diet rich in fat. Over the years we all have heard how bad it is for our health, isn’t it? How you need to stay on a low-fat diet to be healthy. Despite all that take a moment to ponder on how fat is not the real enemy. But, the way it is used is what makes it our enemy.
Truth be told, in order to build maximum muscle and to be in a healthy state our body requires fat in our daily diet. The trick is to keep it in balance with the rest of our intake of nutrients. Generally, fat is categorized into two types: the good fats and the bad fats. Good are the one’s found in foods like fish, nuts, and olive oil. Whereas, the bad are the saturated and trans fats from which you need to stay away from at all cost. As these fats are more plastic in nature.
Naturally occurring fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, on the contrary, are what you should aim for. If you cut fat out altogether, it increases the risk of essential fat deficiency. This, in turn, causes the body to have trouble while absorbing fat-soluble vitamins such as A, E, D, and K. So, let good fats become a vital part of the diet by getting rid of the bad ones. Keep their intake to at least 15 to 25% of your diet.
So, these are the three basic components of a strength and muscle building diet. In addition to training hard, it’s what is going to get you your desired results. Sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? But, then it is quite real and practical. Are you up for it?
Author Bio
Tressie Dawson
Tressie Dawson is a rabid health and fitness aficionado. She is sports lover and a fitness enthusiast
who believes in healthy living. Her inspiration lies in all those things that are healthy and natural.She loves to share her knowledge about health, fitness, and muscle-building too.