Muscle gain

With Muscle Gain training getting your food correct is a must!

Key issues are protein supply, calorie consumption and nutrient supply - including fats.  If all you want to worry about is, are you getting enough, there are many all in one supplements that can take the thinking away from you. Natural food is just as good if not better depending on who you are listening to and some more specifics about you and your goals.

Here are the Key issues

Protein (Amino Acids) is measured by grams per kilogram of body weight. Protein is what your muscle is made of and should be from a variety of sources and should be regularly consumed throughout the day in snacks and meals.  Not enough calories in other foods will deplete your body’s protein supply.

• During a moderate weights strength training phase (sets of no less than 10 reps) = 1.4 grams of protein per KG of bodyweight per day


• During a heavy weights strength training phase (sets of 8 reps or less) = 1.6 grams of protein per KG of bodyweight per day


• During a very high intensity phase (sets of 6 reps or less) = 1.8 grams of protein per KG of bodyweight per day

Calories – Take your maximum calorie need and add 500 calories if you are naturally skinny or if you are happy to build first and trim fat later. If you do not eat enough calories your body will not have enough energy to repair and build muscle and will also deplete essential protein supplies to release energy.

Eat carbohydrates from a variety of sources, look for more starchy than sugary foods except directly before and after training. Eat throughout the day in regular small snacks and meals.

Nutrients and Fats - Fats contain vitamins A,D,E and K - essential for your health. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are considered the healthiest but saturated fats are not all bad, although eat the least of saturated fats. Look for a variety of fats in your foods - and avoid trans-fats wherever you can.

There are a wider range of nutrients that are necessary for muscle gain than it is useful to list - keep your diet well varied and you will get all you need. Any list of special considerations is just a gimmick - keep a good variety of all foods...

See the healthy food plate for more information.