Tips for Effective Muscle Building Diets

One of the biggest mistakes many new bodybuilders make is that they don't pay attention to their muscle building diets with the same detail, desire and determination with which they pay attention to their weight training program.

You constantly see people throw out numbers such as your weight training program is 85% of your results or that muscle building diets are 95% of your results. I've always rolled my eyes at these sorts of statements and found them rather silly. No one can know for sure how to break this down.

But I can tell you this, if you neglect (or ignore completely) one or the other, whether it be your training or muscle building diets, your results will only be a fraction of what they could be - if you get any results at all!

So let's talk about the importance of your diet and nutrition plan in your quest to gain pounds of quality muscle masss.

The truth is, no one will ever gain muscle without food. Muscle building nutrition for muscle gain is simply a matter of eating. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to learn. Stuffing your face with the wrong type of food, or just eating 1 or 2 large meals a day isn't the way to gain muscle. You'll just end up with the other weight problem. That's right, even if you are lifting properly, you'll find yourself adding more fat than muscle to your body. And no bodybuilder I know wants to do that.

High quality protein should be the center point of all your meals. Intense exercise increases demand for protein, which support muscle repair and growth. When you train with weights, you should eat a minimum of 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

If you weight 150 pounds, try and take in at least 225 grams of protein each and every day. I know this sounds like a lot and you could probably do okay with 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. But if you find it really difficult to gain muscle, this extra protein can help.

Here's a good starting guide for the number of calories you need to eat in your musclde building diets. A simple, yet highly accurate formula is to multiply your bodyweight by 20. For example, if you weight 150 lbs, you need at least 3,000 calories per day to maintain your bodyweight.

To grow and build muscle, you'll need more. Here's a quick guideline based on your weight. Remember, these numbers are for underweight people with high metabolisms trying to build lots of muscle quickly.

175 pounds and under - add 400 calories per day

176-200 ponds - add 500 calories per day

201 pounds and over - add 600 calories per day

To break down what you need in your muscle building diets:

Eat A Lot of Protein - At least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, preferably more.

Eat A Lot of Calories - If your goal is to gain weight fast, you most likely have little body fat and a high metabolism. While in the gaining weight stage, don't worry about adding a little bit of fat during your gaining weight phase. A good rule of thumb to start with is to multiply your body weight by 20 to get the number of calories you should be consuming each day.

If you weigh 150 pounds you should be consuming at least 3,000 calories a day. If you find, after a couple of weeks you haven't added any weight, you'll need to increase this number. This is just a starting guide. If you have a really high metabolism and you are working as hard as you should, you may need to increase your caloric intake.

Eat 6 meals a Day - This makes sure your body has the protein and calories it needs at all times. It also allows you to eat the high number of calories that you need.

Use Protein Shakes - This will make it easier for you to consume enough calories and protein each day, as well as making it much more convenient to have 6 meals a day.

Here's a sample weight gain drink you can make up and use in your muscle building nutrition program.

100 grams of protein powder

2 quarts of whole or 2% Milk

2 cups of skim milk powder

2 cups of chocolate ice cream

4 tablespoons of peanut butter

1 banana

Mix in a blender and drink throughout the day, in addition to your regular food meals.

Add or subtract ingredients based on individual taste preferences and number of calories needed.

Gregg Gillies is the founder of http://www.buildleanmuscle.com and has contributed articles to Ironman magazine and is a regular contributor to Body Talk magazine. He publishes a free newsletter availabe at Build Lean Muscle He is the author of two books, also available at his site.

---

How to Substitute Fat in Your Everyday Diet

Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the... Read More

The Danger of Curbing Hunger Artificially

Unhealthy eating is a harmful problem in America, and contrary... Read More

Nutritional Myths that Just Wont Die: Protein!

When it comes to the topic of sports nutrition there... Read More

Magnesium 101

Magnesium is an important mineral that serves numerous essential functions... Read More

Seven Habits of Highly Healthy Eaters

"What exercises can I do to ?? As fitness professional... Read More

The Joys of Being Healthy

It is amazing to be able to say I am... Read More

Combat Drug-Induced Nutrient Depletion

Today, more than ever, consumers over the age of 50... Read More

Nutritional Support in Critically Ill Patients

The nutritional support in critically ill patients can be explained... Read More

Find Mineral Nutrition Online

Mineral nutritionSearching for mineral nutrition information is much easier today... Read More

That Cookie Might Kill You!

Chances are you may have had a food product that... Read More

Nutrition, Evolution, and Having a Healthy Diet

Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More

The Cost Of Being Sick And One Possible Alternative: Glyconutrition

A lot of people I've talked with about health supplements... Read More

Body Calling: Maintaining Excellent Health

Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More

Calcium Absorption and Information

Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More

Dietary Sources of Glutathione

DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant and... Read More

5 Ways to Get the Best Out of Radishes

They sit left behind on relish trays. They're often by-passed... Read More

Brown Sugar is Not Brown Rice

Question from Jack:A question from Jack, one of the subscribers... Read More

Learn the Basics of a Successful Low Cholesterol Diet

Understanding What a Low Cholesterol Diet isBasically, in order to... Read More

16 Quick Tips for Eating at Restaurants or Work

Most of us eat at restaurants for a variety of... Read More

Carrots : The Master Key For Healthy Living!

It slows ageing, promotes healthy vision, has anti-cancer properties, increases... Read More

You Dont Have to be Wealthy to Eat Well: The Truth about Your Grocery Budget

Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than... Read More

Inflammation Pain Eased with Glyconutrients

Every person on earth has experienced pain at one time... Read More

Learn About Food Nutrition Facts

Food nutrition factsFinding food nutrition facts and dietary nutrition used... Read More

Put a Zing in your Step with Ginger!

Zingiber officinale has been held in the highest regard by... Read More

Confessions of a Personal Fitness Trainer

Last year I had a number of clients who started... Read More

Feeling Tired? No Pep & Zing? Tap Into Breakfast Smoothies!

I'm 40-something years old, and for 40-something years breakfast has... Read More

Not All Protein is Created Equally

America's focus on nutritious eating began to receive national attention... Read More

Hidden Poison

Did you know that there might be poison in many... Read More

Food with Niacin and The Benefits

Niacin, also called nicotinic acid, is a member of the... Read More

5 Secrets of Reading Food Labels Revealed

Whether you're concerned about cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or simply... Read More

Buying Organic Produce: 6 Tips on How to Shop Wisely and Save Money

Some say they don't or can't buy organic foods due... Read More

The Ugly Truth About Food

At any grocery store in North America right now, there... Read More

Good Fats Prevent Chronic Disease

Essential fatty acids are the number one recommendation for anyone... Read More