Tips on How to Gain Muscle

(Editors's note: The following are some tips for gaining muscle from Yago Freire, Personal Trainer graduated in nutrition.)

For several years, people have watched that gaining muscle is not an easy task. Despite efforts to train hard, a lot of people find that their muscle mass have barely increased. Many are also fustrated that they struggle to gain weight and pack on some muscle at an advance pace.

The solution is for people to change their diet and develop plans that best match their nutritional needs instead of continuing the same eating habits that have brought them little muscle gain until now.

Consider the following ten strategies to take control of your diet:

1. No diet must restrict any food unless those that contain fat since they are consumed in excess in most of the cases. The foundation of nutrition must be complex carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, bread and vegetables. This means that we must eat this type of food mostly. Then is to eat proteins: meat, fish, eggs, skim milk and vegetables. Always deprived of visible fat or skin. Lastly, we must restrict as much as possible any fat and simple carbohydrates or sugar besides oil, butter, cheese, whole milk, cold cuts (chorizo, sausage, etc.), soft drinks, sweets, appetizers, dried fruits…

2. It’s important to notice that in order to gain muscle, like any other diet, we must follow a balanced diet that is rich in carbohydrates and poor in fat in contrary to the style of consumption of most people. We must avoid fat as much as possible. The objective is to gain muscle.

3. Get used to read the product labels. Try to always consume food around 10g of fat per 100g. The ones that are more than 15g are too fatty.

4. A perfect diet without exercise doesn’t lead to anything. The same thing applies to a perfect training routine without a good diet. The normal and most comfortable is to do bodybuilding since the results are seen sooner than any other sport. We also can train a specific part of the body that we are interested to develop. In order to achieve muscle definition or lose weight, do aerobic exercises. You can do every day that you want a minimum of 30-40 minutes. This way you can burn fat and tone more your muscles. At the beginning you can lose even a bit of weight, but it will be due to the fat and your muscles will look bigger. Soon you will stop to lose so much fat and you will stabilize your weight later gaining progressively only muscle if you combine it with a proper diet.

5. Train 3 to 4 days a week, no more, since you would over train and achieve no results. The training doesn’t have to be longer than 1hr to 1.5 hr each session. If you are beginning, train each muscle one day per week (for instance biceps/triceps on Mondays). Increase the weight progressively as you see that you can handle the number of reps. If you are not able to complete it, repeat the next session until you’ll make it. Start with small weights to learn the movements. Don’t rush. Some people are more predispose to gain muscles than others because of genetic reasons, therefore, take your time.

6. If you also want to tone your muscles (although I recommend you that you do it once you have a muscle mass more or less important), limit as much as you can the fats, always with control and supervision.

You must eat a minimum of 5 meals per day targeting to 6 or 7. This way you will always have the nutrients available for your muscles that are in full growth and you will avoid the catabolism.

7. In addition, it’s important to drink about 2.5 liters of water every day, if it’s possible not just before eating in order to avoid not losing your appetite.

8. One very good homemade recipe is to prepare a shake with: 2 raw eggs, ½ liter of milk, 2 low fat yogurts and 2 pieces of fruit (banana for preference). You must drink it the same day that you prepare it and keep it closed in the refrigerator.

9. The breakfast never has to lack some skim milk, cereals or bread and fruit. Remember that one orange, tangerine, kiwi per day can assure the contribution of vitamin C.

In mid-morning, you can consume one low fat yogurt and/or a fruit (grapes and bananas carry the most calories) and/ or a sandwich of turkey (cold meat) , tuna with low fat.

For lunch: a first course of rice, pasta, potatoes, or vegetables and a second one of meat, fish or eggs with a side of fruit or yogurt if possible.

For afternoon snack: a sandwich of turkey (cold meat) , a fruit or yogurt.

For dinner: a first course of turkey (cold meat) and a second of fish, red meat or eggs. Add a yogurt or fruit for dessert. Before going to sleep you can take a yogurt or a fruit, or drink the home-made shake that is left. Remember, these are only general suggestions.

10. As a vitamin supplement you can take one to assure the full contribution of vitamin and minerals. I recommend Supradyn because it contains 100% of the vitamin recommendation and it is more balanced than others.