Knowledge
 
 

Eat Wisely to Gain Lean Muscle Mass

DSC03043Many people who want to get bigger make the mistake of thinking eating more of everything is the thing to do. If you want to get fat, then go ahead. However, if you want to gain defined muscles, and lean muscle mass then eat more wisely. Here are a few rules that you should follow to guide your diet:

Eat more lean protein from good natural and organic sources. Refer back to a Knowledge Post that I wrote that discusses proteins and the sources you should look for at the grocery store.
Eat more carbs, but make sure that you stay away from fast burning carbs. Refer back to my Knowledge post on whether all carbs are created equally.
Drink at least a gallon of water a day.
Eat a lot of fish, but make sure you error on the side of fatty fish, as not only will it be a great fat and protein source, but it will also help you with soreness and inflammation. If you can’t find time to eat fish make sure you are taking fish oil every day.
Eat a lot of vegetables, but make sure you know the nutrition in different types of vegetables. Vegetables are a great source for healthy carbs, and the fiber and bulk will help you process a high protein diet more efficiently.
Make sure you get sufficient antioxidants. You can get these from various veggies and fruits, but also vitamin D3 and vitamin C will help. Look at my previous Knowledge posts to read more about this topic and good sources.
Make sure you get enough calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Calcium is important for fat burning metabolism, magnesium is important for training performance and recovery, and potassium is important for muscle cell volume. You can get these 3 elements in food or through supplements.
Make sure you get enough tyrosine. It is found in many high protein foods such as chicken, turkey, fish, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, peanuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, avocados, and bananas. Tyrosine is an important amino acid that is heavily involved in the regulation of body function during physical stress and exercise.
Eat before and after your workouts. It’s critical that you eat before your workout to sustain the intensity of that workout. In addition, eating after your workout will help you build stronger muscles that will replace the weaker muscles you’ve just ripped down. Depending upon the type of workout you do, will determine what type of food you want to eat. I have created a document that I share with my Online Coaching athletes that discusses the types of energy system workouts we will be doing, and how to eat for those types of workouts.
Make sure you are not going three hours without eating and you never want to be hungry during a workout. Be disciplined about when and how you are eating and make sure you plan ahead.

I hope that this Knowledge Post helps you achieve your goals. If you have questions, please email me at pat@patsgym.com.