The 10 Essential Tips for Building Mass
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Protein is your foundation. The rule of
thumb is at least one
gram of protein per pound of bodyweight
per day.
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Complement your protein with carbs. When
you eat plenty of carbs, your body's
energy tanks will be full and you will
be less likely to dip into proteins,
which can deplete muscle tissue. Carbs
also increase the natural release of
insulin, a hormone known as one of the
body's most potent anabolic, or
tissue-building hormones. Be careful
with starchy carbs like potatoes, rice,
pasta and bread. Limit yourself to 3-5
total starch servings per day.
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Calories are good. If you are working
out and not seeing mass or weight gains,
you probably are cheating yourself on
calories. If so, increase your carb
intake to re-establish that imbalance.
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Be fat-friendly to friendly fats. Fat
can enhance the body's ability to take
up glucose, the basic unit of
carbohydrates, and store it as muscle
glycogen. For big gain, consume salmon,
mackerel or sardines three times a week.
Your moderate fat diet should also
include red meat and egg yolks - one
whole egg for every 3-4 egg whites - and
regularly sprinkling nuts and seeds into
your salads or rice.
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Variety in your diet is vital. Eat
three different fruits and vegetables a
day
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Regarding food intake: Go slow before
your workout. Take in slow - burning or
low-glycemic carbs, the kinds of carbs
that break doen slowly into glucose,
before training. Oatmeal, beans mixed
with rice, yogurt, buckwheat noodles,
cherries and pears will keep your blood
sugars more stable. This will help you
train harder for a longer period, and
also prevent energy crashes
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Do not foget your last lift of your
workout: It is to the mouth. Immediately
after your workout, eat some
fast-digesting carbs to satisfy your
body's immediate energy needs. Great
sources including raisins, mashed
potatoes, whole grains, bananas and carb
drinks. Whey protein powder drinks are
also a good post workout snack. Their
fast-dissolving amino acids aid
recuperation.
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Eat multiple meals. Six to seven small
meals a day help prevent energy crashes,
eliminate that bloated feeling from
gorging at the dinner table and prevent
the buildup of bodyfat from seesawing
blood sugar levels. Multiple meals
provided a nearly nonstop influx of
amino acids from protein and of glucose
from carbs. Amino acids help repair
muscle tissue and glucose keeps insulin
levels elevated, which prevents muscle
breakdown.
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Consider supplements - especially
antioxidants like vitamins C and E has
been shown to significantly decrease
cortisol, a muscle-wasting stress
hormone that increases with hardcore
training. Vitamin E has been suggested
to combat muscle fiber injury. Many
experts believe that it reduces free
radical production as well.
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Put Creatine and glutamine to work.
Creatine increases power, delays fatigue
and increases protein synthesis.
Glutamine supports the immune system. It
also supports the formation of muscle
glycogen and controls muscle-wasting
cortisol. Take 5 grams of creatine and
5-10 grams of glutamine immediately
after training, along with a high-carb
meal, which will spike your insulin
levels, facilitating the storage and use
of creatine and glutamine.
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