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How to Up Your Calories for Mass and Minimal Fat Gain
In order to gain mass you need to take in more calories in a day than you burn. Our goal of course is to put on as much muscle as possible, while keeping fat gain to a minimum. Taking this into consideration, the most common mistake made is to up your caloric intake to drastically, too fast. Most of you have been dieting to burn fat for the summer season. Or perhaps even maintained your weight. My advice is to slowly up your calories on a week to week basis. For example, say you are taking in 2,500 a day. You should not all of a sudden raise your intake to 5,000 overnight! To do so would translate to a serious amount of fat storage! Rather, you would slowly cycle your calories up. I personally like to start by upping my intake by 250. So the person on 2, 500 a day would raise his to 2,750. The 250 excess calories would create an anabolic response.
Overview:
A man currently maintaining his weight at 2,500 calories who only wants to gain about a pound a week.
day one: raise calories to 2,750 Continue at this pace until you stop gaining weight. After which you will raise your calories by the same interval. Repeat process when you plateau.
I see way too many bodybuilders slow their gains in their unwillingness to add a small amount of fat! This is unavoidable. Which is why we have an off season and an in season. I promise you, when you diet again, your six pack will return and with it a whole new layer of muscle mass! You simply cannot build a house without bricks--the concept in bodybuilding is the same. You can lift as hard as you want. If you are not taking in more calories than you burn off, your efforts of packing on muscle mass will be for not. However, if you follow the above instructions, your fat gain should be minimal, and your muscle gains should be tremendous!
Macronutrients
Too many people just throw caution to the wind and start eating everything in site, including Junk food. I have news for you, the only place that candy bar and soda are going to add mass is your gut! You need to get more scientific. The cleaner you eat, the leaner you will stay. However a eating say, 6000 calories, is almost impossible without some leeway. Therefore it is best to strike a balance.
Protein
As a bodybuilder this is the main source of food that you need to be concerned with! Do not neglect or slack off in this area! Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle tissue. It is vital that all of your meals are rich in this substance. Not even one should be without it. I suggest 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight a day. Therefore a 200 pound man should consume a minimum of 300 grams of protein a day. Spread this out over the course of each of your meals evenly.
Sources:
Whey is an excellent source! Its a complete protein which means that it contains every amino acid needed for muscle growth
Steak is without a doubt one of my favorite sources of protein. Its rich in Zinc and many other vital nutrients needed for muscle growth! I highly recommend you incorporate this meat into your bulking regimen. It is a powerhouse in the department of building muscle! Make sure that you choose a lean cut of steak. Don't chow down on prime rib. It should be extremely lean! And no ground beef. Its way too high in fat and cholesterol! Just lean choice steak.
Other sources are chicken ( unbelievable source of protein! ), cottage cheese ( any cheese ), turkey( ground turkey burgers! ), salmon ( fish in general ) and eggs( mostly egg whites ).
Sources to stay away from!
Mc Donald's, burger king and any other fast food restaurant! I don't mind lean choice cut pork, but stay away from bacon and ribs.
Carbohydrates
Insulin has been touted as our bodies most anabolic( muscle building ) hormone! It shuttles nutrients such as carbs, amino acids and creatine right smack into our muscles, suppresses cortisol and places our body into a state of anabolism! However as mentioned in my article " Take fat burning to the next level " it also increases fat storage. The prime macronutrient responsible for the release of insulin is the carbohydrate. The key during this bulk will be to take advantage of times during the day in which your body is unlikely to store fat and during this time take advantage of a larger burst of insulin. ( see this article to further understand this principle ) The two main meals you need to be concerned with are breakfast and post workout. These are the two meals in which you need to let your hair down. I suggest a large carb breakfast. Ideally, a large oatmeal ( I will discuss what goes with this in the sample meal plan below ) If you have a difficult time eating this much food, obtain nutrient dense foods, as now is the time to consume them. Because these types of meals will not likely be stored as fat during breakfast. Your post workout meals should contain a large amount of sugar! Nothing fibrous or fatty at all. Just pure sugar and of course protein. The rest of your meals should contain extremely slow burning carbs! Carbs such as leafy green vegetables, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal. You want a mellow steady dose of insulin throughout the rest of the day. Besides post workout and semi for breakfast avoid high insulin spikes! It is at other times during the day when your body is more susceptible to storing fat. In fact, if you have a higher tendency for fat storage only consume vegetables for your last 2-3 meals. Insulin is extremely anabolic! I mean extremely, just be responsible with how you manipulate its release!
The carbohydrate is also our bodies chief source of fuel! And if we intend to grow, we need lots of fuel to get us to those goals! If you are carbed up you will have way more energy for your workouts. Your carbohydrate stores will be increased and due to this you will be able to be more intense and lift heavier.. More intensity and strength will undoubtedly lead to higher gains in the muscular department!
Fat
Your body needs fat for several anabolic functions. A proper fat intake has shown to do everything from suppress inflammation to increasing our anabolic hormone levels. It has even been shown to increase our pumps! You should avoid saturated fats and stick with foods filled with essential fatty acids. Great sources of are salmon and any fish high in fat, flax seed oil, safflower oil and peanut butter. I don't mind a few whole eggs since you are bulking, but again stay away from junk food. I personally eat salmon at least 3 times a week and supplement with flax or safflower oil everyday. Essential fatty acids are tremendous when it comes to burning fat and creating an anabolic environment. ( for more read, Essential Fatty Acids - An In Depth Analysis )
Meal Frequency, The Entire Concept of Gaining Mass!!!!
Your job as a bodybuilder is to give your muscles a constant supply of amino acids! To saturate them with protein and keep them that way from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep. Each of your meals should be rich in protein and balanced with carbohydrates and fats. The more frequent you eat, the more anabolic your response to working out will be. When a bodybuilder is in top form he will consume 5-6 balanced meals a day and top it off with 2 additional protein shakes. You should eat every 2-3 hours for optimal performance.
Supplementation
1. Creatine for increased ATP levels
2. Glutamine, increased recovery, increased immune system and increased protein synthesis.
3. Whey
4. Multivitamin / Multimineral
5. Maltodextrin/Dextrose post workout
6. ZMA for enhanced testosterone, GH, recovery, and sleeping patterns
7. Vitamin C, don't leave home without it! It is the ultimate antioxidant
8. Flax Seed Oil and Safflower Oil. A great way to get your essential Fatty acids
Sample 4,000 Calorie Meal Plan
Breakfast:
Oatmeal 400 calories
Cottage Cheese 150 calories
30 grams of whey protein 150 calories
two tall glasses of water
total: 700 calories, 60 grams of protein
meal two:
Whole Wheat Bread Sandwich 450
Salad with EFA dressing 150
two tall glasses of water
total 600 50 grams of protein
meal three pre workout
oatmeal 300 calories
60 grams of whey protein 300 calories
two tall glasses of water
total 600 calories 40 grams of protein
One hour before workout down 3 tall glasses of water.
workout ( This is what its all about, so give me 200 percent effort! )
meal four post workout meal
50 / 50 Maltodextrin / Dextrose Combo calories (depends on body weight)
grams (depends on body weight) of whey protein
total 700 calories, 40 grams of protein
Meal Five
Salmon 500 calories
leafy green stir fry 200 calories
2 glasses of water
total 700 calories, 60 grams of protein
Meal Six
cup and a half of cottage cheese 400
oatmeal 300
total: 700 calories, 60 grams of protein
Total is 4,000 calories and 310 grams of muscle building protein.
If you were to only consume 3,000 calories then maintain 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight a day.
Just lower your other macronutrients.
Sample Off Day 4,000 calorie Plan
Rest
I realize that you are extremely busy, but if it is at all possible take a nap everyday. On top of this, be sure to get 8-10 hours of sleep a night.
Conclusion
You are the one who must write the conclusion to this bulk. I can write the plan of action out but cannot give you the dedication and will power that it will take to make it threw this program. What I will do is give you an overview of the article.
1. Slowly cycle your calories up, if raised too quickly you will gain a higher percentage of fat
2. 1.5-2 grams a day of protein from lean, low cholesterol foods
3. 6 meals a day and if you are really hardcore, throw in 2 protein shakes to make it a total of 8
4. Rest as much as possible
5. Use the anabolic properties of insulin responsibly!
6. Pre-Plan your meals ahead of time!
7. Drink tons of water
8. Proper supplementation
9. Don't do anything physically demanding on your days off ( or do as little as possible, I realize many have physically demanding jobs )
I look foreword to hearing about your gains! If you have any questions, you can ask them in our forums or email me.
Thank you
Sincerely
Jacob Wilson jwilson@abcbodybuilding.com
How to Up Your Calories for Mass and Minimal Fat Gain
In order to gain mass you need to take in more calories in a day than you burn. Our goal of course is to put on as much muscle as possible, while keeping fat gain to a minimum. Taking this into consideration, the most common mistake made is to up your caloric intake to drastically, too fast. Most of you have been dieting to burn fat for the summer season. Or perhaps even maintained your weight. My advice is to slowly up your calories on a week to week basis. For example, say you are taking in 2,500 a day. You should not all of a sudden raise your intake to 5,000 overnight! To do so would translate to a serious amount of fat storage! Rather, you would slowly cycle your calories up. I personally like to start by upping my intake by 250. So the person on 2, 500 a day would raise his to 2,750. The 250 excess calories would create an anabolic response.
Overview:
A man currently maintaining his weight at 2,500 calories who only wants to gain about a pound a week.
day one: raise calories to 2,750 Continue at this pace until you stop gaining weight. After which you will raise your calories by the same interval. Repeat process when you plateau.
I see way too many bodybuilders slow their gains in their unwillingness to add a small amount of fat! This is unavoidable. Which is why we have an off season and an in season. I promise you, when you diet again, your six pack will return and with it a whole new layer of muscle mass! You simply cannot build a house without bricks--the concept in bodybuilding is the same. You can lift as hard as you want. If you are not taking in more calories than you burn off, your efforts of packing on muscle mass will be for not. However, if you follow the above instructions, your fat gain should be minimal, and your muscle gains should be tremendous!
Macronutrients
Too many people just throw caution to the wind and start eating everything in site, including Junk food. I have news for you, the only place that candy bar and soda are going to add mass is your gut! You need to get more scientific. The cleaner you eat, the leaner you will stay. However a eating say, 6000 calories, is almost impossible without some leeway. Therefore it is best to strike a balance.
Protein
As a bodybuilder this is the main source of food that you need to be concerned with! Do not neglect or slack off in this area! Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle tissue. It is vital that all of your meals are rich in this substance. Not even one should be without it. I suggest 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight a day. Therefore a 200 pound man should consume a minimum of 300 grams of protein a day. Spread this out over the course of each of your meals evenly.
Sources:
Whey is an excellent source! Its a complete protein which means that it contains every amino acid needed for muscle growth
Steak is without a doubt one of my favorite sources of protein. Its rich in Zinc and many other vital nutrients needed for muscle growth! I highly recommend you incorporate this meat into your bulking regimen. It is a powerhouse in the department of building muscle! Make sure that you choose a lean cut of steak. Don't chow down on prime rib. It should be extremely lean! And no ground beef. Its way too high in fat and cholesterol! Just lean choice steak.
Other sources are chicken ( unbelievable source of protein! ), cottage cheese ( any cheese ), turkey( ground turkey burgers! ), salmon ( fish in general ) and eggs( mostly egg whites ).
Sources to stay away from!
Mc Donald's, burger king and any other fast food restaurant! I don't mind lean choice cut pork, but stay away from bacon and ribs.
Carbohydrates
Insulin has been touted as our bodies most anabolic( muscle building ) hormone! It shuttles nutrients such as carbs, amino acids and creatine right smack into our muscles, suppresses cortisol and places our body into a state of anabolism! However as mentioned in my article " Take fat burning to the next level " it also increases fat storage. The prime macronutrient responsible for the release of insulin is the carbohydrate. The key during this bulk will be to take advantage of times during the day in which your body is unlikely to store fat and during this time take advantage of a larger burst of insulin. ( see this article to further understand this principle ) The two main meals you need to be concerned with are breakfast and post workout. These are the two meals in which you need to let your hair down. I suggest a large carb breakfast. Ideally, a large oatmeal ( I will discuss what goes with this in the sample meal plan below ) If you have a difficult time eating this much food, obtain nutrient dense foods, as now is the time to consume them. Because these types of meals will not likely be stored as fat during breakfast. Your post workout meals should contain a large amount of sugar! Nothing fibrous or fatty at all. Just pure sugar and of course protein. The rest of your meals should contain extremely slow burning carbs! Carbs such as leafy green vegetables, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal. You want a mellow steady dose of insulin throughout the rest of the day. Besides post workout and semi for breakfast avoid high insulin spikes! It is at other times during the day when your body is more susceptible to storing fat. In fact, if you have a higher tendency for fat storage only consume vegetables for your last 2-3 meals. Insulin is extremely anabolic! I mean extremely, just be responsible with how you manipulate its release!
The carbohydrate is also our bodies chief source of fuel! And if we intend to grow, we need lots of fuel to get us to those goals! If you are carbed up you will have way more energy for your workouts. Your carbohydrate stores will be increased and due to this you will be able to be more intense and lift heavier.. More intensity and strength will undoubtedly lead to higher gains in the muscular department!
Fat
Your body needs fat for several anabolic functions. A proper fat intake has shown to do everything from suppress inflammation to increasing our anabolic hormone levels. It has even been shown to increase our pumps! You should avoid saturated fats and stick with foods filled with essential fatty acids. Great sources of are salmon and any fish high in fat, flax seed oil, safflower oil and peanut butter. I don't mind a few whole eggs since you are bulking, but again stay away from junk food. I personally eat salmon at least 3 times a week and supplement with flax or safflower oil everyday. Essential fatty acids are tremendous when it comes to burning fat and creating an anabolic environment. ( for more read, Essential Fatty Acids - An In Depth Analysis )
Meal Frequency, The Entire Concept of Gaining Mass!!!!
Your job as a bodybuilder is to give your muscles a constant supply of amino acids! To saturate them with protein and keep them that way from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep. Each of your meals should be rich in protein and balanced with carbohydrates and fats. The more frequent you eat, the more anabolic your response to working out will be. When a bodybuilder is in top form he will consume 5-6 balanced meals a day and top it off with 2 additional protein shakes. You should eat every 2-3 hours for optimal performance.
Supplementation
1. Creatine for increased ATP levels
2. Glutamine, increased recovery, increased immune system and increased protein synthesis.
3. Whey
4. Multivitamin / Multimineral
5. Maltodextrin/Dextrose post workout
6. ZMA for enhanced testosterone, GH, recovery, and sleeping patterns
7. Vitamin C, don't leave home without it! It is the ultimate antioxidant
8. Flax Seed Oil and Safflower Oil. A great way to get your essential Fatty acids
Sample 4,000 Calorie Meal Plan
Breakfast:
Oatmeal 400 calories
Cottage Cheese 150 calories
30 grams of whey protein 150 calories
two tall glasses of water
total: 700 calories, 60 grams of protein
meal two:
Whole Wheat Bread Sandwich 450
Salad with EFA dressing 150
two tall glasses of water
total 600 50 grams of protein
meal three pre workout
oatmeal 300 calories
60 grams of whey protein 300 calories
two tall glasses of water
total 600 calories 40 grams of protein
One hour before workout down 3 tall glasses of water.
workout ( This is what its all about, so give me 200 percent effort! )
meal four post workout meal
50 / 50 Maltodextrin / Dextrose Combo calories (depends on body weight)
grams (depends on body weight) of whey protein
total 700 calories, 40 grams of protein
Meal Five
Salmon 500 calories
leafy green stir fry 200 calories
2 glasses of water
total 700 calories, 60 grams of protein
Meal Six
cup and a half of cottage cheese 400
oatmeal 300
total: 700 calories, 60 grams of protein
Total is 4,000 calories and 310 grams of muscle building protein.
If you were to only consume 3,000 calories then maintain 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight a day.
Just lower your other macronutrients.
Sample Off Day 4,000 calorie Plan
Rest
I realize that you are extremely busy, but if it is at all possible take a nap everyday. On top of this, be sure to get 8-10 hours of sleep a night.
Conclusion
You are the one who must write the conclusion to this bulk. I can write the plan of action out but cannot give you the dedication and will power that it will take to make it threw this program. What I will do is give you an overview of the article.
1. Slowly cycle your calories up, if raised too quickly you will gain a higher percentage of fat
2. 1.5-2 grams a day of protein from lean, low cholesterol foods
3. 6 meals a day and if you are really hardcore, throw in 2 protein shakes to make it a total of 8
4. Rest as much as possible
5. Use the anabolic properties of insulin responsibly!
6. Pre-Plan your meals ahead of time!
7. Drink tons of water
8. Proper supplementation
9. Don't do anything physically demanding on your days off ( or do as little as possible, I realize many have physically demanding jobs )
I look foreword to hearing about your gains! If you have any questions, you can ask them in our forums or email me.
Thank you
Sincerely
Jacob Wilson jwilson@abcbodybuilding.com
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