PROJECT BUILD MUSCLES!!!

Part of the reason we work out is to be healthy and the bigger reason for most of us is to look good. Women are good with a flat tummy but most men want to gain muscle. If building muscle is one of your goals, I hope this post helps whether you are male or female.

Work harder rather than longer.

Before you start a workout, know your goals and the workouts you need to do to achieve them then keep moving the whole session. Don’t do one workout, rest for ten minutes then do another. A good way to maybe do that is to do circuit training or whatever works for you.

Circuit training is a form of athletic training in which a number of exercises are performed in turn with very little rests in between. I find this a good way to gain muscle because it helps you lose weight and for you to see those muscles you have to get rid of the fat first. Also, it works many muscle groups in the same workout hence more calories burnt and more health benefits.

Fuel up

You have to eat more than you burn doing your daily activities. If you do not know how much food you should be eating, just Google RMR calculator and it will help you calculate the amount in calories.

 An easy way to determine how many calories you need when you are trying to eat more and gain muscle, is to multiply your body weight in pounds by 20. To get your weight in pounds just multiply your weight in kilograms by 2.2.

For example, if you weigh 80 kilograms, multiply that by 2.2 which will give you 176 pounds. Multiply this by 20 to get the calories you should be eating in a day which gives you 3520 calories.

What to eat

Try as much as possible to keep your meals balanced in the sense that they should have carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, minerals and water. We all know that proteins help you build muscles but not eating enough carbohydrates means that your body will have to break down the protein for energy instead of using it to build your muscles.

Another thing to consider when choosing your proteins is the amount of fat. As much as you want to keep your meals balanced and include fat in them, you have to make sure that the meat cuts are lean (with the fat trimmed off). There are many protein sources, try the ones available to you and enjoy the variety.

The amount of protein you need to build muscle should be between 1 gram and 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram body weight. So, our 80 kilograms person would have to eat between 80 grams and 120 grams of proteins a day. Get creative and know how you will plan your meals to include proteins in your diet. When planning your meals you can refer to the list at the end of this article that shows the amount of proteins in different foods.

Timing is everything

To ensure you're not hungry halfway through your workout and you have plenty of fuel to train intensely, your best bet is to consume a small pre-workout meal 30-60 minutes before your training session. The nutrients will be readily available to fuel your workout and even give you a head start on the post-workout recovery process. This should not be a big meal. Keep it light but balanced to avoid feeling bulky and uncomfortable while working out. Eat a food or beverage high in protein about 20-30 minutes before, and again immediately after, your strength-training workout.

Starchy carbohydrates like low-fiber white breads and white rice combined with a fast-digesting protein like egg whites are quickly digested. These carbohydrates can be quickly accessed during a hard training session.

Similarly, immediately after your workout, your muscles are depleted of the stored form of carbohydrate known as glycogen which fuels muscular contraction during lifting. Especially after a long, heavy training session. To refill these stores after your workout and jump-start the muscle growth process, you again want to rely on fast-digesting carbohydrates and fast-digesting proteins.

An example of a good pre workout snack is a sandwich made with bread, peanut butter and maybe a banana.

Examples of fast digesting carbohydrates

White bread and white rice are both good sources of fast-digesting carbohydrates. Fruits and certain type of vegetables also contain fast-digesting carbohydrates. Among the best high glycemic index fruits are bananas, grapes, watermelon, dates and peaches. Steer clear of apples, grapefruit, pears and prunes when you are looking for a quick energy fix, as these release sugar slowly. High glycemic index vegetables include green peas, white potato, sweet potato and yams. Many cereals contain fast-digesting carbohydrates, and these are a convenient and quick food source. Bran flakes, corn flakes, instant oatmeal and puffed rice will all give you a quick energy bump.

NB: The glycemic index (GI) is a number associated with a particular type of food that indicates the food's effect on a person's blood glucose  (blood sugar) level. The glycemic index measures how fast and how much a food raises blood glucose levels. Foods with higher index values raise blood sugar more rapidly than foods with lower glycemic index values do.

If you can afford supplements, go for them but remember that they are supposed to supplement your meals and not replace them. If you can manage to get all your protein from food, well and good.