11. Eat More
Some people say that they can’t put on muscle because their metabolism is simply too fast and they can’t even gain weight if they are not exercising. There really is only one way to remedy this – eat more. According to most experts, you should be eating your body weight x 20 kcal a day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be eating 3,000 calories every day.
Make sure that you keep doing this and that you never go under if you really want to gain muscle. After doing this for about two weeks, your body will be ready to move on to the next phase. The next phase is to add another 500 calories to the equation. If you still weight 150 pounds, then you should start eating 3,500 calories a day. If after another two week you still have not gained any weight, add another 500 calories. But if you are adding weight, stay with the body weight x 20kcal + another 500 calories equation.
12. Green Tea
Green tea is one of nature’s most perfect supplements. A lot of people trying to put on weight take an ECA stack when they need that extra energy in the gym, but it’s really not for everyone. There are some people who say that they star feeling really anxious and get angered very quickly when they take the ECA stack, so they tend to stay away from it.
If you are one of those people who doesn’t like the ECA stack, then you should try drinking green tea instead. You should be drinking at least three glasses of it daily to get the full effects, which is about 60 extra calories a day.
Not only will you get the boost of energy you need from the caffeine in the green tea, but you will also be more relaxed and have better mental clarity. It really is the best of both worlds.
13. Carrots
If you are looking to cut weight and really get that chiseled physique, then carrots are your best friend while you are training. Carrots are very nutritious and can provide you with the energy you need to get through your work out, yet they have a very minimal amount of calories.
Of course, if you are trying to build muscle, you should be worrying that much about your calorie intake, but if it’s cutting time, then every calorie counts. And carrots hardly have any.
For example, if you eat 12 baby carrots, that’s only 35 calories in total. If you are in the weight room for an hour long session, you are likely to burn over 220 calories, so the 35 calories you have gotten from carrots won’t be problem to burn off. And best of all, they really can provide you with enough energy to get you through a grueling workout session.
14. Apples
Everyone knows that apples are incredibly healthy, but did you know that the peel is actually the most important part of the apple when it comes to keeping your muscles strong? It’s true. The peel of the apple contains ursolic acid, which helps to keep your blood sugar and cholesterol down. It also really helps keep your muscles in shape.
These benefits of the apple peel were actually discovered when researchers were trying to create a drug that would be able to effectively stop the muscles of the elderly from wasting away as they got older. They found out that the ursolic acid of the apple peel does wonders for the muscles.
We tend to see a lot of people peel an apple before eating it, especially children. But if you are serious about training and want to give your muscles every chance they can to grow, then you should be eating apples with the peel still intact.
15. Green Tomatoes
Tomatoes are healthy when they are red, but green tomatoes are even healthier. That’s because they contain a compound that is called tomatidine. This compound does a lot for you. First, it will boost your ability to grow muscles and it can increase the strength of your muscles as well. Secondly, it can protect the muscles from wasting away as a result of aging, disease or trauma.
It really is a very powerful compound, one that was discovered by a research team in Iowa. The study was conducted on mice and it was observed that the mice that were getting a supplement of tomatidine were growing to be a lot bigger than the rest of the mice. They also had bigger muscles and could exercise for longer periods of time.
It was also observed that the mice did not gain any weight either, which also shows that tomatidine is very useful when you are trying to build lean muscle. It can even be used to treat obesity, according to the findings from the Iowa study.
16. Quinoa
Everyone interested in building lean muscle should give quinoa a try. Sure, this food may sound a bit trendy and new age-y but bear in mind that it is one of the best foods out there for weight loss and muscle gain. It’s even suitable for people with intolerance to gluten or those who are avoiding gluten for health reasons.
What makes quinoa so amazing is the fact that it contains the best possible type of protein – it’s a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine amino acids. This is essential for muscle gain and also for other functions in the human body.
Quinoa also contains only three grams of fat per quarter cup serving and it is cholesterol-free, so it’s pretty much guilt-free as well. In 2011 a study by Food Chemistry magazine found that quinoa is loaded with ecdysteroids, which encourage the muscles to increase in mass and reduce fat.
17. Turkey
Every nutritionist and diet expert will tell you that white turkey meat is the leanest source of protein among all meats. Dark turkey meat is somewhat fatter, although not much – a standard 3.5 ounce serving contains just 1.5 grams of fat more than white turkey meat.
There is a common misconception that turkey makes you sleepy due to the presence of an amino acid called tryptophan. However, bear in mind that chicken doesn’t have that much less of this amino acid compared to turkey.
One of the easiest and most convenient ways to benefit from lean protein in turkey meat is to eat lean, low-sodium deli turkey, combined with rye and some veggies. Turkey is also a great source of B vitamins and phosphorus. Like chicken, turkey contains more protein and less saturated fat than other kinds of meat (especially those considered red meat). It’s also very versatile and you can enjoy it prepared in a number of ways.
18. Fish
Fish is an amazing food that should be a part of every person’s diet at least twice per week. When it comes to athletes and those looking to go from skinny to muscular, fish is a must. It doesn’t contain any carbs and has much less saturated fat than many other foods. All fish is rich in precious Omega-3 fatty acids, but some have more than the others – for instance, salmon and trout sardines are packed with them.
Fish typically contains the same amount of protein as meat) some 6-7 grams of protein per ounce of fish) but it’s leaner, so it makes a much better choice. For example, in tuna (provided it’s water-packed) over 80% of calories come from protein, which is amazing.
However, because there is no way of knowing whether the fish you’re eating has been polluted with mercury, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish once or twice per week, maybe three times, but not more than four times per week.
19. Cottage Cheese
Cheese is a good source of protein and other valuable nutrients, but not all cheeses are alike. Cottage cheese is the best choice if you are looking to build lean muscle, and for various reasons. First of all, cottage cheese contains almost pure casein protein. This is a type of slow-digesting protein, the kind that is the most precious ally in the process of building muscles. The amount of protein in this cheese depends on the manufacturer, but a quarter cup of it usually contains some 7 grams of protein.
When buying cottage cheese, look for the information about the amount of protein, but also about the fat in it. You want to use nonfat or low-fat varieties, so that you can reap all the benefits of casein in without exposing yourself to fat. Cottage cheese is also rich in vitamin B12, in calcium (of course) and in other valuable nutrients.
20. Whey Protein
Whey is the single most popular supplement in bodybuilding and in many diet plans for weight loss and muscle gain. There is a good reason for this – whey is a terrific source of protein that works fats and doesn’t cost much. It’s very convenient to use – you can simply mix it in your meals, smoothies and shakes and there you go – you got yourself a neat source of protein.
People who simply want to build some muscle but nothing too much can use whey once a day, for example after working out. Whey provides the best anabolic response to lifting weights and stimulates synthesis of muscle protein much better than soy or casein.
Just remember that you shouldn’t count on whey alone to help you with your protein needs. Protein you get from whole foods is much better and more effective. Use whey as a supplement after training and make sure to eat good, balanced, protein-rich meals.
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