Mass Gaining Tips

John Champion, TSFXTrader

In order to build solid lean muscle mass, you need to take in more calories than you burn. If you want to build lean muscle without piling on too much body fat, you should add around 250-1000 calories to your daily maintenance plan. The frequency of your trading schedule will determine how many calories you can add. It will take a bit of trial and error to find the right amount of additional calories to build muscle and stay lean. I knocked up these tips you can follow to get those gainz efficiently and more importantly keep them on

Nutrient Timing

Supplying your body with an abundance of calories when you’re just lying around on the couch is pointless just as fueling your body with junk food thinking a calorie is just a calorie. If you want to have any decent success in building lean muscle mass you need to fuel your workouts and body with good nutrition.

Eat Whole Foods 

To really get the results you want, 90% of your food intake should consist of whole foods.

• Whole foods. These are unprocessed and unrefined (or little refined) foods that come as close as possible to their natural state. Examples: fresh meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, pulses, fruits, rice, oats, quinoa etc.
• Processed foods Usually contain added sugars, trans-fats, nitrates, corn syrup, sodium, and more chemicals. Examples: bagels, fruit bars, cereals, pizza, cookies, sausages, frozen meals, supplements

Eat More Protein 

You need protein to build and maintain muscle. To achieve this, you should be looking to eat at least 1,5-2g per lb of body-weight. The easiest way to get this amount is to eat a whole protein source with each meal. These include:

• Red meat. Beef, pork, lamb,
• Poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck,
• Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel,
• Whole Eggs
• Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc
• Whey protein, not essential but who doesn’t a love a good post workout shake?
• Try vegan options too, such as lentils, tofu, seeds and nuts

Eat Good Carbs

When it comes to building quality mass, quality food is the key. A good portion of that quality food should come in the form of carbohydrates. “Great carb sources that are inexpensive include potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, and pasta. Fruits are also excellent sources of carbs because of their antioxidant content and overall nutrient content. Don’t feel guilty about eating them.

Eat carbs only after your workout. While you need carbs for energy, most people eat more than they need. Limit your carbohydrate intake to after your workout only.

• Eat fruit and vegetables with all meals. These contain few carbohydrates compared to whole grains with the exception of corn, carrots and raisins.
• Another Carbs Post Workout Only. This is rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, quinoa, oats, etc. Avoid white carbs and eat whole grain.

Eat Healthy Fats

Fats do not make you fat… Overconsumption of any foods let alone fats will make you fat. Healthy fats improve fat loss and health as they digest slowly. Saturated fat helps keep testosterone levels in a healthier range so you can add quality muscle. Aim to get 20 percent of your fat calories from saturated fats and the rest from unsaturated and omega varieties.

  • Avocados
  • Cheese
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Whole Eggs
  • Fatty Fish
  • Nuts
  • Chia Seeds
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Coconut Oil

Train With Intensity 

Many people hit the gym and just go through the motions. They may spend more time taking selfies, texting, or finding the right music than actually lifting. You can’t expect great results if you half-ass your workout. Have a plan before you enter the gym and don’t let anything distract you from your session. Many times I have entered the gym and got distracted through either taking a phone call or watching my trades give me grey hairs. I have had to have a talking to myself to get back into the zone and keep pushing.

Another important aspect of building muscle is adding variety to your workouts. There are many exercises and routine that you can do so do not get stalled by hanging yourself on the same training program from when you first started workout out. You could change the tempo, rep range or add exercises it really is limitless as to what you can do with your training programs.

Get Enough Sleep

It doesn’t matter how good your training routine, diet and supplement program is, it will not compensate for insufficient rest, and sleep is the best. Sleeping for 8-10 hours per night is similar to fasting and this is meant to catabolic to muscle growth. However, eating just prior to sleeping can help to reverse this process and increase protein synthesis. Protein synthesis does occur under conditions of sleep but it occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, not the muscles.

Another factor is that human growth hormone is also released when you are in a deep sleep. In men, 60% to 70% of daily human growth hormone secretion occurs during early sleep which is typically when the deepest sleep cycles occur. Poor quality sleep can negatively impact human growth hormone levels. During sleep, the brain is progressing through alternating cycles of light and deep sleep – or sleep stages. These alternating sleep stages allow the brain to heal and restore itself which is a plus if you lead a hectic lifestyle and need to be on top of your game all the time.

As a final note, you should learn as much as you can about diet, training, and nutrition as this will help speed the process up. Find new nutrition protocols to new supplement information and workout techniques, there’s always something to learn. The most successful individuals constantly strive to better themselves in both mind and body. The most important aspect to take away from this article is to embrace and enjoy this journey that you are on.

©2024 The Shredded FX Trader 

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