Have any good tips on gaining muscle without gaining too much fat?
So ive accepted the fact that in order to increase my muscle mass and size i have to gain some fat since will be consuming more calories then I usually would, so does anybody have some good tips on how not to gain too much fat. Don’t get me wrong i could care less about the fat as long as im gaining muscle mass and getting bigger, but like what kind of foods should i eat so that i dont gain too much fat?
November 16th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Food and your diet is definately important in maintaining your weight while gaining muscle. But honestly the biggest factor will just be keeping up cardio with your workouts to burn the extra calories. If you eat normal foods and stay away from junk/fast foods you’ll be fine for your diet for the most part. Cardio work is the most important.
November 16th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Muscle is not fat..so you dont need to eat fat stuff to get muscle.All you will get from eating fats..is fat.Muscle is much more dense and water packed than fat.You will need to consume more protein rich foods,along with a heavy regimen of weight training.After you gain muscle you will have to consume more calories to maintain them,but only by eating protein and low fat healthy foods.Stay away from from excess and complex carbs,which adds fat bulk.And opt for more simple carbs and whole grains along with lean cuts of meat like poultry and fish.
November 16th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Like Parish said, Daily cardio (or at least 3-4 hard days a week at the minimum) is important to minimizing fat, but a diet is just as important. Over the summer I was trying to gain about 10 pounds or so but ended up losing 2 pounds, so what I did would probably work for you.
Eat lots of small meals a day, rather than 3 large ones. Eat about your body weight in protein every day (just google a calculator for a more precise amount)
Breakfast= oatmeal, fruit, eggs
Snack= fruit, nuts, granola
Lunch= brown rice, lots of chicken, salad
Snack=salad, chicken,
Dinner = vegetables, protein, etc…
Remember there is a big difference between good fats and bad fats. Bad fats spike your insulin levels so your body has to store it as fat instead of being able to convert it to energy over a long period of time.
Nuts are a great source of fats (also helps you concentrate in class)
Lastly, if you skip a workout on a certain day, tailor your diet to suit your reduced need of energy…at the same time that doesn’t mean you can skip parts of your diet either.
November 16th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Fat has nothing to do with you gaining muscle.
Here’s how the muscles work…. you break them down by applying force to them (exercise, lifting weights, resistance training) and then you allow time for recovery for the muscle to rebuild itself much stronger than it was before.
The key to remember is to take in additional LEAN protein to help increase your muscle mass. Now…this does not mean get on Atkins and avoid all carbs okay. You need to eat all your fruits and veggies and carbs to keep your body properly nourished.
Naturally when you are working on making changes to your body fat will follow. As long as you are doing things right, gaining LEAN fat is more than okay. Its the nasty adipose tissue that grows underneath the skin is what you want to avoid. But you can do that by simply watching what you eat.