My Personal Overview Of
Skinny Guy's Guide to Building Muscle a>
Don't Care If You..'re A Hard Gainer, Skinny Or Just A Thin Ectomorph... You Can Gain Weight And Build Muscles! We have always been obsessed with articles after articles on losing weight and losing fats leaving out one segment of people who want to gain weight on their thin and skinny body frame. In the bodybuilding and fitness industry, these folks are commonly referred to as the .." hard gainers ..". If you are one of these people who are genetically thin and skinny but want to gain muscle weight and pack on solid muscular body frame, then this article is written especially with you in mind. Amongst the many reasons why you are skinny and thin and having difficulty in gaining weight is probably due to your genes. Your built-in calorie burning furnaces metabolize calories much too fast and too efficiently. Many of your obese counterparts will part with their last dollar to have a genetic predisposition like as yours. If your parents and siblings are naturally skinny and thin with small body frames, then you will most likely have the same small body type. You are then what is commonly called the .." Ectomorphs ..". Although the words ectomorph and hard gainer are commonly used interchangeably, there is a distinct difference which many people do not realize. An ectomorph is someone who is genetically thin and skinny. A hard gainer is someone who finds it difficult to gain muscle mass. A hard gainer need not be an ectomorph but is commonly assumed to be one. You may have been training very hard to pack on muscles. You may have experimented with many bodybuilding and weightlifting exercises. Some of the exercises may have worked for you but most don't. You are so fed up that you may have accepted that your thin and skinny frame is going to be with you forever and that you cannot do anything about it. Don't blame it on your genes so quickly because you can certainly gain muscle weight and pack solid muscles on your frame. Thousands and perhaps millions like you have succeeded and so can you. I know this for a fact because some of them are my Vince’s happy clients (including me) . I have to concede that it is more difficult for you to gain muscle weight relative to another who have average metabolism but if there is a will, there is a way. Build Muscle Gain Weight Science Firstly, you must know the science of building muscles and how your metabolism works. As they say, knowledge is power. If you do not know what was wrong, how then can you fix it? You either have to read up extensively on these subjects and labor your way through trial and error (which may also be very frustrating and time wasting affair) or engage a professional personal trainer with successful track record on helping skinny and thin people to gain muscle weight and mass. Write Down Your Goals and Objectives You don't want to grope your way through something as important as your health and physical appearance do you? How do you determine what to do, how to do and when to do to get to the body shape that you want without written down goals? For example, if you are in a dark room, how long would you take reach for the exit door when compared with a room that is fully lighted up? It is thus imperative that you must have a tool to measure your progress and check yourself when you are doing things wrong. Otherwise you will be without focus will be directionless which will get you nowhere. Having a specific program to follow allows you to take specific action each day. You need an organized plan to eat and exercise correctly until you have achieved what you wanted, to pack on muscles and gain muscle weight. Do not change your plan mid way because you have just heard that someone has a better program. It maybe true or it may be false and most likely it is the latter because fundamentals are fundamentals and the fundamentals are what you will learn in this fitness tips article. Do you want to take the risk of having your goals derailed by something that is new and not proven? Dare To Dream Dare to dream. Visualize where you will be and how you will look like if you follow your written plan in 3 months time and six months time. Man walked on the moon because they dare to dream and then execute the plan to make the dream come true. Martin Luther King changed America the day he proclaimed, .."I Have A Dream!.." didn't he? Once you have begun your plan, you must have faith and believe in what you are doing. Stays focused and avoid critical or negative people. These people are called .."dream snatchers..". They snatch away your dreams of becoming a hunk and want you to remain where you are. Thin and skinny. Stay away from people who say that you can't do it, you can't change what is fated or it's in your genes and you can do nothing about it. They will be correct if you listened to them because you won't be doing anything then. By listening to them, you will prove them right. Instead, take those negative comments as a challenge to you. When you succeeded in gaining your muscle mass and gain weight, show your fabulous new body to them and watch them gawk in amazement at your determination and your fit and healthy body . You will gain tremendous respect and self confidence. Show me a naysayer and I will show you a loser. A winner never quit, a quitter never win! Avoid Overtraining One reason why hard gainers or ectomorphs failed in building muscles and gaining lean muscle mass is that because they train too hard, thinking that training for long hours and frequently will get them the results. Over training not only impedes your progress, it may actually make your muscle shrink. Also avoid too much cardio exercises. You already naturally possess a highly efficient fat burning machine. Too much cardio exercises not only burn fats, it burn muscles too. So have enough cardio exercises just to improve and maintain your cardio vascular fitness and no more. You need not train everyday and need not stay too long in the gym. 45 minutes and you are out because if your training is intensive enough, the longer you train, the more muscle eating hormones will be produced. You do not want to lose those hard earned muscles, do you? Remember that in the sport of bodybuilding and weightlifting, more is not always better. Do Compound Exercises Compound exercises stimulate the most many muscle fibers because in a compound movement, many muscles are being utilized. For those needing to gain weight and muscle mass, this is terrific because these lifts put your body under heavy stress. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system and causing a surge of muscle building hormones. This results in increased muscle gain all over your body. Yes, muscle gain for your entire frame for overall musculature growth not just the muscles being exercised. Add dead lifts, Squats, Chin ups, Dips, Military Press and Bench Press into your routine and watch your muscles explode in strength, power and size! Use Free Weights Instead Machines Free weights utilize many more muscles for balance and support than machine exercises. That means that you will have a more complete overall workout and build more muscles in more places. Skip those sophisticated machines and train heavy on dumbbells and barbells. Progressive Overload To build mass, you must lift heavier and heavier weights to force you muscles to grow. If you do not stress your muscles enough, why should they grow? As an indicator, if you can lift a particular weight in good form for more than 8 reps, then the weight that you are lifting is too light for you. By the same token, if you can't lift the weight more than 4 reps, then the weight that you are lifting is too heavy. Never sacrifice form and technique so that you can lift heavier. Doing that is just putting yourself at risk of injuries and poor muscle development. Eat and then Eat and Eat Again Lucky you. Because of your high burn fat rate, you have more liberty over food because you have wider choices of food. To build mass, you must consume more calories than you expand. So do not be afraid to eat. But do bear in mind that not all calories are the same. Eat primarily the good calories. Calories you get from your soft drinks and pastries are fattening ones and do almost nothing for your muscle growth. Eat calories laden with proteins. Given your high metabolism, treat yourself to a burger, pasta, pizzas and the likes now and then. You have the luxury to indulge in these starchy and calorie rich food where many people will have to do their utmost to avoid them. However, do not overdo it. When your consumption of calories is more than your expenditure, your body will have no choice but to grow. Eat frequently. Eat up to 6- 8 small meals a day if you can. Drink plenty of water. Soft drinks and coffee don..'t count. Use Nutritional Supplements Many people think that by popping some pills or drinking some shake, they will get results fast. That is not true as supplements are not some magical formula. Too many people think that just because you buy the latest product, it is a forgone conclusion that you will automatically begin to pack on the pounds. The truth is that supplements are only there to enhance an already solid diet and workout program. If you do not have time to eat so many meals a day, try getting some meal replacement bars. Essential supplements to help you gain mass are phosphates, creatine, glutamate, desiccated liver and protein powders. Never never succumb to the temptation of taking anabolic steroids. The harmful effects far out weigh any temporary muscle gains that it may provide. Also take multi-vitamins and anti-oxidants. These not only provide you with more nutrients but also help mop up free radicals for building immunity which can be compromised by intense exercises such as weight lifting. Conclusion Yes! It is possible for you to gain mass and weight. But the battle will not be easy. You have to stick to the above rules, have the burning desire and motivation to stick to your plan. You must be mentally very strong as you are fighting a battle against what your body which is genetically programmed to do the opposite. However, with sheer grit and determination, the pot of gold when you come to at the other end of the rainbow will definitely be worth the journey of climbing to the rainbow to get to that end. However tough that journey may
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Skinny Guys Guide to Nutrition
Taken with permission from Vince Delmonte
Book Located Here
The Skinny Guy's Guide To Nutrition
By Vince DelMonte
"Give me a 64-ounce steak, double-baked potato with extra sour cream and an apple pie for dessert. No, not a slice – give me the whole pie, please."
If you have ever had the opportunity to go out with a bodybuilder for dinner, you would be familiar with that kind of order delivered to the distressed waitress. These high-carbohydrate, high-protein, and high-fat diet meals were the popular method for packing on muscle and climbing the scale. "I'll pack on all the weight I can now, then melt off the fat later," was the common motto.
Many bodybuilders put a lot of focus into the details of their nutritional strategy. A small food scale, calculator, note pad and pencil are common items found in their kitchen. Some competitive bodybuilders go to the extreme of weighing and measuring everything wherever they go and scribbling numbers into their notepad after every meal.
Obviously, not every skinny guy has the same aspirations, desire and determination to live the life of a bodybuilder. Skinny guys will be more successful today if they have a quick and convenient plan to follow that involves minimal measuring and minimal number crunching.
The See Food Diet Is NOT The Answer
The reality is that many skinny guys' nutritional level does not exceed the See Food Diet, that is, 'see food' and eat it. Not a bad option if you can avoid getting a potbelly in the process. If this is you, then consider yourself blessed with a Lamborghini-style metabolism. Go right ahead and eat whatever and whenever you want until you're ready to audition for Rambo IV.
For the most part, the See Food Diet is typically not the most healthy meal plan since it puts zero restrictions on any food categories and is more a concept to shift a skinny guy's mind-set than anything else. These days, the majority of readers should know the fallacy of a See Food Diet. Sure, you can eat a super high calorie diet, like the See Food Diet, and add some muscle, but you'll add even more fat. And from personal experience, and I'm sure many of you can personally testify, putting the fat on is much easier than taking it off! Conveniently, bodybuilders now have an "off-season shape" card to flash year-round to excuse themselves of looking like a pregnant powerlifter.
Muscle-Building Nutrition Principles
Mastering the principles of nutrition should be like mastering the principles of training – simple. Master the basics and execute them consistently. Think about the 80/20 rule. 80% of your results will come from 20% of your knowledge. Taking what you already know and putting it into action consistently is the magic formula. Let's go over the most important nutrition principles you'll need to practice to get your body growing.
Principle 1: Eat Often – Every 2.5 to 3 Hours
Don't expect to pack on quality mass – muscle without body fat – on three square meals a day. This would lead to massive quantities of both protein and carbs at each meal. Your body can only store so many calories per meal, so guess what this results in? Bloating, poor digestion and unwanted body fat.
Your first meal should be consumed within 15-30 minutes of waking up and consumed every 2.5 to 3 hours. Set your stopwatch to beep until you get something in your body. Don't view these meals as burdensome but as opportunities to fuel and grow your muscles. Look at them as growth surges. Think of the next meal as a fuller chest, broader shoulders, bigger arms and rock-hard abs!
And if you miss a meal, visualize a sea of piranhas eating up your muscle tissue like it's an all-you-can-eat buffet. And those deadly piranhas are eating up your CURRENT muscle that you are not even satisfied with. They are actually making your muscles
smaller. No, you will not lose an inch on your arms if you miss one meal, but once you start averaging 3-4 instead of 6-8 meals a day, don't be upset when people look surprised when you tell them you work out with weights regularly!
So how many meals should you be eating? That's easy - just divide the time you're awake by 2 or 3. I would suggest mastering eating every 3 hours before you consider every 2 hours. So if you're awake 18 hours a day, eat 6 meals.
What if one of those meals falls right before bedtime? Then eat up! Take the opportunity to eat. If we went to the extreme we would eat every 3 hours throughout the night as well. No matter what you have heard on this (never eat after 7 P.M. garbage) ignore it. Trust me!
Also, don't view these feeding opportunities as 'snacks.' This is a wimpy word mentality that should not be in your vocabulary if you are trying to build muscle. Do you think Ronnie Coleman says, 'Hey, I think I'm going to go eat a snack?' Every 3 hours you should be eating decent size meals that will make your body better.
Principle 2: Eat A Variety Of Foods
It is easy to get into a robotic state of nutrition where we eat the exact same foods every day, ingesting the same breakfast, lunch and dinner and the only time we eat differently is when we go out for dinner or someone else cooks for us. It is easier to choose convenience over variety.
Just like our training that we rotate around to prevent boredom, you should rotate your food selection. Normally, you will eat whatever is in your house, so the best strategy to eating a healthy variety is to shop for different foods each week. This will help balance out your diet and help you measure the response a variety of foods. Don't go for the boring and easy route.
Principle 3: Eat Enough Calories
Building muscle is an eating game because your muscles grow on calories. Not eating enough calories is like an attempt to buy a $50,000 car with only $25,000 in the bank. It's not going to happen. If you are not gaining at least 1-2 pounds per week, then add some extra carbohydrates and proteins to your breakfast, pre-workout meal or post-workout meal.
THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THIS STEP. Even if you have the perfect training routine, you will never grow unless you provide your body with the proper amount of nutrients. It's like saying you want to build a house but you do not have enough bricks, cement and wood. It will be impossible to build that house. It's like saying you want to race a car as fast as possible but you don't have any gasoline or oil. It's downright impossible.
If you wish to ensure that your muscles have enough fuel to support your workouts, lift heavy weights for high reps, recover from workout to workout and, let's not forget, GROW NEW MUSCLE, then you have to keep track of what you are eating every day. There is no way around it. This is the number one reason why skinny guys never gain weight or why anybody for that matter will not make quality gains that they so desperately strive for.
Keeping track of what you eat is a lot easier than it sounds – it's probably why most people avoid it, because they perceive it to be difficult.
Sure, you're going to have to take some extra time to read containers and labels, but if this method will promise another 20 pounds in a few months from now, is it not worth it? And the good news is that your brain will create a new file to store all your new nutrient calculations, and since you are eating from the majority of the same foods, your 'memory food bank' will expand quickly.
Principle 4: Eat 40-60 Grams Of Protein Per Meal
Building muscle is not on your body's 'to do' list – simple survival is. Not getting enough protein for your internal organs results in your body robbing it from your muscle tissue. Your body cannibalizes itself for the amino acids it needs! This is the polar opposite of what skinny guys want.
Proteins should make up at least 35% of your overall caloric intake. This translates to 40-60 grams of protein per meal for males less then 200 lbs and will be enough to maintain your appetite, increase your muscle mass, accelerate recovery and keep body fat levels low. Hit this level and you're doing well.
It is better to get your protein from whole, complete, and lean protein. Remember that protein is a costly food and burns twice as much energy as carbs and three times as much energy as fat. You need protein to maximally turbo-charge your metabolism, improve your muscle mass and accelerate recovery.
Aim for lean meats such as ground beef, chicken, turkey, etc. Aim for fish such as salmon, tuna, orange roughy, etc. Aim for Omega 3 eggs and pasteurized egg whites. Aim for dairy from cottage cheese, yogurt and partly skimmed cheeses. And if you have to resort to supplement shakes, go for whey, casein or milk protein blends.
Principle 5: Eat 60-80 Grams Of Carbohydrate per Meal
Not getting enough carbohydrates will make you feel like you're carrying a bear on your back throughout your workouts. Your body's gas tank is comprised of carbohydrates. No carbs and don't expect to get that car too far.
A lack of carbs in your diet can slow the muscle-building process because your muscle tissue can be used as energy if your body's preferred source of energy, carbs, are not available.
It is best to get your carbohydrates from a variety of high-fiber, complex and low-glycemic carbohydrates as opposed to simple carbs (sugars) found in fast food, fried food, processed food and junk food. Complex carbs release a slower and longer lasting energy that is critical for your intense training workouts. Complex carbs will rarely get converted to fat unless you are clearly eating too many of them. If you are gaining more fat around your midsection as opposed to muscle, then you know you should cut back on your complex carbs or add a few cardio workouts.
Aim for high-complex, muscle-building carbs such as bran, barley, buckwheat, beans, brown rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, pasta, potatoes and whole grains.
Principle 6: Eat 20-30 Grams Of Fat Per Meal
About 30% of your diet should consist of fat - this number should remain pretty consistent for everyone. And as a skinny guy or anybody who wants to maximize muscle growth, then eating 30% of your intake from fat is critical for boosting testosterone levels. However, the key is to balance out your intake between saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. If you achieve 1/3 in each of these, then you will optimize your health and muscle gains. This is not as complicated as it looks.
Since North Americans are harshly deficient in mono (olive oil) and poly fats (from fish oils) and get enough of saturated fats as it is, your job is to simply include more olive oil and fish oil into your diet. This is something that can be recommended for every man and women and has no potential side effects. Again, don't worry; the meal plans included have got you covered.
The only fats you MUST avoid at all costs - for so many reasons - are trans fats.
Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fat, is an artery-clogging fat that is formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening. It is found in many other foods besides margarine and shortening, including fried foods like French fries and fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers. In the United States, typical French fries have about 40 percent trans fatty acids and many popular cookies and crackers range from 30 percent to 50 percent trans fatty acids. Doughnuts have about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fatty acids.
To determine the amount of trans fat in a food you must know what to look for on the food labels. Whenever you see shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil higher up on the list of the ingredients, the more trans fat.
Principle 7: Eat Vegetables With Every Meal
How are vegetables supposed to promote muscle gain? Your mom was right when she told you to eat up all your vegetables if you wanted to grow big and strong. Finally, the 'muscle-nerds' are catching up. Not only are vegetables loaded with vitamins and minerals but they also contain important plant chemicals called phytochemicals that are essential for optimal physiological functioning.
The most neglected benefit of eating vegetables is their role in recovery. Sure, you need calories to grow, but you also need these veggies for their high antioxidant profile that will help reduce the amount of free radicals from heavy training, and they will accelerate recovery by healing damaged muscle cells.
Most people are unaware that proteins and grains create high levels of acid loads to the blood, and if this is not balanced out with alkaline rich vegetables and fruits, then too much acid can result in a loss of bone strength and muscle mass. So it is important to keep these acid levels balanced by ingesting vegetables (and fruits) for their alkalinity to the blood.
The best way to get your vegetables is to cut them all up at the start of the week. This will make life easier and make them more accessible. Aim for at least 2 servings, which is the equivalent of 1-2 cups per meal. Yes, every 2-3 hours you must be eating veggies.
Principle 8: Eat Your Biggest Meal At Breakfast, Pre-Workout and Post-Workout
No matter what anyone says, I believe this is the safest and most effective way to
maximize your muscle:fat gain ratio when bulking. In this article we will not discuss the topic of nutrient timing.
Shortly we will discuss the benefits of packing the bulk of your calories around the most catabolic and anabolic times of the day so you will have sufficient energy to train hard and heavy without any risk of muscle breakdown, not to mention enough calories to support muscle growth. How much food you eat at a particular time of the day should be based on the NEEDS OF YOUR BODY AT THAT CURRENT MOMENT.
Principle 9: Plan Ahead
This principle could easily be number one because oftentimes it is not a shortage of information that creates a roadblock but our lack of CONSISTENCY and CREATIVITY. I bet if you did not change anything about what you are currently eating but ensured food was there when it was time to eat, you would experience a growth surge.
I strongly agree with the famous cliché that states, 'Failing to plan is planning to fail.' It is so true. You must have a plan that will ensure you have the food prepared and cooked in the right selection and amounts every time you eat. This might require you to spend a few hours on Sunday evening cooking and storing all your food in Tupperware containers. This might mean waking up half an hour early so that you can cook all your meals for the day. This might require you to carry a lunch bag wherever you go. This might mean packing a few shaker bottles if you know you will be on the road most of the day. Bottom line - be prepared.
Principle 10: Eat Whole Foods 60% Of The Time and Liquid Meals 40% Of The Time
I often have my clients use as few supplements as possible for the first few months of training. You will be amazed at the results achieved by simply putting all your efforts into following your meal plan, proper training and sleep. It's a very eye-opening experience when they see almost immediate changes in body composition, health and energy levels.
Your food intake should come from high quality food at least 60 % of the time, which means at least 4 of the 6 meals you are eating.
This will ensure more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber that supplements and pills lack. Whole food is loaded with digestive enzymes as well that help the absorption of food instead of eating too much 'ground up' food in the form of powder. Power shakes will make your life much easier and will remove some of the inconveniences of having to cook and prepare food all day. Aim to use these at least 2 out of your 4 real meals a day and never more than three power shakes unless your life is extremely hectic and unmanageable.
Conclusion
Dedicate the next 12 weeks to putting these muscle building nutrition principles into action. Building muscle is really quite simple and exciting because you get to indulge in large quantities of food, try new recipes and become a master chef since you'll be spending more time in the kitchen. Taking these principles and applying them consistently over time and making them a part of your lifestyle is the secret.
Book Located Here
The Skinny Guy's Guide To Nutrition
By Vince DelMonte
"Give me a 64-ounce steak, double-baked potato with extra sour cream and an apple pie for dessert. No, not a slice – give me the whole pie, please."
If you have ever had the opportunity to go out with a bodybuilder for dinner, you would be familiar with that kind of order delivered to the distressed waitress. These high-carbohydrate, high-protein, and high-fat diet meals were the popular method for packing on muscle and climbing the scale. "I'll pack on all the weight I can now, then melt off the fat later," was the common motto.
Many bodybuilders put a lot of focus into the details of their nutritional strategy. A small food scale, calculator, note pad and pencil are common items found in their kitchen. Some competitive bodybuilders go to the extreme of weighing and measuring everything wherever they go and scribbling numbers into their notepad after every meal.
Obviously, not every skinny guy has the same aspirations, desire and determination to live the life of a bodybuilder. Skinny guys will be more successful today if they have a quick and convenient plan to follow that involves minimal measuring and minimal number crunching.
The See Food Diet Is NOT The Answer
The reality is that many skinny guys' nutritional level does not exceed the See Food Diet, that is, 'see food' and eat it. Not a bad option if you can avoid getting a potbelly in the process. If this is you, then consider yourself blessed with a Lamborghini-style metabolism. Go right ahead and eat whatever and whenever you want until you're ready to audition for Rambo IV.
For the most part, the See Food Diet is typically not the most healthy meal plan since it puts zero restrictions on any food categories and is more a concept to shift a skinny guy's mind-set than anything else. These days, the majority of readers should know the fallacy of a See Food Diet. Sure, you can eat a super high calorie diet, like the See Food Diet, and add some muscle, but you'll add even more fat. And from personal experience, and I'm sure many of you can personally testify, putting the fat on is much easier than taking it off! Conveniently, bodybuilders now have an "off-season shape" card to flash year-round to excuse themselves of looking like a pregnant powerlifter.
Muscle-Building Nutrition Principles
Mastering the principles of nutrition should be like mastering the principles of training – simple. Master the basics and execute them consistently. Think about the 80/20 rule. 80% of your results will come from 20% of your knowledge. Taking what you already know and putting it into action consistently is the magic formula. Let's go over the most important nutrition principles you'll need to practice to get your body growing.
Principle 1: Eat Often – Every 2.5 to 3 Hours
Don't expect to pack on quality mass – muscle without body fat – on three square meals a day. This would lead to massive quantities of both protein and carbs at each meal. Your body can only store so many calories per meal, so guess what this results in? Bloating, poor digestion and unwanted body fat.
Your first meal should be consumed within 15-30 minutes of waking up and consumed every 2.5 to 3 hours. Set your stopwatch to beep until you get something in your body. Don't view these meals as burdensome but as opportunities to fuel and grow your muscles. Look at them as growth surges. Think of the next meal as a fuller chest, broader shoulders, bigger arms and rock-hard abs!
And if you miss a meal, visualize a sea of piranhas eating up your muscle tissue like it's an all-you-can-eat buffet. And those deadly piranhas are eating up your CURRENT muscle that you are not even satisfied with. They are actually making your muscles
smaller. No, you will not lose an inch on your arms if you miss one meal, but once you start averaging 3-4 instead of 6-8 meals a day, don't be upset when people look surprised when you tell them you work out with weights regularly!
So how many meals should you be eating? That's easy - just divide the time you're awake by 2 or 3. I would suggest mastering eating every 3 hours before you consider every 2 hours. So if you're awake 18 hours a day, eat 6 meals.
What if one of those meals falls right before bedtime? Then eat up! Take the opportunity to eat. If we went to the extreme we would eat every 3 hours throughout the night as well. No matter what you have heard on this (never eat after 7 P.M. garbage) ignore it. Trust me!
Also, don't view these feeding opportunities as 'snacks.' This is a wimpy word mentality that should not be in your vocabulary if you are trying to build muscle. Do you think Ronnie Coleman says, 'Hey, I think I'm going to go eat a snack?' Every 3 hours you should be eating decent size meals that will make your body better.
Principle 2: Eat A Variety Of Foods
It is easy to get into a robotic state of nutrition where we eat the exact same foods every day, ingesting the same breakfast, lunch and dinner and the only time we eat differently is when we go out for dinner or someone else cooks for us. It is easier to choose convenience over variety.
Just like our training that we rotate around to prevent boredom, you should rotate your food selection. Normally, you will eat whatever is in your house, so the best strategy to eating a healthy variety is to shop for different foods each week. This will help balance out your diet and help you measure the response a variety of foods. Don't go for the boring and easy route.
Principle 3: Eat Enough Calories
Building muscle is an eating game because your muscles grow on calories. Not eating enough calories is like an attempt to buy a $50,000 car with only $25,000 in the bank. It's not going to happen. If you are not gaining at least 1-2 pounds per week, then add some extra carbohydrates and proteins to your breakfast, pre-workout meal or post-workout meal.
THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THIS STEP. Even if you have the perfect training routine, you will never grow unless you provide your body with the proper amount of nutrients. It's like saying you want to build a house but you do not have enough bricks, cement and wood. It will be impossible to build that house. It's like saying you want to race a car as fast as possible but you don't have any gasoline or oil. It's downright impossible.
If you wish to ensure that your muscles have enough fuel to support your workouts, lift heavy weights for high reps, recover from workout to workout and, let's not forget, GROW NEW MUSCLE, then you have to keep track of what you are eating every day. There is no way around it. This is the number one reason why skinny guys never gain weight or why anybody for that matter will not make quality gains that they so desperately strive for.
Keeping track of what you eat is a lot easier than it sounds – it's probably why most people avoid it, because they perceive it to be difficult.
Sure, you're going to have to take some extra time to read containers and labels, but if this method will promise another 20 pounds in a few months from now, is it not worth it? And the good news is that your brain will create a new file to store all your new nutrient calculations, and since you are eating from the majority of the same foods, your 'memory food bank' will expand quickly.
Principle 4: Eat 40-60 Grams Of Protein Per Meal
Building muscle is not on your body's 'to do' list – simple survival is. Not getting enough protein for your internal organs results in your body robbing it from your muscle tissue. Your body cannibalizes itself for the amino acids it needs! This is the polar opposite of what skinny guys want.
Proteins should make up at least 35% of your overall caloric intake. This translates to 40-60 grams of protein per meal for males less then 200 lbs and will be enough to maintain your appetite, increase your muscle mass, accelerate recovery and keep body fat levels low. Hit this level and you're doing well.
It is better to get your protein from whole, complete, and lean protein. Remember that protein is a costly food and burns twice as much energy as carbs and three times as much energy as fat. You need protein to maximally turbo-charge your metabolism, improve your muscle mass and accelerate recovery.
Aim for lean meats such as ground beef, chicken, turkey, etc. Aim for fish such as salmon, tuna, orange roughy, etc. Aim for Omega 3 eggs and pasteurized egg whites. Aim for dairy from cottage cheese, yogurt and partly skimmed cheeses. And if you have to resort to supplement shakes, go for whey, casein or milk protein blends.
Principle 5: Eat 60-80 Grams Of Carbohydrate per Meal
Not getting enough carbohydrates will make you feel like you're carrying a bear on your back throughout your workouts. Your body's gas tank is comprised of carbohydrates. No carbs and don't expect to get that car too far.
A lack of carbs in your diet can slow the muscle-building process because your muscle tissue can be used as energy if your body's preferred source of energy, carbs, are not available.
It is best to get your carbohydrates from a variety of high-fiber, complex and low-glycemic carbohydrates as opposed to simple carbs (sugars) found in fast food, fried food, processed food and junk food. Complex carbs release a slower and longer lasting energy that is critical for your intense training workouts. Complex carbs will rarely get converted to fat unless you are clearly eating too many of them. If you are gaining more fat around your midsection as opposed to muscle, then you know you should cut back on your complex carbs or add a few cardio workouts.
Aim for high-complex, muscle-building carbs such as bran, barley, buckwheat, beans, brown rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, pasta, potatoes and whole grains.
Principle 6: Eat 20-30 Grams Of Fat Per Meal
About 30% of your diet should consist of fat - this number should remain pretty consistent for everyone. And as a skinny guy or anybody who wants to maximize muscle growth, then eating 30% of your intake from fat is critical for boosting testosterone levels. However, the key is to balance out your intake between saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. If you achieve 1/3 in each of these, then you will optimize your health and muscle gains. This is not as complicated as it looks.
Since North Americans are harshly deficient in mono (olive oil) and poly fats (from fish oils) and get enough of saturated fats as it is, your job is to simply include more olive oil and fish oil into your diet. This is something that can be recommended for every man and women and has no potential side effects. Again, don't worry; the meal plans included have got you covered.
The only fats you MUST avoid at all costs - for so many reasons - are trans fats.
Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fat, is an artery-clogging fat that is formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening. It is found in many other foods besides margarine and shortening, including fried foods like French fries and fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers. In the United States, typical French fries have about 40 percent trans fatty acids and many popular cookies and crackers range from 30 percent to 50 percent trans fatty acids. Doughnuts have about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fatty acids.
To determine the amount of trans fat in a food you must know what to look for on the food labels. Whenever you see shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil higher up on the list of the ingredients, the more trans fat.
Principle 7: Eat Vegetables With Every Meal
How are vegetables supposed to promote muscle gain? Your mom was right when she told you to eat up all your vegetables if you wanted to grow big and strong. Finally, the 'muscle-nerds' are catching up. Not only are vegetables loaded with vitamins and minerals but they also contain important plant chemicals called phytochemicals that are essential for optimal physiological functioning.
The most neglected benefit of eating vegetables is their role in recovery. Sure, you need calories to grow, but you also need these veggies for their high antioxidant profile that will help reduce the amount of free radicals from heavy training, and they will accelerate recovery by healing damaged muscle cells.
Most people are unaware that proteins and grains create high levels of acid loads to the blood, and if this is not balanced out with alkaline rich vegetables and fruits, then too much acid can result in a loss of bone strength and muscle mass. So it is important to keep these acid levels balanced by ingesting vegetables (and fruits) for their alkalinity to the blood.
The best way to get your vegetables is to cut them all up at the start of the week. This will make life easier and make them more accessible. Aim for at least 2 servings, which is the equivalent of 1-2 cups per meal. Yes, every 2-3 hours you must be eating veggies.
Principle 8: Eat Your Biggest Meal At Breakfast, Pre-Workout and Post-Workout
No matter what anyone says, I believe this is the safest and most effective way to
maximize your muscle:fat gain ratio when bulking. In this article we will not discuss the topic of nutrient timing.
Shortly we will discuss the benefits of packing the bulk of your calories around the most catabolic and anabolic times of the day so you will have sufficient energy to train hard and heavy without any risk of muscle breakdown, not to mention enough calories to support muscle growth. How much food you eat at a particular time of the day should be based on the NEEDS OF YOUR BODY AT THAT CURRENT MOMENT.
Principle 9: Plan Ahead
This principle could easily be number one because oftentimes it is not a shortage of information that creates a roadblock but our lack of CONSISTENCY and CREATIVITY. I bet if you did not change anything about what you are currently eating but ensured food was there when it was time to eat, you would experience a growth surge.
I strongly agree with the famous cliché that states, 'Failing to plan is planning to fail.' It is so true. You must have a plan that will ensure you have the food prepared and cooked in the right selection and amounts every time you eat. This might require you to spend a few hours on Sunday evening cooking and storing all your food in Tupperware containers. This might mean waking up half an hour early so that you can cook all your meals for the day. This might require you to carry a lunch bag wherever you go. This might mean packing a few shaker bottles if you know you will be on the road most of the day. Bottom line - be prepared.
Principle 10: Eat Whole Foods 60% Of The Time and Liquid Meals 40% Of The Time
I often have my clients use as few supplements as possible for the first few months of training. You will be amazed at the results achieved by simply putting all your efforts into following your meal plan, proper training and sleep. It's a very eye-opening experience when they see almost immediate changes in body composition, health and energy levels.
Your food intake should come from high quality food at least 60 % of the time, which means at least 4 of the 6 meals you are eating.
This will ensure more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber that supplements and pills lack. Whole food is loaded with digestive enzymes as well that help the absorption of food instead of eating too much 'ground up' food in the form of powder. Power shakes will make your life much easier and will remove some of the inconveniences of having to cook and prepare food all day. Aim to use these at least 2 out of your 4 real meals a day and never more than three power shakes unless your life is extremely hectic and unmanageable.
Conclusion
Dedicate the next 12 weeks to putting these muscle building nutrition principles into action. Building muscle is really quite simple and exciting because you get to indulge in large quantities of food, try new recipes and become a master chef since you'll be spending more time in the kitchen. Taking these principles and applying them consistently over time and making them a part of your lifestyle is the secret.
Vince DelMonte Background
Background

Vince knows what it takes to build muscle, lose weight and overcome muscle unfriendly genes in the shortest time possible. He was so skinny growing up, he earned the nickname Skinny Vinny.
Competing in long distance sports such as running and triathlon for ten years did not help improve his chances of overcoming his muscle unfriendly genes.
Over the course of six months, Vince gained over 41 pounds of rock-hard muscle and climbed the scale from a scrawny 149 pounds to a muscular 190 pounds without drugs, without a lot of supplements and training only three days per week.
After entering the world of competitive fitness modeling he became the Canadian Fitness Model Champion in his third show ever! His transformation even caught the attention of the International fitness magazine Maximum Fitness which featured a 2 page spread of his transformation story.
Vince has an Honors Degree in Kinesiology and has been a Personal Trainer for five years. He now shares this information with anybody who is serious about building muscle - especially skinny guys who can't gain muscle weight. Just recently he has authored the brand new e-book "No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain." This is a 190 page manual that teaches skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly naturally and in less time.
Vince believes that the majority of skinny guys are mislead and misinformed with what it takes to build muscle. Naturally skinny guys need to play by a different set of rules and his mission is to empower and inform each client to reach their true genetic potential completely drug free.
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found
Here
He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.
He can be contacted at
Check Out The Secret Here
Vital Stats

Name: Vince DelMonte
Years Bodybuilding: 4 years
Favorite Bodyparts: Shoulders and Chest
Favorite Exercise: Cleans
Favorite Supplements: Dorian Yates Pro Peptide and Alpha Male
Body Fat: 6%
As of 10/20/06:
Age: 27
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 195 lbs
Chest: 45 inch
Calves: 15 1/2 inch
Legs: 25 inch
Arms: 15 1/2 inch
Waist: 32 inch

Vince knows what it takes to build muscle, lose weight and overcome muscle unfriendly genes in the shortest time possible. He was so skinny growing up, he earned the nickname Skinny Vinny.
Competing in long distance sports such as running and triathlon for ten years did not help improve his chances of overcoming his muscle unfriendly genes.
Over the course of six months, Vince gained over 41 pounds of rock-hard muscle and climbed the scale from a scrawny 149 pounds to a muscular 190 pounds without drugs, without a lot of supplements and training only three days per week.
After entering the world of competitive fitness modeling he became the Canadian Fitness Model Champion in his third show ever! His transformation even caught the attention of the International fitness magazine Maximum Fitness which featured a 2 page spread of his transformation story.
Vince has an Honors Degree in Kinesiology and has been a Personal Trainer for five years. He now shares this information with anybody who is serious about building muscle - especially skinny guys who can't gain muscle weight. Just recently he has authored the brand new e-book "No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain." This is a 190 page manual that teaches skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly naturally and in less time.
Vince believes that the majority of skinny guys are mislead and misinformed with what it takes to build muscle. Naturally skinny guys need to play by a different set of rules and his mission is to empower and inform each client to reach their true genetic potential completely drug free.
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found
Here
He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.
He can be contacted at
Check Out The Secret Here
Vital Stats

Name: Vince DelMonte
Years Bodybuilding: 4 years
Favorite Bodyparts: Shoulders and Chest
Favorite Exercise: Cleans
Favorite Supplements: Dorian Yates Pro Peptide and Alpha Male
Body Fat: 6%
As of 10/20/06:
Age: 27
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 195 lbs
Chest: 45 inch
Calves: 15 1/2 inch
Legs: 25 inch
Arms: 15 1/2 inch
Waist: 32 inch
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)