Anyone who even knows the slightest about working out and building muscles knows that weightlifting is a key part of the entire process. However, if you are a beginner, you might not realize that another big part to bulking up is the diet plan that you are on. This is a key to increasing your muscle mass.
You need to eat food that is nutrient dense such as vegetables, lean protein along with complex carbohydrates and not the kind of food that contains large amounts of saturated fats and trans fats. The normal dietary allowance for women would be about 2,000 calories a day and 2,500 calories a day for men.
However, to bulk up, women should consume at least 2,600 per day up to 3,100 per day and men up to 3,500 each day. The meals you eat should increase to 6 to 8 smaller meals so that you will be able to increase the calories and nutrients properly.
Protein
One of the most important nutrients that you need to gain the right kind of weight is protein. It is what will provide your body with energy, helps to build the muscles in your body and is needed to repair the muscle tissue after you have had a hard workout. A person who isn’t weightlifting, normally consumes about 50 grams of protein a day, this is found in eggs, other dairy, meat, fish and nuts.
Some bodybuilders will take in as much as 314 grams of protein for a diet that consumes around 2,600 calories. Try to avoid most red meats however, if you must eat red meat, then make sure it is only the leanest.
Carbohydrates
If you are working out heavily, carbohydrates become an essential part of your diet plan because they are burned off when you exercise. When you are on a high calorie diet, it is really important that you eat the right kinds of carbs, this means you need to eat the complex variety and not the simple variety.
The foods that are considered complex carbs are foods such as whole wheat pasta, whole wheat breads, beans, oatmeal, legumes, cornmeal, potatoes as well as brown rice. By eating complex carbs on a daily basis you are providing calories you need as well as fiber. Because complex carbs break down in the body slower, you will feel full a lot longer than if you ate simple carbs. Some simple carbs would be snack foods and fruit.
Vegetables
Vegetables are a great source for the nutrients and vitamins that your body requires, especially if you are trying to bulk up. The dark leafy veggies are the ones that are extremely good for you because they contain the fiber you need and vitamins C and E. You should steam fresh vegetables or just eat them raw to avoid losing those nutrients.
Try to avoid canned vegetables because they have a lot of salt and fats in them and they have already lost a lot of their nutrients through their processing.
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To be continued …