Ok, so you’ve already decided your workout goals and have envisioned what you want your body to look like. Along with determining the correct workout program and routine, it is equally as important to focus on a nutrition plan. This statement is very cliché, but you really are what you eat.
Even if you have the best workout routine in the world that stimulates high muscle growth, it will be worthless if you eat junk food and foods high in saturated fat. You absolutely need a balanced nutrition plan to achieve the body you desire.
Do you want to build muscle? Even if you are working out in order to lose weight, it is important to build muscle at the same time. If you lose weight without building muscle, your body could still look flabby. When you lift weights and exercise, your muscle breaks down. To rebuild this muscle, your body needs protein.
To build your muscle back, obviously you want to eat a lot of foods that have a lot of protein in them. Some of the greatest sources include but are not limited to: chicken breast, venison, round steak, scallops, sirloin steak, lean ham, pork tenderloin, low fat milk, lean turkey, low fat cottage cheese, turkey breasts, tow fat cheddar cheese, whey, and egg whites (but not the yoke). Incorporating many of these high-protein foods into your diet will help your muscle fibers build themselves bigger and stronger.
For those of you that would like to build muscle yet have a lean appearance, it is also critical that you eat healthy and find a balanced nutrition plan that you can follow. To get started, you need to realize that you need to consume real, whole foods that you enjoy to eat.
Do not waste your time eating healthy foods you don’t like just because it may help you lose weight and gain muscle faster. Over time, most people will end up ditching this strategy and cave into junk food because they simply get tired of eating food they don’t enjoy the taste of.
Instead, take a few minutes to do some research and find foods that you particularly like, but also fit healthily into your meal plan. Take a visit to the grocery store (no, don’t go down the candy aisle!) and compare the nutritional labels. You may be pleasantly surprised that some foods you really enjoy are actually good for you too. When choosing foods to buy, bring along a copy of the food pyramid with you.
Remember that you want a well-balanced diet, and that even includes consuming a small amount of fats. A little fat in your diet is necessary, but try to stay away from foods extremely high in saturated and trans-fat. Try to focus your efforts in the fruits/vegetables section.
If you like a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables, that’s great! A good action plan is to buy foods on sale for that week at the grocery store. That way, you can eat healthy and save money at the same time!
Need a little “inspiration” to speed up your muscle building process?
For the last couple of months we’ve been hearing stories about how guys in Hollywood such as Vin Diesel and Zac Efron or top NBA players have been using two insane new products to lose body fat and add some incredible muscle bulk in mere weeks. Needless to say, when word of these ‘wonder-products’ leaked out men everywhere went crazy over them and their popularity simply exploded! Understandably, our readers have also been going mad over them too and why wouldn’t they?
To be continued …