Health Tips

Tips for gaining muscle tissue

It is probably fair to say that one of the most important and neglected aspect for gaining muscle has been the ability (or inability) to construct and consistently follow a quality nutritional diet plan. The golden rule is to consume more calories than used on a daily basis to gain weight, and it is essential that a diet must be constructed in such a way so that the gains are predominately muscle and not body fat.
Many people train hard, going to the gym religiously but still find the gains they desire elude them. Training is the stimulus required for muscle growth (see Dorian’s training tips). Training actually breaks muscle tissue down, which then creates a situation where the muscles will overcompensate by absorbing more protein (amino acids) and nutrients, in order to repair, strengthen and increase in size. A diet must consist of sufficient protein, carbohydrates and fats for this to happen. There are also other things that have be taken into consideration and following the tips listed below will aid muscle mass development.

Calculate your daily nutritional requirements; this will provide a platform for your daily requirements of protein, carbohydrate and fat. After one or two weeks you may need to increase or decrease calories slightly depending on gains made. See section on nutritional requirements for various bodyweights to find your approximate daily requirements.
Divide your daily food intake into 6-8 meals; by spacing your meals out every 3 hours the body can absorb food more efficiently and help place the body in a positive nitrogen balance. Placing the body in a constant positive nitrogen balance provides an anti-catabolic/anabolic environment. The body can only absorb so much at any one given time and anything above this the body will not waste and store as body fat for future use, hence the typical 3 square meals a day consumed by the average person will not benefit those wanting to build muscle tissue.

Consume a wide variety of protein sources; this will ensure the body gets all the essential amino acids required for muscle growth. Get 50% of your protein from solid food and 50% from CNP’s high quality protein supplements. This will be much easier on the system and more convenient than trying to consume solid food alone, not to mention the many other benefits found in *Pro Peptide and *Pro M.R. IFBB Pro’s Ernie Taylor and John Hodgson and many others use this method with great effect.

Make complex carbohydrates your primary energy source; in order to allow protein to repair and construct muscle tissue, you must consume enough energy foods from complex carbohydrates. Only consume simple sugars after a workout i.e. *Pro Recover. If you do not eat enough carbohydrates the body will use protein for energy before it can be used for repair and growth of muscle tissue. Despite what you may hear regards carbohydrates, they are not the enemy and are essential in the development and construction of muscle tissue.

Incorporate EFA’s – Essential fatty Acids into your diet; Essential fats are named accordingly as they cannot be made by the body and are essential for maintaining normal bodily functions. Good/healthy fats come from extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nuts, flax seed oil, CLA (*Pro CLA) and oily fish like salmon, trout and mackerel. Avoid saturated fats as much as possible. Although a small amount of saturated fat is required, too much is bad for your health and will lead to body fat accumulation. Essential fats should make up approximately 15-20% of your daily calories.

Supplement before and after every workout; we recommend using our *Pro G.F. *Pro Recover and *Pro HMB. It is essential that an anti-catabolic/anabolic environment be created before, during and immediately after every workout. Consume *Pro G.F. 30-40 minutes before a workout to help combat the catabolic effects created by intense workouts. *Pro G.F. increases hydration and provides specific amino acids that aid anabolism. Placing the body in a hydrated condition has been proven to increase performance, strength and improve anabolism.
Immediately after a workout is known as “The window of opportunity”. The body after any workout is thrown into a catabolic state and will continue to break muscle tissue down if the right nutrition is not consumed. *Pro Recover has been developed to aid recovery, initiate the anabolic process and must be consumed immediately after every workout. Taking advantage of this vital opportunity cannot be over emphasised. HMB has shown to be anti-catabolic. Take 1½ g (3 capsules) of *Pro HMB immediately before and after workouts to further aid the recovery process.
Also *Pro Napalm can be taken pre-workout providing an extra boost for the workout ahead.

Supplement with vitamins/minerals every day; Protein, Carbohydrates and fats are classed as Macronutrients and need Micronutrients (vitamins/minerals) to do their job properly. The body needs vitamins and minerals for maintaining a healthy profile and is vital for optimum recovery and growth. Fresh fruit and vegetables are a good natural source. *Pro Vital is a unique AM/PM vitamin/mineral formula, that will ensue all requirements are fully met and provide additional anti-oxidants and ZMA. The importance of vitamins and minerals cannot be stressed enough, but is often overlooked and dismissed by many.

Drink plenty of water through out the day; Water is the most abundant and important nutrient in the body. Water aids the digestion/absorption of food and removes toxins/waste from the body. Research has proven that even a slight state of dehydration impairs performance dramatically, so being hydrated will assist in optimum performance. Aim to drink at least 4-6 litres of water a day and ensure you drink before, during and after every workout.

Monitor your weight on a weekly basis; Aim to increase your bodyweight around ½ -1lb a week. Large increases in bodyweight will more than likely be in the form of body fat. If you do not gain weight as mentioned above just increase your daily food intake by 400-500 calories and weigh yourself a week later.

Get plenty of rest and sleep; the body needs plenty of rest to allow recovery and growth to take place. Remember as mentioned previously training is the stimulus required for growth. Maximum growth will only take place after training by ensuring all of the above points are incorporated.