Are you looking to build a little strength and muscle? Well, if you are, then you should probably know that what you eat makes up a huge part of the entire process. It kind of flies under the radar a lot of the time because the gym sessions and dumbbells tend to be glamoured a lot more. The truth, however, is that the workouts make up a much smaller percentage compared to the nutritional side of things. That’s right; healthy eating is more than just something you should be doing in order to shift a few pounds.
It’s understandable if you’re not too sure how to eat when it comes to building muscle as there are so many different contradictions and small details that confuse even the most experienced and muscle-builders! It’s all pretty straightforward, in actual fact, and it’s just a case of starting and being consistent with it. Here are a few pointers, though, should you need a little help and encouragement:
Do Your Research
The best thing to do when looking to build muscle and to eat properly is to learn about the kinds of foods you should be eating – and about how much of it you should be consuming. As we just mentioned, it’s quite a simple set of points, but it’s good to get them into your head before you commit to anything. Learn about the fats, carbs, and proteins of this world. Figure out how those in better shape get that way. It won’t take too long to learn, thankfully.
Know Your Body
By now, you might know how much you can eat and how much is too much. Not everyone does, though, and that’s how people land themselves in a little trouble. You might not know your exact BMR, but simply logging down what you’re eating can do so much for you. If you’re not eating enough, in this instance, to put on weight and, thus, muscle, then perhaps you should think about upping your daily calories by around one-hundred.
Get The Protein In!
Protein is what makes your body recover and grow. A lot of people suggest that you must take one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight you possess. So if you’re 150lb, then 150g will help you to grow. That’s not the case for everyone, though, and it makes many people overthink their diet. You can take in a lot less protein and still grow. If you’re plateauing, however, that’s when you might want to think about adding some more.
Don’t Force-Feed Yourself
This is very important and something that perhaps everyone should take into account. During a ‘bulk’ period in muscle building, a lot of people tend to overeat because they feel as though they need to get as much food in as possible. Sure, you can do this, but you might want to take things a little slower – especially to begin with. Don’t overthink what you’re doing – it’s a long game and body dysmorphia can be really quite difficult on the brain! If you want to eat out at restaurants and let loose every now and again, you should go right ahead without feeling the slightest but guilty. Things won’t go off track just because of a few meals here and there!