The main focus for individuals and athletes prior to lifting a dumbbell is to learn the basics of how to build muscle. Going straight into the gym and forcibly getting your body to curl a dumbbell for 100’s of reps is not a very good idea. Without knowing the right things to do, you are actually getting yourself headed for disaster. Here are some preparations which you can do in terms of food intake before you take a step towards the gym.
Get Calories Over Your Maintenance Level. First thing that you should know is that in order to build muscle, you need to eat more calories, so your muscle can have a calorie surplus. This essentially means that you need to eat more than what your body needs as maintenance in order to put on weight. Your body maintenance level of calories is just the amount that your body needs to maintain as a consequence of your metabolic needs. Consuming more calories means making available lots of calories for muscle build up. But then note that everything in excess is bad. Too much will result to buildup of fat instead. Be wise and eat only up to 500 calories a day over your maintenance or basic need to put on weight and muscle. Make sure that it is balanced among a combination of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Consume At Least One Gram Of Protein Per Pound Of Bodyweight. In building muscle protein, it is vital to consume protein also. Without it, there would not be any obvious build up of muscle mass and this will instead result a pause in your results. Our bodies require protein to heal, repair and rebuild muscle tissue, and making ourselves have readily available protein would help our bodies build protein inside us fast. Note that if your muscles are not fully recovered before your next workout, you will feel weaker than before and less able to lift weight, since overtime will lead you to lose both muscle and strength which is contrary to what you want to accomplish. Working out means subjecting your muscles to stress and will even possibly tear them apart. Therefore, good nutrition, rest and an adequate amount of protein is necessary to rebuild your muscles and make them quite stronger prior to the next workouts. Thus, you need to consume at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you are skeptic about eating 160 grams of protein per day (if you are a 160 pound person), you will find it easy if you are eating a complete protein source with every meal. Ensure that you are consuming not less than 4 meals a day; preferably 6 to 7 meals which are spaced throughout the day, taking your post workout meal into consideration.
Clean And Healthy Food Is Always A Yes. Since we are talking about health and fitness, it always necessary to stress that building muscle has a lot to do with nutrition and a healthy diet, thus you need to include clean and healthy foods in your diet. Focus however on foods rich in protein, so make sure your diet includes lots of chicken, turkey, lean beef or steak, tuna, fish, low fat cottage cheese, milk, as well as whey protein. These are all foods where you can derive lots of proteins and will be a great help in achieving your desired protein intake.
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