A theory that has been popular in nutrition for many years holds that if you want to become stronger, you must eat more. In fact, for many bodybuilders, eating a lot means storing too much food, which leads to the accumulation of body fat. Therefore, how to build muscle without gaining weight is a dilemma faced by bodybuilding enthusiasts. In fact, as long as you avoid the following 10 mistakes, you can grow muscle mass without causing excessive body expansion.
Mistake 1: Eating too much at each meal
This mistake is mainly related to food intake, so try to reduce the intake per meal and increase the total intake of nutrients by increasing the number of meals, because when people eat a lot at one time, the body will only utilize Part of the nutrients (including calories) and the remaining calories will be converted into fat and stored. Therefore, we recommend that bodybuilders eat 5-8 meals a day. Each meal can only have one portion of protein material, a piece of whole wheat bread or a small cup of noodles with chicken breast. Eating small and frequent meals regularly can promote protein synthesis. Prevents the secretion of adipogenic hormones.
Mistake 2: Eat as many calories as possible
We know that caloric needs mainly depend on each person's metabolic rate and daily activity level. For bodybuilders, they need to consume approximately 38-44 kcal per kilogram of body weight. That is to say, a person weighing 75 kilograms , requiring 2850-3300 kcal per day. For people with low activity level, the required calories should be slightly less. In other words, if your metabolic rate cannot reach the average level of professional bodybuilders, but you consume 5,000 kcal per day, you will definitely gain weight quickly. Take the intake of 38 kcal per kilogram of body weight as an example. If you look in the mirror after 1-2 weeks and find that your belly has become bigger, it means that your caloric intake is too high. If your weight has increased but you still maintain a normal body shape, you can try to increase your weight in increments and gradually increase your caloric intake until you reach your own optimal level.
Mistake 3: Not knowing the best time to eat
In order to grow muscles without increasing body fat, you must pay attention to two meals: breakfast and post-training snack.. These are the two most important meals of the day and can determine whether you succeed in building muscle or just miss it.
Through a rich breakfast, our body will release anabolic hormones to promote muscle growth, while inhibiting the secretion of catabolic hormones. Eating a meal after training is also of great significance. After training, the muscles are like a vacuum cleaner. They will absorb all the nutrients as much as possible to promote muscle growth and prevent the body from storing fat.
If you don’t eat enough at breakfast and after training, your recovery effect will be greatly reduced, and your metabolic rate will also be reduced. Do you know what a reduced metabolic rate means? - Gain weight!
Mistake 4: Not eating enough carbohydrates
Protein is the most important nutrient for muscle growth, but carbohydrates also play a vital role. Especially after training, if your carbohydrate intake is too low, your body will not get enough calories to ensure muscle growth.
If you want to gain weight, you need to consume 4-6 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight. Otherwise, cortisol in the body will interfere with the assimilation of testosterone in the muscles and cause muscle breakdown. Therefore, special attention should be paid to consuming carbohydrates immediately after training. , to lower cortisol levels in the body.
The snack after muscle-building training should include 40 grams of quickly absorbed protein such as whey protein, and 80-100 grams of quickly absorbed carbohydrates, such as sports drinks, baked potatoes, honey and fruit. Ingesting carbohydrates can peak the secretion of the synthetic hormone insulin, which will help glucose, amino acids, and nutritional supplements (such as creatine) enter muscle cells, thus promoting muscle protein synthesis.
Mistake 5: Relying too much on low-fat foods
To achieve muscle gain, you may consume protein-rich, low-calorie foods such as chicken breast, fish, and egg whites, and consume large amounts of vegetables to suppress your appetite. Therefore, many bodybuilders hope to maintain a low body fat level through diet during the weight-gaining phase. However, they often do not see significant muscle growth. Why? The reason is testosterone. Eating too little fat may cause a drop in testosterone levels, and surprisingly, fiber-rich vegetables can also interfere with testosterone metabolism, which can lead to slower muscle growth.
Therefore, the correct food choice should be lean beef or eggs mixed with egg whites (for example, eat 6 eggs and remove 3 yolks). At the same time, you don’t have to be jealous of low-fat yogurt, milk, cheese, etc., they will promote your recovery ability and muscle growth, and help you achieve your ultimate goal.
Mistake 6: Ignoring important amino acids
There are three amino acids that are more abundant than othersThe most important ones are branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), including leucine, isoleucine and valine. Branched-chain amino acids help repair muscle damage. Taking branched-chain amino acids before and after training will protect muscles from breakdown, tearing and irritation, indirectly promoting muscle growth. Leucine among branched-chain amino acids is the most important. It not only promotes the secretion of insulin, the "catalyst for muscle growth", but also directly acts on muscle cells to promote muscle growth. It is recommended that you take 5-10 grams of leucine before and after training. Chain amino acid complex supplement, or take 5-8 grams of leucine directly.
Error 7: Insufficient recovery time
Although the core requirement of muscle-building training is eating correctly, it does not mean that the best nutrition can replace proper rest. Although good nutrition can also inhibit the secretion of pro-catabolic hormones, there is a limit. Rest will reduce the secretion of pro-catabolic hormones, so in the end you still have to rest. If you avoid the misunderstandings we pointed out above , but the muscles still do not grow, then it means that you have not had enough rest time. Please remember that if you train too much, not only will you not be able to grow your muscles, but it will cause serious damage. At that time, no matter how ideal the nutrition method is, it will not help you. Take a close look at your training schedule and add a day or two of rest.
Mistake 8: Not eating before training
It is critical to replenish protein and carbohydrates to the body before training. These nutrients will directly serve as energy substances and save muscle energy reserves. Moreover, they will promote the body's anabolic process faster and more effectively after exercise, 30 minutes before exercise. Within, you need to take 20 grams of whey protein and 40 grams of carbohydrates.
Mistake 9: Missing the midnight snack
The secret to building a big body is to maintain a strong anabolic state. The body continuously transports amino acids to the muscles and promotes muscle growth. However, during sleep, the body stops this process. There is a simple way to avoid this situation, drink 500-1000 ml of water before going to bed, so that when you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, drink a cup of protein drink added with 3 grams of arginine, it will ensure The transport of proteins in the body, and arginine will also promote the secretion of growth hormone (GH) to promote muscle growth. If you don’t like the taste of arginine, you can consider using glycolic acid instead.
Mistake 10: Not persisting in long-term exercise
If you want to become a big man, you need to implement the above things, so that you can grow into a big man naturally without gaining weight. But you have to remember: consistent exercise is the secret. You need to pay attention to details and train step by step every day. I believe that after a period of time,You can taste the joy of success.