GAINING MUSCLE PART 2:

Gaining weight/muscle is a big part of the gym and most sports for certain people. This is the case for both males and females. This is because the ‘skinny look’ is a very unhealthy look. There is a reverse to this though when people put too much weight on the wrong way which will promote many health risks.  Obviously to gain the weight your intake must be higher than your expenditure BUT we do not want fat to increase we want lean muscle to increase. So how do we gain weight and look good at the same time without any health risks. It’s simple really you eat clean and have a good diet. Most people think diets are all about losing weight but they are used for gaining too. So eat clean and up your intake. These two things will promote muscle growth and therefore increase your weight.

As I am gaining weight at the moment I will tell you want I do. I have found that having 6 meals a day is working for meal well. I started on 6 small portions a day and have gradually increased them. This process is slow but because I’ve done this I feel less bloated and I have a lot more energy.  This is rather than jumping in at 4 massive meals a day. I have a rule with myself also which is, ‘if I’m hungry enough for a snack, I have enough room for a meal’ but if I’m keep on feeling hungry it is time to up the portion size!

So my top five foods to eat to gain muscle:

Whole eggs

EGGS! What a brilliant way to gain muscle. Well these are brilliant. I’m a student so don’t have much money and this is a great inexpensive way to get protein and calories in. An egg will have about 10 grams of protein so if you have 4 for a meal that will be 40g of protein. There is about 155 calories per one average sized egg. This will significantly boost your intake which will lead to growth. Obviously if you are trying to cut a way to completely cut the calories would be to take the yolk out as this contains most of the fat but the yolk contains so many vitamins and minerals it would be wise to have at least one yolk per egg dish. The reason I like eggs is because you can do so much with them to mix things up but the healthiest way to eat an egg is to boil it.

Meat (chicken, beef, turkey)

Well this will be the most expensive part of anyone’s diet. It will be the most expensive but it is also the most needed. Meat is the best way of getting good quality protein in.

Chicken: This is packed full of amino acids and there is many ways of eating it so you don’t get bored of it. Chicken is low in fat and is perfect for building muscle. There are only around 180 calories and 21g of protein in a 100g chicken breast which is really good. This high amount of protein mixed with the low calorie index makes it great for building lean fat free muscle.

Beef: This amazing meat contains high amounts of iron, zinc, creatine, magnesium and many vitamins. Per 100g there are about 330 calories and 14g of protein. As this is high in calories obviously your intake will increase after every meal resulting in a gain of weight. The zinc in the beef is brilliant; zinc is proven to boost testosterone while improving sleep and even spots! I think the other super thing about beef is the creatine in it. Creatine boosts and aids the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) this is the only form on energy your muscles actually use. This increase of ATP production will make you able to lift more and exercise harder which will again aid muscle growth. 

Turkey: This is an easy one. It’s cheap and contains very low saturated fat. There is about 155 calories and contains about 30g of protein per a 100g serving. Perfect for building lean muscle.

Nuts and nut spreads

Nuts are brilliant to snack on whenever you feel peckish.  This is because they are portable and easily eaten without creating any sort of mess and they are full of protein and fiber. Almonds are one of the best to have as they make you feel full while repairing your muscles. Nuts are expensive though and you must only have plain otherwise your sodium levels in your body will sky rocket.

Nut spreads on the other hand are full of good fats while being very calorie dense. Peanut butter monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats which have been proven to aid weight-loss, reduce belly fat, reduce your cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease and aid joint movement. What I mean by aid weight loss is that unwanted fat. Don’t worry.  Also this is a very cheap way of getting a meal in. It is also quick, have a peanut butter sandwich with brown bread and you will be getting a nice amount of calories in. 

Spinach

This super food contains many vitamins and contains a lot of calcium. Per 100g there is only 23 calories in it! This may make you believe that it is not good for gaining weight but you’ll be wrong. What do we want to achieve? Gaining lean muscle so good weight rather than fat. The many vitamins in it will keep your muscles functioning well so you can lift weight at a more efficient rate promoting muscle growth, thus promoting a weight increase.

Fish

Fish is a very good source of protein. It is very low in fat and contains a lot of important vitamins. I think the most important thing about this food is the fatty acids within. People do not tend to get enough Omega 3. There is strong evidence towards omega-3s EPA and DHA can help lower triglycerides and blood pressure. These are essential acids. This is because the body cannot make them within so we have to derive them from the diet. They help energy production while keeping a lot of diseases at bay. There are not many foods that can do this much good for you. I recommend salmon, cod, tuna and oily fish like mackerel.

Cottage cheese

Most body builders will have some cottage cheese before bed. This is because it has a slow release of protein which is perfect and when you are sleeping your muscles are still being nourished. It is also very low in fat and has about 28g of protein in per 200g of this food. It is also quite cheap and can be mixed with almost anything to change it up. Pineapple is a popular choice and it does taste really good.

Brown rice

A staple diet in many body builders diet. This is a complex carb which releases energy at a sustained rate. Carbohydrates are a big part of gaining muscle. The protein repairs it but doesn’t give you much energy. Having complex carbs will give you the energy to exercise and build that muscle. Brown rice is also versatile and can be put with any meal which is nice so things do not get boring.

Oats

Oats can be eaten whenever. When mixed with honey and skimmed milk with a banana this is an energy filled meal which will sustain your through your workout and even your day. Oats are very low in calories and fill you up! They are easy to prepare and are very cheap. This food is actually full of vitamins as well which is also a massive plus.

Remember you must exercise eating these foods. If you do not you will gain weight and it will be fat. If you’re nutrition and exercise plans are great you will one day look great. If you include these foods into your diet you will see a significant difference you will feel a significant difference. My advice though would be don’t eat the same foods all the time, and if you do make it differently! This will stop you getting bored of them and going towards unhealthy food. Don’t cheat on your diet or you will get nowhere.

Picture is about a year old.

Matt Millar's back workout.

GAINING MUSCLE PART 1:

This is a three part article on how to gain muscle.  Part 1: ‘my top 5 exercises for gaining muscle’. Part 2: ‘my top five foods for gaining muscle’. Lastly Part 3: ‘Supplements I take to gain muscle’.  I am currently trying to gain more muscle. With this sport you learn new things all the time. Stay tuned to each post, increase your knowledge and start gaining some serious mass.

Gaining muscle pretty much means you’re trying to gain weight.  Obviously as the muscles enlarges your weight increases. With this in mind we are going to target the larger muscles and exercises that use multiple muscles so there is a greater amount of growth quicker. 

1. Deadlifts

This is a great exercise. It includes your gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, your core muscles, lower back, latts, traps, rhomboids, all the little muscles in your back e.g. teres minor and major and your forearms.  As this exercise attacks each of these muscles it will transform your body in no time. Now this is not an exercise to be taken lightly, it can cause a lot of damage if it is done wrong. 

Make sure you keep your back straight throughout the movement, as it soon as it starts to barrel over you will be in danger of causing damage to it. Practice on an empty bar for a while before you put loads and loads of weight on.  I’ll let you in on a little secret that goes for every exercise; no one cares about how much weight you can lift, they judge you more on how good your form and technique is. So don’t be that guy or girl who puts loads of weight on and lifts wrong because people WILL talk behind your back and make fun.

2. Squats

SQUATS. All you girl’s wants that perky bum and tight legs now, while guys are getting judged a lot more on their lower bodies. This means it has to be neglected less in order to match your upper bodies. I know most people don’t like leg day but your biggest muscles are in your legs. This exercise will work you gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. Now this is another exercise that you must do correctly otherwise you will hurt yourself.  Keep your back straight and get nice and deep to ensure a greater range of movement which will work the muscle more.

I think everyone has heard the phrase ‘ass to grass’ which is a good phrase but it will damage your knees. Think about it, if your knee joint is closed completely you will have all that weight pushing down on that joint will cause damage due to the compression on these two small points. After talking to people and finding out the different techniques they use I have found that the best way to do a squat is to go down slowly until your knee angle is just below 90 degrees.

 

3. Bench Press

Everybody loves this exercise. Pectoral muscles when formed properly look amazing. A stronger chest makes the whole of your upper body more effective.  It works the pectoral minor and major and depending if you straighten your arm fully it will work your triceps as well. You have to mix things up when you bench, like switching between dumbbells and barbell press. This will confuse the muscles promoting them to grow. Now when benching with dumbbells there will be less stability so you won’t be able to push out much weight compared to a barbell press, but this is good as the added movement will strengthen the muscle.

People tend to neglect their upper chest. This is a very bad habit to get in. You need to train your chest equally so it looks in proportion and it also promote a stronger chest. This will allow you to add more weight which will lead to bigger muscles (more mass). One more thing, make sure you get low enough. The bar should touch your chest and if you are doing dumbbell press the inside of the dumbbell should touch your chest. This will make the muscle stretch to the fullest it can, making it tear more equaling in more growth.

4. Clean, Jerk & Press

This is a brilliant exercise. It is like a deadlift in the way as it hits a lot of muscles. It hits your gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, your core muscles, lower back, latts, traps, rhomboids, teres minor and major, triceps, each part of the deltoids and your forearms.  This exercise promotes growth in each muscle. All these muscles growing equal you becoming bigger obviously. This movement absolutely transforms your body and gives you these amazing rounded shoulders.

It is a complicated movement. It is imperative you do it right or you could throw your back out, dislocate your shoulder or even snap the elbow joint.  

I’ll try talking you through the movement. So go in for a deadlift, keep that back straight. Once the bar is at hip level you have to jerk it up.  That doesn’t sound nice but it’s the name. Bend your knees slightly and then pull the bar up towards your collar bone, once there your hands should be underneath the bar and you simply press and repeat. As this is complicated practice on an empty bar so you get the movement right. 

5. Wide grip pull up

I hate this exercise. It’s not for me but I force myself to do it. This is because it engages all of your upper back, mostly your latts. Not much to say about this exercise as you just pull yourself up, pretty straight forward. When you do this though make sure you go all the way down allowing your back to stretch out and then when you pull up make sure your chin is above the bar. This will allow for the greatest range of movement.

These are my top 5 exercises and I hope they become your top 5. Always remember that to gain muscle you need to lift heavy weights BUT KEEP YOUR FORM CORRECT. You also need to change the exercises up in order to confuse the muscle which promotes more growth.

 “Everybody wants be a bodybuilder but nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weights”

  - Ronnie Coleman

 Post two will be coming soon: My top 5 foods for gaining muscle. STAY TUNED.