After years of reading others posts and simply learning i might finally have something useful to contribute. For as long as i can remember ive been 6'2" and hovered around 185lbs. I tinkered with protein shakes, creatine, and various workout styles trying to bulk up a bit, but until recently all i ever achieved was strength gains and an even more lean physique. Ive been bulking for about 10 weeks now and ive packed on 24 lean lbs. Im not doing anything special or on some breakthrough diet but i believe that through simplifying all the information ive read on diet and how the body responds to the food you eat ive come up with some basic guidelines on how to gain. First off the most genius advice ive been given, if you want to weigh 225 lbs then you have to eat like a 225 pound man. If you actually think about this it makes perfect sense. Calculate your BMR then calculate it at the weight you want to be and youll see the difference in how much you need to be taking in. The following are the rules by which ive been eating:
1. Eat at least 5 meals a day and preferrably 6. Through eating aproximately every 2 hours you ensure that your body always has what nutrition it needs when it needs it. You also avoid spikes in hormone levels such as insulin and "wasting food" by eating more in a single meal then your body can absorb. Eating 6 times a day is tough unless you happen to live rent free in your parents basement so find ways to make this easier as its probably the most important guideline to gaining. Keep a shaker on hand with a couple scoops of high calorie protein powder in it, water is pretty easy to come by regardless of where u are. If you have to eat out get chinese food. You know how they feed you in those places, 6 bucks will get you about 10 pounds of chow mein and teriyaki chicken. Make meals the day prior and stock up on plenty of chicken, brown rice, lunch meat, and whole wheat bread(Costco is great for this).
2. Eat at least 30g of protein with EVERY meal. Ive been told about a study(and i cant site it) that has shown the average sized man can only absorb ~30g of protein from each meal. Since protein is what your body needs to build its muscles we want to ensure we keep its protein levels high.
3. Eat plenty of COMPLEX carbs with each meal. Carbohydrates are the most efficient source of energy you can ingest. They are the fuel by which your body builds its self up. Whole wheats, grains, and rice are common sources of complex carbs. You also need to cut out the simple carbs you eat now. Food and drink high in sugars will cause insulin spikes and comedowns, provide less lasting energy and add unwanted pounds of fat now that your taking in more calories.
4. Protein shakes BEFORE AND AFTER the gym. Consuming a scoop of your favorite high calorie protein shake within 30 minutes of going to the gym will cause increased blood flow throughout your muscles. The 30 minutes following your workout is known as the "metabolic window" during which the intake of carbs and protein can shift the body from a catabolic state to an anabolic one. During this time its believed that the body makes the most efficient use of the food you ingest. Try to consume your shakes as close to your workouts as possible to ensure you get the best results.
5. Eat until your full. Every meal you eat you make the most of. I feel like puking half the day and thats become my sign ive been eating enough. If after a meal you arent full eat more.
6. Avoid snacking. If you actually feel like snacking at any point in the day you probably arent following the rule above this one. Snacking will most likely decrease your appetite when it comes time to eat your next meal and will probably not be anything you should have in your diet anyway.
Youll see plenty of dialed in diets posted on here which will tell you exact ratios of carb/fat/protein to take in and how many almonds you can eat for lunch but the complexity of these diets makes them difficult to follow and easy to fall off track. This is really a beginners guide to gaining and hopefully it will help some of you who are stuck where i was.
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