Muscle Building and Maintenance Diet
Ultimately everyone has a different metabolism and caloric needs. Below are a few examples, and good
starting points this is based on the average, so the best method is to monitor your eating habits and
make sure you are getting enough of the right foods. Best way to build a plan specific your needs is to
visit Max Muscle, and speak with one of our Certified Sports Nutrition Coaches, to push yourself to the
next level.
• 2‐3 eggs, boiled scrambled or fried in olive oil, (egg whites or egg substitute are ok). Throw in some veggies, broccoli, etc.
• 1 or 2 slices of whole wheat toast, or high protein whole grain bread.
• Fruit juice (apple, grape, orange etc.)
• Apple, orange or fresh fruit
• OR, instead of cooking try this healthy shake, 12 ounces milk or soy milk, ½ banana, ½ cup strawberries or any frozen berry, 1 or 2 scoops of Max Muscle MaxPro Protein,, ½ serving or ounce of Ultra 100 Liquid Vitamin, ½ cup of ice, blend and enjoy a powerful shake with 25 plus grams of protein, carbs and more than 100 nutrients! Note: You can replace the milk with juice.
Meal 2: Typically a School Snack around 10am
• Protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, 1 MaxPro Protein Shake
• OR, any snack with 15g or more protein
Meal 3: Typically Lunch 12pm
• Chicken, turkey or ham sandwich: At least 3oz of meat Light mayo or olive oil mayonnaise.
• OR, if you don’t like those types of sandwiches try a high protein peanut butter sandwich on high protein whole grain bread.
• 10 or so baby carrots or carrot sticks
• Small bag or serving of Sun Chips or a healthier type of chip with some grain and fiber
• 8‐12 ounces of milk or water
Meal 4: Typically an after School Snack around 3pm
• Protein shake, 1 or 2 scoops of Max Muscle Protein, 8‐12 ounces milk or soy milk, banana or berries (½ cup) or both, ½ cup ice and blend. Feel free to try chocolate, peanut butter and banana or any other flavors and tasty ingredients that you like!
• OR, protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, 16oz milk only if you are not home and stop by a convenience store for a snack.
• OR, any snack with 15g or more protein
Meal 5: Typically Dinner around 6:30 or 7pm
• 4‐6 ounces of lean meat (chicken, steak, lean burgers, turkey meat etc)
• 1 or more cups of veggies such as, broccoli, green beans, snap peas, zucchini, carrots, corn etc. And/OR, a dinner salad.
• Pasta and/or rice. OR a small serving of both. Mashed potatoes, wild rice, hummus, and other similar foods can be substituted here.
• 8 ounces of milk, soy milk or water
• 1 or 2 slices of whole grain bread or high protein grain bread. Note: if you are trying to lose weight, only 1 slice of high protein whole grain bread.
Also, if desired, use a light canola or olive oil spread.
Meal 6: Typically a snack around 10 or so
The general idea for this snack is to elevate your nitrogen one last time before going to bed. You typically want to minimize the calories while adding 20 grams or so of protein before bed.
• Protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, a light shake of 8 ounces of milk or water, ½ scoop of Max Muscle Protein, frozen berries are very low in calories and can make your shake taste really good, ½ cup of ice.
starting points this is based on the average, so the best method is to monitor your eating habits and
make sure you are getting enough of the right foods. Best way to build a plan specific your needs is to
visit Max Muscle, and speak with one of our Certified Sports Nutrition Coaches, to push yourself to the
next level.
Lean Muscle Building and Maintenance DietMeal 1: Typically Breakfast
This sample diet is between 2,200 and 2,500 calories
• 2‐3 eggs, boiled scrambled or fried in olive oil, (egg whites or egg substitute are ok). Throw in some veggies, broccoli, etc.
• 1 or 2 slices of whole wheat toast, or high protein whole grain bread.
• Fruit juice (apple, grape, orange etc.)
• Apple, orange or fresh fruit
• OR, instead of cooking try this healthy shake, 12 ounces milk or soy milk, ½ banana, ½ cup strawberries or any frozen berry, 1 or 2 scoops of Max Muscle MaxPro Protein,, ½ serving or ounce of Ultra 100 Liquid Vitamin, ½ cup of ice, blend and enjoy a powerful shake with 25 plus grams of protein, carbs and more than 100 nutrients! Note: You can replace the milk with juice.
Meal 2: Typically a School Snack around 10am
• Protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, 1 MaxPro Protein Shake
• OR, any snack with 15g or more protein
Meal 3: Typically Lunch 12pm
• Chicken, turkey or ham sandwich: At least 3oz of meat Light mayo or olive oil mayonnaise.
• OR, if you don’t like those types of sandwiches try a high protein peanut butter sandwich on high protein whole grain bread.
• 10 or so baby carrots or carrot sticks
• Small bag or serving of Sun Chips or a healthier type of chip with some grain and fiber
• 8‐12 ounces of milk or water
Meal 4: Typically an after School Snack around 3pm
• Protein shake, 1 or 2 scoops of Max Muscle Protein, 8‐12 ounces milk or soy milk, banana or berries (½ cup) or both, ½ cup ice and blend. Feel free to try chocolate, peanut butter and banana or any other flavors and tasty ingredients that you like!
• OR, protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, 16oz milk only if you are not home and stop by a convenience store for a snack.
• OR, any snack with 15g or more protein
Meal 5: Typically Dinner around 6:30 or 7pm
• 4‐6 ounces of lean meat (chicken, steak, lean burgers, turkey meat etc)
• 1 or more cups of veggies such as, broccoli, green beans, snap peas, zucchini, carrots, corn etc. And/OR, a dinner salad.
• Pasta and/or rice. OR a small serving of both. Mashed potatoes, wild rice, hummus, and other similar foods can be substituted here.
• 8 ounces of milk, soy milk or water
• 1 or 2 slices of whole grain bread or high protein grain bread. Note: if you are trying to lose weight, only 1 slice of high protein whole grain bread.
Also, if desired, use a light canola or olive oil spread.
Meal 6: Typically a snack around 10 or so
The general idea for this snack is to elevate your nitrogen one last time before going to bed. You typically want to minimize the calories while adding 20 grams or so of protein before bed.
• Protein bar, such as Max Crunch Bar or something around 20g of protein.
• OR, a light shake of 8 ounces of milk or water, ½ scoop of Max Muscle Protein, frozen berries are very low in calories and can make your shake taste really good, ½ cup of ice.
Tag :
Muscle Building
,
Nutrition
Protein To Build and Repair Muscles
Traditionally, protein-rich foods have been synonymous with muscular athletes. The (misguided) theory is that if you eat a lot of protein, you will build a lot of muscle. The truth is that heavy weightlifting, push-ups, and other forms of resistance exercise—not excess protein—build and strengthen muscles. If you consume more protein than you need, you will simply burn more protein as a fuel source (Bolster et al. 2005).
Confusion exists about the best diet for building muscles. When you work out in the weight room at the gym, you likely hear you need to consume lots of chicken breasts and egg whites and drink protein shakes between meals to be stronger. But when you hang around in the cardio area, you hear that carbohydrate-rich pasta, cereal, and grains should be the foundation of your meals. And you are left wondering, what’s the right balance?
Carbohydrate-rich grains, fruits, and vegetables are indeed the best foundation for every type of training program. Even bodybuilders need a carbohydrate-based diet because carbohydrate is stored in the muscles for energy. You can’t lift weights and demand a lot from your workout sessions if your muscles are carbohydrate depleted. Protein-based diets low in carbohydrate provide inadequate muscle fuel for you to exercise hard enough to build to your potential. The best sports diet contains adequate, but not excessive, protein to build and repair muscle tissue, grow hair and fingernails, produce hormones, boost your immune system, and replace red blood cells. Most people who eat moderate portions of protein-rich foods daily get more protein than they need. Any excess protein is burned for energy or, as a last resort, stored as glycogen or fat. Humans do not store excess protein as muscle, protein, or amino acids, so we need to consume adequate protein each day. Daily protein is particularly important for dieters who are restricting calories, because protein is burned for energy when carbohydrate and calories are scarce.
When it comes to protein intake, athletes seem to fall into two categories. First are those who eat too much—the bodybuilders, weightlifters, and football players who can’t seem to get enough of the stuff. Those in the second group eat too little—the runners, dancers, and weight-conscious athletes who never touch meat and trade most protein calories for more salads and vegetables. Individuals in either group can perform poorly because of dietary imbalances. Josh, for example, was a protein pusher. A college hockey player, he routinely snacked after practice on a big protein bar and a protein shake. That one snack satisfied more than half his protein needs for the whole day. As an athlete, he has a slightly higher protein need than a sedentary person, but he overcompensated for that need with the generous servings of chicken and fish he devoured at meals, never mind his high-protein snack.
Paulo, a vegetarian marathon runner who ate spaghetti with tomato sauce seven nights a week, downplayed his need for protein. “Most Americans get way too much protein; I’m sure I get plenty, too.” He consumed few protein-rich foods of any types—plant or animal products. He was humbled when he learned that his food intake was deficient not only in protein but also in iron (for red blood cells), zinc (for healing), calcium (for bones), and several other nutrients. No wonder he became anemic, suffered a lingering cold and flu, and performed poorly despite consistent training.
Defining Protein Needs
Research has yet to define the exact protein requirements of sports-active people because individual needs vary. People in the following groups have the highest protein needs:
In general, pinpointing exact protein requirements is almost a moot point because many athletes eat more protein than they require just through standard meals. That is, a 150-pound (68 kg) recreational athlete who burns 3,000 calories can easily consume 300 to 450 protein calories, or 75 to 112 grams of protein. This equates to 0.5 to 0.7 gram of protein per pound (1 to 1.5 g of protein per kg), which is more than the RDA of0.4 gram per pound (0.8 g per kg). These recommendations include a margin of safety and are not minimal amounts. If you are overfat, base your protein needs on your ideal body weight.
In contrast to the belief that a little more protein is good so a lot more will be better, no scientific evidence to date suggests that protein intakes exceeding 0.9 gram of protein per pound (2.0 g per kg) will provide an additional advantage (Lemon 1995). Nor is there evidence that taking a protein supplement on top of an adequate diet (with about 0.5 g of protein per pound, or 1 g per kg) will enhance muscle strength or size (Godard, Williamson, and Trappe 2002). And don’t fret about how the protein is packaged—as whey powder, chicken, egg whites, or chocolate milk; all protein can build muscles. The advantage of getting protein from natural foods (as opposed to supplements) is that natural foods contain protein the way nature intended as well as yet-unknown bioactive compounds that might influence muscle growth.
The physiques of bodybuilders are not attributable to the excessively high protein diet they commonly consume but rather to their intense training. Bodybuilders work incredibly hard. They prefer a high-protein diet because protein not only builds and protects their muscles but also keeps them from feeling hungry when they are cutting calories—lean protein is harder to overconsume.
Your Protein Needs
To learn if you are meeting your protein needs in your current diet, follow two easy steps. First, using table 7.1, identify which category you belong to. For example, if you are a 140-pound (64 kg) bike racer, you would fit the category of an “endurance athlete, adult” and would need about 85 to 100 grams of protein per day :
140 lb * 0.6 g/lb = 84 g protein
140 lb * 0.7 g/lb = 98 g protein
Second, keep track of your protein intake by listing everything you eat and drink for one 24-hour period. The information on food labels provides protein information, and table 7.2 lists the amount of protein in some common foods. You can also use a variety of Web sites (see Dietary Analysis in appendix A) to analyze your diet and assess your protein intake. Note that you need to eat a generous portion (more calories) of beans
and other forms of plant protein to equal the protein in animal foods.
Confusion exists about the best diet for building muscles. When you work out in the weight room at the gym, you likely hear you need to consume lots of chicken breasts and egg whites and drink protein shakes between meals to be stronger. But when you hang around in the cardio area, you hear that carbohydrate-rich pasta, cereal, and grains should be the foundation of your meals. And you are left wondering, what’s the right balance?
Carbohydrate-rich grains, fruits, and vegetables are indeed the best foundation for every type of training program. Even bodybuilders need a carbohydrate-based diet because carbohydrate is stored in the muscles for energy. You can’t lift weights and demand a lot from your workout sessions if your muscles are carbohydrate depleted. Protein-based diets low in carbohydrate provide inadequate muscle fuel for you to exercise hard enough to build to your potential. The best sports diet contains adequate, but not excessive, protein to build and repair muscle tissue, grow hair and fingernails, produce hormones, boost your immune system, and replace red blood cells. Most people who eat moderate portions of protein-rich foods daily get more protein than they need. Any excess protein is burned for energy or, as a last resort, stored as glycogen or fat. Humans do not store excess protein as muscle, protein, or amino acids, so we need to consume adequate protein each day. Daily protein is particularly important for dieters who are restricting calories, because protein is burned for energy when carbohydrate and calories are scarce.
When it comes to protein intake, athletes seem to fall into two categories. First are those who eat too much—the bodybuilders, weightlifters, and football players who can’t seem to get enough of the stuff. Those in the second group eat too little—the runners, dancers, and weight-conscious athletes who never touch meat and trade most protein calories for more salads and vegetables. Individuals in either group can perform poorly because of dietary imbalances. Josh, for example, was a protein pusher. A college hockey player, he routinely snacked after practice on a big protein bar and a protein shake. That one snack satisfied more than half his protein needs for the whole day. As an athlete, he has a slightly higher protein need than a sedentary person, but he overcompensated for that need with the generous servings of chicken and fish he devoured at meals, never mind his high-protein snack.
Paulo, a vegetarian marathon runner who ate spaghetti with tomato sauce seven nights a week, downplayed his need for protein. “Most Americans get way too much protein; I’m sure I get plenty, too.” He consumed few protein-rich foods of any types—plant or animal products. He was humbled when he learned that his food intake was deficient not only in protein but also in iron (for red blood cells), zinc (for healing), calcium (for bones), and several other nutrients. No wonder he became anemic, suffered a lingering cold and flu, and performed poorly despite consistent training.
Defining Protein Needs
Research has yet to define the exact protein requirements of sports-active people because individual needs vary. People in the following groups have the highest protein needs:
- Endurance athletes and others doing intense exercise. About 5 percent of energy can come from protein during endurance exercise, particularly if muscle glycogen stores are depleted and blood glucose is low.
- Dieters consuming too few calories. The protein is converted into glucose and burned for energy instead of being used to build and repair muscles.
- Growing teenage athletes. Protein is essential for both growth and muscular development.
- Untrained people starting an exercise program. They need extra protein to build muscles.
In general, pinpointing exact protein requirements is almost a moot point because many athletes eat more protein than they require just through standard meals. That is, a 150-pound (68 kg) recreational athlete who burns 3,000 calories can easily consume 300 to 450 protein calories, or 75 to 112 grams of protein. This equates to 0.5 to 0.7 gram of protein per pound (1 to 1.5 g of protein per kg), which is more than the RDA of0.4 gram per pound (0.8 g per kg). These recommendations include a margin of safety and are not minimal amounts. If you are overfat, base your protein needs on your ideal body weight.
In contrast to the belief that a little more protein is good so a lot more will be better, no scientific evidence to date suggests that protein intakes exceeding 0.9 gram of protein per pound (2.0 g per kg) will provide an additional advantage (Lemon 1995). Nor is there evidence that taking a protein supplement on top of an adequate diet (with about 0.5 g of protein per pound, or 1 g per kg) will enhance muscle strength or size (Godard, Williamson, and Trappe 2002). And don’t fret about how the protein is packaged—as whey powder, chicken, egg whites, or chocolate milk; all protein can build muscles. The advantage of getting protein from natural foods (as opposed to supplements) is that natural foods contain protein the way nature intended as well as yet-unknown bioactive compounds that might influence muscle growth.
The physiques of bodybuilders are not attributable to the excessively high protein diet they commonly consume but rather to their intense training. Bodybuilders work incredibly hard. They prefer a high-protein diet because protein not only builds and protects their muscles but also keeps them from feeling hungry when they are cutting calories—lean protein is harder to overconsume.
Your Protein Needs
To learn if you are meeting your protein needs in your current diet, follow two easy steps. First, using table 7.1, identify which category you belong to. For example, if you are a 140-pound (64 kg) bike racer, you would fit the category of an “endurance athlete, adult” and would need about 85 to 100 grams of protein per day :
140 lb * 0.6 g/lb = 84 g protein
140 lb * 0.7 g/lb = 98 g protein
Second, keep track of your protein intake by listing everything you eat and drink for one 24-hour period. The information on food labels provides protein information, and table 7.2 lists the amount of protein in some common foods. You can also use a variety of Web sites (see Dietary Analysis in appendix A) to analyze your diet and assess your protein intake. Note that you need to eat a generous portion (more calories) of beans
and other forms of plant protein to equal the protein in animal foods.
Tag :
Muscle Building
,
Nutrition
Muscle Building Nutrition
Learn how to plan your diet and nutrition for your fitness goals. Nutrition for muscle building, fat loss and health.
Emphasize The Negative
Muscle growth is the logical byproduct of muscle contraction. Much emphasis is placed on the concentric phase of a lift where the muscle shortens as it contracts. But the stretching of the muscle during the eccentric, or negative, phase where the muscle lengthens while maintaining tension can directly cause muscle hypertrophy, too. Emphasizing the negative is an easy technique to overload muscles and promote radical gains in mass.
Set Short Term Goals
Short term goals are important for developing a solid muscle building program. By setting short term goals, you will have the framework to follow so you can make small changes in your daily routine which will develop into healthy habits to last a lifetime. Focus on a weekly goal of gaining 1-2 pounds lean mass. This is the healthiest amount of weight gain per week and is the correct level to make sure you're not packing on body fat. To reach this 1 pound weight gain per week, focus on creating a 500 calorie surplus in your overall calories every day.
Emphasize The Negative
Muscle growth is the logical byproduct of muscle contraction. Much emphasis is placed on the concentric phase of a lift where the muscle shortens as it contracts. But the stretching of the muscle during the eccentric, or negative, phase where the muscle lengthens while maintaining tension can directly cause muscle hypertrophy, too. Emphasizing the negative is an easy technique to overload muscles and promote radical gains in mass.
Set Short Term Goals
Short term goals are important for developing a solid muscle building program. By setting short term goals, you will have the framework to follow so you can make small changes in your daily routine which will develop into healthy habits to last a lifetime. Focus on a weekly goal of gaining 1-2 pounds lean mass. This is the healthiest amount of weight gain per week and is the correct level to make sure you're not packing on body fat. To reach this 1 pound weight gain per week, focus on creating a 500 calorie surplus in your overall calories every day.
Tag :
Muscle Building
,
Nutrition
Muscle Building Nutrition
Learn how to plan your diet and nutrition for your fitness goals. Nutrition for muscle building, fat loss and health.
Eat Plenty of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are needed to fuel your body during exercise. The storage form of carbohydrates is glycogen. The idea here is to super saturate glycogen levels so that the body never has to dip into protein for energy production.
The higher the level of carbs in the body, the more likely you are going to remain in an anabolic environment. Carbs also play a role in the release of insulin. Insulin is the body's most potent anabolic hormone. It promotes gluconeogenesis, protein synthesis, and the formation of adipocytes. In short, the release of insulin is required to promote an anabolic environment and carbs help by releasing insulin.
Eat Plenty of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are needed to fuel your body during exercise. The storage form of carbohydrates is glycogen. The idea here is to super saturate glycogen levels so that the body never has to dip into protein for energy production.
The higher the level of carbs in the body, the more likely you are going to remain in an anabolic environment. Carbs also play a role in the release of insulin. Insulin is the body's most potent anabolic hormone. It promotes gluconeogenesis, protein synthesis, and the formation of adipocytes. In short, the release of insulin is required to promote an anabolic environment and carbs help by releasing insulin.
Tag :
Muscle Building
,
Nutrition
Muscle Building Nutrition
Learn how to plan your diet and nutrition for your fitness goals. Nutrition for muscle building, fat loss and health.
Rest for Muscle Growth
One of the best pieces of exercise advice is to understand that your muscles grow when you’re resting not
training. That's right; you don't actually get bigger and stronger when you're in the gym. It's what you do after your
workout that's the real key to muscle growth. If you don't let your muscles recover correctly, you're body will
become over trained and it will be in a state of constant "catch up". This is far from the ideal state that you want
your body in. What you want is to truly prime your body for your next workout and give it enough rest and
recuperation to fully optimize your training. The worst thing you can do is not help your body recover. This will lead to muscle atrophy (breaking down muscle) and you may experience the flu because of this. Take care of business and start your recuperation. When you get back from your workout, you might also try sitting in an ice tub or sauna to really relax and let your muscles recover. Rest is extremely important when training hard, so make sure to take the time to recover and grow from your training sessions.
Rest for Muscle Growth
One of the best pieces of exercise advice is to understand that your muscles grow when you’re resting nottraining. That's right; you don't actually get bigger and stronger when you're in the gym. It's what you do after your
workout that's the real key to muscle growth. If you don't let your muscles recover correctly, you're body will
become over trained and it will be in a state of constant "catch up". This is far from the ideal state that you want
your body in. What you want is to truly prime your body for your next workout and give it enough rest and
recuperation to fully optimize your training. The worst thing you can do is not help your body recover. This will lead to muscle atrophy (breaking down muscle) and you may experience the flu because of this. Take care of business and start your recuperation. When you get back from your workout, you might also try sitting in an ice tub or sauna to really relax and let your muscles recover. Rest is extremely important when training hard, so make sure to take the time to recover and grow from your training sessions.
Tag :
Muscle Building
,
Nutrition
10 Low Cost Foods to Help Gain Muscle
If you have been trying to gain muscle for any length of time, you have probably figured out that training is only half of the equation. To gain quality muscular weight, you must take in more calories than you burn, with a significant portion of them coming from protein. This large food intake can be a huge drain on your wallet, especially when you already have monthly gym and other team related expenses. Here are 10, nutrient-dense, muscle-building foods that will help you get the protein and calories you need without breaking the bank.
1. Eggs
With 5-6 grams of both protein and fat in each little egg, and with prices as low as a dollar per dozen in some grocery stores, this is a muscle building food that cannot be beat. If you're in serious need of calories to grow, you would do well to eat the whole egg. The yolk contains healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, half of the egg's protein, and several essential amino acids and vitamins that you will not find in the white.
1. Eggs
Tag :
Muscle Building
,
Nutrition
