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To build lean muscle mass, you need to provide your body with a valuable calorie surplus, which will allow muscle fibers strained during training to regenerate and grow. Effective muscle mass growth requires intensive work on your figure combined with proper nutrition and supplementation. Efforts towards muscle hypertrophy must go several ways, because even the most refined training program without a diet focused on the planned goal will not bring results, just as a mass diet alone will not provide us with the figure we dream of (quite the opposite - a calorie surplus without exercise will have the opposite effect). Here are 5 tips for a mass diet!
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Healthy calorie surplus
Without fuel for training and proper nutrition for regeneration, our muscle tissue will not enter dynamic growth mode. We repeat this endlessly, but not without reason, because too often we hear from you: "I don't see the effects of the work in training" or "I feel like I'm standing still". The first question we ask is: are you providing your muscles with healthy building blocks every day, several times a day?
A calorie surplus means an additional amount of calories supplied with a regular diet. How to calculate the right calorie surplus for yourself? It is best to consult a specialist, first knowing your calorie requirements. You should take into account gender, lifestyle, body type, age, weight, other individual conditions and the type of physical activity you undertake.
"Extra calories" that are intended to build lean muscle tissue cannot come from highly processed, low-quality, nutrient-poor products that are full of sugar or trans fats. When increasing the caloric value of meals, you must first and foremost pay attention to their quality and completeness.
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Proper distribution of macronutrients
Another important aspect of a mass diet is the breakdown of the calories taken into macronutrients. It is assumed that in this type of nutrition the breakdown should look like this:
- Protein should constitute 20 to 25% of the calories consumed.
- Fats should constitute 25 to 30% of the calories consumed.
- Carbohydrates should make up 40-50% of your caloric intake.
The safest starting point for the protein/fat/carbohydrate ratio in your diet is an easy-to-remember 20/30/50. By monitoring the distribution of macronutrients, we provide ourselves with optimal support for the entire body, both during training and in the regeneration phase.
When working on mass, the increased caloric value of the diet is associated with an increased volume of the plate. It is important not to burden the stomach and the entire digestive system with too large meals in pursuit of the desired results. Therefore, it is recommended to break up the nutritional plan into a larger number of smaller meals that will provide the necessary energy without causing a feeling of heaviness and overeating.
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Protein - the most important element of the diet!
The Polish Institute of Food and Nutrition states that we should consume about 0.9 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For people who engage in regular physical activity, this value increases to 1.2 grams, while in the case of strictly focusing on building muscle mass, we are talking about 1.2-2 g per kilogram of body weight. [1]
Our muscles need amino acids at regular intervals. We don't have to make sure that we get them in every meal we eat, but it's worth remembering to eat them three times a day. It's easier to get all the essential amino acids on a diet that includes animal proteins. With a plant-based diet, it's necessary to pay more attention to planning the menu so that the body doesn't lack any important nutrients.
Full-value protein can be found in both plant and animal products. When increasing the share of protein in your diet, it is worth turning to options with the highest nutritional value, such as good quality eggs, oily sea fish, unmodified soy or lentils.
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Proper hydration of the body
We are constantly reminding you to drink water. Our body consists of 60% of it and needs it to function normally. Our muscles, on the other hand, are over 75% water! If that doesn't appeal to your imagination, then we're giving up! It's essential to remember to hydrate during training sessions and right after, when our body perspires intensively and loses huge amounts of fluids.
It is best to make friends with the popular systems for easy filtration of tap water today - the water that is supplied to us by waterworks today is of good quality and will work great as a basic source of hydration. It usually does not require additional filtration, but its introduction results in better taste and increases the likelihood that we will reach for a glass or a jug more often.
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Carbohydrate or carbohydrate-protein supplements
Gainers will help us ensure a caloric surplus necessary for effective muscle tissue development. These types of supplements are designed for people working on mass. Their basic function is to make it easier to reach your goal by supplementing your diet with missing carbohydrates and proteins.
If the thought of your next meal makes you roll your eyes and you need a moment to take a break from planning and shopping, a gainer will be a great solution. The best quality gainers contain valuable, easily digestible whey protein and complex carbohydrates. Such compositions accelerate muscle mass growth and body regeneration.
[1] Phillips SM, Van Loon LJ. Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimal adaptation. J Sports Sci. 2011;29 Suppl 1:S29-38. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2011.619204. PMID: 22150425.
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