To gain muscle mass, we must know exactly what, when and in what quantities to eat. The tips on the following pages will help you master the basics of "anabolic" nutrition, but then everything is simple - the next five kilos of muscle mass are just 15 steps away from you!

1. The basis of everything is protein.
Imagine a long Christmas tree garland of colorful balls-decorations. This is the model of a protein molecule. Well, each colored ball is some kind of one amino acid. When such a protein "garland" enters our digestive system, the gastric juice dissolves the intermediate connecting links and the "balls" of amino acids break out into freedom. They enter the blood and with it begin a journey through our body. In muscle cells, the "balls" are again assembled into garlands, but in their own way, in a new order. This is how a new protein molecule is born, which adds to your muscle mass. It turns out that in order to grow your own protein (muscle) tissue, you need to eat "foreign" protein - animal and vegetable. Here are the main sources of protein for bodybuilders: beef, chicken, fish, legumes, protein powder concentrates, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products - cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and milk.
Your goal is 2 grams of protein per kilogram of your weight. All this protein should be evenly distributed over 5-6 doses. The secret is that "at a time" the body is able to absorb no more than 30-40 g of protein.

2. Eat more carbohydrates.
It is known that plants "eat" the sun. Moreover, growing plant tissues accumulate the energy of solar photons within themselves. And all this energy is "hidden" in special molecules called carbohydrates. By eating plants, you nourish yourself with this energy. It becomes the driving force behind all life processes, including training and muscle growth. Just for this reason, protein intake should be seasoned with carbohydrates. Otherwise, the protein assembly line inside your muscle cells will stop, like any "de-energized" mechanism. The main sources of carbohydrates for a bodybuilder are vegetables, grains and fruits, as well as carbohydrate powder concentrates. If there is a chronic lack of carbohydrates in the diet, the body uses your muscle tissue as "fuel". It is clear that all training goes down the drain.

3. Calories are a growth factor.
Scientists guessed the amount of food measured in special units - calories. They also measure the expenditure of forces by a person. It would seem that how many calories you have spent, the same amount must be reimbursed at the kitchen table. No, you need to "eat" more calories! Remember, muscle growth itself needs an influx of energy. So, if you consume exactly as many calories as you expend, nothing falls into the muscles, and they do not grow. The effect of post-workout growth, on the contrary, is based on excess calorie intake. The famous "Mr. Olympia" Dorian Yates offers the following formula: "Start with 350-500 grams of carbohydrates per day, and then focus on the weight readings. If you train hard, but the mass does not grow, then you do not get enough calories. Then you can safely" throw"Another 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. And so on until the scales show a confident weight gain."

4. Fats are friends, not enemies.
The secretion of the most important hormones and the intake of fats are directly related. From fats, our body "makes" the main anabolic hormones, including testosterone. That is why the transition to a low-fat vegetarian diet always responds with a drop in sex drive - less testosterone is secreted in the body. However, an excess of fats is harmful just like their deficiency. Paradoxically, fatty foods lead to the same result - a drop in testosterone secretion. It turns out that it is necessary to take fats in moderation. What is this measure? Professionals believe that fat should account for no more than 15% of all daily calories. (For comparison: our traditional menu contains up to 40-48% fat.) According to nutritionists, you should eat less animal fats and more vegetable fats. The only exception is fish oil or, scientifically speaking, omega 3 fats. These fats are extremely beneficial in every way. Most importantly for a bodybuilder, these fats help the uptake of glucose (blood sugar) by the muscle cells. As a result, more "fuel" is accumulated inside the cell and the growth potential of the cell increases significantly. So if you want to add. in bulk, eat salmon, mackerel or sardines 2-3 times a week. When you train especially hard, eat 1-2 egg yolks in the morning. The yolk contains cholesterol - "raw material" for the production of testosterone.

5. Food should be varied.
But what if, instead of natural products, you take protein and carbohydrates in powder, fish oil - teaspoons, and vitamins and minerals - in tablets? Is it possible to grow up on such a diet? Hardly. Today, nutritionists have discovered about fifty fundamentally new compounds in "live" plant foods, called phytosubstances. They have the properties of powerful antioxidants, are able to prevent the development of serious diseases, strengthen the immune system, neutralize pathogenic microorganisms, and generally make us stronger and healthier. There are almost no such phytochemicals in sublimated store products. Perhaps it is precisely for this reason that urban residents are rampantly ill with cancer, tuberculosis, skin and nervous diseases. In any case, bodybuilding experience shows that for some reason, muscles refuse to grow on a diet poor in natural vegetables and fruits. Your daily menu should include at least three servings of fruits and the same number of vegetables. In winter, freshly frozen blueberries, currants, strawberries, or melon pieces can be added to yogurt, oatmeal, or a protein shake. Chopped stewed cabbage, mushrooms and finely chopped onions with sweet peppers go well with rice or pasta. At least once a day (and preferably two) eat a large portion of vegetable salad, preferably with seasoning based on natural vegetable oil. In winter, such salads can be prepared from fresh cabbage, adding pre-cooked beans, green onions and chopped bell peppers to it.

6. The more the better.
You need a lot of carbohydrates to recover the huge energy expenditure of training. And this means that you need to choose foods that have the most carbohydrates. Massive foods include: mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, raisins, honey, pancakes, oatmeal cookies, muffins, apples, and ripe bananas. These foods will allow you to reach your daily "norm" of carbohydrates, without the risk of filling your stomach to the point of breathlessness.

7. Eat "slow-release" carbs before your workout.
There are two types of carbohydrates: "fast" and "slow". Some are digested almost instantly. Others lie in the intestines, gradually releasing energy from themselves. How to distinguish one from the other? Foods with "fast" carbohydrates are usually sweet. Here are examples: jam, cakes, cakes, sweets ... Oatmeal, rice, potatoes are "slow" carbohydrates. They do not have a sweet taste. Such carbohydrates are ideal for "refueling" before workout. They gradually “feed” the blood with glucose. As a result, the level of glucose in the blood remains stable, and this is a condition for an even mood and high muscle tone. If you, on the contrary, eat something desperately sweet before training, then glucose will “burn out” quickly. The body will be left without "fuel" and will take up the consumption of glycogen - emergency reserves of carbohydrates in the liver. As a result, the rest interval between workouts will be delayed. Until the body restores what has been spent, you will feel overwhelmed.

8. All attention to the post-workout meal.
Ultra-intense training causes an increase in the secretion of cortisol, glucagon and catecholamines, hormones that can provoke a chain reaction of muscle tissue destruction. These hormones are always released in response to stress, whether physical or nervous. (That's why hassle usually leads to weight loss.) Your task is to immediately after training to refresh yourself with "fast" carbohydrates. They will provoke the secretion of insulin, and he is the first enemy of the evil trinity and neutralizes its destructive influence. Excellent sources of "fast" carbohydrates are bagels, raisins, honey ... You can try the formula of a professional Jay Cutler. He advises to eat 1.5 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of your weight while still in the locker room. Jay himself takes a box of rice with him to training, in which raisins and honey are added. As for the protein, he recommends whey, in the form of a powder - such a protein is quickly "absorbed" by tired muscles.

9. Snack as often as possible!
Multiple meals (in small portions up to 8 times a day) were invented by doctors. However, bodybuilders were the first to adopt this nutritional strategy. Here is the opinion of the famous pro Mike Matarazzo: "When I broke my daily diet into many small meals, I immediately put on weight." When you eat frequently with short breaks, your muscles are provided with a constant supply of amino acids (from protein) and glucose (from carbohydrates). Amino acids "repair" muscle tissue damaged by training loads, and glucose maintains a high level of insulin in the blood, thereby preventing catabolic processes in the muscles, and increases glycogen stores (in fact, this is the same glucose stored for future use). If you undertake to eat a lot, but rarely, you are provided with distension of the stomach, drops mood, drowsiness and the addition of subcutaneous fat.

10. Don't forget vitamins C and E.
In the process of training, the body of an athlete in unimaginable quantities gives