We all work hard in the gym trying to create the perfect physique. What many people don’t realize is that building muscle and staying fit is about far more than exercise. The food that you eat is just as important as what you do in the gym. Good nutrition will ensure that you get the best results possible from your workouts. To build lean muscle, you need to carefully plan your meals focusing on all of your macros, optimal calorie intake, and the amounts of protein that you are eating. With so many conflicting meal plans on the internet, it can be difficult to know what is true and what isn’t.
Here are 4 diet secrets to build lean muscle mass.
Make Sure You Eat Enough Protein
Protein is absolutely vital as the amino acids in protein are the building blocks of muscle. Chicken breasts, lean beef, pork, fish, and shrimp are excellent sources of protein and should be eaten at every meal. The experts at this organic meat supplier explain that you should always choose organic meat because it has so many advantages over non-organic meat. Organic meat has 50% more nutritional value than non-organic meat because the animals have been raised healthily and this lifestyle directly impacts the meat. There are many chemicals used in the production of non-organic meat which can have negative impacts on your health. To build lean muscle, you need to have good overall health, so be sure to source good quality meat.
Always Eat Quality Carbohydrates to Fuel Your Body
Whilst protein is vital for building your muscle mass, you need to eat enough quality carbohydrates to fuel your workouts and give your body the energy it needs to build that muscle, Many people wrongly believe that eating carbohydrates will make them fat, but as long as you eat the right kinds of carbohydrates in the correct amounts, you will be able to build lean muscle without creating excess fat. Fat develops when you consume an excess amount of calories that you don’t burn off through activity. The glucose, which is created from these surplus calories, is then converted to fat to store in times when you are calorie deficient. Work out exactly how many carbohydrates you need and eat unprocessed carbs like wholegrain bread and pasta as well as sweet potatoes and high-carb fruits and vegetables like bananas.
Eat Lots of Leafy, Green Vegetables
Leafy, green vegetables are vital for providing your body with iron, vitamins, calcium, and useful antioxidants. It is really important to maintain healthy iron levels to ensure that you produce enough red blood cells to keep your blood healthy. Vitamins are necessary for ensuring that you have a fully-functioning immune system that will keep you free of sickness. This is important as you won’t be able to exercise when you are sick which will affect your gains. Calcium is important for maintaining strong bones which is vital when you are lifting heavy weights as weak bones can lead to injuries. Antioxidants are really important for our bodies because they keep us free of toxins which can affect our performance in the gym and our general health. Spinach, broccoli, and kale are all delicious and healthy options to integrate into your diet.
Treat Yourself When You Need To
Sticking to a strict lean muscle building diet can take its toll after a few weeks. Eating clean all the time can seriously affect your mood and make you unmotivated to keep up the diet and workout plan which you are on. It is very important to reward yourself periodically for all the hard work and dedication. A regular cheat meal or even a whole cheat day every now and again is not going to affect your gains and can be a nice reward to look forward to during a difficult week of training. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the famous muscle-bound movie star, posts his legendary cheat day meals on his social media. Whilst you don’t have to go try and keep up with him, treat yourself now and again with your favorite snacks and unhealthy food.
Building lean muscle is all about doing the right things both in the gym and in the kitchen. Never leave your diet plan to chance. Work out your macros and plan your meals as this will ensure that you don’t end up stopping off at a fast-food restaurant at home or heating a frozen lasagna when you’re tired from the gym. Follow this guide and you will be well on your way to shred city.