Alright guys, I’ll admit it. I’m vain. I
would like to be bigger. Maybe not
Arnold big, but I would like to add a few more pounds to my 5’ 10” frame. However, many people struggle with the
herculean task of adding muscle mass, and for many there doesn’t seem to be any
solution. Any one who has looked
into the topic knows that there are a few basics you need to follow: Lift heavy
weights often, and EAT! These two
things will get people on the right track, and they should be able to add a
considerable amount of muscle, especially if they are new to weight
training.
Yet, these two suggestions are somewhat vague, especially
the eating part. Some people will
tell you just to eat everything in sight, and gain as much weight as possible then
after the weight is put on you can look at cutting down on the fat you have
gained. Who really wants to get
fat like that though?
Another question people have about the eating part is how
much protein should they eat?
While getting in enough energy to grow through healthy fats and whole
food carbohydrate sources such as potatoes is certainly needed, protein remains
kind of an anomaly in the diet for many.
If we follow what the body builders have been preaching for half a
century or more we would think that the way to put on weight is to consume
massive amounts of protein 8 times a day or more! Another question mark is when to consume this protein,
especially around a workout. Well
the science in this particular area has come a long a way in the past decade or
so, and since a friend asked me many of these questions and more a week ago, I
thought I should dig into the research to see if my own thoughts on the subject
were valid, or if I needed to revise some of them.
The
Central Problem of Gaining Muscle: Net Protein Balance
