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The most important factor for anyone trying to change their body composition is nutrition, then training. If you train very well but still continue bad eating habits, I can assure you the results would be minimal.

This article will outline clearly and specifically how to increase muscularity through nutrition. I believe losing weight, gaining mass all depends on what you eat and how disciplined you are. The workout is the easy part.

But how will your eating habits affect you when you want to see results. The following guidelines should be followed as closely as possible. They are standard for any fitness goal.

We will get into the details later:

1.) Aim for at least 5 meals per day. 6-8 are optimal. The more often you eat in the day, the faster your metabolism will become. The trick is: eat more often in small portions.

2.) Stay well hydrated by drinking water throughout the day.

3.) Eat plenty of vegetables (3-5 servings) and moderate amount of fruits (1-3 servings). Juices do not count and should generally be avoided.

4.) Take a multi-vitamin designed by a well-know supplement manufacturer. All food consists of macronutrients. The 3 macronutrients are: Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats. The key to altering your body’s look and composition is controlling the type and amount of macronutrients you consume. You need food to reach your fitness goals.

A lot of people become paranoid and avoid food altogether. This is wrong and very misleading. If you avoid eating, you will lose weight. However, not taking enough protein, carbs and fats, will affect your muscle mass. For women, this is not much of an issue. For men, on the other hand, muscle is key. Nutritional Pitfalls to Avoid Nutrition and supplementation are main ingredients in the recipe for building muscle. For bodybuilders and athletes the saying “you are what you eat” is a reality. Nutrition is everything if you hope to realize gains from your time in the gym. Avoid the following pitfalls to ensure you are getting the most results in the least amount of time.

Not Drinking Enough Water the body is at minimum, 67% water; therefore we need quite a bit of this valuable resource throughout the day. Water flows throughout your body, piping through to keep everything functioning 100%. It helps to regenerate muscle cells, and removes all the toxins coming in and out of your body on a daily basis. You need to drink plenty of water; there’s no other question.

Eating Too Much or Too Little is not healthy. Many bodybuilders in their quest for a muscular physique tend to overeat but these calories will end up as new found muscle tissue. Think again. To lose fat and build (or maintain) muscle you need to do cardio, and take in the exact ratio of protein, carbs and fat, this is right for your body. To keep all your hard earned muscle, you need high quality protein, on a regular basis. To have high energy levels to train hard you need quality carbs . You need healthy fats for general health, and to burn body-fat. Under eating will make it next to impossible to build muscle, and may also make it harder to lose body-fat. The key is balance.

You need enough quality nutrients for muscularity, but they need not be in excess. The trick is to keep track of what you eat on a daily basis and count your calories. Use your Calorimic Expenditures Excel file. Protein is the king for building muscle and recovery. If has to come from food sources, it should be kept lean and low in cholesterol. Egg whites, skim milk, fish, chicken (white meat), lean steak, sirloin, lean cuts of pork, and of course whey proteins (preferably isolate or blended whey with isolate as its main ingredient) are good choices. These foods are “clean” protein sources that are healthy and can be consumed on a daily basis. By ingesting 1 – 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight , divided over 5 – 6 meals, the uptake of amino acids will be an easy task for your muscles. You must also forget that your body can only digest a certain amount of protein in a sitting, therefore in order to get as much protein out of your food, you need to space out your meals. Not Taking Supplements with all the potential shortcomings in our diet and training, supplements help to round them out. Many “old-school” bodybuilders follow the misconception that supplements are a hassle, expensive and overwhelmingly confusing. Supplements can save you money and time substituting for the large variety of food that you would need to ingest to attain the same array of nutrients.

Weight training and other physical activity drain your vital nutrients. Providing your body with protein, vitamins and other supplements spurs muscle growth and fat loss. A multivitamin, quality protein powder, micronized glutamine, Creatine and nitric oxide stimulator could exponentially aid in recuperation, training and intensity. Bodybuilders and other athletes are notorious for overlooking vitamins and minerals simply because these nutrients don’t create a noticeable difference in their physique or training, like something such as Creatine would. This doesn’t mean these nutrients aren’t integral to building muscle. Without enough of these key nutrients, muscle mass would decay, bones would become brittle, and all the basic functions of the body would begin to deteriorate. Proper vitamin supplementation is often what the “average” weight trainer is missing that is preventing them from realizing better results.

A few tips Essential Fatty Acids Essential Fatty Acids, or EFA’s are found naturally in foods like fatty fish, flax seeds and walnuts. They play a large part in cell regeneration and general health and are especially important for individuals who are active. Omega-3′s are the most important EFA to supplement with. Eat plenty of fatty fish or supplement with Flax Oil or Salmon Oil to ensure you get the required amount of EFA’s. 1-3 tablespoons of Flax Oil or 3-6 grams of Salmon Oil is recommended.

Additional Tips:

Drink plenty of water.

Exercise

Avoid eating excess carbs and fat before bed

Eat protein before bed. This encourages fat loss during sleep.

Sleep 7 or more hours every night.

Don’t starve yourself. Eat when you’re hungry, but stop short of feeling full. Eat until you are satisfied

Good Luck!

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