Muscle Building Nutrition Guidelines

Ok, great, so you have finally decided that you are going to do something about your skinny physique and try and pack on some muscle mass. Whether it is because you want to look lean and trim for your holidays or you have just seen another 'Rocky' film or you just wish to make a bigger impact on the sports field. So clearly you know that weight training is going to be necessary. However you may not be aware of what you are supposed to be eating for muscle building nutrition. This mini muscle building nutrition guide will give you enough knowledge to install an effective muscle building diet.

Firstly to build muscle eat more often. Try to eat 5-7 smaller meals every day. This is because your body is going to be needing extra calories in order for it to have supplies to actually build muscle mass with. If you are not taking on enough calories then you will not be able to build muscle. 5-7 meals per day will allow you to take on more food comfortabley without eating too much at anyone sitting.

Secondly, you will need to cut out a lot of the junk food that you are probably eating at the moment. Go on admit we are all guilty of it at some time or other but these measl need to be replaced with decent muscle building nutrition.

Thirdly, you are going to need to take on more water than you are used to. carry a water bottle around with you and keep one in your car. nearly all of the bodies reactions require water to some degree or other and that includes muscle growing reactions too.

Fourthly, each meal should contain roughly the following proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Try to divide them into 30% protein, 50% carbohydrate with the remainder coming from fats.

Fifthly, you will need to educate yourself as to the kinds of foods that you should be eating. Here is a start to illustrate what some of the best muscle building foods are:

For protein: turkey, chicken, fish and shellfish, eggs, red meats, dairy products. Include these sources of protein in your meals as much as you can as these are all great for muscle building. Be aware that these are high in saturated fat so you would be wise to mix them with the following foods that supply protein but with much less fat: Egg whites, Lean meats like poultry and fish, Non-fat or low-fat milk and dairy products (skim milk and cottage cheese are terrific foods), Turkey breast, Lean cuts of red meat and skinless chicken breast.

For carbohydrates and sustained energy release: bread, brown rice, oatmeal, bagel, pasta cereals and potatoes. For instant bursts of energy try to eat: fruits such as apple, raisins, orange, bananas, grapes and sports drinks.

The fat portion of your meals will come naturally from the above foods. Also getting a steady regular supply of vitamins and minerals from leafy green vegetables is essential. If you wish to give yourself a boost with supplements then I suggest you go with: a decent multi-vitamin, whey protein, essential fatty acids and possibly creatine.

Lastly a few words of advice as regards when to eat your meals. To build muscle eat within one hour of finishing your workout, before bed and immediately on rising. These are critical times if you want to ensure muscle growth. With the above muscle building diet guidelines in place then you are in an excellent position to start building muscle mass fast.