Warning:
This article is only geared towards those who want to pack solid muscle onto their frame. If you feel that your physique is flawless and you have no room for improvement, than stop reading this article because you’ll surely pick up some irrefutable tips for gaining solid mass.
You surely don’t want to risk that, right?
Do you think you’re a hard gainer? Do you marvel at the physiques of others who look like they are chiseled from stone? Fortunately, it’s time for others to look at you with envy; when your biceps barely fit in your sleeves, you have to buy bigger pants just so they fit your thighs, and you feel larger than life. It’s time to get a taste of some of the secrets to muscular explosion. And there is a lot more to it than just nutrition; sleep is crucial, supplements can help, and nutrient timing is imperative. Unfortunately there’s not enough room to reveal all these jealously-guarded secrets.
Energy Needs
First and foremost, there are two inevitable facts with regards to packing on mass or losing fat.
1. If you eat more calories than your body needs, you’ll gain weight.
2. If you eat/burn off more calories than your body needs, you’ll lose weight.
I’ve heard people talk about how a calorie is not a calorie, how it depends on the nutrients you consume, etc. Blah, blah, blah. There is no way around the law of thermodynamics! I am not saying that the type of calories you consume are not crucial; the nutrients you put into your mouth will help the end results, but to try to get around the basic equation of energy balance is like arguing if the earth is round.
Many of you may have tried to gain weight and ended up packing on more fat than muscle, hiding behind the fact that you were in a “bulking phase” merely preparing to get cut up soon. Let’s be honest, do you really want (or need) to cover your hard-earned muscle with layers of fat, only to lose that fat (and some of the hard earned muscle)? The process doesn’t seem too efficient—it’s one step forward, and two steps back.
The first thing you need to do is figure out your caloric needs. Some say you should multiply your weight by 12, 13, 14, and I’ve seen as high as 30. What’s the truth? No wonder there’s confusion among trainees and many trainers. Here’s a quick primer.
Calculating Metabolic Rate
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is simply the energy your body needs in a 24-hour period not including any activity at all. Basically, if you woke up and laid in bed for the next 24-hours, this would be equivalent to your BMR. You would still “burn” that amount of calories, with basic functioning. It is dependent on gender, body mass, and age. 
The most recent formula for predicting BMR was published in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines. It’s absolutely not 100% perfect and it may under- or overestimate for some of you, but it’s a good start. These formulas and an example are below:
For Men
BMR = 293 – (3.8 * age) + (456.4 * height) + (10.12 * weight)
For Women
BMR = 247 – (2.67 * age) + (401.5 * height) + (8.6 * weight)
NOTE: age is in years, height is in meters, weight is in kilograms
So, let’s go through an example for a 25 year old bodybuilder who weighs 200 lbs (91 kg) and is 5’9” (1.75 meters).
BMR = 293 – (3.8 * 25) + (456.4 * 1.75m) + (10.12 * 91kg)
BMR = 2107 calories/day
Remember, though, this is just what’s necessary for basic needs (breathing, organs functioning, etc). Here’s the next part of the equation:
| Activity Level Factor | Activity Level |
| 1.0 | Sedentary (super couch potato) |
| 1.2 | Very light activity (nothing physical at all—those with desk jobs) |
| 1.4 | Light activity (you perform some activity during the day, such as walking lightly, but mainly still a non-physical job) |
| 1.6 | Moderate activity (mainly still non-physical, but you do some activity during the day in addition to your workout) |
| 1.8 | High activity (physical job, like construction, plus your training) |
| 2.0 | Extreme activity (very physical job and hard training in the gym) |
Now, many of you may lift hard in the gym for 30, 40, maybe up to 90 minutes. Keep in mind, though, that most people are still in the moderate activity range. Let’s say you train intense for 60 minutes most days of the week; there are still 23 more hours in the day.
Going back to our earlier example, let say our bodybuilder is a college student who trains hard 5 times/week. That puts him in the moderate category so you would multiply your BMR value from above by 1.6.
2107 * 1.6 = 3371 calories
Remember BMR was the calories required to basically do nothing (aside from breathing). Now the activity factor accounts for the activity you do, meaning in the example here, this person would need 3371 calories to maintain their weight. That may seem like a lot of calories to many readers. However, remember, that’s just weight maintenance. Since you’re interested in becoming a moving freight train, you need to pack in more calories to pack on the slabs of beef called muscle!
Nutrient Requirements
After that’s determined, it’s time to figure out where those calories should come from. It’s easy to pack in calories by washing candy bars down with milkshakes, but then we go back to the scenario described earlier—a lot of layers of fat packed on some muscle. Let’s look briefly at this—much more information, with specific meal plans, is found at http://www..fitphysiqueonline.com.
Carbohydrates:
A time for slow…
Carbs are often demonized in the bodybuilding world, but are critical when trying to pack on muscle. Carbohydrates serve as the primary fuel source for intense exercise; you can’t be on a low-carb diet and expect record lifts in the gym. Whole-grain, low-glycemic carbohydrates are the cornerstone of any sound weight management program, and provide necessary, sustained fuel for your grueling workouts. Sure, strength-trained athletes don’t need the amount of carbs as endurance athletes, but without carbs, trying to move in the gym will be like molasses on a winter morning. Timing of those nutrients is absolutely crucial, though. There’s no need to eat too many carbs if you’re solely hitting the iron!
A time for fast…
On the contrary, quick acting, high glycemic carbohydrates (with protein, of course) are recommended pre- and post-workout to boost insulin levels and shuttle nutrients into your hungry muscles. Remember, it’s not only what you eat, but when you eat it that’s key. If you want energy for your next workout, skipping the post-workout nutrition, or overloading this particular meal with protein, will send you in the wrong direction.
Don’t Skimp on the Protein
Science has finally caught up with conventional wisdom: ingesting greater protein up to a certain point (approximately 1 gram protein per pound lean body weight) leads to a more favorable physiological environment for muscle growth. A high-protein diet provides the raw materials for building muscle tissue.
Most studies now agree there are no negative effects of consuming extra protein on kidney (except in cases of preexisting kidney disease), cardiovascular, or bone health. My advice: consume adequate protein to maximize your training progress. Of course all protein is not made equally; there are some much better options available, so focusing on these is crucial.
Fat
Fat is required for boosting testosterone levels, helping with recovery, decreasing inflammation, and easily increasing calories. Aside from protein, fat is the only other “essential” macronutrient; there are essential fatty acids that need to be consumed on a daily basis because these cannot be produced by the body.
Studies have suggested that higher levels of fat are necessary to elevate testosterone levels. Therefore, the low-fat diets that some follow in lieu of consuming copious amounts of protein are not conducive to massive lean tissue gains. I recommend consuming approximately 25-35% or so of calories as fat.
Summary
This is merely just a primer and much of this may not be new to you. If this is true, then why do you still look the same as you did last year at this time? Basic math is too hard for you? No problem! Following the information found in my Extreme Fat Loss Formula is just what the doctor ordered, and can get you pumped for the beach weather that will be upon us soon! What are you waiting for?
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