Mistake 1: Eating too much at each meal
This error is mainly related to food intake, so try to reduce the intake at each meal and increase the total intake of nutrients by increasing the number of meals. Because when people eat a lot at one time, the body will only use part of the nutrients (including calories), and the remaining calories will be converted into fat and stored. Therefore, we recommend that bodybuilders eat 5 to 8 meals a day. Each meal can be just a protein drink, a piece of whole wheat bread or a small cup of noodles with chicken breast. Eating small and frequent meals regularly can promote protein synthesis and prevent the secretion of fat-stimulating hormones.
Mistake 2: Eat as many calories as possible
We know that caloric requirements depend primarily on each individual's metabolic rate and daily activity level. For bodybuilding enthusiasts, they need to consume approximately 38 to 44 kcal of calories per kilogram of body weight. In other words, a person weighing 75 kilograms needs 2850 to 3300 kcal of calories per day. For people with low activity levels, the calories needed should be less. In other words, if your metabolic rate cannot reach the average level of a professional bodybuilder, but you consume 5,000 kcal a day, you will definitely gain weight quickly. Take the intake of 38 kcal per kilogram of body weight as an example. If you look in the mirror after 1 to 2 weeks and find that your belly has become bigger, it means that your calorie intake is too high. If your weight has increased but you still maintain a normal body shape, you can try to increase your caloric intake in increments until you reach your own optimal level.
Mistake 3: Not knowing the best time to eat
In order to grow muscle without increasing body fat, you must pay attention to two meals; breakfast and post-training snack. These are the two most important meals of the day and can determine whether you succeed in building muscle or just miss it.
Through a rich breakfast, our body will release anabolic hormones to promote muscle growth, and at the same time, it will inhibit the secretion of catabolic hormones. Eating a meal after training is also of great significance. After training, the muscles are like a vacuum cleaner. They will absorb all the nutrients as much as possible to promote muscle growth and prevent the body from storing fat.
If you don't eat enough at breakfast and after training, your recovery will be greatly compromised and your metabolic rate will be lowered. Do you know what it means to have a reduced metabolic rate?——Getting fat
Mistake 4: Not eating enough carbohydrates
Protein is the most important nutrient for muscle growth, but carbohydrates also play a vital role. Especially after training, if your carbohydrate intake is too low, your body will not get enough calories to ensure muscle growth.
If you want to gain weight, you need to consume 4 to 6 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight. Otherwise, cortisol in the body will interfere with the assimilation of testosterone in the muscles and cause muscle breakdown. Therefore, special attention should be paid to consuming carbohydrates immediately after training to reduce cortisol levels in the body.
A snack after muscle-building training should include 40 grams of quickly absorbed protein, such as whey protein, and 80-100 grams of quickly absorbed carbohydrates, such as sports drinks, baked potatoes, honey, and fruit. Ingesting carbohydrates at this time can peak the secretion of the anabolic hormone insulin, which will help glucose, amino acids, and nutritional supplements (such as creatine) enter muscle cells, thereby promoting muscle protein synthesis. You can check the calorie data of common foods at http://www.jiroushop.com/cha/yycx_tool.php?cf=tshhw.
Mistake 5: Relying too much on low-fat foods
To achieve muscle gain, you may consume protein-rich, low-calorie foods such as chicken breast, fish, and egg whites, and consume large amounts of vegetables to suppress your appetite. Therefore, many bodybuilders hope to maintain low body fat levels through meals during the weight-gaining phase. Yet they often don't see significant muscle growth. Why? The reason is testosterone. Too little fat intake may lead to a decrease in testosterone levels. Unexpectedly, fiber-rich vegetables can also interfere with testosterone metabolism, which can lead to slower muscle growth.
Therefore, the correct food choice should be lean beef or eggs mixed with egg whites (for example, eat 6 eggs and remove 3 yolks). At the same time, you don’t have to be jealous of low-fat yogurt, milk, cheese, etc., they will promote your recovery ability and muscle growth, and help you achieve your ultimate goal.
Mistake 6 Ignoring important amino acids
There are three amino acids that are more important than others, namely branched chain amino acids (BCAAS), including leucine, isoleucine and valine. Branched-chain amino acids help repair muscle damage. Taking branched-chain amino acids before and after training will protect muscles from breakdown, tearing and irritation, indirectly promoting muscle growth. Leucine among branched-chain amino acids is the most important. It not only promotes the secretion of insulin, the "catalyst of muscle growth", but also directly acts on muscle cells to promote muscle growth. It is recommended that you take 5 to 10 grams of branched-chain amino acid complex supplements before and after training, or 5 to 8 grams of leucine directly.
Error 7 Insufficient recovery time
Although the core requirement of muscle-building training is eating correctly, it does not mean that the best nutrition can replace proper rest. Although good nutrition can also inhibit the secretion of pro-catabolic hormones, there is a limit. Rest will reduce the secretion of pro-catabolic hormones, so in the final analysis, you still need to rest. If you've avoided the misunderstandings we've pointed out above but still haven't grown your muscles, it means you haven't had enough rest time. Remember, if you overtrain, not only will you not be able to build muscle, but it will cause serious damage, at which point even the most ideal nutrition will not be able to help you. Take a close look at your training schedule and add a day or two of rest.
Mistake 8: Not eating before training
It is important to replenish your body with protein and carbohydrates before training. These nutrients will directly provide energy as energy substances, conserving muscle energy reserves, and they will promote the body's anabolic processes after exercise faster and more effectively. Within 30 minutes before exercise, you need to take 20 grams of whey protein and 40 grams of carbohydrates.
Mistake 9: Missing the midnight snack
The secret to building a big body is to maintain a strong anabolic state. The body continuously delivers amino acids to muscles and promotes muscle growth, but during sleep, the body stops this process. There is an easy way to avoid this. Drink 500 to 1000 ml of water before going to bed, so that when you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, drink a cup of protein drink with 3 grams of arginine added. It will ensure the transport of protein in the body, and arginine will also Promote the secretion of growth hormone (GH) to promote muscle growth. If you don't like the taste of arginine, consider substituting glycine.
Mistake 10: Not persisting in long-term exercise
If you want to become a big man, you need to implement the above things, so that you can grow into a big man naturally without gaining weight. But you have to remember that consistent exercise is the secret. You need to pay attention to details and train step by step every day. I believe that after a period of time, you will be able to taste the joy of success.
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