I’m new to bodybuilding, and I’m working out every day. Until now, I haven’t paid much attention to my diet. What do you recommend for building muscle as fast as possible?
ANSWER
First, stop working out every day. Scale back to four — or no more than five — times a week. You’re overtraining and, consequently, impeding your progress.
As far as nutrition, there are two key things you should do to continue making muscle gains: eat plenty of protein and eat plenty of calories. These two things are closely associated. First, make sure you’re taking in at least a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (if you’re a hardgainer, eat a little more — up to 1.5 grams). Split this over four to six meals a day, and do this consistently every day.
Second, make sure you’re taking in all the calories you need for growth. If you’re not adding bodyweight, you may not be consuming enough calories for muscle growth (the exception is if you are overweight and shedding fat at the same or greater rate than you’re adding muscle mass). When you start weight training, your caloric needs increase dramatically. Include plenty of quality carbs (complex ones such as rice, potatoes and oatmeal), as well as protein, to keep your muscles growing. – FLEX
