The skinny guy's guide to muscle building: Top 10 fitness and nutrition tips
FOLLOW this advice on diet and exercise to get your muscle building off to a roaring start
Everyone knows that a healthy diet and regular exercise is the answer to a fitter body, but what should we be eating and how much should we work out when trying build muscle?
For many of us, gaining muscle conjures up images of countless hours in the gym, but food also plays an important role.
A high protein diet is key for anyone wanting to bulk-up. This can be consumed naturally through foods such as eggs, turkey and salmon and can also be taken in the form of supplements such as protein powders, milks or bars.
A mixture of the two alongside a healthy diet is recommended. However, consuming lots of protein can be straining on the kidneys, so it is important to drink a lot of water.
This will flush out your system and negate the negative effects of eating a high-protein diet.
SCROLL DOWN FOR A WEEKLY DIET PLAN
People naturally have different body types but everyone has the capacity to bulk-out and gain muscle. So if you have a slim frame and are struggling to get bigger follow these tips and diet plan and you should start to see some welcome changes in no time.
TOP TIPS FOR NUTRITION
Gareth Nicholas, a nutritionist for MaxiNutrition, recommends:
1. Balance
Try to balance each meal with the macronutrients of carbs, protein and fat
2. Sugar
Watch your daily sugar intake and try to reduce it where possible, for example swap sugar for sweeteners or cut out altogether
3. Fruit & veg
Aim for 1-2 pieces of fruit per day and 3-4 pieces of veg
4. Plan
Use the meal planner below as a guide. As a guide to build muscle but minimise fat accumulation your daily diet should be:
- Calories – 2684
- Carbs – 403g
- Protein – 134g
- Fat – 60g
5. Monitor
When you are trying to make significant changes, take a picture of yourself every week to help motivate you
I’d also recommend that you monitor your weight once a week and measure a few girths like your neck, chest, bicep, waist, hips, thighs, calf to help you monitor the change.
5 TOP TIPS FOR TRAINING
Personal trainer for MaxiNutrition, Dean Amasinger, says:
1. Set goals
Having a target to achieve by the end of your programme is a great way to keep you motivated. Whether it a be a sporting event to work towards or weight lost, muscle gained or even inches lost, having a target or goal is a great way of focusing your mind. FAIL to prepare, prepare to FAIL
2. Take small progressive steps
Once you've set your goals you can’t achieve them in one day, so you must keep making small improvements and keep at it to eventually reach your goal. Running out of the blocks at 100mph is not sustainable, so start as you mean to go on and just try to be a little bit better every day
3. Do things you enjoy
Choose sports, exercises or classes that you like. You are much more likely to keep doing something if you enjoy it. You'll also give more effort without even realising it
4. Go out of your comfort zone
Growth comes from the times when you push yourself. The quickest way to improve is to constantly push your limits of what you can do. As well as doing the things you know and like, try new things and new challenges as it stimulates the mind and body
5. Rest is key
Along with training and diet, rest is fundamental in making body composition changes. That means adequate sleep, as well as recovery from training
WEEKLY DIET PLAN
MONDAY
Breakfast: 3 slices of wholegrain toast, 2 scrambled eggs
Morning snack: MaxiNutrition Cyclone Shake
Lunch: Grilled salmon fillet with basmati rice and boiled vegetables
1 hour before training: Maxi Cyclone Bar
After training: Cyclone Milk
Dinner: Lean mince beef and spaghetti bolognese
TUESDAY
Breakfast: 100g oats with semi skimmed milk, 1tbsp of honey and chopped banana
Morning snack: MaxiNutrition Cyclone Shake
Lunch: Chicken salad sandwich
1 hour before training: Maxi Cyclone Bar
After training: Cyclone Milk
Dinner: Beef stir fry with egg noodles
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast: Muesli with semi-skimmed milk and dried fruit
Morning snack: MaxiNutrition Cyclone Shake
Lunch: Chicken pasta bake with tomato, peppers and onion
1 hour before training: Maxi Cyclone Bar
After training: Cyclone Milk
Dinner: Smocked haddock, basmati rice and vegetables
THURSDAY
Breakfast: Poached eggs on wholegrain toast
Morning snack: MaxiNutrition Cyclone Shake
Lunch: Extra lean mince burgers, sweet potato chips and salad
1 hour before training: Maxi Cyclone Bar
After training: Cyclone Milk
Dinner: Chicken fajitas with onions and avocado
FRIDAY
Breakfast: Muesli with semi skimmed milk and dried fruit
Morning snack: MaxiNutrition Cyclone Shake
Lunch: Grilled cod fillet with basmati rice and vegetables
1 hour before training: Maxi Cyclone Bar
After training: Cyclone Milk
Dinner: Marinated turkey, pasta and vegetables
SATURDAY
Breakfast: Beans on wholegrain toast with grilled bacon
Morning snack: MaxiNutrition Cyclone Shake
Lunch: Chicken and pasta salad and a banana
1 hour before training: Maxi Cyclone Bar
After training: Cyclone Milk
Dinner: Chicken and mushroom risotto
SUNDAY
Breakfast: 100g oats with semi skimmed milk, 1tbsp of honey and peanut butter
Morning snack: MaxiNutrition Cyclone Shake
Lunch: Roast chicken dinner with boiled vegetables
1 hour before training: Maxi Cyclone Bar
After training: Cyclone Milk
Dinner: Jacket potato with beans and low fat grated cheese
MaxiNutrition have launched the world’s first creatine milk delivering 3 grams of creatine and 30g of protein. See maxishop.com.