Muscle Building 101

Introduction To Learning How To Gain Muscle Mass
Your body is in a constant battle between anabolic and catabolic states. This is especially true when you're in college. Gaining muscle requires you to be anabolic. When your body has the fuel it needs to build complex molecules necessary for growth, maintenance, and repair of muscle tissue, you are in an anabolic state. On the other hand, catabolism causes your muscle tissue to break down as a result of being in a negative caloric balance (burning more calories than you consume) and/or the exercise-induced release of cortisol, a muscle destroying hormone.

Think of a catabolic state as your Friday 8:00 a.m. Biology class. It’s the last place you want to be. Creating an anabolic environment through proper weight training and nutrition is the only way to promote muscle growth and prevent breakdown. Learning how to gain muscle comes down consuming more calories than you burn on a daily basis. If you fall into a negative balance, your body will kick into conservation mode and muscle growth will come to a screeching halt.

How Many Calories To Consume To Gain Muscle Mass
Your goal is to consume 18-22 calories per pound of bodyweight every day (3,600–3,740 calories for a 170-pound guy). What and when you consume your calories is equally important. Simply eating 3,600-3,740 calories consisting of pizza in one sitting won't cut it. To gain quality muscle mass you need to eat every 3-4 hours for at least 5-6 meals a day.

Muscle Building Nutrients 101
While infusing adequate calories is one task, infusing quality calories is even more important. The top 3 muscle building nutrients are Protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Many collegiates think there is a 4^th food group--alcohol.

Proteins To Gain Muscle Mass
The first crucial muscle gaining nutrient for the construction and repair of muscle tissue is protein. It earns top honors due to the chemical element nitrogen. To stay anabolic and gain major muscle mass, you need a positive nitrogen balance. To avoid having your nitrogen levels fall into the red, consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Strive to consume whole protein sources. Foods that contain all the essential amino acids include, chicken, eggs, fish, lean beef, turkey, and protein powder.

Carbohydrates To Gain Muscle Mass
The second crucial muscle gaining nutrient is carbohydrate. Carbohydrates have been under attack for years. The truth is: carbohydrates provide energy required to fuel you through daily tasks and survive intense workouts. If you pass on the carbohydrates, you risk being able to think straight and train intensely. Carbohydrates spare your muscle protein from being broken down for energy and cause insulin to be released in your body, assisting in the shuttling of amino acids into your muscle cells. This does not mean you can pig out on bagels and muffins. You always have to remember that your body stores excess carbohydrates right around your gut.

Your goal is to consume 2-2.5 grams of muscle building carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight per day (that's 340-425 grams for a 170-pound male). Select quality carbohydrates like beans, brown rice, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains, because your body processes them more gradually. You want to allow yourself a more sustainable stream of energy for your body.

Cut out the baked goods, fried foods, sodas, juices, chips, candies, and white bread from your nutrition syllabus. The only time these carbohydrates can be consumed with minimal damage are after a hard workout (along with protein of course) to help replenish your glycogen stores.

Fats To Gain Muscle Mass
The third crucial muscle gaining nutrient is fat. Cutting fat from your nutrition program is not a smart choice when striving to gain muscle mass. Fats support production and maintenance of hormones like testosterone--the king of muscle building hormones. Fat is required to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, & K), It helps stabilize your blood-sugar levels and can be burned as energy by your muscles. In addition, good fats such as monounsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids possess an anti-inflmmatory effect (a must have for intense workouts), and can help reduce body fat.

Your goal is for a moderate intake of about 25%-30% of your total daily calories, or 100-120 grams for a 170-pounder. Your top picks for monounsaturated fats come from avocados, nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, macadamias, pecans, and pistachios), olive oil, and nut butters. Top sources of omega-3s are fatty fish (wild salmon, sardines, trout, and tuna), flaxseed, and fish-oil supplements.

The 4^th Food Group: Alcohol
I don't know about your town, but alcohol is a big deal in San Diego. I think that's all the Gas Lamp Quarter exists for. If you want a sexy body, alcohol results in more harm than good. Aside from alcohol contributing to DUIs, draining your bank account, date rape, and alcohol poisoning, hitting the booze also stunts your muscle gains.

Here are the cold-filtered facts:

1. Muscle Protein Synthesis. Aside from slowing your mental faculties and clouding your judgement, drinking has been shown to slam the breaks on muscle growth. Research has shown it can slow muscle-gaining by as much as 22% and decreases the power output of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are required for high intensity weight training.


2. Hormones. More research shows that alcohol consumption decreases testosterone levels by as much as 70%. Even worse, it can spike cortisol levels for up to 24-hours, which will wipe out any efforts to gain muscle mass. Excessive drinking will also impair your sexual performance and your ability to get it up.


3. Sleep. Most importantly, alcohol can disturb your sleep patterns. Missing out on high quality sleep is a bodybuilders worst nightmare. While you sleep, your body’s growth-hormone production peaks, building and repairing your muscle tissue. It also regulates fat metabolism. To maximize your muscle gains, 7-9 hours of sleep is in order.

College is an amazing time of your life. There is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself. Just remember that too much of a good thing can be bad for your body and really bad for your physique. If you plan to drink, do it in moderation. It’s more rewarding to wake up in the morning to see a top notch physique staring back at you in the mirror, instead of waking up with a beer gut and blood shot eyes.

Need a Killer Muscle Building Program?
If you’re looking to kick-start your year with a step-by-step muscle-building program that includes exclusive coaching by me, contact me at Bodies@Work and mention you're interested in my Muscle Building 101 program. I want you to start the year off right by establishing a solid weight-training program fueled by an eating plan designed to build rock-solid muscle mass, keep your metabolism soaring, and your energy high enough for all the dates you’ll be going on.

Your college days CAN be the best years of your life. Don’t let them pass you by. Train hard and be the one "stands out."