In one of my earlier articles we looked at some of the best
foods for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiast to use for getting lean. This time we are going to do the opposite and
look at some of the best foods they can use for bulking up. We are going to once again break the foods
down into categories. We will look at best meat, best fish, best vegetables,
best fruits, best carbs, best drink, and finally best supplements.
The one distinction I want to make about mass gaining is it
is about adding quality nutrition to
your diet to add size for muscle building. It is not about
eating a plethora of excess calories just to add bodyweight to a person’s
frame. By using this method it is much easier to add an excess amount of fat to
ones body. While you will gain bodyweight by this method, eventually it will
just end up being excess bodyfat that you will have to burn off in a future
date. If you eat more calories than your body can use, you pack on fat and not
muscle. Even when eating a surplus of calories your nutrition should still be
based around quality nutrition first with a few indulges here and there.
Best Meat-
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If turkey meat equals lean then quality beef equals mass
gain. You want a meat that gives quality protein but also packs a high quality
punch look no further than beef. A lot
of bodybuilders and fitness buffs shy away from beef because they are afraid of
the higher fat content. When try to build mass however, two major components
are needed- protein and calories. Beef supplies plenty of protein and because
of the higher fat amounts it also supplies plenty of calories. Not to mention
fat is very good for hormonal production when trying to add muscle mass. Red
meat also supplies an abundance of creatine, heme-iron, and B vitamins, all
vital parts of muscle building. You still want to gear your red meat eating
towards leaner cuts of beef like flank, eye round steaks, and 95% lean ground
beef.
Runner up: Pork
Best Fish-
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When wanting a good tasty fish for mass gaining, Salmon is
your go to fish. Because salmon is a fattier fish, it offers similar benefits
that protein meats higher in fat offer. For salmon though, it’s not just that
it is higher in fat but the type of fat it gives you. Salmon is loaded with
omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s provide tons of benefits while dieting but also
are great for mass gaining. Omega-3’s have been shown to help fight
inflammation. This is a huge plus when trying to move heavier weights for
building muscle when bulking up. Omega 3’s are also muscle sparing which slows
muscle breakdown from heavy training.
Runner up: Sardines
Best Vegetables-
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When it comes to being “large and in charge” your veggie of
choice should be the potato. Yes a potato is a starch but it still is a
vegetable. Potaotes pack a ton of carbohydrates for muscle building at a very
cheap price. You can grab 10 pounds of potatoes for under $5 in most cases.
Potatoes are also virtually hassle free to make and very versitle. Wrap a few
in tin foil, stick them in the oven for an hour or so and boom baked
potatoes!!! You can also make boiled potatoes, diced potatoes, mashed potatoes,
and French Fries.
Runner up: Beans
Best Fruit-
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My pick for best fitness fruit may jus be a little bit
different than what you may typically expect to here. No I am not going with
the standard apple, banana, or even pear. My choice for the best fruit for
fitness buffs and bodybuilders trying to gain weight is papaya. Papaya is great
because it is loaded with phyto-nutrients and vitamins. Papaya is also loaded
with enzymes that are great for the body. Papaya enzymes contain high
concentrations of papain. Papain is a protein digesting enzyme that quickly
breaks down the protein in foods. When trying to bulk up and add more quality
muscle to your frame, more protein will be key. The more efficiently your body
can break down that protein and use it, the more effective it will be for your
mass building goals. Papaya also gives you a pretty good amount of fiber per
serving. One cup of chopped up papaya will give you roughly 3 grams of fiber.
Runner up: Pineapple
Best Complex Carb-
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Best Complex Carb is whole grain pasta. When trying to add
quality muscle you need extra carbs. So it makes sense to eat foods that are
very dense in carbs. Whole grain pasta make a better choice than white flour
pastas or semolina because it breaks down slower, supplying longer energy for hard
training. Not to mwntion that the nutrient content in a whole grain is much
better than semolina or some “refined” flours that have been stripped of a lot
of its nutrients.
Runner up: Whole Grain Rice
Best Drink-
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While some things change…some things stay the same!
When it comes to liquids water is still going to be the top
dog. Whether trying to slim down or add the muscle water still performs a ton
of task vital to proper bodily functions. Water helps aid in digestion when
trying to build up. Water also helps nutrients reach muscles easier, which is
very vital when taking in nutrients to add size. Sure your trying to add extra calories, so a
few drinks with sugar won’t kill you but even when trying to add size an excess
of juices and sodas can add extra calories quick. When you get too many of
these unwanted calories you start adding the wrong type of weight.
Runner up: Sugar Free Flavored Water
Best Supplement-
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There are a few supplements that could have won a place in
this category. When weighting everything down though the choice would have to
be Meal Replacement Powders. Do you know what one of the best anabolic response
stimulators is when it comes to building muscle? The answer is quite
simply…food. The better you have your overall nutrition under control, the
better you can create an anabolic environment for muscle growth. Sometimes it
may be hard to cook or transport all the food you may need in a given day.
While nothing will replace whole food, a good meal replacement powder can do a
great job at helping you get that nutrition in. I am not talking about a lot of
the weight gain formulas that you see on the market that supply your body with
a lot of empty calories (although some of the formulas are getting better at
supplying better overall nutrition). I
am referring to a solid meal replacement powder that supplys you with a
moderate amount of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins and minerals. A
good meal replacement powder is relatively cheap, convenient, and will provide
a good array of micro and macronutrients for you.
Runner up: High Molecular Carbohydrate Powders
Today we looked at seven categories of nutrition and some of
the best foods in those categories for adding quality muscle mass. The list
will provide you with a lot of helpful suggestions that may improve your
nutritional plan when trying to add quality size. Understand however that
everyone’s body is different. Some of you may not be able to eat some of the
foods on the list or simply may not like some of the foods on the list. Common
sense should tell you if your allergic to Salmon don’t eat it just because it
made the list. The key is to find what on the list will work for you and use it
to start building some quality muscle.
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