| By Chris | | | | grow. Bodybuilders who are looking to keep their fat |
| If you are looking to build muscles, what you do | | | | level low are usually paranoid about fat intake, but it's |
| outside of gym is just as important as what you do | | | | a mistake to avoid all fats. You just have to know |
| inside of it. And the surest way to sabotage your | | | | which fats are best for your growth. Look for foods |
| plan to build muscles mass is to pay too little | | | | that contain essential fatty acids, omega-3, and |
| attention to your diet. Your body needs fuel to | | | | conjugated linoleic acid. Before you start a workout, |
| exercise and fuel to grow, and educating your self on | | | | eat a carb-loaded meal, especially one that has a lot |
| the right foods to eat and how to eat them. Make | | | | of slow burning carbs like spaghetti. This will help |
| sure your diet is packed with carbs. Every time you | | | | keep your energy high all throughout the workout. |
| lift a weight, your body dips into its glycogen supply | | | | But don't forget to mix in some protein too to help |
| in order to get the energy to make that happen. And | | | | you along with your gains. Your post workout meal |
| your glycogen comes from consumed carbs. If not | | | | should be high in protein. You've just worked hard on |
| enough glycogen is present, it has to rely on your | | | | your muscles, and now they need to raw material to |
| internal protein for energy, and that might actually | | | | make them stronger. You should also add in some |
| hinder your muscle development. Of course you | | | | faster burning carbs. I know you're sick of hearing it, |
| shouldn't neglect your protein. If you expect your | | | | but here it is again because it's important and |
| muscles to grow at all, you need to be steadily | | | | neglected for too often: you need to drink more |
| ingesting protein to help them. As a good rule of | | | | water. People are mostly water, and if they get |
| thumb, you should consume about a gram of protein | | | | dehydrated, their muscles shrink. Bodybuilders |
| per pound of body weight. So if you are clocking in | | | | shouldn't have to hear any more than that to |
| at about 180 pounds, you should be consuming at | | | | motivate them to always keep a full water bottle at |
| least 180 grams of protein per day. But a little bit | | | | hand. And as always, don't forget your sleep. When |
| more wouldn't hurt if you get an extra craving for | | | | you building up a great body, it might be tempting to |
| fish or lean beef. Rather than the typical breakfast, | | | | show it off by going on a few nights on the town, |
| lunch, dinner system that the world revolves around, | | | | but that will slow down all the training momentum |
| eat several little meals throughout the day. When you | | | | you've built. |
| eat and your blood sugar goes up, your body | | | | Chris McCombs is an Orange County weight loss |
| releases insulin to keep everything chemically | | | | trainer and owns the company Positively Fit Personal |
| balanced in your body. Insulin is important to muscles | | | | Training. His website offer fitness tips and exercise |
| gains because it keeps your body in an anabolic state. | | | | "how to" videos. |
| The more insulin you naturally get, the more you | | | | |