Building muscle is all about training hard and providing your body with the nutrients, proteins and fats (some carbs too) it needs to recover and grow optimally. There are a variety of excellent proteins and fats out there that will aid you in muscle growth. However, here are a few staple superfoods that you should strive to eat every day for optimal muscle growth.

By eggs I mean the whole egg. There is no reason to throw away the yolk; this is what contains all the nutrition and fat. Vitamins A, D and E are found in the yolk – these are great for building muscle and increasing testosterone. The fat is mostly cholesterol and saturated – further spiking your testosterone levels.

Egg protein contains the highest quality protein, apart from whey; it has the highest biological value protein. Having trouble gaining muscle? Eat a dozen eggs a day, that should solve your problem.

Beef is a great source of high quality protein and saturated fats. The protein is similar to that of human muscle protein, making it easy and fast for your body to convert it into muscle tissue. The saturated fats will boost your T levels.

When choosing beef go for organic grass fed – this will ensure that it is free of toxins and will make the fats much more nutrient dense.

This is an amazing superfood, not only for muscle gain but in overall health. It is high in healthy omega 3’s and contains more vitamin A and more vitamin D per unit weight than any other common food. These nutrients are vital for optimum muscle growth.

Unless your eat plenty of fatty fish every day, supplementing with cod liver oil will make sure you are not lacking in your vitamin D or omega 3’s

Butter is a great source of saturated fats and fat soluble vitamins. Use it instead of unhealthy margarines or any other so called healthy fats. Cook your eggs in it and melt it over vegetables, nothing compares to the taste of 100% butter.

The saturated fat will boost your testosterone levels. The high calories will aid in reaching your daily calorie intake and bulking goals. Be a man, eat butter.

Coconut oil is mostly saturated fats, rich in lauric acid and medium chain triglycerides. It is regarded as one of the healthiest source of fats in the world. This means it is great for cooking with, as it will be stable under heat.

Coconut oil has many health benefits – it helps prevent heart disease, strokes and hardening of the arteries. It supports immune function and most importantly will aid in the growth of muscle mass.

Olive oil is a great source of monounsaturated fats – second in stability after saturated fats. The fats found in olive oil keep you healthy in so many ways.

Opt for the extra virgin olive oil, this will be of a higher quality and contain more nutrients. Add it to shakes and drizzle it over salads for extra calories and a boost in healthy fats.