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If you’ve been trying to build muscle mass for a while, you probably know that diet is key to your progress. It doesn’t matter how hard you train, if you aren’t eating the right foods and correct amounts to grow, it’s all for nothing! But what foods should you eat? What protein is the best? Should you focus on carbs, fats, neither, or both? While even experts disagree on the best diet plan, there are a few foods that are simply indispensable for building muscle. Read on to learn four of the best natural muscle building foods.
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1.WHOLE Eggs
With all the high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity in this country, there is a serious scare over the cholesterol and fat in eggs. While some people may really need to watch their egg intake, an aspiring bodybuilder in decent shape needs to eat up! Are you really worried about the cholesterol? Think about this – studies have shown that eating DIETARY cholesterol is not what makes the bad cholesterol in your BLOOD rise! Your genetics and lifestyle determine that. Remember, you’re training your heart out four or five times a week, and you need these extra calories.
With all the high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity in this country, there is a serious scare over the cholesterol and fat in eggs. While some people may really need to watch their egg intake, an aspiring bodybuilder in decent shape needs to eat up! Are you really worried about the cholesterol? Think about this – studies have shown that eating DIETARY cholesterol is not what makes the bad cholesterol in your BLOOD rise! Your genetics and lifestyle determine that. Remember, you’re training your heart out four or five times a week, and you need these extra calories.
Overall, eggs are a fantastic source of the best muscle-building protein nature has to offer. They also have about five grams of fat, only about a third of which is saturated fat. As for the cholesterol – it turns into testosterone in your body! Some “guru” nutritionists claim that proteins are proteins, but my experience is that eggs are the real deal when it comes to building dense muscle and are way better than skinless chicken breasts or protein powder.
2. Steak
Here’s another natural muscle building food that for some reason, most people think you just HAVE to eat sparingly. This kind of thinking really makes no sense, as some of the cheapest and most common cuts of steak are also super-lean. You don’t see people fretting over bacon or chicken thighs, but these have WAY more fat than a nice sirloin. I don’t know what exact chemicals are at work, but I know that whenever I eat steak once or twice a day, my muscles feel way stronger and more full.
Here’s another natural muscle building food that for some reason, most people think you just HAVE to eat sparingly. This kind of thinking really makes no sense, as some of the cheapest and most common cuts of steak are also super-lean. You don’t see people fretting over bacon or chicken thighs, but these have WAY more fat than a nice sirloin. I don’t know what exact chemicals are at work, but I know that whenever I eat steak once or twice a day, my muscles feel way stronger and more full.
3. Oats
One of the biggest debates in the world of muscle building foods is over carbohydrates. Some guys think they’re essential, some guys say they just make you fat and bloated. The truth is, you are probably not going to build a whole lot of muscle if you avoid carbs. One thing you’ve got to do is make sure you eat most of your carbs at the right time of day in the hours following your training.
One of the biggest debates in the world of muscle building foods is over carbohydrates. Some guys think they’re essential, some guys say they just make you fat and bloated. The truth is, you are probably not going to build a whole lot of muscle if you avoid carbs. One thing you’ve got to do is make sure you eat most of your carbs at the right time of day in the hours following your training.
The other thing you need to do is pick the right carbs. They are NOT created equal. Bread, sugar, and even some whole grains like rice tend to make some lifters very fat, very quick. Oats, on the other hand, seem almost magical as far as carb sources go. They’re less filling than rice, you can make them taste decent, they’re easy to prepare, and it’s almost impossible to get fat from them. When I need to down some serious carbs but am worried about staying lean, I reach for the oats.
4. Olive Oil
Do you struggle to get enough calories to grow? Are you naturally skinny guy who seems to have a metabolism that just gets faster when you throw more food at it? If so, olive oil is your best bet for getting down some serious calories in a short amount of time. One tablespoon of it has a whopping 130 calories! In addition to your other muscle building foods, start adding a few tablespoons a day to your protein shakes, veggies, whatever. Watch your weight finally start to move and your lifts skyrocket!
Do you struggle to get enough calories to grow? Are you naturally skinny guy who seems to have a metabolism that just gets faster when you throw more food at it? If so, olive oil is your best bet for getting down some serious calories in a short amount of time. One tablespoon of it has a whopping 130 calories! In addition to your other muscle building foods, start adding a few tablespoons a day to your protein shakes, veggies, whatever. Watch your weight finally start to move and your lifts skyrocket!
Stick to these 4 natural muscle building foods and you’ll see massive gains sooner than you thought possible. Consume these high protein foods daily coupled with intense bodybuilding exercises for maximum results.
