Use these Basics to Get Larger and Stronger this Summer

Question: I really want to gain some weight, specifically muscle this summer before I go to college. I'm training 4 days a week and continually getting sore from my training but I haven't seem any noticeable weight gains. I assume I need to eat more, but I don't know what. Could you give me some meal ideas?

Answer: Putting on some serious size before heading out to school is a good way to spend your summer. One fact that you need to remember is you won't add only muscle. Some fat is going to come along for the ride. Typically, you'll add 2 to 3 time as much muscle as you will fat. If you add 6-9 pounds of muscle that will come with a side order of 2 to 3 pounds of fat. The average yearly growth of muscle for a hard training guy is about 10 pounds of muscle along with an additional 5 pounds of fat. If you can put on 15 pounds a year you're doing good. I do know guys who with dedicated efforts put on more that amount in a year but they had the genetics and the mindset to accomplish that.

We have to determine how much food you need. If you're 150 pounds divide that by 2.2 to determine your weight in kilos and multiply that number, 68.1, times 40 calories which is 2724. Simply round that up to 2800 calories for your total daily intake. 30% of those calories are protein, 45% are carbohydrates and the remaining 25% is fat.

You need protein to grow muscle. Protein is made of amino acids which is used to repair and feed muscle tissue after training. 840 of your 2800 calories each day needs to be protein and that breaks down to 210 grams of protein a day. Even if you're trying to reduce body fat we would still insure that you consumed at least one gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight. If we break your food into 6 meals you would need 35 grams of protein each meal. You can get 30 to 40 grams of protein from 6 ounces of chicken, steak, or 96% lean hamburger, 7 ounces of ground turkey, 8 ounces of salmon, 1 can tuna, 2 eggs with 6 egg whites or 2 scoops of a typical protein powder. Considering that muscle is primarily made of water you should drink at least 3 quarts of water a day as well.

Carbohydrates are also essential for growth. Carbohydrates provide fuel to keep you energized for all the training you need to do and since they are 45% of your total daily calories you'll need 315 grams of carbs. Get most of these from healthy sources not junk food or soft drinks. At each of your six meals you'll need 50 grams of carbs. 50 to 60 grams of carbs is 1 cup of cooked rice, 1 medium potato or sweet potato, 1.5 cups of pasta noodles 1 bagel, 3-4 slices of whole wheat bread, 2 large bananas 2 cups oatmeal (cooked) or 16 ounces of orange juice. If you are going to eat fast food try to keep it to once a week.

You'll get your fat primarily from the egg yolks and meats you eat and fat fits in this by helping to produce hormones and enzymes which are just as essential for growth as protein and carbs. The small frequent meals allow your body to remain saturated with the nutrients it needs to grow and helps keep a stress related hormone called cortisol under control. This may seem like a lot of food and eating. It is easier if you attempt to eat 4 meals and drink two shakes and one of those shakes is after training. With all this effort in your training and nutrition, don't neglect your rest and essential sleep. Your growth primarily occurs while you sleep. Use these basics to get larger and stronger this summer.

Daryl Laws

Personal Training and Sports Performance Excellence Blog

Use these Basics to Get Larger and Stronger this Summer