Increasing your muscle tone sounds easy enough, right? You just need to lift weights and do bench presses, and you’re good to go! Except… it’s actually a lot harder than most people think. Gaining muscle depends on many factors, but your diet is the most important thing to consider when bulking. If you’re doing all the right exercises without the right diet, all your effort will be for nothing.

A diet rich in lean proteins and amino acids is a crucial step when bulking, but not many people know what to add to their diets and what to exclude. And that’s exactly why we’ve compiled a list of the ten best muscle-building foods. Read on to learn all you need to know!

Why Is Diet So Important For Muscle Gain?

Building muscle isn’t just about hitting the gym for hours every day. To see the results you’re after, you need to start with your diet. What you eat and how much you eat is essential for muscle development. Dietary proteins, amino acids, and leucine are crucial for muscle building. So while we agree that strength training is important for muscle gain, it’s also important that you have the proper nutrition you need to go along with it. Without a good diet, you could lose muscle tissue rather than building it.

Essential amino acids and leucine are just as important as protein in your diet because they stimulate protein synthesis (the building of new muscle) and prevent your body from breaking down existing muscle to use as fuel during workouts.

Is Protein The Only Way To Bulk?

Without a doubt, protein is the most important thing your body needs for successful bulking. This is because our muscles are made up of proteins, and our bodies need a proper amount of protein not only to build new muscle but also to sustain existing muscle. But protein alone isn’t enough to fuel your body.

Many people trying to get “shredded” are also trying to lose fat, which usually means restricting the number of calories they consume. But this could have an adverse effect on muscle building. You don’t just need the right amount of protein, but the right amount of calories too. Otherwise, your body may burn your existing muscle to use as fuel.

Carbohydrates and fats are also important dietary necessities for building muscle. Unfortunately, most bulkers see carbs and fats as the enemy, but really, it’s just highly processed carbs that you should avoid. Carbohydrates found in wholegrains, legumes, fruit, and veg will help fuel your body during your workout to achieve the results you’re after.

10 Natural Muscle-Building Foods

Knowing what to eat to gain muscle is the first step to successful bulking. Below, we’ve compiled some lists of foods you should add to your diet to get the gains you’re aiming for.

Proteins For Muscle Building

1. Eggs

Eggs are rich in protein, healthy fats, and nutrients. They also contain a large amount of the amino acid leucine, which is incredibly important for muscle gain.

2. Beef

Beef is rich in high-quality proteins, minerals, B vitamins, and creatines. Some studies have shown that adding lean red meat to your diet can increase the lean mass gained from strength training.

3. Salmon

Salmon is another excellent source of protein for muscle building. Every three ounces of salmon contains approximately 17 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, and a few important vitamin Bs.

4. Chicken

Chicken breast is a great source of lean protein. In just three ounces of chicken breast, you’ll find about 27 grams of protein. This is also one of the cheapest protein options available.

Fruits & Vegetables For Muscle Building

5. Green Peas

Green peas aren’t just a delicious dinner side, but a protein-packed one as well. For every 200 grams of peas, you’ll find about 9 grams of protein.

6. Spinach

Spinach is an excellent source of protein. After all, it was Popeye’s favorite food! Each cooked cup (about 30 grams) of spinach contains approximately 5 grams of protein.

7. Corn

Corn on the cob is a BBQ favorite and a great way to get extra protein. In 150 grams of sweet corn, you will find about 4.7 grams of protein.

Grains, Legumes & Other Foods For Muscle Building

8. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt can be used to make high-protein snacks for muscle gain, especially protein smoothies. In 100 grams of nonfat Greek yogurt, there are about 10 grams of protein.

9. Soybeans

Perfect for vegetarian and vegan bulkers, there are about 16 grams of protein in just 86 grams of soybeans!

10. Protein Powder

Supplements are also a great way to get the nutrients your body needs. If you’re having trouble getting enough protein, try protein powders. Whey protein is the most popular variety, but options are available for folks who don’t consume dairy.

They say that the perfect physique starts in the kitchen, and they’re right. If you want to build, tone, and shape, you need to start with what you eat!

Featured image by Григорий Калюжный from Pixabay

Often, when people want to lose fat, they also want to build muscle to have a leaner and more defined appearance. This combined approach to fitness can be difficult, because it’s not always easy to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. In fact, when losing weight, muscle is often lost along with fat. This is called weight-loss-induced muscle loss, and it can increase the risk of developing a too-low muscle mass condition known as sarcopenia.

If you’re wondering which supplement is best for fat loss and muscle gain, unfortunately it can be hard to find one that works for both. That’s because many people typically suggest that you cannot lose fat while building muscle. But while that can be true in some instances, it’s not always the case. Losing fat while building muscle is entirely possible if you perform the right exercises, stick to your workout plan, and get enough of the right vitamins and nutrients in your diet.

What vitamins are best for muscle growth?

There are many supplements marketed towards gaining muscle or losing fat, but rarely are they targeted towards both. When it comes to tackling both these areas at the same time, the following five supplements can help to get you to the physique you’re working towards.

1. Creatine

The molecule creatine is naturally occurring in the body. This means it is created and used by the body to help provide energy to muscle and other tissues. People often take it as a dietary supplement because of these effects. As a supplement, it has been shown to help increase creatine content in the muscles by up to 40%. This increase can help to improve exercise performance and affect muscle cells in a way that promotes the gaining of muscle.

Research has also known that creatine can help to improve muscle strength. Having stronger muscles will increase exercise endurance, which in turn leads to even more muscle mass in the long term. Research has also found that creatine can also increase hormones that are tasked with helping to grow muscle, and decrease protein breakdown within the muscles.

2. Protein

Another nutrient that is vital to gaining muscle is protein. This is because muscles are largely made of proteins. They are also dynamic in the sense that they are constantly broken down and built back up again. If the body doesn’t get enough protein, when the muscles break down, they won’t have the nutrients they need to rebuild, leading to loss of muscle mass. To help gain muscle, you’ll need to be able to consume more protein than is broken down. There is a myriad of different supplementation to try in this area, all of which come with their own type of protein (whey, casein, soy) and other ingredients that can help give them flavor or a particular consistency.

Protein has also been shown to help people lose fat. This is because it can help regulate hormones that help lead to fat loss, boost the metabolism, and reduce appetite to help you eat less calories throughout the day.

3. Beta-alanine

Beta-alanine is an amino acid the body uses to help increase stamina when it comes to exercise.Research has shown that by taking beta-alanine while on an exercise regimen, you can increase your lean muscle mass by about one pound over the course of a six-week period.

Although there is nothing in beta-alanine that will specifically target fat loss and muscle building, the way it affects a person’s ability to train and perform during exercise can ultimately lead to both fat loss and muscle gain.

4. Branched-chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

BCAAs are a group of three different amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They are typically found in protein-rich foods such as meat, poultry, and eggs and are vital when it comes to building muscle.Studies have shown that taking BCAAs as a daily supplement can help to both improve muscle gain and reduce the amount of muscle lost during weight loss.

BCAAs may also help to burn fat while keeping muscle mass in check. Research has shown that when people take BCAAs, they are shown to lose more weight than those who are taking protein supplements.

BCAAs can also help with muscle soreness.  

5. Vitamin D

Many people might not consider vitamin D to be an integral part of a fat loss/muscle building plan. However, research has shown that the nutrient plays a vital role in protecting muscle mass while eating in a calorie deficit. This is especially true when it is combined with protein and leucine.

Having adequate levels of vitamin D in the body has also been correlated with a deduction of body fat. On particular study tested out this theory on two groups of women. By the end of the study, the women who were in the vitamin D group had lost an average of seven pounds more than those who did not take vitamin D during the course of their weight loss regimen.

Losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time may seem like a difficult task, but that’s only if you don’t know how to approach it. Some people like to cut and then bulk, whereas others want to do everything at the same time. The good news is that both options are fine! However, if you fall into the latter category, getting enough of one of the above nutrients or vitamins in your diet will surely help you reach your fitness goals. 

Featured image by Anastase Maragos on Unsplash

It’s no secret that working out is good for the body. Exercise has many health benefits, including improving heart health, lowering the risk of developing diseases, and reducing the symptoms of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. Following a workout, many people feel energized and invigorated. There are times, however, when working out can lead to soreness and stiffness in the muscles.

Those who have started a new workout routine or those who continue to build on their routine to challenge themselves will likely experience some muscle soreness the day after a workout. But is muscle soreness normal? And why does it happen at all?

Here’s why your muscles get sore after a workout – and what you can do about it.

Why are my muscles sore after working out?

Muscle soreness after a workout is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS for short. The reason muscles begin to feel sore after a change in movement, routine, or intensity of your workout comes down to simple muscle damage. While you put stress on your muscles in a workout, muscle fibers begin to experience microscopic damage and break down. This is what causes pain.

The good news is that because of this, the muscle fibers then have to repair themselves – making them stronger and larger after recovery than they were before. This process is what leads to the workout gains most people are aiming for.

Is it normal to be sore after a workout?

Depending on the type of pain, muscle soreness is usually a normal part of pushing yourself in your workouts. As mentioned above, it’s also a good sign that the work you’re putting into your body is leading to the desired results. However, there are some differences in the pain that can indicate when you may be experiencing something other than the normal soreness associated with an effective workout.

If you are pushing your body too far during your workouts, the severity of the soreness may be so great that walking up stairs or lifting your arms above your head become difficult tasks. This can indicate that you are attempting to go further than your body can handle too rapidly. Giving your muscles the chance to get used to workouts slowly over time will still result in some soreness, but it significantly decreases your risk of injury.

Is it muscle soreness or an injury?

There are a few stark differences between normal muscle soreness following a workout and actual injury. These should be paid attention to, because if an injury isn’t addressed, it can lead to further complications and eventually make it hard to work out altogether. In typical muscle soreness, the body is likely to feel achy, stiff, or tight, with the soreness affecting an entire muscle group. It should also dissipate in the days following your workout routine, and/or when those muscles are worked out again.

When there is an injury to blame for your muscle soreness, that pain will likely be different. It will feel sharp, stabbing, or deep, and will often be localized to one spot. If there is any swelling in the area, that is also a sign that it isn’t typical muscle soreness and that an injury may have occurred. If you go back to work out the same muscle again and the pain becomes more severe, that’s a good indicator of an injury as well.

How to avoid sore muscles after workouts

Although it’s not possible to completely avoid muscle soreness when starting up a new workout routine or changing around the types of exercises you do, there are ways you can help to lessen the soreness. Research has shown that warming up before exercising can greatly decrease DOMS following a workout. Warming up increases blood flow to the area and gets muscles ready for the movements you’re about to perform. Cooling down and stretching following a workout is also vital because it circulates all the blood away from the area to help with recovery.

Staying hydrated is also an important part of avoiding overly sore muscles after a workout. If you are dehydrated, you may experience worsened muscle soreness and fatigue. You will also want to keep up with your workouts. It might seem counterintuitive, but immobilizing a muscle group after working it out can actually prolong or increase muscle soreness. Finally, you’ll want to ensure that you have the proper form when doing your exercises. The wrong form can lead to injury.

How to relieve sore muscles after workouts

There are some good ways to help to relieve muscle soreness after working out that can help drive your progress and keep you in a good routine. Eating foods or taking supplements with amino acids can help to aid in recovery by decreasing muscle damage. Applying heat to the muscles may also help to ease soreness. Research has shown that applying moist heat to the muscles directly after working out helped to reduce the duration and severity of DOMS. 

You may also want to invest in a foam roller. Foam rollers are used as a tool in self-massage and can help to relieve muscle soreness while also improving muscle fatigue and overall flexibility.

The final word: muscle soreness after a workout is normal, and often means that what you’re doing is working. But it’s always important to know your body and its limits when exercising. Pushing yourself can help you achieve your health goals, but going too far can hinder your progress.

Featured image by Alonso Reyes on Unsplash