The diet to increase muscle mass is a diet that, if associated with a specific training, should favor the increase of body mass and especially of the compartment concerning the fat-free mass or Free-Fat-Mass (FFM), better known as "lean mass".
Attention! The following article does NOT presume to dictate any principle or discredit other methods, therefore it represents only MY professional (and personal) view of the topic in question.
Genetics, training, rest and diet
According to some technicians (generally sportsmen and not Body-Builders) the element that allows the increase of muscle tissue is mainly of the type genetic, which includes very specific physiological limits; For others, specific training And the variability of the stimulus they are the first discriminating factors to be considered and are independent (within certain limits) of the individual predisposition and in part of the diet, while a "last category puts the" right diet for the mass "ahead of the other two factors.
In my opinion, muscle mass could be represented graphically by an equilateral triangle having for the 3 sides:
- GENETICS
- TRAINING + RECOVERY
- POWER SUPPLY
NB. If the program to increase the mass of an "X" subject is lacking in one of the three elements, the intervention of the sports technician must focus more on it, even when this would mean relying on another professional figure.
Taking for granted the holding of a training specific (and a "chronological age that excludes the puberty which phase of greatest development), the increase in muscle mass in athletes (and especially in BBs) could be analyzed in three historical moments of training: at the 6th month - after one year - after 3 years, at the end of of which most of the subjects reach almost totally the peak of the muscular genetic expression. Many readers could consider this statement extremely reductive and / or limiting, and I myself admit that accepting it can be demotivating; on the other hand, a realistic approach and an empirical vision of training are absolutely fundamental requirements to avoid future disillusionment or misinterpretation of the progress achieved by the subject.
In a period of about 3 years, in which the training must be intense, continuous and worthily supported with a good diet for the mass, the organism comes to express most of its potential; in short, growing from the point of view of mass and strength is hard work and requires a lot of dedication and perseverance, but the progression of results depends exclusively on the methodological correctness in the organization of training and diet for the mass.
It is quite known that the training for the mass must mainly consist of the "High Volume Training (HVT) and the respective high TUT (Time Under Tension), taking care to also insert periods of strength through the" High Intensity Training (HIT) in order not to slow down the "progressive increase of the load (understood as" kg of cast iron lifted "). On the other hand, on the other hand, from the food point of view they feel (allow me the pun)" cooked and raw "!
Ultimately, how is the diet for bulking structured?
Importance of diet
In general, the diet for the mass is an aspect that mainly affects athletes or Body-Builders (BBs) already trained, or those subjects who (due to training seniority) have already enjoyed the first physiological adaptations thanks to training; this means that, INITIALLY, nutrition is often considered a negligible "detail" or even an aspect relevant only to the achievement of high goals such as sports competitions. WRONG! It is logical that the muscle tissue undergoes an evident initial process of hypertrophy a regardless of the power supply ...but it is also true that with or without a correct diet for mass the organism responds differently to anabolic-hypertrophic stimuli.
The diet for the mass must have some essential requirements that I will report below.
- Health and nutritional balance: the diet for the mass CANNOT and MUST NOT subject the body to any type of stress
- Energy and nutritional intake equal to or superior to the normal calorie diet
- Multi-fractional energy distribution
General features
NB. The bulking diet must promote the increase of muscle mass, ensure body hydration and maintain intact glycogen and creatine-phosphate reserves, leaving the adipose tissue unchanged.
