Don't Put It Off Another Day… Start Your Muscle Building Diet Now Video

It doesn't matter if your goal is to lose fat or gain muscle… we all have the tendency to put off dieting for the next week. I always hear clients say "On Monday I am going to start eating better."

My response is why Monday? Why do we always look to Monday as the start of anything new? There is nothing wrong with deciding what you want to do and start right then. When we start pushing things off for another day, we often lag and when Monday comes around the plan gets pushed yet another week.

This only slows your progress and makes you feel less accomplished and unmotivated. So, put down that slice of pizza and start your muscle building diet right after you read that last sentence on this page!

When it comes to muscle we all now that protein is key! Muscles are composed of protein and protein is made up of amino acids. And to build muscle your body requires lots of amino acids! And that is going to mean fuel your diet with protein protein protein.

Here are four tips for starting and outlining your muscle building diet…

1. Every meal/snack in the day should have some sort of healthy protein Look to lean meats, protein shakes, nuts, greens, cottage cheese, eggs, and even yogurt. All of these are great protein sources.

I say "healthy" because there are proteins that are best avoided… red meats are often high in saturated (bad) fat and studies have linked high consumption of red meats to an increased risk of certain cancers. These meats are also linked to increased LDL cholesterol and heart disease. Remember, the goal is to gain muscle and be healthy so stick to lean, white meats.

2. It takes a significant amount of work by your body to build muscle… because it is such a metabolically active tissue. What exactly does that mean for you? More calories… this is often the hardest part for people to get used to because of fear of gaining too much fat.

Generally, taking in an additional 300-600 calories per day is sufficient for building lean muscle mass and avoiding significant fat gain.

This doesn't mean that you take in 300 calories by chowing down on a candy bar… not all calories are created equal… no matter what you have heard.

3. Avoid empty calorie foods… sugar and processed foods. They are filled with lots of junk and not much nutritional benefits, which means it isn't going to do much for improving your muscle definition and size. Though it may help to add a little "fluff" around the midsection…

So what should make up your diet?

Well, first it should be kept as clean as possible. Which just restates what I said above… avoid processed foods and sweets. Look to lean protein sources, complex carbs (wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, etc) and healthy fats.

Remember, foods high in protein are key here. Depending on your build and ability to put on muscle, it is recommended to take in 1.5-2.0 g of protein per kg of body fat. It may take some experimenting to see exactly how much works for you.

I believe in the 90-10 rule… eat clean 90% of the time and allow a treat 10% of it. Deprivig yourself of all your cravings will only have you giving up on the diet faster than you can say the words "build muscle".

4. Now of course a muscle building diet is only going to work is you have an effective muscle building workout. I am not going to get into the workout program outline but you can find out more about weight training programs.

Unfortunately there is not major diet that I can write down that will work for everyone. Genetics plays a large roll in our abilities to add lean muscle and the way our body works with nutrition. This is why it is going to take some experimenting. Experiment with the amount of protein you are consuming and the about of carbs … there may be a need to increase/decrease one or the other.

Also, keep in mind there is a good change of gaining a little bit of fat during your muscle building, this is due to the increased calories. You can add low intensity cardio to your workouts if you'd like but make sure to keep it low… high intensity can actually hurt your muscle gaining efforts.

Your body will break down the muscle to keep your cardio workout going strong… so avoid running long miles or getting your heart rate up above 85% of its max.

Having the perfect diet to get your specific goals is very possible, but it takes dedication, hard work and an understanding of your body. Building muscle is just as hard as losing fat so once your make up your mind to do it, stick with it and you will see great results.

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From your women's fitness trainers... Taylor Ryan and Dan.