If you struggle to put on weight, someone telling you to 'just eat more' isn't helpful. Gaining quality weight, in other words, gaining mostly lean muscle and very little fat, is actually harder than it sounds. Often the first impulse is to eat more, without much strategy beyond that. Eating enough of the right foods to see the scales go up can be overwhelming.
Patience is important and healthy weight gain won't just happen overnight. Just like you can't start a car without fuel, you can't build muscle without food. While all meals are important for developing muscle, special attention should be paid to pre and post-training snacks and meals. Musashi Bulk Protein powder, makes a perfect pre-workout snack 30-minutes before exercise and Musashi Bulk Extreme Protein powder, should be consumed within 30-minutes of finishing, followed by a nutritious meal 1-hour after that.
The combination of strength training and eating nutrient and calorie-dense foods will lead to what is known as 'clean bulk'. Natural foods including, healthy fats e.g. fish, olive oil, nuts and avocados will help you achieve clean bulk whereas processed foods e.g. potato chips, chocolate, biscuits, white bread and fried food are more likely to add fat than muscle.
Supplementing your diet is the key to making sure your body responds and retains the muscle for visible growth. Creatine is probably the most talked about sports supplement on the market and that's because people notice a substantial increase in size, strength and performance within a few weeks of taking it.
Examples of Foods to Choose and Foods to Avoid
| MEAL | FOODS TO CHOOSE | FOODS TO AVOID |
| BREAKFAST | Eggs (scrambled or poached), oats, protein pancakes, Musashi Bulk Protein mixed with milk, peanut butter on wholegrain toast, fresh fruit | Sweetened breakfast cereal, raisin bread, bacon, croissants, jam or high sugar spreads, fruit juice |
| LUNCH | Chicken breast, eggs (hard boiled), tuna salad, quinoa salad with lean meat, brown rice, chicken & vegetables, avocado, fresh salad and lean meat wraps | Meat pies, hot chips, sausage rolls, fast food, pastries, biscuits and cakes, bakery items (e.g., bacon and egg rolls) |
| SNACK | Plain Greek yogurt, protein smoothies, Musashi Deluxe Protein Bar, Musashi High Protein Bar, raw almonds, Musashi Bulk protein powder, Musashi Bulk Extreme protein powder, Musashi Bulk Extreme Shake (375ml) | Chocolate bars, pastries, potato chips, fruit-flavoured yogurts, granola and cereal bars, doughnuts, chocolate-coated sultanas, salted peanuts |
| DINNER | Grilled salmon, lean steak, basmati rice, sweet potato, turkey or chicken breast, spelt pasta | Battered fish, fried rice, chicken Parma, hot chips, soft drinks, white pasta |
Five Top Tips for Healthy Weight Gain
- Plan ahead, have healthy snacks on hand to stop yourself reaching for junk food. Protein shakes, drinks and bars found in the Musashi Bulk range are a convenient way to achieve your daily calorie target.
- Add one serve of Musashi Bulk protein powder into the a Musashi shaker and take it to the gym with you. At the end of your workout, just add water to the shaker to create an easy post-workout snack on the go.
- Track your progress but avoid inaccurate readings on the scales by weighing yourself too often. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time of day i.e. before breakfast and keep a log of your progress to assist with motivation.
- Eat every 3-hours and include healthy snacks in-between main meals.
- Timing is important. Aim to feed your muscles as soon as possible post-training.
