My
off-season diet used to include, eating everything I wanted whenever I
wanted. I had read in various writings this was the way to go. However,
I found myself generally low on energy and my gains were slow. I knew it
wasn't my training. It had to be my diet. So I decided to sit down and
figure out a fool-proof off-season diet.
First
of all, I have to figure out how many calories per day my body uses. I
do this via a calculator found on various websites. My approximate daily
caloric need is 4280 Cal or Kcal. Now, because my goal is weight gain I
am going to add approximately 800 calories. This gives me 5080 Cal. I am
going to aim to intake this many calories per day. Now, these calories
will come from three main macronutrients, Protein, Carbohydrates, and
Fats. This is my daily meal breakdown.
Meal
Breakdown
Meal
1:
10 egg whites, 3 packs of instant oatmeal, 1 large banana, ? cup of
yogurt, ? cup of cottage cheese, multivitamin, 1 tbsp EFA
Meal
2:
Protein shake/ large baked potato or
1.5 cups of rice
Meal
3:
8 oz of meat/ 2 cups of Pasta/ An apple/ small cup of yogurt.
Meal
4:
Pre-workout: 1 can of tuna, 1 sweet potato/ 1 or 2 cups of broccoli or
cauliflower
Meal
5:
Post workout: 1 serving of Cell-Tech/
5 grams glutamine/ 30-gram protein
shake.
Meal
6:
8-10 oz Meat, 2 cups of rice/ 1 cup mixed veggies.
Meal
7:
Protein shake/1 cup yogurt/ low fat muffin. 2 grams Glutamine.
Tips
for gaining mass:
-
As always my
protein intake is the most important part of each meal. As long as I
can get my protein I'm happy. Without Protein it's not a meal.
Second are my Carbohydrates. I want to keep them high so I have lots
of energy to use in my workouts. Lastly comes Fat. I don't worry too
much about fat, however, when possible I avoid it. For example I
still trim off excess fat from my steak.
-
I am always
drinking water. I carry around a gallon of water everywhere I go.
Keeping hydrated is one of the smartest things you can do. When you
look at what a muscle cell is composed of it is 70 % water. As well,
I am supplementing with creatine and want to maximize cell growth. I
drink at least a gallon of water throughout the day. This also helps
wake me up in the middle of the night letting me grab another
serving of protein.
-
In my meals I
say 8 oz of meat. This is an approximation. I don't feel it
necessary to measure much out. This goes for the cups, or half cups
of rice. I use this as an approximation. I try, if anything, to
overestimate. As well, any meat will do. As I said in number 1, as
long as I get my protein I'm happy.
-
Timing: I time
my meals approximately 2 hours apart. My pre-workout meal is eaten
at least one hour before my workout. My post workout meal is
immediately afterward, and meal 6 is approximately one to 1.5 hours
after my post-workout meal.
-
Supplements: I
supplement daily with Whey Protein Powder (as needed), 7 grams of
Glutamine, 1 tbsp EFA's (essential fatty acids), 7 grams of Creatine
(cell tech), Multivitamins, 1500
mg Vitamin C,
Ephedrine (25 mg). All of these
are available from BB.com at great prices.
-
Don't skip a
meal. This is very important. Missing a meal will mess up your whole
schedule and you will notice it in your workout. Plan ahead, pack
meals or plan to eat out somewhere reasonable.
-
Train hard. I
think about my workout all day, and by the time I get to the gym I
am more than ready to hit the weights. Bring music, or any other
motivational tool. I strongly suggest finding a workout partner.
They are convenient to have not only for motivation but also for
forced reps and spots when lifting heavy.
-
Don't be strict
when deciding on foods. If I have the chance I won't give up a large
pizza, or a triple bacon cheeseburger, however I save these until
after my workout. I find if I eat them before I am tired from eating
such a large meal and I feel so bloated. The extra calories won't
hurt.
-
I do cardio
maybe once a week. Number one because I hate it and I am so sick of
it from pre-contest I don't miss it. But number 2 doing it once a
week keeps my cardiovascular system in check. You don't need to do
cardio more than this on off-season.
-
Sleep! I sleep
at least 8 hours per night. I aim for 12. The more rest you get, the
more energy you will have for your workout.
-
Just because
it's off-season doesn't mean it's time for parties. Having a casual
beer is fine, but getting hammered is definitely going to set you
back. Think about it. Alcohol is poison, what else could make you
feel like that. It definitely isn't going to help you in the long
run.
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This is my mass gaining program. Not everyone is the same.
Listen to your body. If you feel you need more energy,
increase your carbohydrate intake. Also look at what types
of carbohydrates you are taking in. Polysacharides are
better than Monosacharides. Meaning, the longer the chain a
carbohydrate has the more energy it will release. Eat so you
are happy, then eat some more because before you know it the
dreaded pre-contest diet will be here. Keep training hard
and if you have any questions or comments please send them
via email.
Ryan
Swan
BSc.
Human Kinetics
BSc. Human Nutrition (2006)
Can Fit Pro Personal Trainer Specialist
CSEP Certified Fitness Consultant
Ryan Swan is a
bodybuilding competitor and author from
Nova Scotia, Canada.
Ryan can be reached at his website at
http://www.ryanswanonline.com/ |
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Natural
Bodybuilding at its Finest - Lift for Life.com
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