Daily Health Workouts

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Eating for Muscle Mass

01:24

We had nutritional questions about putting on mass, and celebrity trainer Gunner Peterson had answers.

Eating for Mass

Along with the Mr. Olympia competition, pro football, and the return of The Walking Dead, the fall season also happens to be the time many lifters begin to consider bulking up in order to unveil a bigger and stronger body the following spring. Trouble is, adding mass while achieving the strength gains and a physique you’re content with can be tricky to pull off.

“People think that more working out makes more muscle — period,” says celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson. “Mass is a lifestyle, and it takes proper nutrition, timing of that nutrition, and recovery. Oh, and more working out, too.”

We asked Peterson a handful of dietary questions surrounding mass gains in hopes of clearing up any confusion.

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Things You Should Know About Protein

01:23

Get the scoop on this essential macronutrient for optimal muscle gains and training performance.

We’re guessing you’re fond of protein shakes because they help repair and regrow damaged muscles. Score one for you. But aside from knowing that, do you think your knowledge about protein could fit into a shaker bottle?

If not, this Protein 101 refresher will help bring you up to speed. For a crash course, we turned to nutrition and fitness expert Lisa Lynn, frequent guest on NBC’s The Dr. Oz Show and author of The Metabolism Solution.

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The M&F “GFH” Diet

01:22

Get freakin’ huge with (more) of the right food and supps at the right times to drastically accelerate muscle growth.

There is no “proven” laboratory formula for gaining quality muscle weight but the commonalities of every weight-gain nutrition regimen are the same: high calorie, high protein. It’s going to take more than skinless chicken breasts and organic spinach to put on appreciable amount of muscle and any serious powerlifter, strongman or bodybuilder will tell you the same.

To get big you gotta eat big…or rather, bigger than you thought. John McCallum, a legendary bodybuilding writer during the 1960s and 1970s, prescribed drinking the following get big drink daily, in addition to three big meals.

McCallum’s GFH Drink

2 quarts of whole milk

1 serving weight gainer (more if you want to gain faster)

2 cups of powered skim milk

2 whole eggs

4 tablespoons of peanut Butter

Half brick of chocolate ice cream

Banana

4 tablespoons of malted milk powder

6 tablespoons of corn syrup

Blend ingredients together and voila! Drink throughout the day in addition to three big meals.

How This Applies

McCallum’s approach works for adding bulk. The potential downside is that it can be too effective and, for most trainees, can result in gaining unwanted body fat. For the mesomorph with a fast metabolism, this will work. And if you think that your body type or training intensity and frequency can keep up, then by all means, give it a go.

For everyone else, a more measured approach to big eating is required. But please remember McCallum’s protocol next time someone says that they, “Eat everything in sight but can’t gain weight.”

body workout

Perfect Workout Nutrition

01:20

The ultimate guide to timing nutrients around your workouts for maximum muscle-building and fat loss.

As a red-blooded, iron-loving athlete, you are in a constant cycle of breaking down and rebuilding muscle. When you lift weights, you break down muscle tissue but you don’t grow in the gym. You need muscle protein synthesis to happen in order to repair and ultimately grow new muscle. If you end up breaking down more than you can build back, you won’t end up with a lot of muscle mass on your frame. In order to maximize protein synthesis and minimize breakdown, you need hard yet strategic training, and perhaps more importantly, a nutrition protocol – one based on proper timing with relation to your workouts. And while you should slightly cut calories when you are trying to lose fat, you shouldn’t cut carbs out. The goal is always to build muscle and that requires hard, carb-fueled workouts. Consuming the proper nutrients before, during, and after training can dramatically affect your physique and strength results.

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Shredded Abs in a Hurry

01:19

Getting ripped is, for lack of a better word, easy. It just takes time. Follow this three-step plan for shredded abs.

1. PREPARE TO DIET

According to the Mayo Clinic, a 200-pound man who lifts weights for 60 minutes burns 455 calories. High-impact aerobics burn slightly more. Meanwhile, one healthy meal of four ounces of grilled chicken and one cup of rice contains 385 calories. There’s no way around it: Eat fewer calories.

2. FOLLOW MACROS

Follow these macros (from the M&F Food Pyramid). Get one gram of protein daily per pound of your body weight. Do the same for carbs. For fat, multiply your weight by 0.4 to determine your daily grams. Lower your fat and carb intake slightly when fat loss plateaus.

3. MEASURE

Don’t estimate portion sizes. Most people guess too low and end up eating much more than their macros call for. Have measuring cups on hand and prepare your own food. Read labels and invest in a food scale.

Quick Tip: To prevent digestive problems, avoid grains except rice. Other good carbs are potatoes, sweet potatoes, and some fruit.

body workout

Emergency Shred: Supplement Stack

01:17

Use these supps to fuel the workouts in the Emergency Shred program

SUPPLEMENT

Caffeine

DOSE/TIMING

100–300 mg, 2–3 times daily, with one dose 30–60 min pre-workout

BENEFIT

Acutely increases strength, delays fatigue, blunts pain, increases burning of fat during exercise

SUPPLEMENT

L-Carnitine

DOSE/TIMING

1–3g, four times daily, including immediately pre- and post-workout and before bed

BENEFIT

Shuttles fat to mitochondria, where it can be burned for fuel

SUPPLEMENT

Beta-alanine

DOSE/TIMING

2–3g pre- and post-workout

BENEFIT

Maximizes strength, power, and stamina

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Eating for Muscle Mass

Things You Should Know About Protein

The M&F “GFH” Diet

Get freakin’ huge with (more) of the right food and supps at the right times to drastically accelerate muscle growth.

McCallum’s GFH Drink

How This Applies

Perfect Workout Nutrition

The ultimate guide to timing nutrients around your workouts for maximum muscle-building and fat loss.

Shredded Abs in a Hurry

Getting ripped is, for lack of a better word, easy. It just takes time. Follow this three-step plan for shredded abs.

1. PREPARE TO DIET

2. FOLLOW MACROS

3. MEASURE

Emergency Shred: Supplement Stack

Use these supps to fuel the workouts in the Emergency Shred program

SUPPLEMENT

SUPPLEMENT

SUPPLEMENT

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