Power XL
04-03-2007, 10:42 AM
The Top 25 Ways to Pack on Serious Mass, Part II
By Anthony Ricciuto
B.Phed C.F.T. S.P.N. F.T. S.W.M.
For EliteFTS
In the first part of this series I discussed 8 top ways to pack on mass when going up a weight class. In the second part of this three part series I will continue with the next 8 tips to take you to success. Most people think that it is easy to pack on weight and they are right, if putting on fat weight is your goal. The purpose of this series is to make sure that the weight that you do put on is solid muscle, and not just an extra layer of fat around your hips and waist. Putting on quality weight that will lead to a bigger total is our objective. There are many misconceptions on how to properly go up to the next weight class. What we have to remember as powerlifters is that by going up a class we have to produce a total that is competitive at that new class. What was elite at your old class won’t pull you through in the next division up. With this in mind what we must realize here is that we have to put on as much lean muscle tissue as possible while minimizing any fat gain. This can only be done through a well planned out nutritional and supplementation program. Here are the next 8 tips to pack it on!
#9
Use a Protein Supplement
In a time when most of us live very busy lives and are constantly are on the go, a protein supplement in the form of a meal replacement or protein shake is essential. If we take a look at one of the rules in part one of this series, it was to eat 5-6 small meals per day. Now, eating 6 solid meals of food per day for most people would be a major problem. One way to make this much simpler is to eat your regular breakfast, lunch and dinner and have a protein shake in between each of those meals. I just made your life a lot easier didn’t I? The fact is that we need at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight as powerlifters, especially when we are trying to go up a weight class. Now if you have ever looked at a macronutrient breakdown chart of different foods you will notice that to consume all the protein that you need on a daily basis is almost unrealistic, that is unless you have an appetite like mine. When you look at the protein content of different foods and then you calculate how much you have to eat at your bodyweight, you then ask yourself, “How the heck am I supposed to get in all that protein without feeling like I just inhaled half of the country’s livestock?” Having 2-3 protein shakes per day will help you fulfill your protein needs and will make your life in the kitchen a lot easier as well.
#10
Consume Fast and Slow Acting Protein Sources
Like most people, you must be wondering what is a fast or slow acting protein? Fast or slow acting is in regards to the time your body release the amino acids into the bloodstream. Now whey protein is a fast acting protein. It is the fastest to enter your bloodstream and to upload into your muscle cells. The problem with whey is that while it is highly anabolic or growth producing, it is not very anti- catabolic. A slow acting protein like casein will do a much better job at preventing you from going into a catabolic or muscle wasting state. Supplement companies are constantly bashing each other saying that their protein whether its whey or casein is better than the other. The fact is you have to look beyond all the hype and look at scientific studies. The fact is that you need a combination of both to fully get the job done. Remember the best time to use whey is post workout so that the amino acids get pulled inside the muscle cell the fastest and during the day and night use a combination of slow and fast acting proteins.
#11
Eat By the Clock
When trying to put on size, you just can’t eat when you get hungry, otherwise it will take you a lot longer to get up to your next weight class. You have to eat by the clock, otherwise you will not meet your caloric and macronutrient needs by the time the day is over. With this in mind set a schedule that you will follow and have a meal or protein shake every 2.5- 3 hours. Not 4 or 5 hours but every 3! This is very important in your quest for size. This will make sure that you get at least 5 quality meals in per day. I know that this sounds a little compulsive but in no time this will just become part of your lifestyle. This will mean that you will have to have all your food prepared the night before so that you will have it ready when you need it. Don’t just think that you will just cook something when the time comes as most likely you will get lazy and you will just skip the meal. Eating every three hours has many benefits. First, it will keep your metabolism elevated. Second it will keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day and will prevent you from getting those after lunch energy lows that so many people complain of. Next it will keep you in a positive nitrogen balance and will supply a constant stream of amino acids to your muscles, thereby keeping you in an anabolic state. As you can see eating by the clock is definitely worth it!
By Anthony Ricciuto
B.Phed C.F.T. S.P.N. F.T. S.W.M.
For EliteFTS
In the first part of this series I discussed 8 top ways to pack on mass when going up a weight class. In the second part of this three part series I will continue with the next 8 tips to take you to success. Most people think that it is easy to pack on weight and they are right, if putting on fat weight is your goal. The purpose of this series is to make sure that the weight that you do put on is solid muscle, and not just an extra layer of fat around your hips and waist. Putting on quality weight that will lead to a bigger total is our objective. There are many misconceptions on how to properly go up to the next weight class. What we have to remember as powerlifters is that by going up a class we have to produce a total that is competitive at that new class. What was elite at your old class won’t pull you through in the next division up. With this in mind what we must realize here is that we have to put on as much lean muscle tissue as possible while minimizing any fat gain. This can only be done through a well planned out nutritional and supplementation program. Here are the next 8 tips to pack it on!
#9
Use a Protein Supplement
In a time when most of us live very busy lives and are constantly are on the go, a protein supplement in the form of a meal replacement or protein shake is essential. If we take a look at one of the rules in part one of this series, it was to eat 5-6 small meals per day. Now, eating 6 solid meals of food per day for most people would be a major problem. One way to make this much simpler is to eat your regular breakfast, lunch and dinner and have a protein shake in between each of those meals. I just made your life a lot easier didn’t I? The fact is that we need at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight as powerlifters, especially when we are trying to go up a weight class. Now if you have ever looked at a macronutrient breakdown chart of different foods you will notice that to consume all the protein that you need on a daily basis is almost unrealistic, that is unless you have an appetite like mine. When you look at the protein content of different foods and then you calculate how much you have to eat at your bodyweight, you then ask yourself, “How the heck am I supposed to get in all that protein without feeling like I just inhaled half of the country’s livestock?” Having 2-3 protein shakes per day will help you fulfill your protein needs and will make your life in the kitchen a lot easier as well.
#10
Consume Fast and Slow Acting Protein Sources
Like most people, you must be wondering what is a fast or slow acting protein? Fast or slow acting is in regards to the time your body release the amino acids into the bloodstream. Now whey protein is a fast acting protein. It is the fastest to enter your bloodstream and to upload into your muscle cells. The problem with whey is that while it is highly anabolic or growth producing, it is not very anti- catabolic. A slow acting protein like casein will do a much better job at preventing you from going into a catabolic or muscle wasting state. Supplement companies are constantly bashing each other saying that their protein whether its whey or casein is better than the other. The fact is you have to look beyond all the hype and look at scientific studies. The fact is that you need a combination of both to fully get the job done. Remember the best time to use whey is post workout so that the amino acids get pulled inside the muscle cell the fastest and during the day and night use a combination of slow and fast acting proteins.
#11
Eat By the Clock
When trying to put on size, you just can’t eat when you get hungry, otherwise it will take you a lot longer to get up to your next weight class. You have to eat by the clock, otherwise you will not meet your caloric and macronutrient needs by the time the day is over. With this in mind set a schedule that you will follow and have a meal or protein shake every 2.5- 3 hours. Not 4 or 5 hours but every 3! This is very important in your quest for size. This will make sure that you get at least 5 quality meals in per day. I know that this sounds a little compulsive but in no time this will just become part of your lifestyle. This will mean that you will have to have all your food prepared the night before so that you will have it ready when you need it. Don’t just think that you will just cook something when the time comes as most likely you will get lazy and you will just skip the meal. Eating every three hours has many benefits. First, it will keep your metabolism elevated. Second it will keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day and will prevent you from getting those after lunch energy lows that so many people complain of. Next it will keep you in a positive nitrogen balance and will supply a constant stream of amino acids to your muscles, thereby keeping you in an anabolic state. As you can see eating by the clock is definitely worth it!