1. Eat smaller meals every 2–3 hours, rather than a few huge meals, each day. More frequent eating will give you the nutrients you need to grow while helping to keep your metabolism revved for burning fat. Including pre- and post-workout meals and other snacks, you should hit about eight meals a day.
2. Stick with shakes for your pre- and post-workout meals. You need very fast-digesting protein to encourage muscle growth at this time, and whole foods are too slow to offer much benefit. Thirty minutes before workouts, drink a 20-gram protein shake that includes 20–40 grams of slow-digesting carbs. Within 30 minutes after your workouts, down a 40-gram protein shake with 40–100 grams of fast-digesting carbs.
3. Water is a critical component of your diet. It keeps your metabolism humming and helps you maintain muscle fullness. Guzzle about 1 gallon of water per day.
Dymatize Foundational New Year’s Supplement Stack
This potent triple stack from Dymatize covers all the bases to guarantee your body gets the nutrients it needs, when it needs them most.
Dymatize PreW.O. is formulated with high-potency ingredients including Citrulline Malate, Beta Alanine, Teacrine®, and Nitrosigine to support super-intense training sessions. Mix it up with some water and drink 15 to 30 minutes before you hit the gym. Engineered to deliver energy, strength, pump, and intensity, PreW.O. will help you reach your goals and make every workout count.
To be able to hit the gym day after day, you need to give your muscles the tools to recover. Dymatize AminoPro can be taken before, during, or after a workout. The high-quality amino acids including BCAAs provide muscle support during intense workouts and throughout the day. And the electrolytes help keep hard-working athletes hydrated. Also keep in mind AminoPro +Energy which comes with caffeine for a boost of energy when you need it.
Packing on muscle requires feeding those muscles—nourishing them with whey protein after every workout. If your goal is gains in muscle size and strength, Dymatize ISO100 is the perfect protein for you. Each serving delivers 25g of fast-digesting hydrolyzed 100% whey protein isolate, 5.5g of BCAAs, 2.7g of Leucine, and not much of anything else. It is free of gluten and lactose, with only 1g or less of sugar and fat. ISO100 quickly replenishes amino acids, making it ideal to use throughout the day, such as first thing in the morning or right after an intense workout to aid in muscle recovery.
For more information on Dymatize, please visit Dymatize.com.
These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Consult with a health-care professional before starting any diet/nutrition, exercise, or supplementation program.
MONTH 1
1. Try to consume about 22 calories per pound of bodyweight per day (just less than 4,000 for the 180-pounder). You have to eat big to get strong!
2. Make sure you get about 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (270 grams for the 180-pound guy) per day.
3. You also need ample carbs for strength. Shoot for about 2.5 grams per pound of bodyweight (450 grams for the 180-pounder) per day.
4. Healthy fats will help your joints absorb the punishment from the heavy weights, and even saturated fat is important to keep testosterone—and therefore strength—elevated. Get about 30% of your total daily calories from fat, or about 0.75 gram of fat per pound of bodyweight (135 grams for a 180-pounder).
MONTH 2
1. This month, drop your calories to about 20 per pound of bodyweight per day (3,600 calories for the 180-pounder). You still need ample calories to get big, but too many for too long can make you fat.
2. Stay with about 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (270 grams for the 180-pound guy) per day. It’s the aminos from protein that build muscle.
3. You still need ample carbs for muscle growth, but you can drop them slightly to 2 grams per pound of bodyweight (360 grams for the 180-pounder) per day.
4. Again, get about 30% of your total daily calories from fat, or about 0.5 gram of fat per pound of bodyweight (a little more than 90 grams for a 180-pounder). Healthy fats will actually help keep bodyfat off, while saturated fat will keep testosterone elevated for maximizing muscle growth.
MONTH 3
1. In the final month, it’s time to sharpen up and get your lean on. That means calories drop again, to about 16 per pound of bodyweight per day (about 2,900 calories for the 180-pounder).
2. Protein intake doesn’t change. After all, it’s critical for muscle mass, and you want to lose fat, not muscle. Stick with about 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day (270 grams for the 180-pound guy).
3. Since protein stays the same, your drop in calories will come primarily from carbs. Decreasing carbs to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight per day (180 grams for the 180-pounder) will still provide energy but will force your body to turn to bodyfat for fuel.
4. You should still get about 30% of your total daily calories from fat, or about 0.5 gram of fat per pound of bodyweight (a little more than 90 grams for a 180-pounder). The majority of these fats should be of the healthy variety, which will help you burn bodyfat.
