Mass gain goal: To develop muscle mass!

Rule number 1 is to “learn” to eat well, in quantity but also in quality because the selection of foods is a determining factor in gaining muscle. The diet should consist of proteins (which we will detail below), carbohydrates, good fats and fiber. In order to facilitate the assimilation of all these nutrients, it is important not to forget to supplement with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, in particular by taking food supplements (we recommend Stimium MVM with its 13 vitamins and 12 minerals as well as Vital LLR , the only product on the market combining vitamins, minerals, ginseng and tribulus, a hormonal booster to help with the production of testosterone, and releasing its active ingredients in 5 minutes, 45 minutes and 8 hours ! ). For rapid mass gain, the number of calories must be in excess and the distribution of calories must be done throughout the day (we generally recommend around 3 meals and 3 snacks). Be careful, mass gain does not rhyme with junk food! By consuming processed foods and snacking on sweets or biscuits, we only bring in unnecessary calories, which even have a negative impact on muscle building because they will prevent the assimilation of proteins. So even with a weight gain goal, it is necessary to eat a balanced diet. On a grilled chicken salad for example, it is entirely possible to add olive oil because these are calories that can be added.

In mass gain, just as in muscle building phases, proteins are essential. In addition to the energy supply they provide, proteins will actively act on muscle development by making the muscle grow (if it is trained) and helping to repair damaged fibers after training. If a mass gain objective, we consider a consumption of approximately 2 to 3 grams per kg. This intake is made through the consumption of foods rich in protein such as meat, eggs, fish or dairy products as well as through an external intake, via supplementation. Various sources of protein are available: classic whey or WPC in vanilla or chocolate powder or in bars, whey isolate or Protein isolate , vegetable proteins. It is also entirely possible to mix between whey, isolate and Vegan Protein , using the bars on the snack part. Stimium proteins are very light, digestible and assimilated quickly without making lumps in the shakers. It is thus possible to accumulate intakes during the day, something not possible with casein or a vegetable protein.

For those who wish to go even faster, it is always possible to use Gainers, but you must know how to use them wisely because their caloric load is such that many beginners very quickly find themselves gaining fat, which they may have difficulty losing during the second phase (the dry).

Another possibility for mass gain is to use a booster like GABA which will significantly stimulate the secretion of growth hormone (HGH = Human Growth Hormone).

Amino acids are also interesting in the context of mass gain. Thus, BCAAs , essential amino acids, will stop muscle catabolism and optimize protein synthesis in muscle fibers.

To gain mass, you should ideally supplement your caloric intake with a carbohydrate intake which should constitute approximately 50% of your total caloric intake. The idea is obviously not to start consuming heavily sweetened sodas or eat 10 waffles! It is advisable to consume foods rich in carbohydrates, but with a low glycemic index such as rice or whole wheat, which are easy to find and inexpensive, alternating with other interesting products such as sweet potato or quinoa.

To gain good weight, the body will need a lot of nutrients when gaining mass, particularly because it is a period during which the workouts will be close together, will be long, will hurt! You have to train harder than ever, no pain, no gain, in order to improve your strength to progress even faster. As the training sessions will be close together, it is also imperative to pay close attention to your recovery, between series of exercises by optimizing the recovery periods of 2 to 3 minutes to drink a lot, in particular exercise drinks and isotonic drinks, but also after training, through the consumption of products allowing accelerated muscle recovery, such as MC3 .

It is important to start with basic exercises in the gym. It is advisable to encourage simple movements by lifting weights using the upper and lower limbs, even if “it hurts” to repeat them 3 to 4 times a week. You must also think about loading heavier and heavier (over the first 4 weeks, you must try to gain 2kg more with each new session) in order to accustom the muscles to seek greater performance, the aim being to increase the loads until we obviously reach a peak where we will progress more per kilo per week. To make the sessions even more effective, it will be appropriate to add intensification techniques. Obviously be careful to dose your training well, this is one of the main difficulties, knowing your body well enough to be able to reach the breaking point without going beyond it, the idea is obviously not to injure and risk a muscular (tear or contracture) or joint (particularly sprain) accident. The body will not be able to start immediately with 5 weekly sessions of 1.5 hours, this is not possible unless you are already an accomplished athlete. As always, a certain progressiveness must be respected. The ideal is to do 4 training sessions per week on pure mass gain (in the gym), and use the other 3 days to recover and work more generally by doing cardio (cycling for example) and endurance (cycling, gentle running), without getting into the red, always stretching correctly to avoid contractures and always drinking a lot.

If recovery is essential to be able to move from one training session to the next, another form of recovery is even more important: sleep! Muscles grow mainly at rest. This is why it is sometimes useful to take a product capable of relaxing like Ashwangdha to fall asleep more easily and achieve 7 to 9 hours of rest, considered the good standard for optimal recovery. Going back to training the day after a sleepless or short night is a very bad idea, muscle development will not be optimal, the muscles will not have recovered properly and the risk of injury will be increased tenfold.