A Behind the Scenes Look at how to Gain Lean Muscle Mass

Most people at the gym tell me they want one of four things – lose weight, gain muscle, increase mobility, or increase their energy level, sometimes worded as “feel better.” When I started to eat and lift like a body-builder, I experienced all four of these benefits. Over the next few weeks, I will share what I learned and implemented to reverse aging and get into the best shape of my life.  I feel more energetic now than 20 years ago. 

The foundational first step was understanding how to manipulate my body by measuring and monitoring food intake. I was not ignorant about how to grow the six major muscle groups – back, chest, legs, delts, arms, and core with proper breathing and form. When it came to nutrition, I thought that as long as I ate “reasonably” healthy and worked my tail off in the gym, I would gain lean muscle and look like a body builder.  I was wrong. I needed a detailed nutritional map from someone who understood how the interaction of physical activity and food transforms physique. 

It starts with humility. Admit what you don’t know and that if you could do it yourself you would have already done it. I hired a coach with a proven track record of changing his physique and building the holy grail of lean muscle mass. He gave me a plan based on where I was and where I wanted to go. I decided to listen and trust the process.

I immediately went from three meals a day to six meals a day. I bought a scale and measured my intake of protein, carbs, and fat. He told me to trust the process and that in time I would see results. This is how I looked after 8 months of following his plan (tweaked slightly every week or so based on how I was looking and feeling).

Your plan will vary from mine, but you can learn from these basic principles:   1.   Eat more, not less. As stated earlier, I went from three meals to six and was only hungry before showtime which you will not experience unless you decide to compete in a body building event. Since my own journey I have assisted others in weight loss who are shocked that they can accomplish this without “starving” and by actually eating more of the right kind of food. You do not have to go hungry to be a hunk!   2.   Eat the appropriate ratio of protein, carbs, and healthy fat. The Standard American Diet (SAD) leads to obesity because most are not getting enough protein and the wrong kind of carbs and fat. This is why weighing out portions is so important. Rather than viewing this as a chore, I find it amusing and entertaining. I love to guess how many ounces are in a chicken breast or how many grams are in my scoop of rice before they hit the scale. Measuring is important because, like magic, you can drop or add weight by adjusting your portions slightly.    3.   View your plan as freeing up time and money rather than costing time and money.   I wish I could be as disciplined as you. I can’t afford to eat all that protein. My schedule is too crazy to eat throughout the day. These are common objections to meal planning and prepping. Once it becomes a habit, motivation and discipline are removed from the equation. My life is complicated enough without worrying about food choices. I like that my decisions are made in advance. Food prep saves time and money and very few will get shot if they take a few minutes every three hours to eat. Overcome your obstacles.

Much more to share about what I learned from body building. Make sure to check your inbox every Friday and spread the word. Together let’s liberate greatness in ourselves and others. If you need a coach in your journey, contact me at the email below.