Most young men find it quite easy to build lean muscle but as they get older, the mid-rif starts to spread or they lose their muscle tissue, holding on to size can actually become quite an issue, especially for those with a slighter frame.

Here are a few of our suggestions to keep you, well…nice and beefy!

1. Train smarter and maximise your muscle building process
Most men go about lifting the same way- keep lifting a specific group of muscles until it hurts, then throw back a shake and head home. The more protein your body stores, the larger your muscles grow. your body uses up your source of protein on a continuous basis- from making hormones to muscle building. To counteract this loss, you need to build and sore new protein faster than your body breaks it down.
2. Eat more protein.
The rule of thumb is to eat roughly 1 gram of protein per day per pound of your body weight. So if you weight say 150lbs, then you should try and eat roughly 150lbs of protein. Divide the rest of your calories evenly with a combination of good clean carbohydrates, fat and mix up your diet as much as possible.
3. Eat more in general.
If you are slighter of frame, you may need to consume more food in general. Some simple tips include having snacks at hand all the time, adding tablespoons of oil in between food and with food too. Try and increase your calorie intake with 500 calories of good clean food each day. Aim to build your weight slowly- 1 lb a week is good.
4. Focus on larger muscle groups
Focus on your larger muscle groups when you train like the chest, back and legs and add squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, bench presses and military presses. Keep rests at about 60 seconds between each set too!
5. Drink Aminos pre-workout
About 30-60 mins before you train, try knocking back some aminos to increase your protein synthesis with essential amino acids.

6. Train Smarter.
Try weight-lifting every other day and leave a day for rest as your muscles grow when you are resting.
7. Try to stick to your carbs post-workout.
You’ll rebuild more muscle post-workout if you feed yourself some carbohydrates which increase your level of insulin which in turn slows down the breakdown of protein. A banana with nut butter is always a good option.


8. Eat protein at each meal.
Try eating every 2-3 hours and remember to add protein to each meal- roughly about 20 grams of protein.

9. Snack before bed-time.
Try eating a combination of carbs and protein about half an hour before you hit the sack. Some greek yoghurt and berries is a good option or some cottage cheese and fruit. Eat as soon as you rise too.

10. Be consistent.
Try and eat every two hours, drink 2-2.5l and swap your coffee (unless pre-workout) to green tea. Just because you are trying to gain mass, don’t go for the sugary foods. Build your size slowly and become used to the additional calories with foods you like so it becomes habit not hassle.

You can thank us later 🙂
PS. If you’re interested in chatting to one of our PT’s about lean muscle gain, give us a shout on 853 4091 or email info@theedgegym.ie