Whether it occurs while appearing at various bodybuilding contests around the country, or by daily email, or by personal cell phone inquisition, I am constantly accosted by the same question:  How do I get HUGE?  I have finally decided to put together the most definitive mass-gaining program available anywhere in the world.  I can guarantee that if you follow the simple tenets that I will lay out before you in the next several paragraphs, you will find that your muscle-growing abilities will prosper.

 

FOOD INTAKE:

            When attempting to gain mass, the most common pitfall confronted by most bodybuilders is that they simply do not consume enough protein.  If you ask them if they eat enough, they all invariable reply,

 "You wouldn't believe how much I eat!" 

My response to that statement is,

"You've never seen me eat, have you?" 

At that point, the inquisitor invariably starts getting nervous (as if they have finally come to grips with the fact that they're outgunned).  My next inquiring question is,

"How much protein do you eat per day?"

to which most people answer,

"I'm not sure, but it's a lot!" 

They aren't sure how much protein they eat, but they're sure that they eat a lot-now there's a real logician!  Once I've reached this point in the "interview" process (as I like to call it), I realize what I am dealing with and I stop asking stupid questions that I definitely know the answers to.  Instead, I help these individuals to construct a mass-gaining diet that will fit their particular needs (Remember:  The main goal is to gain lean muscle mass while minimizing fat gains). 

            Another very important tenet of gaining mass is that, while frequent protein consumption is important, over-consumption of protein can also be detrimental to muscle gains.  Because your body can only process so much protein at one sitting (this amount varies from individual to individual), consuming too much protein taxes the liver and kidneys (since these organs need to metabolize, detoxify, and excrete the extra protein) and this invariably stunts the body's ability to synthesize new muscle.  Remember, we don't want to draw valuable energy needed for protein synthesis to help and aid the digestion and detoxification of excess protein. 

Back in the early 90's, bodybuilders (myself included) were consuming 500-600g of protein per day in an effort to increase muscle gains.  What we discovered in the last 5-10 years is that we were wasting most of this protein and causing our bodies to have to work extra hard to break it all down.  Meanwhile, bodybuilders were greatly deprived of essential fats such as linoleic acid (omega-6 fats) and alpha linolenic acid (omega-3 fats), cholesterol-fats (from egg yolks and red meat) for steroidal hormone synthesis, and monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil and macadamia nut oil) for muscle cell membrane repair.  What we were essentially doing back then was consuming huge amounts of protein and getting our fatty acid requirements indirectly by way of all the protein we ate (all animal protein sources also contain fat).  The problem was that we were only getting animal fat protein.  This still left us in a fat-deprived state.  If you fail to consume essential fats in your diet (just as if you fail to eat enough protein), the end result will be stifled muscle gains (if on a bulking cycle) or reduced fat losses (if on a diet). 

TAKE HOME MESSAGE:  The body does not like to be deprived of protein or fat-- both are essential  nutrients for optimum lean muscle gains.  On the other hand, carbohydrates (of which I have not even mentioned once) are completely unessential nutrients.  If, as bodybuilders or regular sedentary individuals, we were never to consume another gram of carbohydrates, our bodies would continue to grow muscle and metabolize fat without a single hesitation (and most of us would find that we got much leaner, as well).  If some of you think I have a secret weapon in my arsenal of muscle-building, fat-burning, techniques, you're correct.  It's called KNOWLEDGE!

To reiterate, carbohydrates are not considered essential nutrients in the muscle-building process; however, they are a very necessary source of energy when in a mass-gaining stage since we do not want to use all the essential muscle-building fat to fuel our workouts.  When in a gaining stage, then, carbohydrates are a great energy source to preserve the dietary protein and fat for muscle-building purposes.   While in a dieting stage; however, fat becomes a much more desirable energy source since it suppresses insulin release (carbs stimulate insulin release), it helps the body to maintain energy levels while on a reduced calorie diet (carbohydrates being the reduced calories), it provides essential fatty acids to the body which prevents protective "preservation" modes from occurring (whereby fat mobilization is halted), and it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels (reducing food cravings and increasing satiety).

 

EXAMPLE OF A TYPICAL MASS GAINING DIET:

 

MEAL 1:

            6 whole omega-3 eggs with 1 cup of oatmeal

 

MEAL 2:

            Meal Replacement SHAKE with a liquid carbohydrate drink (such as GATORAIDE or ULTRAFUEL)

MEAL 3:

            ½ pound (8oz) of chicken (or turkey or filet of sole or shrimp) with ½ cup nuts (almonds, cashews, or walnuts) with 1 cup RICE

 

MEAL 4:

 Same as MEAL 2

 

MEAL 5:

            ½ pound (8oz) of red meat (or salmon or swordfish) with a salad with 2 tablespoon of olive or macadamia nut oil and vinegar with 1 baked potato and/or yam

 

MEAL 6:  Same as MEAL 3

 

MEAL 7:  Same as MEAL 2

 

MEAL 8:  6 whole omega-3 eggs with1 cup grits

SUGGESTED MASS-GAINING SUPPLEMENTS:

 

           

• 1. Multivitamin 2 x per day (take all vitamins with food): Men should take a multivitamin "without iron" added (women require iron since they lose blood, and thus, iron when they menstruate monthly)
• 2. Vitamin C 1000mg 2 x per day (anti-oxidant): Antioxidants prevent damage from free radicals (which can further damage muscle cells even after the workout is completed). By reducing cellular damage to muscle tissue, it enables the damaged muscle (from training) to repair itself at a greatly accelerated rate
• 3. Vitamin E (with Selenium) 400IU 2x per day (anti-oxidant): Two other vital antioxidants.
• 4. Omega-3 Fish Oil Pills 1000mg2-3x per day (essential omega-3 fats)
• 5. Evening Primrose Oil 1300mg 2 x per day (essential omega-6 fats): As mentioned before, essential fatty acids are required to help rebuild broken down tissues in the body. If not consumed, daily, they will, essentially, stunt future muscle growth.
• 6. MSM Powder (for joints and tissue repair) 2000mg 2 x per day: All bodybuilders, at one time or another, have had joint pain and/or injuries. MSM is an extremely bio-available source of sulfur that is vital in the repair of connective tissue (joint surfaces, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage). Sulfur is also a necessary component in the repair and synthesis of muscle tissue and since we don't eat many foods that are high in sulfur, MSM becomes a very desirable supplement to the mass-gaining or contest-dieting bodybuilder.
• 7. Glucosamine sulfate 1000mg 2x per day: Glucosamine sulfate is another component of connective tissue that is very rarely consumed in the diet (since not many people eat ligaments and tendons along with there chicken breasts and filet mignons). Ingesting adequate amounts of glucosamine, has, experimentally, been illustrated to aid in the repair of torn meniscal cartilages, degenerative joint surfaces, and weak ligaments and tendons.
• 8. Creatine 5 grams 2 x per day (5g in the morning/ 5g after you train): Creatine is one of the most incredible natural supplements to hit the market. Its strong presence, even after almost 10 years on the market, is a testament to its truly unique abilities. It does two distinct, yet invaluable, jobs in the body.

First, it causes a volumizing (swelling) effect on the muscle cells such that the muscles find themselves in an extremely anabolic environment 24 hours a day.  NOTE:  Muscle cells love to be well hydrated. In fact, dehydrated muscle cells are very catabolic-that is, they are much more likely to break down. 

Second, Creatine buffers ATP levels in muscle tissue (ATP is the only energy source that powers the muscle cells).  The reason your muscles never run out of energy is because creatine (as creatine-phosphate inside the muscle cell) ensures that ATP levels are constantly regenerated.  The more creatine found inside the muscle cell, the greater the potential source of ATP.  This is a great advantage to over-trained, contest, bodybuilders and endurance athletes who require tremendous stores of ATP to fuel these long, strenuous workouts.

                                                              

ULTIMATE MASS-GAINING DRUG CYCLE:

 

Week	IGF-1 (mcg/day)	Testosterone Cypionate (mg/week)	Equipoise (mg/week)	Sustanon 250 (mg/week)	Trenbolone acetate (mg/week)	Growth Hormone (IU/day)	Arimidex (mg/EOD)
1	11	800	300			2	1
2	11	800	300			2	1
3	11	1000	350			2	1
4	11	1000	350			3	1
5		1200	400			3	1
6		1200	400			3	1
7	11	1000	350			3	1
8	11	1000	300			4	1
9	11			750	150	4	1
10	11			750	150	4	1
11				1000	200	4	1
12				1000	200	4	1
13	11			1250	225	3	1
14	11			1250	225	3	1
15	11			1000	250	2	1
16	11			1000	250	2	1