Fitness

The rules for gaining muscle are simple, but they take discipline to apply:

• To gain muscle, you need to eat more calories every day.

• Have your body fat tested to determine your lean body weight and have a personal trainer or nutritionist recommend how much protein you need to gain muscle mass.

• Nutritional supplements and meal replacement powders and bars can help increase your protein intake, but they are usually not as nutritious as real food and should not replace regular meals.

• Eat adequate amounts of fat (15-percent) and carbohydrates (55-percent).
  Protein should make up 30-percent of your diet.

• Weight train intensely three or four times a week, no longer than one hour per session.

• Limit your cardio workouts for maximum muscle gains.

• Sleep! Shoot for eight to ten hours a night.

• Drink loads of water.

Stay focused on the big picture: Overall Health! See also: Exercise!