Ways to Increase Lean Muscle Mass

[Krank]

I want optimise my Power to Weight Ratio by increasing my Lean Muscle Mass.

I am of lean build and slow twitch muscle fibre. I also weigh 10 kg more (92kg) than my targeted weight (at 82kg).

Besides cycling, what tasks and lifestyle decisions (in terms of training, diet and fatigue management) do you perform to achieve this goal when you want to increase your Lean Muscle Mass?


Krank

[greyhoundtom]

INCREASE LEAN MUSCLE MASS

DIET FOR GAINING LEAN MUSCLE MASS

HOW TO GAIN LEAN MUSCLE QUICKLY

While the Livestrong website is no longer the flavour of the month, I find it a great source of useful information.

[Krank]

thanks Tom.

Krank

[william]

Professional advice is better than well intended advice.

[ozstriker]

If you want to improve your power to weight ratio wouldnt you be better off focusing on on bike training, or is that what you are actually talking about?

If you want to build muscle food plays a very big part in it, and i would suggest to start eating right away and dont stop, (all good food of course) and milk, start drinking it like your life depends on it.

[winstonw]

So you want to increase your power to weight ratio.

I'd suggest you also work on reducing the denominator by getting your bodyfat down to 7-10%, with a low fat Calorie controlled diet. This has the potential additional advantage of reversing artherosclerosis, thereby allowing more oxygen to get to the muscles.

[Krank]

Thanks boys. Will take on baord your comments.

I wanted to know what other methods exist besides bike training exists for optimising that ratio.

Krank

[iaintas]

Just finished reading the "smarter science of slim" interesting reading and made sense about diet and specifically a modern diet.

[greyhoundtom]

I wanted to know what other methods exist besides bike training exists for optimising that ratio.

Krank

Lean Muscle Formula

If all else fails..........

[MarkG]

The stories I could tell you from my days working at a bodybuilding supplement store, you'd laugh like crazy.

[mitzikatzi]

week 1-12 sustanon 500mg a week mon/thurs
week 1-10 deca durabolin 500mg a week mon/thurs
week 1-8 anavar 100mg a day
week 8-14 winstrol 60mg a day
week 14-18 clomid 100/100/50/50
week 14-18 nolvadex 40/40/20/20

OR

week 1-10 enanthate 250mg a week
week 1-8 propionate 100mg eod
week 1-8 tren -A 75mg eod
week 1-8 anavar 100mg a day
week 12-16 clomid 100/100/50/50
week 12-16 nolvadex 40/40/20/20

[MarkG]

Lol.
Not quite mate.
Watch bigger faster stronger ..that's how it really is.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/bigger-stronger-faster/

Vlcd is all that works. Crash diets are non sustainable and you end up going back in to old habits.
Its all about changing your thinking and will power.

[jules21]

studies show (oh yes) that controlling your diet tends to be the biggest variable in weight loss. i.e. many people go nuts with exercise but fail to control diet and their body fat %. cut out saturated fats and sugar - or in basic terms, avoid processed foods.

[Xplora]

If you want to hit a target weight, you won't get there by increasing lean muscle mass. You get there by decreasing your fat mass. The best goal to have is to lose LESS muscle while you lose weight. Classic weightlifter cutting programs are going to get you in the ball park. You will note the big differences between the gaining and cutting diets. Also bear in mind that you aren't supposed to be able to do the cut diets long term!
So much is genetics and habit - I weigh 73kgs on a fat day at 6'1". I've weighed this since I was 15. I'm 32. I sat around and ate pizza for breakfast and managed to get up to a shade under 80. Did some regular exercise, and bam. Down to 72. I'm famous for eating half a block of chocolate every day at work, just to make sure I have enough carbs to ride home.

[casual_cyclist]

studies show (oh yes) that controlling your diet tends to be the biggest variable in weight loss. i.e. many people go nuts with exercise but fail to control diet and their body fat %. cut out saturated fats and sugar - or in basic terms, avoid processed foods.

I've done this and it works. I thought about eating 'real' food as in fruit, veggies, legumes, eggs, milk etc. Processed food doesn't have the same nutrient density as good whole foods so you need more to get your nutrients. The other thing I found with processed food is that it made me hungry. Whereas with real food, I could eat less but at the same time feel less hungry. The only issue for me is that real food takes longer to prepare.

[twizzle]

Just finished reading the "smarter science of slim" interesting reading and made sense about diet and specifically a modern diet.

Bought it, reading it, very interesting. Some of the studies are a bit shocking - I didn't think calorie restriction was such a bad thing, but... wow.


Sent from my iThingy...

[KonaCommuter]

Whilst this video is aimed at bodybuilding it is very enlightening and worth watching IMHO. Basically - lift heavy weights, smart supplementation, sensible diet (calorie controlled) all done consistently.

[mikesbytes]

INCREASE LEAN MUSCLE MASS

DIET FOR GAINING LEAN MUSCLE MASS

HOW TO GAIN LEAN MUSCLE QUICKLY

While the Livestrong website is no longer the flavour of the month, I find it a great source of useful information.

Interesting easy to read articles. I'll have a good look at that site.

Couple of things bounced out at me;

- Do not cut back on cardio workouts while you are trying to increase lean muscle mass
- Essential amino acids are those that your body cannot make

What are the "Essential amino acids" ? the article does state where to get them from, which is animal products and discusses how vegetarians and replicate this, but I would be more interested in what exactly they are and how much you need.

[KonaCommuter]

- Essential amino acids are those that your body cannot make[/list]
What are the "Essential amino acids" ? the article does state where to get them from, which is animal products and discusses how vegetarians and replicate this, but I would be more interested in what exactly they are and how much you need.

Firstly I must state that I'm neither a Vegan nor a Vegetarian but also add that I'm working towards those goals if they prove to be right for me.

However from your link

Animal foods like meat and eggs have high-quality or complete proteins because they contain all of the essential amino acids. Plant foods are missing one or more essential amino acids, so you must combine a variety of them to get all of the essential amino acids. For example, eat beans with brown rice, beans with corn, or brown rice with nuts.

Additionally I believe (but don't have a link or reference handy) - Meat was classed as a superior source of protein thanks to lab tests on rats. Without wanting to sound like I'm being ignorant (I'd user sterner language but this is a family friendly forum and I like that) - rats are another species and have different dietary requirements.



EDIT TO ADD

I'm not a dietitian, nor a doctor and for those that have met me I'm the last to give dietary advice. I'm just trying to make sense of it all. My former Sister-in-law is a dietician though and she used to be a Vegan but no longer is (but hardly on a SAD diet though)


EDIT TO ADD 2

My apologies but I recalled where I'd read that from as soon as I posted it - Dr Mc Dougall http://www.drmcdougall.com/free_2e.html

To understand why this program is the most powerful form of medicine, you must start with the recognition that plant foods are the most abundant sources of nutrition on earth. Animal foods don't even come close in comparison. And, despite what you've been told, animal foods are not essential sources of minerals, calcium, protein, amino acids, vitamins or essential fats.

Nutrients are, essentially, the raw materials your body needs to function properly and to grow. In general, there are two types of nutrients – the ones your body can make, and the ones it can derive only from your food. The latter are called "essential" nutrients, for the simple fact that your diet must provide them for you to sustain your health.

There are 13 essential vitamins. Eleven are made in abundance by plants. The two that are not produced by plants are vitamins D and B12. You should get all the vitamin D you need from sunlight – and B12 can be gotten from a supplement. (I tell pregnant and nursing women, and people following my diet strictly for more than 3 years, to take five micrograms of vitamin B12 each day to ensure that they are getting an adequate supply of the vitamin.) Both vitamins are stored in your tissues for long periods of time.

[greyhoundtom]

The articles on the Livestrong web site talks about essential Amino Acids, while the Dr Mc Dougall site mentions essential Vitamins.

Both are required.

[greyhoundtom]

What are the "Essential amino acids" ? the article does state where to get them from, which is animal products and discusses how vegetarians and replicate this, but I would be more interested in what exactly they are and how much you need.

As usual Wikipedia covers it pretty well.
Essential Amino Acids

[mikesbytes]

Thanks guys, that's interesting

The way I treat my diet is to ensure that most of the food I eat comes from its base form, ie its basic meats, vegetables and fruit. I avoid manufactured and refined products. Most liquid form nutrition is usually bad for you, most contain concentrated sugars, for example don't drink orange juice eat an orange.

Like everyone my diet is not perfect, but its miles ahead of the bulk of the Australian public who lace themselves with sugar. For example on the way back from the Australian Masters Road Racing championships, I stopped to fill my car and had lunch in the fast food shop, burger king I think. There were two morbidly obese guys refilling their soft drink cups, taking advantage of the free refills.

With nutrition, its a journey where you never stand still. Two things happen;
1. Your diet migrates from where it is to somewhere else. The art is to influence it in the right direction.
2. Your nutritional knowledge improves. In the same way that I became aware of how manufactured foods represented poor value compared to base products, this thread has made me aware of more knowledge I can acquire;
- essential amino acids
- combining particular vegetables together
Should point out that you need to learn to walk before you learn to run. Learn and apply the basics before heading down more complicated paths. So don't bother too much with the advanced stuff until you have successfully migrated the core junk out of your dietary desires.

Now back on topic. A simple way to look at muscle mass is that whenever you use your muscles you damage the fibres. Then the body repairs them stronger using protein. Whether bigger muscles is good of bad for you depends on what you want your body to do.

[twizzle]

I got a masticating juicer for Chrissy. Now I don't have to deal with all the fibre I usually eat.

[Krank]

A simple way to look at muscle mass is that whenever you use your muscles you damage the fibres. Then the body repairs them stronger using protein.

What actually occurs to the muscle fibre to make them stronger?

Do they become larger in diameter, grow in quantity, fibre composition changes or everything combined?

I thought muscle fibres only become damaged when their elastic strength (or yield point) is exceeded, and not whenever mucsles are used?

I assume the word "lean" implies minimal body fat and denser muscle mass? If not, what does "lean" imply in this context?

My muscle mass becomes less obvious when I use them less. Does this mean the muscle mass has decreased, and hence become less lean?


Krank

[greyhoundtom]

What actually occurs to the muscle fibre to make them stronger?

Do they become larger in diameter, grow in quantity, fibre composition changes or everything combined?

I thought muscle fibres only become damaged when their elastic strength (or yield point) is exceeded, and not whenever mucsles are used?

I assume the word "lean" implies minimal body fat and denser muscle mass? If not, what does "lean" imply in this context?

My muscle mass becomes less obvious when I use them less. Does this mean the muscle mass has decreased, and hence become less lean?


Krank

Whilst this video is aimed at bodybuilding it is very enlightening and worth watching IMHO. Basically - lift heavy weights, smart supplementation, sensible diet (calorie controlled) all done consistently.

While the above video is a fairly long one, it is certainly worth watching as it will answer many of your questions.