Muscle Building

Copyright 2006 Jonathan Perez

In my previous article
“Why You Don’t Need Protein To Gain Muscle”
I wrote about 1 of the 3 incorrect beliefs that everyone has of protein
thinking that you must eat massive amounts to gain weight and build muscle mass.

I spoke about why it is NOT true that protein is what makes up most of the muscle weight on your body.

Today
I'm going to write a little about the 2nd myth: that eating high amounts of fats or carbs (as opposed to eating high protein) is going to make you look like a little ball of lard (fat).

Let me make one point really clear
if your goal is to gain muscle weight and build muscle mass
eating low amounts of fats or carbs IS NOT the way to go!

There are many that are under the impression that you can gain muscle WITHOUT gaining fat by eating a high protein
low to moderate fat or low to moderate carb diet.

Well
I'm here to tell you that it couldn't be further from the truth.

Back in the 70's and 80's everyone was on the "low fat" kick.

People thought that you had to avoid fats at all costs
even if you were trying to gain muscle weight.

That's when all of these "low" or "no fat" products hit the markets
capitalizing on the latest fad.

Then
all of a sudden
out of no where
with the re-publication of the Atkins Diet book
in the 90's
and even now
everyone completely made a turn-around and began to make carbs ENEMY #1.

Now
it was all fine and dandy to eat fats and high protein
ohhhh, but stay away from those carbs
. Man
are we gullible!

What's down-right funny is the fact that whether people were following a low fat diet or low carb diet
everyone still wasn't looking any better.

People still weren't reaching their muscle building / weight gaining goals!

Well
to get right to the point of this matter (since I could write about this for pages and pages)
regardless of how you divide your calories
high fat
low fat
high protein
low protein
high carb
low carb
etc.
you are NOT going to gain one ounce of muscle weight if you don’t eat enough overall calories……period!!!!!

You can stuff protein gram after protein gram down your throat
but if you don't give your body enough calories
you aren't going to gain weight.

Vice-versa
you can go on the lowest carb or fat diet around
but if you are still eating MORE calories than what your body uses per day
you aren't going to burn fat.

Your body responds to CALORIES.

Food
regardless of what type
is digested in the stomach
gets converted into a form of ENERGY
gets sent to the bloodstream
gets transferred to the different tissues and organs
where it is then used how your body best sees fit.

It isn't the fact that you are eating carbs or eating fats that make people overweight
it's the fact that they are eating too many calories
either per day or per sitting!!!!!

If you want to gain weight
you cannot go on a low fat or carb diet.

I repeat
you CANNOT. Your body needs those calories. It is impossible to get enough calories from just protein to build muscle.

Also
it is carbs that gets converted into glucose
which is the ONLY thing that your muscles can use to provide energy to a muscle when it is working out
and is the only substance in the body that pushes water and other nutrients into a muscle
which adds to the volume
size
and weight of a muscle…….NOT protein!

It is fats that your body uses to line the muscle cells and creates the hormones that help build muscle mass
like testosterone……not protein! In my next article I'll write about the 3rd protein myth that's being spread.