1) Food
The most important part of your recovery phase is going to be the food you eat and when you eat it.
We learned a long ago that the more protein constantly floating around the bloodstream, the more opportunities for the muscle to use it, particularly when paired with a low-glycemic carbohydrate. In other words, you need to be eating frequently throughout the day, and you need to eat high amounts of protein in every single meal. What are high amounts? No less than 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. See protein, eat it!
If you’re one of those guys who are always claiming that you eat a ton of food, and still can’t gain weight, you’re mistaken. You just don’t really know what eating a ton of food is. When my athletes are trying to gain weight, they have three to four days out of a week that they consume upwards of eight thousand calories a day. Now that’s a lot of food!
If you really think you’re giving it all you got in the stuffing-my-face-for-size department, don’t give up hope. Keep your protein high and your low glycemic carbohydrates higher. You need to eat to grow, and if you’ve got the metabolism of a hummingbird, you need to eat a lot!
Rules for Big
- Eat at least your weight in protein every day.
- Eat six to eight times per day.
- Make protein the staple of every meal.