Implement these 6 tips for at least 4 weeks and I bet you’ll see better muscle gains!

You see, muscle growth is only stimulated INSIDE the gym. But actual growth occurs OUTSIDE the gym. If you want to maximize that growth, there are some things you need to get right.

Today, I’m giving you guys 6 tips that will boost your gains while you’re growing outside the gym.

I do all 6 of these along with my free THT training program. I hope you take them on board, guys…

(1) CONSIDER A WHEY SHAKE ONLY IN THE MORNING

I don’t eat solid food until 1pm every day. I just take a whey shake in the morning.

While it makes life easier than cooking a breakfast, it also rockets your growth hormone levels.

A 2008 Dutch study [1] found than growth hormone levels TRIPLED when you have ONLY protein rather than a solid food meal containing protein, carbs and fat. A shake will also deliver your morning protein much quicker than getting it from solid food.

I highly recommend you use MyProtein for your protein needs. I also recommend Optimum Nutrition to USA readers.

• GO TO MYPROTEIN USA
• GO TO MYPROTEIN UK/EUROPE

(2) TAKE CREATINE…ON REST DAYS

I get asked this all the time. “Mark, should I take creatine on rest days?” Yes! By supplementing with creatine you are simply attempting to maintain a high concentration of creatine phosphate in the muscle. You maintain this by taking it every day. After the loading phase, take 5g creatine per day.

(UK/European readers get your creatine here).

By the way, did you get my free supplement guide that I brought out recently?

It details the supplements that work, the ones that don’t, and the ones that are dangerous. You can grab it free below. You don’t have to go to your email to click a confirm link; the download link will appear immediately after you enter your email. Enjoy! 🙂

Thanks! Click to download the free supplement guide: DOWNLOAD NOW

click & enjoy 🙂

Thanks! Here's what you wanted. Enjoy...

(3) EAT LESS OFTEN, NOT MORE

If you’re one of those guys or girls still eating more than 6 times a day, thinking that it’s helping you build more muscle, you can go ahead and stop that.

This thinking was based on the myth that the body can only absorb ~25g at a time. It just isn’t true. Read my article on protein absorption here. Alan Aragon’s post at WannaBeBig.com is also a great scientific resource on this matter.

Additionally, read my more recent article showing that eating less often with higher doses of protein (70g) actually produces HIGHER levels of protein synthesis. So make your life easier, eat 3-4 times a day with larger doses of protein. If you need 200g protein a day, that’s 4 meals containing 50g protein each.

(4) BOOST TESTOSTERONE WITH FAT

You have to eat fat. Fat is required for the production of testosterone. Studies [2] [3] have clearly shown that if saturated fat and monounsaturated fat levels are low, testosterone levels are also correspondingly low.

This is why low-fat diets are very undesirable for the person wishing to add pounds of new muscle.

Here Are Some Great Sources Of Dietary Saturated Fat :

• Eggs with the yolk
• Red meat
• Real butter
• Coconut oil (contains an abundance of medium-chain triglycerides)
• Cheese

And here’s some great sources of monounsaturated fat:

• Avocado
• Seeds
• Olive Oil
• Almonds
• Peanut butter

(5) SUPPLEMENT WITH VITAMIN D

A study [4] of 165 participants saw subjects take either 3332 IU of Vitamin D or a placebo. Testosterone values were at the lower end of the reference range, for males aged 20-49 years, in both groups before the study.

Compared to baseline values, a significant increase in total testosterone levels (from 10.7 ± 3.9 nmol/l to 13.4 ± 4.7 nmol/l; p < 0.001), bioactive testosterone (from 5.21 ± 1.87 nmol/l to 6.25 ± 2.01 nmol/l; p = 0.001), and free testosterone levels (from 0.222 ± 0.080 nmol/l to 0.267 ± 0.087 nmol/l; p = 0.001) were observed in the vitamin D supplemented group. By contrast, there was no significant change in any testosterone measure in the placebo group.

(6) EAT 1g PROTEIN PER POUND BODYWEIGHT

Strictly speaking, meta-analyses of many studies conclude that it takes on average 0.86g protein per pound body weight to maximize muscle gains. However, bear in mind that that’s an average.

Perhaps for you personally, it’s 0.94 or even 0.75. Since we all have no way of knowing, I recommend 1g per pound because this is the only way you can have total certainty that you are getting enough and not leaving gains on the table.

So every day, even when not training, eat 1g protein per pound of body weight. Eg. 180lbs = 180g daily protein. See my Buff Baking Anabolic Cookbook for real easy-to-make protein packed recipes.

So like I said above, guys. If you’re not doing all of these – trial it for 1 month and I’m highly confident that you’ll see better muscle gains.

If you need any help, ask me below and I’ll help out. Also, get me on facebook here.

Mark McManus

References:

[1] Somatotropic responses to protein alone and as part of a meal. Eur J Endocrinol. 2008 Jul;159(1):15-8. doi: 10.1530/EJE-08-0142. Epub 2008 May 7. van Vught AJ1, Nieuwenhuizen AG, Brummer RJ, Westerterp-Plantenga MS.

[2] Testosterone and cortisol in relationship to dietary nutrients and resistance exercise.
Journal of Applied Physiology, 82 (1), 49-54.
Volek, J. S., Kraemer, W. J., Bush, J. A., Incledon, T., & Boetes, M. (1997).

[3] Low-fat high-fiber diet decreased serum and urine androgens in men.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 90(6), 3550-3559.
Wang, C., Catlin, D. H., Starcevic, B., Heber, D., Ambler, C., Berman, N., … & Swerdloff, R. S. (2005)

[4] Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men.
Horm Metab Res. 2011 Mar;43(3):223-5. doi: 10.1055/s-0030-1269854. Epub 2010 Dec 10. Pilz S1, Frisch S, Koertke H, Kuhn J, Dreier J, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Wehr E, Zittermann A.

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