As we probably all know, the winning formula for a perfectly toned and healthy body is:

eat clean + train hard + sleep well.

All over the world it is becoming increasingly popular to be fit, but more importantly – looking good also keeps you healthy and strong!

Below we have listed a few recipes for gaining muscle and losing fat, particularly for those of you looking to put on some mass.

1. Recommended Foods

Meat products—including beef, pork, poultry and fish—belong to the one of the six major food groups.  Therefore, it is crucial to make some form of meat a part of your daily diet; in particular to gain mass, you should eat red meat – though in moderation.

Vitamin content                                                                                       

Meat contains traces of several different vitamins. This includes vitamin E and vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-6.

Vitamin E serves as an antioxidant, helping to stop free radicals from damaging your cells, while the group of B vitamins work together to convert the food you eat into energy. Vitamin B-1 helps to promote healthy muscles, nerves and a healthy heart. Your body uses vitamin B-2 to manufacture red blood cells. Vitamin B-3 helps to promote good digestion. Your body uses vitamin B-6 to manufacture protein.    

Mineral content

Meat contains several minerals, including magnesium, iron and zinc. Your body needs magnesium to build and maintain strong bones, iron helps your body transport oxygen trough your blood, and zinc is important for maintaining a healthy immune system.   

Protein content

Meat is an excellent source of complete proteins. Complete proteins are those that contain all of amino acids that your body needs to function properly. Adequate protein intake is important for producing and maintaining healthy muscles, bones, skin, hair, blood, organs and glands. Your body also uses proteins to repair damaged cells and manufacture new cells.

2. Exercise

Squats, deadlifts, and the bench press are some basic strength-training exercises. If you want to increase your strength these are unavoidable exercises.

Squats

Squats are considered a vital exercise for increasing the strength and volume of the leg muscles and buttocks, as well as developing core strength. The following muscles are essential to the exercise and thus are trained when squatting with proper form:

• Lower back
• Upper back
• Abdominals
• Trunk muscles
• Costal muscles
• Shoulders and arms       

Deadlift

Deadlifting refers to the lifting of dead weight, such as weights lying on the ground. It is one of a few standard weight-training exercises in which all repetitions begin with dead weight. During this exercise, a small amount of energy is stored in stretched muscles and tendons.

The deadlift is a compound movement that works a variety of muscles groups:

• Grip strength and lower back work isometrically to keep the bar held in the hands and to keep the spine from rounding during the exercise.
• The gluteus maximus and your hamstrings work to extend the hip joint.
• Quadriceps work to extend knee joint.
• The adductor magnus works to stabilize your legs.

Bench press

The bench press is an upper body strength training exercise that consists of pressing a weight upwards from a supine position. The exercise works the following muscles:

• Pectoralis Major
• Chest
• Arm and shoulder groups

A barbell is generally used to hold the weights, but a pair of dumbbells can also be used instead.

3. Sleep

As for sleeping, doctors recommend that adults sleep at least 8 hours per night. If possible, you should aim to go to bed before midnight to maximize your performance and muscle growth.

By Marina Vjetrovic