What is the best raw food to eat to build muscle?

[startootsie]

Hi!

I know protein, protien and more protien, is good for building muscle, but I was wondering what is the best food to eat, that is raw, to build muscle and as little fat as possible? I heard fat makes you fat, even the healthy raw fat, in some cases I believe this, but I am still not sure. So would I eat tones of fruit and dried fruit? Tones of nut milk? Tones of fat? Tones of veggies and/or greens? I want to stop looking like a stick figure! I wnat to look muscley, but not to muscley, just nice, and toned, with as little body fat as is healthy... So my question is what do I eat that will bring me the most benifits? I know do a lot of weight training. Also is there to much cardio, if you are trying to build muscle? I got some advice to do 3-4 cario a week, is this a good amount? And one more question, will overdoing healthy fats make fat?

I would love to hear peoples inputs on this and experiences! I am eger to get started on a good program!

Thank you!

[sport]

I dot think that the food you eat is as important as the choice of exercise when it comes to building muscle. Eating too much protein is not good for you. Go to Gingie's Site
http://www.thegardendiet.com/storm2.html
He builds muscle while only drinking orange juice

[RawTruth]

Hi!

I know protein, protien and more protien, is good for building muscle, Nope -- this isn't true!! This is misinformation from the cooked food world. Cows, gorillas, etc. -- they don't eat whole "protein" -- they eat greens (and for the simians, fruit too).

Dr. Brian Clements (director of Hippocrates Institute) says that the only way to build muscle is to lift weights!! When we become raw and lose weight, many of us discover that we're undermuscled. The only way to build muscle is to work out - intensively, regularly, and effectively. Weights, weights, weights. He says it can take two years (at least, that's what it took him).

While you're doing that, just keep eating what you're eating now (you're all raw, no?) -- just more of it. Listen to your body.

Cardio doesn't build muscle; it makes your heart healthy.

Slow and steady wins the race.

[dreamrawalwz]

You build muscle from the amino acids which are found in all fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. No specific food will do it. Do waht you feel is best for your body and do weights!! Raw in general can help build muscle. BTW, raw fat will not make you fat. Not everyone at least. Sometimes fruit makes people fat, sometimes too many greens, each body is different. If you crave fat don't be afraid to eat it!

[fiddler]

Here's a link posted on this forum -->
http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13670&highlight=Charlie+Abel

There are others too.

Bottom line though, eating a certain food doesn't build muscle. Sure, you need to supply your body with the nourishment it needs through raw fruits and vegetables; however, the building of muscle takes hard work. Many lift weights or perform other types of resistance training to grow their muscles. And, it doesn't happen overnight either. Consistency and effort coupled with plenty of rest will serve you well in this endeavor.

As for a good program, there are tons of bodybuilding sites out there. www.bfl.com, for example. Choose a weight lifting schedule that suits your needs and one that you can stick-out for the long-haul.

Good luck, Fiddler

[Fruitarianone]

What everyone else said!!!!! :D

I'll add this though....the art of building muscle is to stress your muscles beyond what they're already used to, so each workout should be harder than the last.


Also to select ativities that you enjoy otherwise you will not be consistant or motivated to push yourself when it comes to the crunch.....


You get out...... what you put in......

[startootsie]

Thank you all so much!

I will check out those links! So, I made a thread called something like does my body want fats or just tryin g to junk out... Cause I can't keep my hands off the nut butter's! Or the coconut oil/butter! Is this okay, or should I lower my intake to build muscle?

Also, what do you think of cardio? Like how much? To keep body fat low, and good muscle growth?

Thank you!

[madmel]

Cardio doesn't build muscle; it makes your heart healthy.

That's partly true ;)

As a runner, I do see the cardio effect but running also has a muscle building effect - the muscles you are using are of course build up.

mel

[startootsie]

Thank you Mel!

So I'm guessing, depending on the type of cardio, you could build muscle. But my question also is, is it true that to often cardio can reduce muscle gain?

[madmel]

startootsie,

look at runners and you see how much muscle they build up:

muscular slim legs (depends on your genetic preposition also and on your amount of training) and usually slim arms and abs to die for. I just wonder where my abs are - still hiding under the protective layer of body fat :D

Every exercise builds up muscle, but as a runner you will never get "body building" like legs or arms, same holds for other sports. It always depends on your intensity of exercise, preposition, body shape and so on.


But my question also is, is it true that to often cardio can reduce muscle gain
As to that, I never heard of that. Which doesn't mean it cannot be true ;) I just doubt it very strongly to be honest.

I do both: cardio and weightlifting plus yoga for stretching. I see the effect and I feel it, also I am still far away from where I want to go.

mel

[rawfigure]

startootsie,

look at runners and you see how much muscle they build up:

muscular slim legs (depends on your genetic preposition also and on your amount of training) and usually slim arms and abs to die for. I just wonder where my abs are - still hiding under the protective layer of body fat :D

Every exercise builds up muscle, but as a runner you will never get "body building" like legs or arms, same holds for other sports. It always depends on your intensity of exercise, preposition, body shape and so on.


As to that, I never heard of that. Which doesn't mean it cannot be true ;) I just doubt it very strongly to be honest.

I do both: cardio and weightlifting plus yoga for stretching. I see the effect and I feel it, also I am still far away from where I want to go.

mel

Yes EXCESSIVE Cardio will reduce muscle growth and cause muscle loss. We see this in the pre contest state for many Natural Bodybuilders. In the attempt to get to minimal bodyfat levels it is not unusual to do two cardio sessions a day. After a few weeks we start to see muscle loss as well as Fat loss.

With that in mind, the average person will not do that excessive amount of cardio, an hour to 90 min of running can actually create good circulation and stimulation for the body to make gains...too much you go the other way !!!

So it is a game to balnce it all !

[Sharon in Colorado]

I have read that sleep is extremely important in building muscle when used with a weight training program. Raw Figure probably knows more about this, but apparantly your muscles build in your sleep.

[madmel]

rawfigure,

thanks for the information! i truly didn't know that.

but i figure i will never do excessive cardio, although i train for marathon - but my plan doesn't look excessive at all ;)

thx again
mel


sharon,

i believe that sleep is important for regeneration and building up of muscle tissue.

mel

[rawfigure]

I have read that sleep is extremely important in building muscle when used with a weight training program. .

Yes, you are right Sharon, very true. Sleep is Key to growth. The body repairs itself as we sleep and it is important...so I will be off and go get me some !

[juliebove]

When I was much younger, I never thought I would be muscular. I was a dancer. I was very skinny with small, tight, muscles. Then when I hit my 30's I began putting on weight. Too much weight! And the dance just wasn't enough.

I bought some light weights and a book by Joyce Vedral. I began building muscle, but it was slow in coming. What I learned was that for me, the standard technique of working out a certain body part one day then resting it the next simply did not work for me. Neither did the light weights. I could lift them with ease. My muscles were not being challenged.

It took me a while to figure out what I needed to do. And that was to keep adding more and more weight so my muscles were being challenged. And sometimes to add more reps. I also learned that it worked best for me to do my whole body in one day. And not to rest the next day. But instead to do the same workout, perhaps with less reps and lighter weights. The muscles began packing on quickly. But they lacked definition. So I did some more research.

I'd gotten into a comfortable routine of doing the same exercises in the same order every day. This doesn't work after a while because the muscles get used to it. So I changed the order in which I did things and also the way in which I did them. Instead of just doing curls with my arms, I sometimes did preacher curls, hammer curls, or reverse curls instead or or in addition to what I'd been doing. This really helped.

When starting out, you can use some light dumbells and leg weights. But soon you'll need heavier ones. In the beginning, you're working to get the correct form. If you do it wrong you could get injured or not achieve the results you want. But once you know what you're doing and have used the light weights for a while, you'll want something heavier.

There are several ways to go. Each has advantages and disadvantages. You can buy a complete set of weights that has a barbell and two dumbells with removeable discs that clip on and off. But if you don't have a lot of space to store them, you might not want the barbell. And you might not even need the barbell. I don't have one. I have only the dumbells. If you do decide to go this route, you purchase inidividual discs to add even more weight for very little money. Also be prepared to have help getting the set to and from your vehicle or open the box and remove the pieces and carry them in a few at a time. The set in the box is very heavy!

The next way to go is to buy individual sets of dumbells and leg weights in assorted sizes. You can even get a rack to store the dumbells in. You can get plain iron, steel, or colorful vinyl coated dumbells. Leg weights come in assorted styles. I have several. Before buying, check them and make sure they are easy for you to put on and take off. I have some with really finicky closures. I'll put them on, then the straps will slip. I have to keep adjusting and adjusting them so they are tight enough not to fall off. I have some others that are supposedly stretchy so you can slip them on and off. They're only slightly stretchy and difficult to manuever over my feet and ankles. They're also a bit tight once I have them on and I have average sized ankles, unless they are swollen. These work well for my 7 year old daughter though.

Buying an assortment of dumbells and leg weights can be expensive. But it is very convenient to have them there so you can grab whatever you need without having to adjust things. After a while you'll find that you might need heavier weights for your biceps but lighter ones for your delts. So being able to switch weights quickly is a boon. But you might also find after a while you no longer need your very lightest weights.

The last option is to get a set of adjustable dumbells and leg weights. I got both at Big Five. I think it was about $50 for the dumbells (but this was a few years ago) and $30 for the leg weights. The dumbells I have do not use the clips like the complete set does so they are a little more time consuming to take on and off. They do use the same inexpensive disc weights, but they fit onto a threaded rod and are held on by a big nut that screws on. I find with these I usually use the same weight on there for some time, but I also need a lighter weight for stuff like delts and triceps kickbacks. This is where my old, lighter weights come in. Prior to buying these, I have sets of 3, 5, and 10 pound dumbells. So I use those when I need lighter weights. Another drawback I've found with these particular dumbell sets is that the rod itself is that when I add weight, I sometimes have to increase the amount of weight by more than I'd like to. This is because you have to add a weight disc to either end. I only noticed this to be a problem when I got up to the higher weights. Then it seemed like I was struggling to add more weight in the increments I have. This seems not to be a problem for my husband though.

The leg weights I recently bought have little pockets on them that contain the weights. You can add or remove weights as needed. They are easy to take on and off and are comfortable. Prior to buying these, I'd put on my heaviest weights, then connect another pair at the back of the weights for added weight. This worked, but wasn't ideal.

[Draginvry]

the average person will not do that excessive amount of cardio

Excessive cardio should only be a problem if you are trying to "build" muscle. As in, gain more muscle than your body can realistically handle. This is because muscle takes a lot of energy to maintain. And that energy has to come from somewhere. Ever seen an ectomorph (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ectomorph) with huge muscles? Yeah, those people eat a lot.

But if you are just trying to get in shape, cardio shouldn't be a problem. I do parkour all the time, and I've never had any problem with my muscles wasting away, regardless of what diet I'm on.

[RawTruth]

Instead of buying the weights for home and trying to figure out the correct form for yourself, you can always just join a gym.

But -- you mentioned that you're already lifting weights, so this decision must be a thing of the past!

Good luck! Be sure to post pictures!

p.s. You might want to email the moderator of this section privately -- he's VERY knowledgeable!

[startootsie]

Thank you all so much!

I haven't joined a gym yet, cause I just moved here. But I was using one befor I moved, and right now, doing workouts at home is working pretty well.

Well, I used to run a lot, everyday actually, but pulled something in my leg, so I can't run until it fully heals. I can dance and I use the gazelle, and bikes, but for some reason running strains it to much, so I am taking a break from it.

I am trying to build muscle, I think I am a little to skinny.

Who is the moderater of this section? I'm sorry, I don't know how to find them things!

Thank you all!

I will post pictures of before and after if you would like, I can do it now of before or wait until I get in the shape I want and then do before and after, I'll see how it goes!

[startootsie]

I had another question, I read somewhere that you shouldn't go more then 10 hours without eating if you are trying to build muscle, is this true? I think they meant in the night, like if you sleep 10 hours then eat right before bed and right when you get up. What are your opinions and experience on this?

Also, how do you loose FAT without loosing pounds, and BUILD MUSCLE? Basically, get a lower body fat, but not loose any weight? What would you do? What kind of exercises? And how do you get a good toned muscle while building?

Thank you!

[Draginvry]

I had another question, I read somewhere that you shouldn't go more then 10 hours without eating if you are trying to build muscle, is this true?

My rule of thumb is to eat when you are hungry. Some days I will eat like a pig. Other days I will eat nothing. One time I even did a three week water fast while maintaining high activity levels.

It's generally true that eating more will help build muscle. But applying general rules completely ignores the fact that the metabolism is constantly in flux. And if you eat too much food, your body will waste huge amounts of energy trying to digest/eliminate it. In fact, I first noticed real muscle tone when I started eating less.

I think trying to simplify diet to "eat X calories every X hours" is a really, really bad idea. Your body has a natural signal to let you know when it needs nutrients. It's called hunger. Use it. If you are building muscle, you will naturally be hungrier. Use that to your advantage. Don't try to force it.

[startootsie]

Thank you for the advice!

Umm, ya maybe eating less could work, but I can't, or say I really don't want to, and SHOULDN"T loose more weight! If I eat less, then weight could come off, and that's that problem I am facing now, I have to eat enough to gain muscle but not gain fat, and bring fat down or keep it the same. I wish it was as simple as just imagining it, and let it be! But, you can do that, and you got to do the work, or the studying as well!

[juliebove]

I had another question, I read somewhere that you shouldn't go more then 10 hours without eating if you are trying to build muscle, is this true? I think they meant in the night, like if you sleep 10 hours then eat right before bed and right when you get up. What are your opinions and experience on this?

Also, how do you loose FAT without loosing pounds, and BUILD MUSCLE? Basically, get a lower body fat, but not loose any weight? What would you do? What kind of exercises? And how do you get a good toned muscle while building?

Thank you!

If you do not eat, your body begins to break down the lean tisse (muscle) first. How soon this starts probably varies from person to person because our metabolisms vary.

If you are building muscle, you will lose fat. But it's not an immediate process. If you are overweight, you would of course also have to expend more calories than you take in, or you'll build up those muscles under a layer of fat and they will lack definition. Give yourself about three months before expecting to see results. You might see them sooner or later but this is a good rule of thumb. But the more muscle you build, the more your metabolism will speed up.

The key to getting good toned muscles is a combination of things. First, your form when doing the exercises. Second, doing a variety of exercises to workout all of your muscles and challenging them in different ways. You may find that you have to do some extra work on certain areas of your body, but you don't want to neglect any unless of course you have an injury. Years ago, I lived with a weight lifter. He had huge beefy arms and a good upper body but a flabby belly and lower back. He didn't need to work on these areas, he said. Then one day he injured his back while working out. The Dr. said it wouldn't have happened had he taken the time to workout those exercises as well.

If you want to see some super fast results that you can actually feel, do some simple curls with your dumbells. This will beef up the biceps. Do 30 reps with each arm before you leave the house. Do 30 reps if you are wearing a sleevless top. Of course you will need to do far more than just this to workout the muscles in your whole body. But by doing just this one thing, it will give you an immediate result that you can see and feel. Do it, then feel your arm. You'll feel a hard spot there. That's where the muscle is. You've just beefed it up a bit.

The definition part is the hardest thing to wait for. It's easy to build the muscle, but it takes a long time to get that definition you want. Those body builders have worked long and hard to get those results. And sometimes it takes a lot of experimenting to get the results you want. Recently I've started doing a lot of hammer curls and some reverse curls and am seeing incredible definition by doing so. These are movements the human body would not normally make in day to day life. That's one thing that makes these special.

[startootsie]

Thank you!

I am a little underweight, so I don't need to loose weight, just build muscle. Thank you for the suggestions!

[rawfigure]

If you do need to lose, just build muscle you are in a good place. Your body will be your guide. Put emphsis on heavy training and your body will probably tell you to eat more. Do not get to caught up in the "food/eating/protein issues". Simply train hard !!

[startootsie]

If you do need to lose, just build muscle you are in a good place. Your body will be your guide. Put emphsis on heavy training and your body will probably tell you to eat more. Do not get to caught up in the "food/eating/protein issues". Simply train hard !!


Do you mean loose fat, or loose weight? Will 20 lbs weights be heavy enough? I guess depending on the person, but is this enough to build muscle? I've read some of your other posts on this forum, and you are a fitness competiter or something, right? So you probably have many experience on this subject? Correct me if I am wrong! If I may also ask, how do you keep a good amount/% of body fat on your body (cause woman have to have more) but not store it on your stomach?

Thank you for all your help!