Nearly everyone who begins a strength training exercise regimen most certainly has a few goals in mind. Usually, they want to get into better shape and be stronger –while also building more muscle definition, growing bigger arms, chest, shoulders, and legs…the list just goes on!

However, one often unnoticed road block occurs to unsuspecting folk after extended lifting simply isn’t helping reach those original goals–the guilty party here? Under-consumption of calories! That’s right people, you need to properly fuel your body each day!

What you put into your body is just as important as the actual exercises performed on a weekly basis. Common issues that many people encounter when they start weight training is that they don’t alter their diets a single bit. If you are starting to lift weights and want to become bigger, then you absolutely must consume a higher number of calories than you normally would.

If you eat an average of 2000 calories/day then you should bump it up to 2200 or more! Now, with that said I’m not saying to overload on calories to the point that you’re putting on more weight and body fat–in hopes of then trimming down. I don’t think that is the best way to get into your greatest shape.

What I am saying is, provide your body with the calories and nutrients that it needs to build and repair your muscles. This means eating more clean calories, such as:

-Oats
-Whole Wheat Breads
-Protein Powders /Shakes
-Lean Meats
-Fruits, Veggies, Whole Grains.

All of these things provide your body with good carbs, protein, vitamins, minerals, and low amounts of fat. So when you are adding more calories by eating greater amounts of the foods listed above, then you’re giving those muscles plenty of nutrients necessary for building the biggest, strongest fibers possible!

If you do start to consume more calories it is important to not take it very far. A lot of lifters like to overload on calories and gain more weight, then trim down once they hit a favorable number. I believe this is counterproductive and unnecessary. You can slightly increase your caloric intake and gain weight and size without increasing your body fat!

A problem that often occurs when you drastically increase your caloric intake in hopes of gaining more weight is, once you begin that trim back down, your body sheds some of the muscle gained by consuming more calories. So, what benefits did your body obtain from all this work? Often, not many positive benefits at all, so why not try to build bigger muscles and increase weight without increasing body fat? According to Karen Sessions, a certified personal trainer and author of 6 e-books on health & fitness as well as a professional bodybuilder and winner of many competitions, the key is to pinpoint exactly what your body’s caloric needs are.

Karen describes this process by:

“Basing your calories on lean body mass so that you feed the muscle and not the fat. Once you establish your caloric intake, figure the rest of your macro nutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) to finish the equation. After you have all your numbers outlined, give the program a week trial to see how your body responds and from there you can add calories if you feel it’s needed. Make small tweaks so you know what’s working and what isn’t.”

So the key to gaining more muscular size and strength is to eat the right amount of calories. Feed your body the calories it needs and nothing more! This will give you the muscular gains that you are looking for without all the extra pudgy-weight gain.