How to Build Lean Muscle With Carbs

While gaining weight is fairly easy to do, gaining muscle is slightly more challenging. In order to gain muscle, you must first provide your body with a sufficient stimulus to encourage it to grow, such as through resistance training. Next, the body must be provided with the raw materials for growth in the form of calories, vitamins and nutrients. Carbohydrates can certainly play a major role in your muscle-gaining efforts, but not all carbs are good for putting on lean mass.

Instructions

• 1

  Incorporate plenty of healthy carbs into your diet. According to information from Stronglifts.com, healthy carbs are natural sources such as oats, whole grains, brown rice, fruits and vegetables. Eat plenty of these foods while avoiding other types of carbs such as sugars, refined flour, alcohol, and other "junk" foods while following a muscle-building diet. Remember that the quality of your gains is going to be limited by the quality of the raw materials with which you provide your body, so stick to natural carb sources to maximize your muscle.

• 2

  Consume a post-workout shake containing plenty of healthy carbs as soon as possible following your workout to tell the body to start building muscle. This shake should contain a fast-digesting protein (such as whey) coupled with fast-digesting carbs like fresh berries. While working out, your body will be in a catabolic (muscle wasting) state. The goal to maximizing your muscle gain is to put your body in an anabolic (muscle building) state as soon as possible following your training session, allowing more time to grow before your next lifting routine. Carbs and fast digesting protein will shuttle nutrients to your muscles as fast as possible, allowing for maximal growth.

• 3

  Aim to gain no more than a pound or two per week. Your body is limited in its capacity to build muscle by your hormonal levels, so do not think that you can accomplish faster growth by force-feeding your body into submission. Weigh yourself weekly, and cut back on your daily portions if you are gaining weight faster than a pound or two per week. Conversely, increase your daily food intake if you are not gaining weight fast enough. Keeping a log containing the number of calories you consume per day can help to keep you on track with gaining as much lean mass as possible with carbs.