Learn how to build huge arms in part 4 of this 4 part series

This is part 4 of the series on building huge arms. This post will look at everything you need other than exercise like diet and rest and it is THE MOST IMPORTANT post in the series.

The full series is: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3 and PART 4.

Part 4 of building huge arms - your diet and rest time

When you are trying to gain muscle mass the most important thing you need to know is how to eat properly. If you do not eat the right type and amount of protein then you will fall short of your goal.

Similarly, if you do not rest the correct amounts and at the correct times you are not giving your body enough of a chance to recover and your muscles will stay the same size they are now. For these reasons it is vital you top off your training with the correct diet and rest time.

What do you need to know about diet when training for huge arms?
People often turn to bodybuilding and weight lifting when they want to beef up and get a bit bigger or stronger. They see the amazing bodies that weight lifting can produce and head over to the gym and start pumping away. This is good but it is very unlikely that you are going to make huge progress. And the reason you are not going to make huge progress is because you are not taking care of your diet.

There is an old bodybuilding saying that is 100% true:

Muscle gain is 25% weight training, 25% rest and 50% diet.

You can look at this two ways. Firstly, it shows that if you want to focus on just lifting weights and not worry about the other two then your job is going to be a lot harder than it should be. The other way you can look at this statement is that if you focus on your diet and keep it clean and professional then you don’t have to work as hard in the gym as you would if you ignored your diet. Many young kids and newcomers to the weight lifting world think it is all about the workouts - it’s not.

What type of foods you need to eat to get huge arms
This is an area of debate in the muscle building world but I have some very strong views about what needs to go into your body when you are trying to gain lean mass. Some people are going to disagree with me on this but I really do not care because I have had amazing results eating like I do and I have helped many of my clients achieve great muscles eating the same way.

Firstly, as you probably know by now you need to eat a lot of protein. This is common knowledge in the fitness world and it has made many drug companies rich. What they do not tell you, however, is that natural protein from quality foods is much better for your progress. I have found that results come so much faster when I get my protein requirements from fresh, natural and organic sources like beef, fish, eggs, raw milk, etc.

This doesn’t mean that a good protein powder doesn’t have its place in your muscle building arsenal. It does. However, your main sources of protein should be natural foods and if possible they should be raw and uncooked. Don’t go out and eat a raw steak now that I have said that! I am talking about raw eggs and uncooked milk. Perfect.

Why is raw protein better for muscle mass?

The reason it is better to get your protein from natural sources of food is simple. You will learn it in any basic biology class.

A protein is made up of many smaller molecules called amino acids. These amino acids are in a very specific order and shape. So, for a protein to be made by the body many amino acids of the exact shape and size have to come together and merge. Only then are they useful as a protein.

However, there are some things that can cause an amino acid to change shape and “de nature”. This means that it will no longer be able to form a part of a protein. It is a little bit like the child’s game where you have to put the round block into the round hole and the triangle block into the triangle hole. If an amino acid changes shape it can no longer fit into the spot it is needed.

And the main reason an amino acid will change shape is heat. Like when they cook the milk or the protein to kill the bacteria before selling it.

Where possible, try to get your protein from natural sources that are cooked as little as possible.

Protein Shake - The most important diet change you need to make to get huge arms
There is one factor in particular that is so important if you really want to boost the size of your muscles. The post workout protein shake.

The protein shake is the best way to get protein to your muscles quickly as it is in liquid form. Most people underestimate the value of the post workout shake and leave it way to long before drinking one. If you are serious about packing on some muscles then you need to start drinking your shake as soon as you finish your workout. I even start drinking mine on the last few sets so the protein can get in my body and start being absorbed.

A good protein shake should be full of natural ingredients that have been taken from good organic sources. In my protein shakes I like to incude:

- free range eggs
- raw goats milk
- banana for taste
- whey protein powder
- multivitamins

Keep your body full of nutrients
The next important diet step that you need to take is to keep your body full of proteins and other vitamins and minerals by eating small regular meals and regular times throughout the day. The best plan is to have six small meals every two and a half hours and perhaps an extra one after your workout if you really need to put on weight.

Each meal should be balanced with high protein and lots of vegetables and natural foods. Try to avoid empty calories like pasta and get as much nutrients into yourself as possible at each meal without going overboard.

Rest for bigger arms
The next thing you need to remember if you want to build big arms is that muscles grow when you are resting, not when you are working out.

It might seem like a basic tip but the fact of the matter is that you will only get big by resting and allowing your muscles to rebuild. When you workout you make tiny tears in your muscles and the growth is the muscles repairing themselves from that stress. The number one sign that your muscles are still rebuilding is that they are sore. So, if you go in and workout while you have sore muscles you are essentially wasting your time. Let them grow.

Conclusion
That brings us to the end of our 4 part series on how to get huge arms. This series has been more popular than I expected so I will be updating and adding things to the posts every now and then.

The full series is: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3 and PART 4.

Related Posts

• Weak Muscles: How to Build Up Lagging Muscles
• Post Workout Protein: What Ingredients Should a Post Workout Protein Shake Have?
• Gym Safety: The 5 Biggest Dangers of Weight Lifting
• Why Heavy Weight Does Not Always Equal Huge Muscles
• Natural or Man-Made: Where Do You Get the Most Protein?