Carbs

• Carbohydrates are an absolute necessity in life and especially when it comes to gaining muscle mass. When carbs are eaten, they are stored in the liver and muscles as "glycogen." Then during workouts, it is this stored glycogen that is used for energy. Complex carbs are slow releasing, which means just that, the body breaks them down at a slow pace. Simple carbs, on the other hand, get digested quickly. Examples of complex carbs are beans, whole grains, brown rice, yams, oatmeal and whole wheat pasta. Some examples of simple carbs are raisins, honey, mangoes and grapes.
  
  

Protein

• Protein is the building block of muscle and amino acids are what make up protein. Complete proteins are ones that have all the essential amino acids represented. These proteins can lead to muscle growth, they can speed recovery and they can also preserve muscle. Some examples of high-quality protein sources are chicken breast, lean beef, turkey, fish, eggs, low-fat dairy products and tofu.
  
  

Testosterone Boosting

• Under normal circumstances, a diet high in cholesterol and fat is not wanted. But when it comes to boosting testosterone in the body, there is an exception that can be made. Testosterone is a male sex hormone that is also responsible for building and maintaining muscle. Being that cholesterol and fat can help increase testosterone, by default they can help increase muscle mass, as well. Some foods that contain cholesterol and fat include red meat, eggs, whole-fat dairy products, flax seed oil, nuts and seeds.
  
  

Caloric Intake

• If you are not getting a significant amount of calories, then you are not going to gain muscle mass. A good rule of thumb is to ingest an extra 500 calories a day to your current caloric amount. This can then be split into six to eight meals a day to make it easier to get your calories in. For example, if you currently are taking in 2,500 calories and you add 500 more, then your new total will be 3,000 calories. If this was divided by six, each meal would be 500 calories. These meals should be a balance of protein and complex carbs. An example would be whole-wheat pasta with a baked chicken breast.
  
  

Workout Feedings

• It is important to be well-fueled before workouts and to get some quick nutrients after workouts. The pre-workout feeding should be about 90 minutes before you work out and it can be a regular meal that has protein and complex carbs. An example would be a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread. The post-workout meal is a little bit different. It is at this time that the muscles' glycogen stores are depleted and muscle fibers have been damaged through intense training. For this reason, a shake made with whey protein and fast-absorbing carbohydrates would be the best option. Whey is favorable because of its high digestibility. An example of a shake would be whey protein powder mixed with water and honey. You can also just have a protein shake and eat some raisins with it.