Guide to increasing your muscle and size

Increasing muscle and size takes a lot more than just lifting weights. You must also give your body the nutrition it needs to grow and recover. Without the right nutrition you're wasting your time. If you want to look in the mirror in a few months from now and see bigger arms, broader shoulders and a bigger chest, read on to discover how to make it happen...

1. Eat enough quality calories

The key to reaching your goal  is a strategy that combines exercise and good nutrition – and it's imperative you pay attention to both. If you are exercising but not eating sufficient calories you will find it impossible to increase muscle size and shape significantly (in fact you may even get weaker and lose muscle tone). Eat regular meals – every two to three hours – and increase daily calories to provide you with the fuel for growth.

2. Are you getting enough protein?

Studies have shown that insufficient quality protein will result in loss of muscle tissue and tone, a weaker immune system, slower recovery, lack of energy and even focus. If your aim is to put on muscle size while maintaining definition and tone, additional protein from high-quality sources is a must. Whey Better and performance products such as Essential Sports Fuel  contain the very highest quality whey protein to satisfy your body's needs, other good protein sources include fish, poultry, lean meats, eggs and soya.

3. Building blocks for training

Training hard is only part of the equation other key ingredients to success  are protein, nutrients, good calories and water. The use of sports nutrition products such as Creatine Plus and Creatine Boost  will help you train harder for longer and recover more quickly.

4. Prevent muscle breakdown

Training puts stress on the muscles, particularly intense training as muscle is broken down for fuel, potentially undermining all your hard work.  Certain supplements can reduce this effect, products such as  the BCAAs, whey protein and l-glutamine as found in Essential Sports Fuel.

5. Give your body a boost with the right nutrients for optimimum health, training and results

If you are training hard  and putting in the hours it is important to make sure you're getting your full complement of vitamins and minerals. Collagen multivitamin  support a healthy body and immune function.