The expression "to be on the mass" means to be at the stage of gaining muscle mass. During this period, the bodybuilder organizes nutrition and training in a special way. Typically, bodybuilding athletes alternate between two periods: "for mass" and "for relief", each of which lasts about several weeks.
Mass work means high-calorie nutrition, including high-dose protein. Protein is essential for the intense growth of muscle tissue. During this period, the emphasis is on strength exercises with weights, all muscle groups are worked out, which contributes to their all-round growth. A high calorie diet can contribute to the deposition of adipose tissue, which can make a bodybuilder appear slightly plump. But under the fatty layer is a strong muscle frame.
Mass training
The main principle of weight training is the minimum number of repetitions. It is necessary to work with such weights that a considerable effort is required already on the fifth repetition. If you can do ten reps, increase the weight. The frequency of such training should not exceed three times a week to give the muscles the opportunity to rest and recover. Otherwise, the risk of overtraining and abandoning everything increases.
The duration of weight training should be 4-5 weeks. It is recommended to give preference to basic exercises that affect as many muscle groups as possible at the same time. For example, deadlifts or barbell squats. Exercises on isolated muscle groups are minimized.
Meals "at mass"
A high calorie diet is necessary for muscle growth to occur. Training is very hard and requires a lot of energy, so you need to consume even more with food. Therefore, an athlete often consumes 4-5 thousand kilocalories per day. When working on weight, you need to consume at least 2 g of protein per kg of body weight. A mistake is excessive eating of protein foods, in which the ratio reaches 4-5 g per kg of body weight. This will only plant the kidneys, but the muscles will not grow faster.
It is essential to eat enough fat, giving preference to vegetable fats. Carbohydrates in the diet should be at least 2-3 g per kg of body weight, so you will have to lean on cereals and cereals. Preference should be given to complex carbohydrates, to give up sugars and white flour. You need to eat every 2-3 hours, not excluding food intake before bedtime. Drink protein shakes before and after your workout.
After a period of weight training, they usually move on to work on the relief, in which they actively engage in cardio exercises and change the principle of strength training. Increase the number of repetitions, reduce the weight of the weights. All this leads to the active work of the cardiovascular system, excess fat is burned. Nutrition implies a special diet with a low-calorie diet, often they go on a carbohydrate-free diet. This helps to reduce the percentage of accumulated adipose tissue and expose the accumulated muscle relief.
