Firstly, increase your intake of calories, preferably by 250-500 more each day. This gives your body the extra fuel it needs to work out efficiently and still gain body mass. There are resources and calculators online which can help you work out how many calories you need to take in, and you can also use this to check and track your progress. Also, eating multiple meals will help get that calorie intake up, and give you the energy you need to complete your work outs.
However, when adding the calories in, that doesn’t mean you can throw wellness out the window and eat as many burgers as you want. Junk foods are still not your friends, as they are high in sugar, sodium and saturated fat. Instead, opt for filling foods that are dense in nutrients, and plenty of them! This means fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, nuts, lean meat, eggs etc. You should have a mix of carbohydrates and protein, as well as healthy fats, in every meal. Also, don’t skip breakfast as this gives you the energy you need for the day.
Also, as exercise has a tendency to diminish the nutrients in the body, you need to make sure that you replenish your body with multivitamins so you can make up for what you have lost during the workout. Finally, make sure you always drink plenty of water, and avoid lemonade, alcohol, fruit punches, fizzy drinks and dessert. This is just empty calories that won’t help you add muscle, and it’s recommended that you drink eight glasses of water on any normal day. However, it may be advisable to add more to this on days when you’re working out, as exercise will cause you to be more dehydrated than usual.