When it comes to gaining bulk by working out, there are many different foods that will help you get that muscle that you are looking for. While exercising is a great start, your diet greatly affects how effective your workout is. It is important to keep track of what you eat and to understand how everything impacts your body.

Almonds are a great snack. They offer alpha-tocopherol, vitamin E. This helps your muscles because vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help prevent free radical damage. Free radical damage can prevent your muscles from recovering and growing, so it is important to protect yourself from that. Almonds also help with brain functions!

Olive oil also contains free radical fighting vitamin E. The more extra virgin the olive oil, the better it is for you, because it has more vitamin E. Olive oil also helps lower rates of heart disease and colon cancer. The monounsaturated fat in oil prevents muscle breakdown.

Another liquid you should be including in your diet is water. Now I know that this is pretty obvious, but when 80 percent of your muscles are made up of water, it is very important to keep muscles hydrated. Without it, your muscles will not recover as quickly, and the proteins in your body will be slower in building muscle. You should drink about 24 ounces of water for every pound that you lose during your workout.

Sticking with the theme of liquids, caffeine can be beneficial to your workout. Caffeine has been known to allow you to get more reps into a workout because it affects the muscles by stimulating them. Drinking coffee a few hours before a workout has been shown to be effective.

There are many other foods to choose from when it comes to picking out fuel sources that will help you gain muscle and recover faster. Other options include, but are not limited to, eggs, salmon, yogurt, and beef. As with most things, it is important to understand the quantities and proportions of what you are eating, and how they interact with your body.