Unlocking Size Gains In Young Athletes
Gaining size, especially for young athletes in sports like Football and Lacrosse, can be a formidable challenge. It’s often more demanding than achieving a lean physique, but it’s far from impossible. The secret lies in the synergy of the right training and the right nutrition.
The Training Component
Getting the training part right is relatively straightforward. It involves selecting the right exercises, optimizing sets and reps, allowing sufficient rest, and, just as crucial, ensuring ample recovery time.
The Nutrition Challenge
For young athletes, there’s no better time to pack on size than during their youth. Their bodies are naturally predisposed to growth, with resilience for recovery that seems boundless. However, effectively fueling this growth is where the real challenge lies.
Understanding the Hurdles
Teenagers, despite their frequent visits to Wawa and Chipotle, often fall short of their nutritional needs. Moreover, field athletes, with the added cardiovascular demands of their sports, face a unique set of challenges when it comes to nutrition.
OurĀ Process
Here’s what our method looks like. It begins with the use of a tracking tool, such as MyFitnessPal:
1. Evaluate Your Current Intake: Start by assessing your daily caloric consumption and protein intake. Understanding your baseline is essential.
2. Prioritize Hydration: Staying hydrated is the foundation of any nutrition plan. Water is the unsung hero of muscle growth.
3. Incremental Adjustments: Similar to your training regimen, nutrition requires a gradual approach. Slowly increase your caloric and protein intake over time, giving your body the chance to adapt
So, What Does An Effective Nutritional Plan For Size Gain Look Like?
Meet Nick & Shawn
Nick Romaniello – 25lbs up in Off-Season
Nick, a dedicated football player at Garnet Valley High School, has witnessed remarkable progress during his off-season. His transformation isn’t just about the numbers on the scale; it’s a testament to his unwavering commitment to his goals.
Shawn Medina – 32lbs up in Off-Season
On the other side of the spectrum, we have Shawn, a multi-talented athlete. He not only excels as a wrestler at West Chester East High School but also explores the world of powerlifting. His 32-pound gain during the off-season is a testament to his tenacity and resilience.
What Did They Do?
1. Unmatched Consistency and Hard Work: Nick and Shawn stand out as two of the most diligent and dedicated athletes at our gym. They bring their ‘A’ game every day, leaving no room for excuses.
2. The Groundwork: Building the Foundation
But it’s not just about hard work; it’s also about strategy. Nick and Shawn laid the groundwork by investing time in their nutrition. We employed a gradual approach, incrementally increasing their calorie intake over time.
The big question is, how many calories were they consuming?
A Glimpse into Shawn’s Nutrition Journey:
To put it into perspective, here’s a snippet from Shawn’s nutrition application, which we reviewed together daily:
(Yes, that’s a lot of food. Hard to believe we started with 2300)
This collaborative approach, tracking progress and making adjustments as needed, allowed us to fine-tune Shawn’s nutrition plan, ultimately contributing to his incredible 32-pound off-season growth.
Conclusion: Achieving Results Through Dedication and Nutrition
The stories of Nick and Shawn serve as powerful examples of the incredible progress young athletes can make when they combine unwavering dedication with smart nutrition strategies.
Their remarkable gains remind us that with consistency, hard work, and a well-structured nutritional plan, young athletes can unlock their full potential and achieve theirĀ goals.
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