20 pounds in 20 weeks
Muscle Building Meals
by Dr. John M Berardi


If you've read my articles, then you know that the goal of each
and every integrated training, nutrition, and supplement program I
design is to find the intersection of the habits that lead to
optimal body composition, optimal health, and optimal physical
performance. I call this the "Sweet Spot."


Dr. John recommends finding the Sweet
Spot.

Once I've found it, my next step is to make it practical for
everyday use by giving you strategies for making it happen in the
framework of 9 to 5 jobs, significant others, weekends at the
cottage, tournaments on the road (for yourself or your kids), and
any other scenario that presents a challenge to your health and
nutritional habits.
To this end, for all of you guys and girls transfixed by big
muscles, today I'm gonna get as practical as we can. No fancy
science here. Just one real-world eating plan straight out of the
nutritional journal of one of my most successful clients.
This guy, in 20 weeks, packed on 20 pounds of lean body mass, with
more to come.


The Plan
Ok, 20 pounds in 20 weeks is a big friggin' deal. I imagine
you're trying to guess what sort of "prescription" ol' Dr. John put
this client on. You may even be wondering where you can buy
some. Shame on you, my cynical friend. This client simply followed
the training and supplement ideas laid out in my muscle-building
guide Scrawny to Brawny and the recipes provided in Gourmet
Nutrition.

That's right, he did this without drugs. He simply came
to me at 5' 10" and 155 pounds (at 10% body fat), fairly un-trained
(or under-trained), committed to training hard using the Scrawny to
Brawny principles, and committed to eating big.
So, if you're looking for a real-world example of how he
accomplished his goal of gaining 20 pounds of lean mass, I'd like
to outline his starting nutrition plan: exactly what he ate for the
first 4 weeks. Of course, within four weeks he outgrew this plan,
and needed a new one with more total energy. But this is the one he
followed from the start, without more than 10% deviation (the other
10% came from a combination of other meals in the Gourmet Nutrition
book, and pizza, his favorite cheat food).
I know, it's hard to believe that someone would eat the same
menu 90% of the time for 4 weeks, but this guy did it. You can
follow his example, if you like, or add some variety in there. His
example of steely resolve isn't the only way to build muscle,
however it is the most fool-proof. Eating the same menu nearly
every day tends to help you develop patterned behavior, and if
those patterns are good, good results follow.


The Menu
This menu contains about 3500 kcal of muscle building nutrition
(with about 360g protein, 180g carbohydrates, and 150g fat). In
addition to the 27g of fiber the meal plan offers, he was getting a
fairly even breakdown of the 3 types of fats, and a ton of
micronutrients. All in all, a healthy plan that's good for muscle
building too!
Also, keep in mind, that this is the plan for workout days.
During this training phase, the client trained with weights 4 times
per week, after work. The menu below represents the meal schedule
for these workout days.

Breakfast: The Bulker's Omelette

Snack: Mixed Nut Bar

Lunch: Chicken with Squash in a Cream Sauce

Snack: Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake

Post-Workout Drink: Biotest Surge

Dinner: Dr. John's Chili


The Bulker's Omelet
Tired of the standard 500 calorie egg white omelet with fat free
cheese? If so, it's time to bulk up your omelet.


Ingredients
6 egg whites (1 cup), plus 3 whole omega-3 eggs,
beaten
6 oz lean turkey sausage
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese
2 teaspoon butter, coconut oil, or Smart Balance
spread

Instructions
In a large skillet, sauté turkey sausage and onions in 1
teaspoon butter/spread for about 5 minutes, until brown. Add tomato
and coriander, and stir for about 3 minutes, until tomatoes become
soft but not entirely dissolved. Remove mixture from skillet, add
the remaining butter/spread, and pour in the egg mixture. Flip the
omelet, add the sautéed mixture and shredded cheese, fold the
omelet and serve.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Medium
Servings: 1
Nutritional Information, Per Serving

Calories (k/cal)	953
Protein (g)	107
Carbohydrates (g)	13
fiber (g)	2
sugars (g)	7
Fat (g)	50
SFA (g)	22
MUFA (g)	16
PUFA (g)	11
omega-3 (g)	1.3
omega-6 (g)	8.7

Mixed Nut Bar
This recipe combines the good fats and nutrients in various
nuts, together with whey protein for an easy-to-make bar that's low
in carbs, high in protein, and full of healthy fats.


Ingredients
3/4 cup pecan meal
3/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 whole omega-3 eggs plus 2 whites, beaten
6 scoops vanilla Metabolic Drive
1/4 teaspoon salt
Splenda, to taste (optional)

Instructions
To make the pecan and almond meal, process the nuts in a
blender. Mix everything together in a large bowl, and continue
stirring until all of the ingredients have mixed together
thoroughly. Spread the dough into an 8X8-inch baking dish coated
with olive oil cooking spray, and bake for 15 minutes at
350-degrees F.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
Servings: 6
Nutritional Information, Per Serving

Calories (k/cal)	379
Protein (g)	32
Carbohydrates (g)	9
fiber (g)	4
sugars (g)	2
Fat (g)	26
SFA (g)	3
MUFA (g)	14
PUFA (g)	8
Omega-3 (g)	0.4
Omega-6 (g)	7.4