The most important rule in mass building is this: If you're working hard in the gym, you must work harder in the kitchen. If you short yourself on calories, you're also shorting yourself on size and mass gains - you know, the mass every cheerleader wants in a guy.

Sure it's going to be tough cramming in yet another protein shake or tuna fish sandwich between classes, but it's essential if getting big and jacked is in your future. So take your time, pack some lunches, and get the calories you know you need.

When it comes to throwing on mounds of new mass, you need to make sure that your metabolism is cranked up and your body is primed for growth. The best way to fire up your metabolic furnace is by giving it the fuel it needs throughout the day. This means that you'll be throwing down smaller meals every 2-3 hours - a big change from the conventional 3 meals a day you grew up with. Don't worry, though. It might sound scary at first, but it's the best way to take in the massive number of calories you need to become the biggest dude in the yearbook.

To eat every few hours, you'll need to be prepared. A small cooler is a must have: bring one to school packed with a few meals. Stuff it with Tupperware, an ice pack, and a shaker bottle. Control your environment - from here on out, you'll be preparing meals ahead of time. Taking time to make food for the week will separate you from the countless teens "trying" to get bigger but always looking the same. If you don't prepare your food in advance, be prepared to fail.

Keep yourself on the right path by loading your backpack or locker with portable fuel like trail mix, beef jerky, ready to drink protein shakes, protein powder, and bars. Having these accessible throughout the day will ensure that your muscles are constantly infused with mass building nutrients.

Also make sure to avoid skipping meals - every time you eat brings another opportunity for more mass. Cut out the terrible cafeteria food, and start eating a fist-sized portion of lean protein with every meal.

Protein is responsible for tissue growth and repair, and guess what: muscle is tissue. Lean cuts of meat like grilled chicken or turkey, eggs, tuna fish or salmon, and protein shakes are perfect. For optimal muscle-making, eat at least 1.5 grams of protein per body pound every day.

Also include a fist-sized serving of carbohydrates with each meal. Carbs are your body's preferred source of energy - you need them to stay energized throughout the day, and for intense training sessions. Complex carbs like whole grains, wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, oats, vegetables, and sweet potatoes are all good choices.

Good fats are also crucial to your growth, and will keep your muscle-building hormone levels at a healthy peak. Make sure you take in healthy fats like a tablespoon of olive oil, almonds, fish, or peanut butter a few times a day.

Now comes the big question about bulking that can scare the faint at heart: "If I am taking in so many calories, won't I turn into that chubby dude who trips in the hall after gym every day?" If you eat right, train like mad, and constantly monitor your progress, then no. But if you eat everything in sight, screaming "I'm bulking!" and you don't train properly - then yes, sadly you will turn into the tubby buddy. To make sure those extra calories are sculpting pure muscle, check your progress on the scale and in the mirror on occasion.

If you start to add too much extra pudge, then lower your carbs and calorie intake slightly. The best way to make sure you are on the path for greatness is to write down your diet. Keep a journal of your entire transformation to Spartan status. In this journal you can record your diet, workouts, and thoughts day by day. But remember, when you are adding muscle mass you will add a bit of fat, period. Once you get to the size you want, then you can worry about trimming off the fat to show your six pack. Every fire needs fuel, and your fuel is calories. A six-pack is awesome, but if you want an inferno of muscle you've gotta pour on some gasoline. However, if you're one of the few who has a tremendously difficult time adding weight of any kind - be it muscle or fat - then you might be a hardgainer. To reach the point where you can tip the scale with your Herculean weight, try adding a cheat meal once a week.

This meal can be a favorite snack to reward your intense training and dedication to your mission. Just make sure it isn't over 600-700 calories, and that you only do this periodically. To recap: bump up your calories, chart your diet, and monitor your success and glory to a jacked new you!

Now that you know how much you should be eating, we'll talk about what you should be eating. A simple rule to bulking is the 40/40/20 ratio. This is your body's nutrient requirement to add muscle mass and minimize fat gain. The breakdown of your total calories is: 40% from protein, 40% from carbohydrates, 20% from fats.

You may be thinking, "Almost 1/4 of my food is fat! Are you kidding?" Fats are actually very important to your diet as they play a key role in hormone production and many other cellular activities within the body, so don't skimp on them. Make sure they are healthy fats and that you add small amounts of fat to each meal. A quick and easy way is to add some olive oil to a few meals to bump up your overall calories with some good healthy fats.

Okay, so we've got the calories covered. What's left? The two most important meals of the day - pre and post workout - come next. Make no mistake: a crappy pre-workout meal can sabotage your workout faster than you can fail calculus. So if you want to nail an excellent workout every time you hit the iron stack, load your pre-workout meal with complex carbohydrates and lean protein.

Post-workout is another story entirely. Now that you've crushed the weights (and your muscles), it's time to kick-start recovery and growth. The right post-workout recipe for mass calls for carbohydrates that go down easy and proteins that digest fast. To meet these requirements, go with whey protein and a quick carb like dextrose or a banana, and you'll jumpstart recovery and growth.

Weekends can be really tough for getting the right kind of mass-making meals. It's easy for your friends to hit a fast-food place when they're hungry: they don't have the same goals you do. If you're out with them, order a grilled chicken sandwich without the mayo and cheese. Most places offer free water, so grab that instead. Soda and sugar-heavy energy drinks are, after all, loaded with the wrong kind of calories and will make you grow in the wrong places. Drink them for a bigger gut, not for bigger biceps.