WHAT TO EAT
When it comes to bodybuilding, or even training to achieve a
specific goal. Most people think that working-out is the most important part.
When in reality it’s your diet. “You can workout all that you want but if your
diet isn’t in check, then you will never achieve the physique of your dreams.”
1. Egg Whites-One of the purest proteins in the world. With a protein to fat ratio of 60:1. There is no reason why you shouldn’t incorporate this amazing food into your diet.
2. Chicken/Turkey-
To pack on serious muscle, lean meats such as chicken and turkey should be a
main staple in your diet. Aside from providing an excellent source of protein,
they are also very low in fat. The recipes that include chicken or turkey are
endless. So eating these meats doesn’t have to become old.
3. Fish- Cold-water
fish such as tuna, trout, salmon, and sardines are an excellent source of
protein and healthy fats. The healthy fat that fish contains in omega-3 one of
the essential fatty acids. These fats help to support the muscle building
process.
4. Beans &
Legumes- When people think of bodybuilding foods they typically think of lean
meats. But what they do not realize is that the bean is a powerful source of
protein and fiber. “ Fiber is essential to maintain a regular and normal
healthy bowel movement as well as proper insulin response, which is critical to
muscle growth.”
Kidney beans tend
to be the most popular choice when deciding on a bean to have. They provide
nearly 14 grams of both fiber and protein per cup.
5. Lean Red Meat-
Ahh my favorite. Red meats are an excellent mass building food source rich in
protein, zinc, iron, and B-Vitamins. If you’re looking for size red meat is definitely
the way to go. Red meats have a high calorie per serving ratio. Unfortunately,
because red meats do contain a higher level of saturated fats, they should not
be incorporated into your diet daily. I tend to eat red meat twice a weak.
6. Slow Burning
Carbs- Muscle cannot be built with protein alone, it requires a good source of
slow burning carbs to fuel your muscles with energy. You can find slow burning
carbs in foods such as oatmeal, or sweet potatoes. These foods also make for a
great pre-workout snack.
7. Water- as
important as all these other foods seem, they are nowhere on the scale with
water. 70% of the human body is composed of water. “Your muscles, tissue cells
and ligaments all contain water. And most importantly, your life force blood is
made up substantially of water.” Drinking 10 liters of water a day is most
often recommended.
8. Whey Protein- when
it comes to building muscle, it is generally recommended that you consume
1.0-1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. For example I weigh 230lbs so
my protein intake should be between 230-276 grams of protein. That’s why a Whey
Protein supplement is such an essential part of your diet, because it’s hard to
get that much protein from meats and beans everyday. Especially in todays busy
society.
Citation:
MuscleTech. "Bodybuilding.com - 8 Muscle-Building Diet
Essentials!" Bodybuilding.com - Huge Online Supplement Store &
Fitness Community! 6 May 2008. Web. 05 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/musclebuilding_essentials.htm>.
SUPPLEMENTATION
Any person
who is active in fitness or working out generally takes some type of
supplements along with their diet.
Supplements are body builder’s main element in fueling their body to
perform correctly and to see results. Today’s market offers millions of
supplements produced by various companies. Any goal that someone is trying to
achieve there is generally a product out there to help aid in achieving that
goal such as: Thermogenics (fat burners), Test Boosters (increase muscle
size/strength), Male Enhancement, Endurance and etc. When shopping for
supplements its often easy to fall into a marketing trap by a company, they do
this to get you to buy there product not to help you. Whenever I shop for products
I typically buy from companies I know and trust such as:
1. Universal
2. Optium Nutrition
3. Muscle Pharm
4. B.S.N
5. Muscle Tech
6. Cellucor
7. Gaspari
8. Cyto Sport
9. BPI
10. USPlabs
A lot of amateurs just beginning to workout aren’t always
sure what supplements they should take, and normally just settle for some off
brand protein from Wal-Mart. If you’re serious in the gym, and are wondering:
“What supplements should I take?”
Use this list as a reference on what to take.
1. Multi-Vitamins:
The most important supplement that you should take is
Multi-Vitamins. They provide you with your dosage of daily-recommended vitamins
and they support your overall health and well ness. Men and women require
different types of multi-vitamins. Time-Release Multi-Vitamins are generally
better, even though they are more expensive. They allow better retention.
My Multi-Vitamin Supplement= “Opti-Men” produced by Optium
Nutrition.
2. Glutamine:
Yes, I know that I am placing Glutamine before protein. But
without a sufficient source of Glutamine our bodies would see minimal gains,
and would struggle to recover. Glutamine
helps to allow greater protein synthesis and increases hydration, which will
result in increases of lean tissue. Most compound protein supplements consist
of Glutamine.
My Glutamine Supplement= Muscle Pharm Combat Powder and
Optium Glutamine Caps.
3. Whey Protein:
Through a practical everyday diet it’s hard for the average
person to consume enough protein. That’s why many body builders use a protein
supplement with the main compound being Whey. Whey protein supplements are fast
digesting, low in carbs and contain little to no fat. You can buy Whey protein
in bars, powders, or drinks.
My Whey Protein Supplement= Optium 100% Whey, and Muscle
Pharm Combat powder.
4. ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium, Aspartate):
Is not a must have, but any serious lifter considers it a
basic. ZMA is a natural testosterone booster and it aids greatly in muscle
recovery. ZMA is generally taken before bed, because the magnesium helps you
sleep.
My ZMA Supplement= Optium Nutrition ZMA 1000 caps.
5. Creatine:
Creatine is a supplement that helps you to gain strength
while producing lean muscle tissue. There are many forms of creatine such as
Dextrose, or monohydrate. I recommend taking creatine daily in a post workout
shake.
My Creatine Supplement= Cellucor C4, Muscle Pharm Combat
Powder, Optium Creatine Monohydrate powder.
The list above was created
with references used by (ttp://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/south8.htm)
This
supplements listed above are must have supplements, but as a serious lifter I
consume many other accessory supplements such as, Pre-Workout, Thermogenics,
Post- Workout, Casein Protein, and many others. These supplements can be added
to your diet later on with time.
BUILDING MUSCLE
Every one wants to add lean mass, but most of us are scared
to bulk up for the fear of gaining unwanted body fat. In the winter there is
nothing wrong with adding a few pounds while training mass, but when were
talking about 15-20 pounds of fat! That’s a problem. According to Muscle and
Fitness If you want to bulk up without adding unwanted pounds of fat. You must
be careful, precise, and pay close attention to food timing.
Building muscle and gaining weight requires an increase in
calories above what you burn each day, but when you consume an excess of
calories the fat storing process kicks in. So the key is food timing and
portion control. For most meals you should aim to consume between 40-80 grams
of protein, 40-80 carbs, and 5-10 grams of healthy fats like (nuts, olive oil,
and fish). The two most important meals
of the day when training mass are breakfast, and post workout. These are the
two times when muscles crave more calories. Providing your body at theses times
will promote growth and will keep body fat levels down. You should eat at least
six small meals a day, and your carb intake should decrease through out the
day, having the least at your sixth meal. You should also consume between 18-20
calories per pound on training days.
I know everyone who wants to be lean is afraid of eating
carbs in fear of gaining weight. But consuming carbs in the morning, and post
workout along with a lean protein will help to increase insulin which forces
protein into muscles, and help stabilize test levels, which often fall after
training.
Thanks to MuscleandFitness.com here is an example of a
training day meal plan!
Training Day Menu
Meal 1: 8 a.m.
10 egg whites
11⁄4 cups oatmeal (dry measure) or 11⁄2 raisin bagels
8 oz. orange juice or 1 cup mixed fruit
Meal Totals: 669 calories, 58 g protein, 93 g carbs, 7 g fat
Meal 2: 11 a.m.
8 oz. chicken breast
1 small to medium potato*
Meal Totals: 409 calories, 56 g protein, 37 g carbs, 3 g fat
Meal 3: 1 p.m.
Whey protein shake (2 scoops)
6-8 rice cakes*
Meal Totals: 450 calories, 48 g protein, 58 g carbs, 2 g fat
Meal 4 (post workout): 3 p.m.
8 oz. turkey breast
2-3 cups cooked pasta or white rice*
1 whole-grain roll^
Meal Totals: 1,096 calories, 78 g protein, 177 g carbs, 4 g
fat
Meal 5: 6 p.m.
8 oz. ground beef (95% lean)
1 slice low-fat cheese
2 slices whole-grain bread
1 piece fruit^
Meal Totals: 593 calories, 59 g protein, 57 g carbs, 13 g
fat
Meal 6: 9 p.m.
Whey protein shake (2 scoops)
Meal Totals: 170 calories, 40 g protein, 2 g carbs, 0 g fat
DAILY TOTALS: 3,387 calories, 339 g protein, 424 g carbs, 29
g fat
* If you have a hard time staying lean, eat the smaller
portion of carbs at this meal.
^ Optional. If you start the plan and find you’re adding body
fat, drop this menu item.
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