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TRAINING • NUTRITION
Whether
you’re trying to gain muscle or lose fat, the importance
of proper nutrition cannot be overstated. In fact, many people
have estimated nutrition to contribute more than 50% to one’s
success in bodybuilding.
Rather than providing detailed offseason and precontest diets,
I think it's more beneficial to give some general recommendations
and guidelines. Everyone’s metabolism is different,
and although most nutritional fundamentals apply to just about
everyone, cookie-cutter diets just don’t work very well.
I'll be the first to admit that this crucial aspect of bodybuilding
has always been the weak link in my progress. In the beginning
I was overly concerned with being lean year round. As consequence
it took a very long time to gain any appreciable size. However,
once I accepted the fact that you need to put on a little
fat to gain muscle, my gains came much more quickly. Partially
contributing to the problem is that I’ve never had a
big appetite so it’s difficult for me to eat large quantities
of food (although this sure does make dieting easier!) :)
Anyway, the lesson is don't make the same mistake as I did
and neglect your nutrition!
OFF-SEASON
• As a general
rule to gain weight, try to consume about 20x your bodyweight
in calories daily (=4000cal for a 200lb individual). This
amount will have to be tailored to suit your own metabolism.
If you’re putting on a significant amount of fat, cut
back on calories. Conversely, if you’re not gaining
any weight, bump up the calories.
• Aim for 6-8 meals a day, each spread 2-3 hours apart.
DO NOT MISS MEALS!
• Eat clean most of the time (~90%), but allow yourself
some junk (~10%). These “junk” meals can be things
like burgers or fajitas, etc. - not complete trash like french
fries, ice cream, or donuts. Again – if you have a fast
metabolism, you can probably get away with more junk. If you
have a slow metabolism, you may have to eat less.
• Track your calories so that if you encounter a problem
gaining weight (not gaining enough or getting too fat), you
can adjust accordingly. Writing down what you eat also keeps
you honest and may deter you from eating poorly.
• Drink at least 1 gallon of water a day.
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PRE CONTEST |
•
Eliminate dairy altogether (cheese, cottage cheese, milk,
yogurt, etc.). You don’t need the extra sugars and
some believe that lactose products can give you “thick
skin” which may be a reaction caused by lactose
intolerance.
• Scrap the fruits. Sugars here again. Also, fructose
isn’t optimal for replenishing muscle glycogen.
• Get rid of processed carbohydrates - bread, pasta,
bagels, etc. They typically have a high glycemic index
and you don’t want all that processed food anyway.
• Eat a couple servings of green vegetables (broccoli,
asparagus) daily. This will help you stay full during
your diet…..and regular!
• Carbohydrates should mainly come from sources
like oatmeal, sweet or white potatoes, rice (brown or
white), and vegetables.
• Protein sources should come from sources like
chicken or turkey breast, lean ground beef or steak, egg
whites, and protein powder. Tuna’s not bad but be
careful with the sodium.
• Drink at least 1 gallon of water a day.
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