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.

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.