Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics
Bodybuilding nutrition is one of those areas that seems to
be hidden in a shroud of mystery. For some unknown reason the
simple idea of eating a healthy balance of protein,
carbohydrates and fat to help stimulate muscle growth, is
foreign to most.
While the basic bodybuilding nutrition principles like
eating enough protein and drinking ample amounts of water have
been know for years now, everybody and their mothers seems to
have a distinct opinion on how to implement a safe and
effective bodybuilding diet.
Over the years, I've found that keeping your bodybuilding
nutrition plan simple...easy to understand and easy to follow,
typically leads to the most lasting bodybuilding results!
In order to arm you with the best bodybuilding nutrition
information, I've put together...
The Guide To Natural Bodybuilding
Nutrition
The truth of the matter is that there is absolutely no
secret when it comes to eating for muscle growth. The basic
bodybuilding nutrition principles hold true.
Calories Count! If you're
serious about building muscle mass, then it's critical that you
ingest enough calories to fuel the muscle growth process.
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You Know...
The 5 Secrets To
Building More
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Mass In Less Time?
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"The only way (that I'm aware of) to ensure that you're
eating enough calories to build muscle mass, is to track what
you eat."
This requires dedication and a commitment to
planning your meals well ahead of time. In 15 years of training
to build muscle mass, I have not come across any other
affordable way to make this happen. The bottom line here is
that you need to become responsible for your muscle gain
success (or lack there of).
It is your responsibility to make sure that you are not
leaving muscle mass on the table by overlooking the amount of
food you eat!
Just in case you aren't quite sure what a calorie
is...
"A calorie is
a measurement of the amount of energy in a food that is
available after digestion. The amount of heat required to raise
the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius.
Calories are also called
kilocalories."
Source - American Council On Exercise
(ACE)
Are you wondering how to determine exactly how many
calories you should be consuming to build muscle
mass?
In order to get calories into your body, you will need to
eat a balanced variety of the muscle building macro
nutrients...
- Protein
- Carbohydrates
- Fat
Each of these nutrients is critical to the muscle building
process. Eliminating just one of them from your bodybuilding
diet can be enough to bring your muscle gain to a screeching
halt!
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More Bodybuilding
Nutrition
Tips...
- Weight Gain Diet
Is your weight gain diet plan working? Learn how to structure your diet for quick weight gain!
- Bodybuilding Diets
Bodybuilding diets can be designed to burn fat and build muscle at the same time. Learn the muscle building fat burning nutrition baics!
- Diet To Gain Muscle Mass
Do you know how to design your ideal diet to gain muscle mass. Uncover the muscle building nutrition secrets the pros use to gain lean muscle!
- Muscle Building Protein
Uncover new sources of lean muscle building protein.
- Natural Bodybuilding Nutrition For Incredible Fat Loss!
Discover the natural bodybuilding nutrition secrets that will allow you to gain muscle mass and melt unwanted body fat at will!
- Foods To Gain Weight
The best foods to gain weight fast! Learn how to eat to gain weight and muscle mass quickly and naturally.
- Fat Loss Muscle Gain Diet
Do you know the components of an effective fat loss muscle gain diet? Learn how to create a customized nutrition plan to help you gain muscle mass starting today!
- Bodybuilding Diets For Muscle Gain
Learn how to design your bodybuilding diets for lean muscle gain!
- Protein For Muscle Gain
Do you know the best protein for muscle gain? Find out what types of protein are best for building ripped lean muscle mass!
- Simple Bodybuilding Diet
Looking for a simple bodybuilding diet to get you going in the right direction? Download an example 3200 calorie bodybuilding diet and grocery list today!
- Dietary Fiber
Are you getting enough dietary fiber? Find out why fiber is imporant and how to get it into your diet.
- Build Muscle And Burn Fat Protein
Build muscle and burn fat with whole food protein! Find out why protein powders ay not be the best food for fat loss and muscle gain.
- High-Carb-Bodybuilding-Diet
Do you follow a traditional high carb muscle building diet? If so, find out how to structure your high carbohydrate bodybuilding diet for maximum muscle gain!
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Lets take a look at the role of each of these muscle building
nutrients...
Protein
Proteins are considered to be the building blocks
of all human tissue, not the least of which is lean muscle
mass. Each gram of muscle building protein contains 4
calories.
Aside from simply aiding in the growth and repair process of
muscle tissue, proteins also...
- Help with the formation of the brain, nervous system,
blood, skin and hair.
- Transport vitamins, minerals, fats and oxygen to our
bodies.
- Help to maintain fluid balance in the body.
In order to maintain optimal health it is
important to consume ample amounts of high quality proteins.
If you are interested in building muscle
mass it is critical that you make it a habit to consume a
minimum of 1 gram of high quality muscle building protein for
every lb that you weigh, each day!
This is typically enough protein to allow for the repair,
regrowth and growth of muscle mass. But is important to keep in
mind that everyone's body functions differently. Some people
can build muscle mass while consuming only .5 a gram of protein
per lb of body weight, while others may need to consume more
than the recommended 1 gram per lb of body weight per day in
order to build muscle.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source,
especially during high-intensity exercise.
Carbohydrates help to regulate fat and protein metabolism,
as well as providing an exclusive energy source for the nervous
system. Each gram of carbohydrate also contains 4 calories.
There are four different types of carbohydrates...
Each of these types of carbohydrate are basically differing
forms of sugars that are broken down at different rates in the
body. The structure of each form of sugar determines the rate
at which it is absorbed and utilized in the body.
Simple Carbohydrates are
monosaccharides and disaccharides that are rapidly digested in
the body.
Complex Carbohydrates are starches or
long chains of sugar (polysaccharides) that are found in whole
gain breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables as well as beans.
These types of carbohydrates take more time to digest in the
body, thereby releasing a sustained supply of energy.
While there are many people out there who swear by low
carbohydrate / no carbohydrate muscle building diets, one thing
is for sure. If you don't eat enough carbohydrates, you will
suffer from unstable energy levels and as a consequence have a
hard time building muscle mass at all!
Fats
Fats are responsible for helping to maintain brain function
as well as supplying energy to the body.
"At a whopping 9 calories per
gram, fat contains 225% more calories than both
carbohydrates and protein!"
Fats are the most calorie dense nutrient by a long shot!
More than doubling up on carbohydrates and protein. While
loading up on an excess of fats in your diet is simply not a
healthy thing to do, fat consumption is essential to the muscle
building process.
Try to consume a minimum of 30 grams and a maximum
of 60 grams of fat per day.
If you're having a hard time consuming enough calories to
stimulate the muscle building process adding healthy dietary
fats are a convenient option.
To recap the basic bodybuilding nutrition principles
discussed above and to lay out a few more essential muscle gain
tips...
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Learn how to estimate your specific muscle building
calorie requirement. |
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Begin to track what you eat each day, paying
attention to see if you are consuming enough
calories to build muscle mass. |
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Begin to plan out your meals. Eat 5 - 6 meals
spaced out every 2 - 3 hours throughout the
day. Take control of what you eat and when you eat
it! |
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Make an effort to consume a muscle building meal
within 20 minutes of completing your weight
training workouts. |
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Eat a minimum of 1 gram of protein per lb of body
weight per day. |
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Eat between 30 and 60 grams of heart healthy fats
each day. |
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Eat complex and simple carbohydrates to make up the
rest of the calories that you need to hit your
daily target. |
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Drink a minimum of 1 gallon of water each day. |
By making a commitment to implement these bodybuilding
nutrition principles into your life, you're taking the first
step towards building a solid muscle gain foundation.
Start by incorporating one bodybuilding
nutrition tip into your life each day until you have
implemented each one. Before you know it, you'll be able to see
a noticeable change in the way your body looks and feels!
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Bodybuilding Nutrition Back To Gain Muscle Mass
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