Arnold Schwarzenegger, considered one of the greatest bodybuilders, once said, “Bodybuilding is much like any other sport. To be successful, you must dedicate yourself 100% to your training, diet and mental approach”. He should know; he won the Mr. Olympia title a record 6 consecutive times. So when a bodybuilder of the caliber of Schwarzenegger stresses the importance of diet in the sport of bodybuilding, you had better accept it. If Schwarzenegger doesn’t do much for you, don’t look further than the toned and muscular body of our very own Hrithik Roshan or the newly acquired fab-abs of King Khan. Admit it; you are just a little bit envious, aren’t you? But throw envy to the docks and read on to find out what a successful bodybuilder’s diet should look like.
If you thought bodybuilding was only about weight training and pumping iron, think again. An important aspect of bodybuilding is nutrition. A serious bodybuilder needs a specialized diet to ensure fat loss and incorporate extra proteins. There is no downplaying the need for a rigorous weight training program to become a successful bodybuilder, but without a dietary plan in place, you can be certain you are headed towards sure shot failure.
Let us look at the broad nutritional guidelines for bodybuilders and then proceed to some tips for a successful game plan.
Bodybuilding Basics - Nutrition
Bodybuilding is about massive muscle growth and muscle repair. Repair, you ask? Well, yes. The weight training part of bodybuilding leads to tears in the muscles; but fret not, this is not at all bad. When these tears heal, they lead to muscle growth. For this bulking up, you need to pamper your body with the right kind of diet.
1. Carbohydrates: If you are into serious bodybuilding, you will need carbohydrates to provide the energy, not only for the rigorous training but also for the recovery phase. But remember to focus on those carbohydrates which digest slowly. Carbohydrates which digest rapidly may lead to a situation where your body begins to store the additional energy as fat, which you will agree is nothing but counterproductive. So chow down on fruits and vegetables (except potatoes and watermelon), grainy breads, pasta, legumes/pulses, basmati rice, and milk. Avoid cornflakes, baked potato, wholemeal breads and jasmine rice.
2. Proteins: Perhaps the most crucial part of a bodybuilder’s diet, protein is the most widely debated as well. Most bodybuilders seem to have a love-affair with proteins. And rightly so. Muscle tissue contains most of the body’s protein. Protein is also required for muscle growth. Since protein cannot be stored in the body, a bodybuilder needs to consume a diet rich in proteins everyday.
Most research indicates that bodybuilders should consume 25-30% of proteins per total calorie intake. While this number varies from region to region, it is universally accepted that bodybuilders should consume proteins through the day, especially during and after workouts and before retiring for the night.
So what are some good sources of proteins? Chicken, beef, pork, fish, eggs and dairy foods are high in protein, and so are nuts, seeds, beans and lentils. You can rely on casein and whey to supplement your diet with additional protein.
3. Fats: You don’t have to completely eliminate fat from your diet. Yes, the mission is fat loss and bulking up. But some fats are imperative for hormonal function and hence for muscle growth. Consume omega-3 essential fatty acids in the form of form of flax seed oil, fish oils or extra virgin canned olive oil for optimal muscle growth and function.
4. Supplements: Because of the important role that nutrition plays in bulking up, dietary supplements have found favor with bodybuilders. Supplements are widely used to increase the rate of fat loss, increase the muscle growth, and prevent deficiencies. There is not enough scientific evidence to back the benefits of such supplements, and many of them are not considered legal on the bodybuilding circuit. A supplement that is legal and is widely used is creatine. It is used to provide extra energy during intense workouts.
Now that we know what the basic ingredients of a bodybuilders diet are, how about some tips to help you bulk up and showcase those ripplers.
Bodybuilding Diet Tips
Eat smaller quantities at regular intervals through the day.
Every meal should have 40% carbohydrates, 40% proteins and 20% good fats.
Drink lots of water.
Cut back on rapidly digesting carbohydrates and never consume carbohydrates before bedtime. This will prevent your body from going off the fat burning mode.
Eat high fiber foods. These will aid your fat loss efforts and also contribute to general well being.
Increase intake of good fats such as omega-3 fatty acids.
Don’t starve yourself at any point in time. At the same time, don’t stuff yourself. It is all about moderation.
Never go off your nutritional plan, even for a few hours. Be prepared. Keep food, protein drinks or supplements in your car, in the gym and wherever else you may feel the need to eat.
Keep tabs and do the math. Record your food intake and look at the labels to see exactly what you are consuming.
Muscle recovery and repair occurs at rest. So remember not to overexert yourself.
A bodybuilding diet should be a part of every bodybuilder’s routine. Whether you are an amateur or a professional, a good diet can be your ticket to success. But as with other dieters, bodybuilders are also guilty of committing mistakes with their diets.
Bodybuilding Diet Mistakes
Impatience is one of fastest killers of a bodybuilding routine. Any bodybuilding diet takes time to start showing results. Your body will take at least 3 weeks to adapt to a new diet. So be patient and stick with a diet plan for at least 2 months before getting into the market for a new one.
A lot of bodybuilders don’t count their calories. You cannot expect to lose fat or gain muscle mass at an expected rate if you don’t maintain a record of what you are eating.
Falling back on supplementation for weight loss is wishful thinking. Supplements can only aid the process. There are no magic pills which will give you healthy toned muscles overnight.
There you have it. As a budding bodybuilder, you will find a lot of information floating around about diet and weight training. The idea is to focus on your nutrition and balance it with sufficient weight training and rest. It is not your training program that determines your success. The diet is the most important part of the equation. If you are spending an inordinate amount of time in the gym, without a proper nutrition plan, you are probably wasting your time.
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