Bodybuilder nutrition essentials. Unleash the titan within you!

A huge share of the success of bodybuilding depends on the ability to organize your daily routine and nutrition. These questions are especially relevant for straight people! Any flaws in the diet and recovery have a negative impact on muscle growth.

It’s no secret that to build the right daily routine, you need to pay attention to three main components: training, nutrition, lifestyle (sleep, rest, emotional experiences).

We will deal with everything in order.

Workouts in a bodybuilder's daily routine

A wisely constructed training system is a very important part of a bodybuilder’s success. Moreover, your workouts should be designed in accordance with the capabilities of your body, taking into account your external conditions. The busier you are in the rest of your life, the less often and less you need to train, but at the same time strive to organize the rest of your life so that you have time and energy for at least 2 workouts a week.

If you are a beginner bodybuilder, or let’s call it more simply, an athlete, then most likely in the first year two workouts per week will be optimal for you. Initially, according to the fullbadi program, and after 2-3 months - double split. It is important to train systematically, attend training regularly, work there moderately, and then follow a diet. Eat at least 4 times a day.

Other Features

Protein is the building block for muscle building, but provided that the amount of testosterone and insulin in the body is stable. If there is a deficiency of at least one component, muscle construction stops. According to the standard scheme, an athlete should have about 2 grams of protein per day per kilogram of weight.

Of all the protein shakes when gaining weight, it is best to choose whey protein, since the product is absorbed faster by the digestive system. The substance must be taken 30 minutes before training, sometimes an additional dose is recommended after training.

Omega 3, 6, 9 are good fats that are the main source of energy. There are 9 calories in one gram of the substance, but plant components are considered good, which is not entirely true. Without the intake of animal fats, low muscle tone is noted. A person does not receive enough testosterone, which is necessary for the growth of a bodybuilder’s useful mass. Both plant and animal foods are essential. Fatty acids may be present in fish oil, but not more than 30% of the total diet.

Power supply for security forces

To build a physique, nutrition plays a very important role: a huge share of success depends on nutrition no less than on competent training (the correct training program, adequate to the current physical capabilities in terms of loads (volume and intensity), the frequency of training and rest suitable for your loads outside the gym) . But despite this, an excellent result will only come from the combination of these two components. One cannot replace the other.

In the diet of any muscleman, it is most optimal to eat every 3-4 hours. One very important rule applies here: food for life, not life for food. That is, you need to eat for good performance and good health, but not allow anything unnecessary.

Gradually, over several weeks of systematic training, harmful foods should be eliminated :

• confectionery
• very fatty foods
• bakery products made from wheat flour
• carbonated sweet drinks
• sausages
• smoked meats
• all types of canned food

Proper and rational nutrition is a set of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the right proportions from a variety of foods.

Dietary protein is found in the following “correct” foods:

• seafood and fish
• lean meat, including poultry (the well-known chicken breasts)
• eggs
• legumes
• milk and skim or low-fat dairy products

The optimal proportion of protein for the first few months of weight training is 1.5 grams for every 1 kg of weight per day.

Natural products for obtaining “healthy” carbohydrates:

• cereals (except semolina and polished rice)
• dark pasta
• baked potato
• muesli
• vegetables
• fruits

Remember that juices contain a lot of unnecessary sugar, and it is better to eat bread without yeast (with bran).

The body can get “good” fats from the following foods:

• fatty fish
• butter 82.5% (in small quantities)
• unrefined vegetable oils
• nuts
• salo

In the daily caloric intake of food, the proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is allocated to 20% - 20% - 60%, respectively.

In the first few months of training, you should not turn to nutritional supplements to improve results and build muscle mass. It is only recommended to include a good complex of vitamins and minerals in your diet, nothing more. All nutrition should be based only on natural products. You need to learn to eat right!

Only after 3-6 months is it allowed to add protein to the diet or, for very thin guys, a gainer - 30 minutes after strength training.

After six months to a year of training, you can experiment with other nutritional supplements. Currently, there is a wide range of them on the sports nutrition market: various proteins, BCA, glutamine, creatine... But this should not be considered manna from heaven. If you have not learned how to train properly before, then sports nutrition will not help. First of all, you need to learn to feel your body and give it the right load, the necessary nutrition and sufficient rest - this is the key to success in natural bodybuilding!

For understanding, let’s give an example of the nutrition of a novice security officer weighing 75 kg:

7:00

Oatmeal with milk (low-fat) – 1 tbsp. Egg whites – 5 pcs. Banana – 1 pc. Natural honey – 15 g.

10:30

Protein shake – 1 spoon (measured) Yogurt without sugar – 1 tbsp. Turkey meat – 2 pieces Bread – 1 slice.

14:00

Salad, dressed with 1 tbsp. l. olive oil White fish fillet with rice (beef with rice) Cottage cheese – 1 piece Fruit – 1 pc.

18:00

Boiled potatoes – 1 – 2 pcs. Chicken breast – 1 pc.

21:00

Protein shake (casein) – 1 serving.

It is unacceptable to suddenly change your diet. This can lead to problems with the digestive system. If you are just starting to master bodybuilding, do not rush headlong into drastic and sudden changes in your diet. Start applying the rules of nutrition gradually. This way you can avoid breakdowns and problems with the digestive system.

Daily menu for a bodybuilder

The ideal option is to seek help from a specialist in drawing up the correct menu for the athlete, but if this is not possible for a number of reasons, we offer an approximate diet for the day.

First breakfast:

• buckwheat porridge 100 g;
• three boiled eggs;
• apple.

The athlete's second breakfast:

• veal 200 g;
• oatmeal 100 g;
• vegetables 300–400 g.

Afternoon snack:

• protein cocktail.

Bodybuilder's Dinner:

• durum pasta 100 g;
• fish 200 g;
• vegetables 200 g.

Second dinner, before bed:

• low-fat cottage cheese 200 g or casein protein.

Lifestyle

Another irreplaceable part of a bodybuilder’s daily regimen is lifestyle. We will not talk about the dangers of alcohol, nicotine and other addictions. Let's pay attention to two periods of the daily regimen: training and recovery. Both are inseparable from each other. But it is important that the training regime can be compensated for if it is violated, but if you are deprived of regular recovery, then all your efforts will go down the drain.

Therefore, despite the modern rhythm of life, adhere to the regularity of not only your training regimen, but also your recovery. Recovery is ensured by the following components: nutrition, sleep on a schedule and rest during the day, a calm emotional state.

A bodybuilder needs to sleep at least 8-9 hours a day and spend as much time as possible active in the fresh air. After all, our body is created for movement!

Thus, learn to correctly select the load for training, control daily caloric intake and quality of nutrition, duration and timeliness of sleep, and you will progress like no one else!

We create a basic diet for a bodybuilder

Let's start by creating a basic diet. Due to individual differences in each person's metabolism and activity level, I prefer not to use equations to calculate calories. Instead, I think it's more effective to start by determining the number of calories you currently consume and gradually adjust it.

This program requires you to track your exact calories and macronutrients for the next 6 weeks. If this approach is new to you, look for information about it on the Internet and spend time learning about it.

If you don't know how many calories you consume, keep a diary or use special programs to record everything you eat in the first 3 days of your diet. Some smartphone apps will help you calculate your average calorie intake over this period.

To speed up the process of gaining muscle mass, you will need to add 300 kcal to your baseline intake. Over the next 2 weeks, monitor your body weight by measuring your chest, neck, arms, etc. Also monitor your fat levels using a caliper and follow these guidelines:

• If you are gaining weight without excess fat, add another 300 kcal to your daily diet.
• If weight gain does not occur, add 500 kcal.

Repeat this process every 2 weeks, adding more and more calories.

Bodybuilder nutrition when losing weight

In the case when an athlete wants to not only build muscle, but also get rid of excess fat and water, you need to follow a slightly different nutrition strategy. It is recommended to reduce the amount of carbohydrates and fats. Make it a rule to drink casein or eat low-fat cottage cheese before going to bed.

You can take note of one of the techniques of professional bodybuilders - drink green tea with lemon in the evening, be sure to eat a slice of lemon - it helps remove excess water from the body.

Sample menu for weight loss:

• 1 meal - omelet of 4 proteins with herbs and chicken (50 g);
• Meal 2 - 100 g boiled buckwheat, 250 g lean fish;
• 3rd meal - 200 g low-fat cottage cheese;
• Meal 4 - 100 g of steamed vegetables (without potatoes), 150 g of boiled chicken breast;
• Meal 5 - 150 g low-fat cottage cheese, green tea with lemon.

Don’t forget that only comprehensive efforts will yield results! If you don't have time to eat properly, don't forget to take sports supplements.

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When example is contagious

You will say that Iron Arnie did not leave his favorite gym for days, a fan, obsessed. And what is the result!? And Kevin Levrone, as we know, took huge breaks, starting training just six months before the competition. And what are the results!? Legend! Each of them assessed their capabilities, weighed the body’s resources, and made decisions. But even then there were some injuries. So everything is individual?

Well, first of all, experience and age matter. It's clear. It is impossible to fully load unprepared muscles without consequences. Step by step, as they say. Things will also go faster if a 50-year-old athlete harmoniously alternates exercise with rest. What's the hurry? In such cases, the body needs 24 hours of rest. During this time, energy restoration, growth, and formation of muscle fibers will occur.

Secondly, experienced bodybuilders who seriously work with heavy weights and pump up large muscle masses need, as the pros testify, at least three days of quality rest. During this time, the muscles replenish their volume and strength, and the internal growth processes that were stimulated during the previous training are completed.

Untouchable fat reserve

There is always a certain reserve of fat in the body, which supplies the body with energy for work. A small amount is found in cells, nerve ganglia and other organs. “Cushions” are formed at the base of the internal organs, protecting the organs from various types of injuries. The vital, untouchable reserve of fat in the human body is 3% of the total body weight. Untouched fat is not like visceral and subcutaneous fat, which the body spends without touching the necessary fat.

Reducing the level of subcutaneous and visceral fat makes the body toned and sculpted.

Scientists conducted an experiment in which they determined a satisfactory level of fat for an adult man. Those who took part in the experiment were soldiers, in good physical shape, from prestigious units. Studies have confirmed that with an active lifestyle, a man is able to reduce his fat content to 6-7% without losing weight. With a further decrease in the indicator, the body affects protein reserves - muscles. The recommended body fat level is about 15%.

Bodybuilders have a body fat reserve of 4–7% before competition. The leanest bodybuilder of our time was Andreas Munzer, his fat reserve was 5%.

When this indicator is reached, the body switches to protein, leaving the precious reserve intact. In order not to lose the muscle mass gained over the fall and winter, Munzer was in this form only before the competition. In an interview, Munzer told the secret of his form. In the off-season, he slightly “swims” with fat, adding a sufficient abundance of calories to the diet, which allows him to gain weight.

For the weaker half, the proportion of necessary fats is 12%. The upper thighs and chest area account for most of it. Excess reserves provide calories to women during pregnancy. At levels below 11%, the menstrual cycle in women stops, since fat reserves are needed for estrogen production. Women who compete have body fat levels between 7 and 9%.

Bodybuilder Diet Results

Weight loss and the appearance of muscle relief will begin only after a month of constant adherence to the training and nutrition regimen. And this is not a fact! You often have to wait 10-12 weeks for the first results, but if they appear, then the further transformation of your appearance will be quick and only in the desired direction.

It is worth knowing that you will be able to achieve your goal only if all the rules are strictly followed - no concessions, holidays or weekends. Exiting a bodybuilder's diet should be gradual and intelligent - you cannot immediately include fatty and fried foods in the menu, because serious problems may arise in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

It is believed that the option under consideration helps to lose weight by 10 kg per month, but such results will appear only after 1 - 2 months. But they will be stable.

We recommend reading about protein shakes for weight loss. From the article you will learn about the benefits and harms of using protein shakes for weight loss, and recipes for preparing them at home. And here is more information about losing weight by drying the body.

A bodybuilder's diet does not mean that losing weight will be accompanied by aggressive muscle building. On the contrary, the body will only acquire a beautiful relief and become slender and toned. A pleasant addition will be strengthening the immune system, stabilizing the psycho-emotional background and overall health.