Budget bodybuilding and natural products
Experienced bodybuilders know that half the success lies in proper balanced nutrition. The only question is whether to count calories yourself, or purchase a ready-made sports nutritional supplement. The second way is undoubtedly simpler, but not always more profitable. Gainers or protein-carbohydrate mixtures are good because they contain all the necessary elements in the correct proportions. Pros: compact and convenient. No need to carry containers of food with you everywhere. The absorption of necessary substances, and as a result, the growth of muscle mass occurs an order of magnitude faster. The downside is that not everyone can afford such a pleasure. If you really want, most of the necessary elements for gaining muscle mass can be found in ordinary foods. The main thing is to know what and in what quantity to eat.
Remember the famous phrase: whoever works, eats? In bodybuilding this is an unshakable rule. High-intensity training burns a huge amount of calories, which helps us lose weight. But our goal is exactly the opposite, and therefore we need to eat tightly and often, eating high-calorie foods, so that the body has something to build muscle mass from. In bodybuilding, the diet is usually structured according to the following scheme: 30 percent proteins, 10 percent fats and 60 percent carbohydrates.
Let's travel back for a moment to the distant past and imagine our primitive ancestors. What made them so strong and resilient? On the one hand, there is a constant struggle for existence. On the other hand, proper nutrition. People understood that without reliable support, the entire clan was doomed to quick death. Therefore, men returning from hunting or fishing were entitled to the best part of the catch: selected meat with a minimum of fat. Hunters who grew up on such a protein diet became truly powerful defenders of their families and clans.
So, we have already understood that protein is the most important building material for muscles. In addition to meat and fish, high-protein foods traditionally include dairy products and chicken eggs.
Calorie content
For anabolism (growth of muscle cells and tissues), excess calories are vital, that is, consuming more kilocalories than their consumption. This can be achieved in two ways. The first is buying a gainer, the second is an abundant and varied diet. Any beginner who buys a gainer will notice an increase in muscle mass and strength. The reason for this is a lack of experience in controlling your diet.
It may seem that a beginner eats a lot, but this is just an illusion. After all, if you do not count exactly how many kilocalories are consumed and how many are consumed, then it can easily turn out that the body does not receive enough calories. Therefore, to exceed your daily calorie intake by one or two thousand, you can buy a gainer. But for budget bodybuilding this is not always acceptable. And then you need to calculate the required calorie content of your diet and make sure that your diet contains a lot of complex carbohydrates, many meals.
Types of proteins
There are two types of proteins: whey (fast) and casein (slow). Both are equally useful, but perform different functions. Whey proteins are needed by the body at the beginning of the day and after training to quickly restore amino acid levels in the blood. Caseins are absorbed more slowly, so it is better to consume them at night, when the body is resting and recovering.
The most important source of fast proteins are chicken eggs. One boiled egg contains 6 grams of pure protein (including the yolk). For a good gain of muscle mass, it is recommended to eat from 10 to 20 pieces per day, depending on your diet. Among fish, pollock is especially rich in protein (about 160 grams of protein per kilogram of net weight, while containing a minimum of fat). If seafood is not your thing, then chicken breast (or drumstick, as a budget option) is a worthy alternative. And since we’re talking about budget bodybuilding, liver contains no less protein than tenderloin. So why overpay?
By eating 400-500 grams of cottage cheese for dinner, you will provide the body with equally necessary casein proteins. For those who have just started training, it is recommended to drink 2 liters of milk per day. This is also plus 60 grams of proteins.
Alternative Protein Sources
It turns out that there are many more sources of proteins in nature than might seem at first glance. Below are the main sources of protein among cheap, medium and moderately expensive products (amounts indicated per 100 grams of product):
- boiled chicken breast - 20 g;
- medium fat cottage cheese - 18 g;
- whole chicken egg - 13 g;
- canned white beans - 8.9 g;
- walnut - 15 g;
- cashew nut – 18 g;
- boiled chickpeas - 8.3 g;
- split peas (cereals) - 20.5 g.
This list goes on and on. I would like to immediately warn that protein shakes (even the cheapest ones) are not included here, since their protein is less digestible and problems in the functioning of the digestive system may occur.
As for carbohydrates, everything is much simpler with them - porridge has always been inexpensive. Buckwheat should be a favorite – it has the highest protein content. But you also can’t give up oatmeal, pearl barley, millet and wheat.
Many people mistakenly believe that it doesn’t matter what kind of carbohydrates they have - complex or simple - and begin to gobble up buns and loaves with appetite. In fact, complex carbohydrates should dominate, or better yet, lead the way, making it possible to withstand strength training and build muscle.
Protein here acts as the building blocks, and carbohydrates act as the driving force. If it is noticed that there is no progress, the working weight is not growing, then you need to add more carbohydrates (it is important not to forget about the proportions). If body weight grows, but working weight does not increase, then it means that fat is being added, not muscle, and carbohydrates need to be reduced.
Sources of carbohydrates for the athlete
If protein deficiency can be compensated by sports nutritional supplements, then it is better to get carbohydrates from natural products. Sources of slow carbohydrates for an athlete are various cereals (for example, buckwheat and rice). Pasta, oatmeal and baked goods have even greater energy value. Fast carbohydrates are found in honey, sugar and dried fruits.
Another budget-friendly but reliable way to get the necessary nutrients for a bodybuilder is baby food. This may seem funny to some, but professionals talk about mixtures without a hint of a smile. Carbohydrates are already contained here in the required volume. Add some protein (milk, yogurt or cottage cheese) - and the nutritious shake is ready. Fast, cheap, useful.
It is more difficult for a professional to compensate for the lack of certain nutrients. For example, to get the required amount of creatine, which is necessary for energy exchange between nerve and muscle fibers, you need to eat 3-4 kilograms of beef daily. Of course, it is easier to purchase a specialized drug.
During high-intensity training, it is better to support the body with the help of sports nutritional supplements. For example, the Leveton Forte vitamin complex contains a huge amount of minerals and amino acids necessary for an athlete.
Budget meal plan for the masses
Meal 1: 76g oats with raisins + 2 scoops whey + 50g peanut butter Calories – 932 Protein – 66 Carbohydrates – 84 Fat – 30
Training
Meal 2: 200 ml skim milk Calories – 347 Protein – 40 Carbohydrates – 26
Meal 3: 3 slices toasted brown bread + 1 ½ cans tuna Calories – 469 Protein – 57 Carbohydrates – 44 Fat – 2
Dish 4: 3 boiled eggs 3 slices toasted black bread Calories – 501 Protein – 33 Carbohydrates – 30 Fats – 22
Dish 5: Spaghetti Bolognese (200g spaghetti + 200g extra dry minced beef) Calories – 562 Protein – 50 Carbs-62 Fat – 15
Meal 6: 1 chicken breast + 112 g brown rice Calories – 537 Protein – 40 Carbohydrates – 84 Fat – 3
Bottom line: Calories - 3498 (Added 150 calories as fruit snack) Protein - 286g Carbohydrates - 330g Fat - 72g
Add servings of vegetables to some of your meals and eat fruit as a snack. This will provide you with an allowance of healthy fruits and vegetables on top of your daily macronutrient and calorie requirements. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water every day, at least 3 liters.
Tip: Buy food in bulk. Supermarkets tend to offer many items cheaper in bulk. You will receive a discount when you purchase three or more units of the same product. Take advantage of these deals and freeze meats you buy in bulk. Try to avoid going for popular expensive brands, instead buy regular or supermarket own brands because they tend to be much cheaper in price.
Andrew
Welcome to IronSet, a blog about sports and healthy trends. Andrey is a writer and sports consultant who contributes to our blog.
Where is the best place to swing?
Now that we've sorted out the nutrition, let's move on to training. And again the dilemma: buy an annual gym membership, or purchase the necessary minimum of sports equipment and train at home? It’s difficult to give a definite answer to the question: where is the best place to swing? On the one hand, it is certainly better to train in a place specially designed for this, under the strict guidance of a specialist. But not every fitness center can boast the necessary set of training tools and the proper qualifications of its employees. Therefore, before choosing a gym, it is better to consult with people competent in this matter.
But first, it wouldn’t hurt to create at least a minimal training base. Start with simple and affordable exercise equipment, such as a horizontal bar and parallel bars. Or buy a pair of collapsible dumbbells, each weighing up to 30 kilograms. And remember that the main means to achieving your goal is your motivation.
Cheap diet menu for weight loss (Meal plan)
In order for a personally selected diet to not only be cheap, but also maintain health and promote weight loss, you need to follow some basic principles and rules.
- In order not to delve into calculating the calorie content and ratio of dietary fat in your own diet, first try simply reducing the usual amount of food you eat by about 20% and diversifying your menu as much as possible with products from different food categories.
- Start practicing at least 4 meals a day every day at equal intervals, while fitting each meal into a volume approximately equal to a glass.
- Try to eat carbohydrate foods before lunch, and protein foods after it. This way, the body will have time to process most of the calories into energy, rather than storing them as fat reserves.
- Under no circumstances should you torture yourself with hunger, and when hunger strikes, be sure to snack on something low-calorie and filling at the same time.
- Drink plenty of fluids (mostly plain water) throughout the day. Make a habit of drinking a glass of water after waking up and half an hour before your next meal.
- Prepare foods in healthy ways, using boiling, sautéing, baking or steaming, and eat them slowly, chewing each bite thoroughly.
- Plan your menu in advance and stock up on the food needed for it.
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Proportions of essential nutrients
There should be 2 times more carbohydrates than proteins, that is, 60% carbohydrates, 30% proteins and 10% fats. Historically, our ancestors ate this way. Their diet was very high in grainy and fibrous plant foods, which provided them with carbohydrates. In addition, protein was present. Hunters brought game, fishermen brought fish. And at the same time, the diet of our ancestors had very little fat content.
Over the course of several thousand years, we have not changed much, but our metabolism has remained the same. However, in modern realities, people absorb nutrients in the following ratio: the predominant part belongs to fats, then come carbohydrates and the third leader is proteins.
As you can see, everything is mixed up. And our body reacts negatively to such nutrition. And for sports this is especially important, for example, bodybuilding requires additional portions of proteins for muscle growth and the proportion must definitely be changed.
How to solve this issue? You can buy various sports nutrition. You can also eat proteins from animal foods. First of all, these are meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, etc. Buying these products at markets, compared to buying sports nutrition, is a great way to save money.
