Many people tend to glorify the term 'bodybuilding', associating
it with the muscle-bound competitive bodybuilders that you so often see
on television. The truth, however, is that the term 'bodybuilding' has a
much simpler and less extravagant definition - it is simply the pursuit
of greater muscle mass. Scientists place great emphasis on following a
proper bodybuilding diet if you are pursuing the goal of gaining greater
muscle mass. Thankfully, a great bodybuilding diet is available that is
simple and also easy to stick with.
With
so many fad diets gaining popularity, you should remember that
following a proper bodybuilding diet will not be anything like those
other diets. The key to developing a great physique is regular and
intense training sessions coupled with a well thought-out bodybuilding
diet and overall approach to living. At its core, bodybuilding is not
simply an activity, but an entire lifestyle.
Perseverance,
discipline, and patience are the core attributes that one requires in
order to lead a bodybuilding lifestyle. The advantage of choosing to
adopt bodybuilding as a lifestyle is that the improvements to your
physique will be maintained over the long-term, without the rapid
deterioration that so many people experience over time.
With a
consistent daily approach to training and maintain a bodybuilding diet,
you will not experience the disappointment of short-term weight loss and
muscle gain, only to have those improvements completely disappear after
a relatively short time. The bodybuilding diet and lifestyle is
habit-forming, and definitely works to give you a more defined physique
and also improve your overall health.
The key to a successful
bodybuilding diet is simplicity. Complexity and consistency are often
mutually exclusive, so by keeping things as simple as possible, you are
ensuring that you are better able to stick to your bodybuilding diet
once you start on it. The first thing to do when you start on a
bodybuilding diet is to reduce the size of your meals, but increase the
frequency. Instead of 3 meals a day, you should eat 5 or 6 meals each
day, and each meal should consist of a variety of carbohydrates, protein
and fats. Doing this will increase your metabolic rate and keep it
going throughout the day.
When it comes to protein intake, the
appropriate level will vary from person to person, depending on
variables such as gender, age, weight, etc. The general rule of thumb
should be 25 to 50 grams of protein with every meal. A guideline to
appropriate protein ingestion for a typical healthy male would be 1.5
grams of protein for each pound of weight. A 200 pound male should
therefore consume 300 grams of protein daily - meaning 6 meals of 50
grams of protein each day. Ultimately, if your workout program is
intensive, then you will need the protein in order for your body to
build muscle.
Fish, egg whites, lean meat, whey protein and
low-fat cottage cheese are all excellent sources of protein. Some foods
that you should avoid, however, are fatty meats. Also, when it comes to
preparing your food, avoid frying it in oil and opt instead for
healthier options such as grilling or baking.
Carbohydrates are
slightly more complicated, as there are different types of
carbohydrates. The 3 main categories of carbohydrates are complex
carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates and vegetable carbohydrates. Complex
carbohydrates are found in bread, potatoes, yam, grains, cereal, rice
and pasta. Simple carbohydrates are found mostly in fruit and vegetable
carbohydrates, as the name suggests, come from vegetables.
Contrary
to popular belief, some fat is also necessary even in a bodybuilding
diet, but there are certain sources which you should get your fats from.
Nuts, extra virgin olive oil, fish oil and flax seed oil are sources of
good fats.
For a simple bodybuilding diet, you should include one
portion from the complex carbohydrate group, vegetable carbohydrate
group and protein group in every meal. The size of the serving for each
group should be approximately equal to the size of your own fist. You
should include a serving from the fats group in 2 to 3 of your meals,
and only have simple carbohydrates for the first meal of the day in the
morning and immediately after you complete a workout.
The above
bodybuilding diet is great for anyone not overly concerned with weight
loss and more concerned about building greater muscle mass. If you are
also concerned with weight loss, however, then you should keep complex
carbohydrates out of the last 2 or 3 meals of the day, and instead have
lean meats and salads.
A more extreme form of bodybuilding diet is
the 'three day on, one day off' routine. For this diet, you only eat
complex carbohydrates for the first meal of the day and immediately
after any workout for three consecutive days. Then on the fourth day,
you can eat anything you feel like. Pasta, pizza, cakes - anything goes.
This particular bodybuilding diet has been found to be particularly
effective, and is also a good way to control your cravings. Being able
to tell yourself that you can indulge in three days or less whenever
cravings strike, you will be able to better exert self-control and stop
yourself from giving in to your cravings.
At the end of the day, a
bodybuilding diet and lifestyle will only work if you have the
perseverance and self-discipline to stick to the programs that you
decide on. If you do, then you will be rewarded with fast and dramatic
results.
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