Part I - Macronutrients
What
are macronutrients?
It's actually very simple. All foods fit into these three
categories: Protein, Carbohydrates, or Fats. As a bodybuilder (or anyone trying
to get fit or get bigger), you need to know this and you must know what each
one does in your body.
Protein
Literally,
protein is the essential building block of muscle. Without this, you cannot and will not
grow, even if you are on a boatload of drugs! As a matter of fact, without
sufficient protein you will
lose muscle. Strive for a bare minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of
bodyweight each and every day. Most bodybuilders keep protein intake at 2 grams
per pound or more. All protein has roughly 4 calories per gram. Remember that
the body will use protein as a source of energy instead of using it to build
muscle if you aren't getting sufficient calories from carbohydrates and dietary
fats. This will rob your muscles of this essential building block, so you must
take in sufficient quality carbs and fats as well, but more on that later.
Protein
sources include:
·
All meats - including beef, poultry, and fish.
·
Protein powders - Adding this to your diet is probably the
only way you will get 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight on a daily
basis unless you have nothing to do all day except eat, train, and sleep.
·
Nuts, legumes (includes peanuts, soy beans, etc.) - Not the
best choices, but remember not to worry so much about what kind of protein you
get as much as you should worry about how much protein you're getting every
day. Adding nuts to your diet is a good way to add protein and healthy fats.
Carbohydrates
The
body's preferred source of energy. Carbohydrates also provide your brain with
energy, which is why you will be somewhat "out of it" when you first
start a low carb diet. Most bodybuilders will strive to get 2-3 grams of carbs
per pound of bodyweight when bulking. (i.e. A 200lb. bodybuilder would strive
for 400-600 grams per day). All carbohydrates have roughly 4 calories per gram.
In my opinion, it's very important to eat some carbs before training to provide
you with energy that you will need.
Too
many calories from carbohydrates at one time will be stored as fat.
Carbohydrates that are digested fast (called sugars, simple carbs, or simple
sugars) will be more likely to be stored as fat because the body doesn't get
enough time to burn the calories. Foods that include simple carbs and sugars
are fruits, fruit juice, sweets and junk food containing sugar (including
candy, cookies, cakes, soda, etc.) Obviously, you will want to limit the amount
of simple carbs that you take in. The only time it is advantageous to take in
simple carbs is immediately after training, when your body's glycogen stores
are low. Taking in simple sugars at this time will allow your body to replenish
glycogen stores more quickly (in short, this means faster recovery, which
translates to quicker growth).
Carbohydrates
that are digested by the body more slowly (referred to as complex
carbohydrates) are less likely to be stored as fat and tend to be high in
dietary fiber. These are the bodybuilder's preferred source of carbohydrates.
These
slow burning carbohydrate sources include:
·
Oatmeal
·
Whole Grain Bread (nothing with the word "enriched"
in the list of ingredients)
·
Grains
·
Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
·
Vegetables - These will be mainly used as a source of fibre,
vitamins, and minerals, and not as a source of energy
·
Pasta
·
Rice - Brown rice tends to burn slower and because of that, it
is a better choice than white rice.
Not
all complex carbs burn as slowly as others, for instance whole wheat bread (not
enriched) burns much slower than white bread, white rice burns faster than
brown rice, also note that pastas burn faster than most other complex carbs.
Faster
burning carbohydrate sources include:
·
Candy
·
Soda
·
Cakes, Pies
·
Sugar of any type
·
Fruit Juice - Not as good as fruit, but a better choice than
the above mentioned foods.
·
Fruits - Still a very good source of fibre, vitamins, and
minerals.
Carbohydrates
also affect blood sugar, muscle glycogen levels and insulin production. But for
the purpose of keeping this article "beginner friendly", I won't get
into all of that. Just remember that when you take in simple carbs
(sweets/sugars) your blood sugar spikes relatively fast and then drops that
much faster (unless they are taken in after training), which will leave you
feeling tired, sleepy, and even a craving for more sugar or carbs. This is
another reason why slow burning carbs are preferred.
Fats
Some
dietary fats are good for your fitness goals and other dietary fats are very
bad for your fitness and your health. Fats, like carbohydrates can either be
burnt as energy or stored as body fat. Fats generally burn faster than carbs,
therefore they are more readily stored as body fat. Dietary fats have roughly 9
calories per gram, as opposed to 4 calories per gram for protein and carbs.
Along with being used as energy, healthy fats provide a host of other benefits,
including maintaining overall health and even making your skin and hair look
better. Unhealthy fats (saturated fats) can do just the opposite, especially to
your skin.
Sources
of "good" or "healthy" fats include but are not limited to:
·
Fish Oil (basically fats found in fish)
·
Nuts (good source of protein and healthy fats)
·
Olive Oil
·
Flaxseed Oil - can be found in most nutrition stores like GNC
·
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) - also can be found nutrition
stores
Sources
of "bad fats" include, but are not limited to:
·
Anything that it deep fried (french fries, fried chicken)
·
Fat from animal sources, such as the saturated fats found in
beef and pork and the saturated fat found in milk.
Part II - Diet Types
What
kind of diet should I be on?
This depends on what you want to accomplish. We'll look at
two categories of diets, "bulking" and "cutting".
Bulking
This
is the term we use to describe diets where you are ultimately trying to add
muscle. The only way this can be done is to take in more calories than your body
uses. Most bodybuilders will tell you that it's easier to add muscle when a
small amount of fat is added along with it. That being said, if your body fat
is over 20%, you should probably consider cutting down to around 12-15% before
you think about bulking or you will end up looking like an fat person rather
than a bodybuilder.
To
build muscle, you need to take in adequate protein, complex carbs, healthy
fats, and even some sugars (Candy bars aren't really what I mean). As you
already know, protein is what builds muscle. But, without sufficient calories
coming from complex carbs and healthy fats, your body will use that protein as
a source of energy, which will in turn rob your muscles of this very important
building block.
*To
find out how many calories you need to build muscle and what form they should
be in (Protein/Carbs/Fats), you will want to multiply your bodyweight by 15-17
for starters (use a higher number if you don't see desired results).
·
200 lbs x 15-17 = 3000-3400 calories. So, a 200 lb bodybuilder
will need 3000-3400 calories per day.
Chris
Aceto, a popular nutritionist used by many pro bodybuilders recommends a
protein/carbs/fats ratio of 35/55/15, which means 35% of calories come from
protein, 55% come from carbs, and 15% come from dietary fats.
We'll
use that 200 lb bodybuilder at 17 calories per pound as an example.
·
3400 calories x 0.55 = 1870 calories from carbs (1870 divided
by 4 calories per gram = 467.5 grams of carbs per day)
·
3400 calories x 0.35 = 1190 calories from protein (1190 divided
by 4 calories per gram = 297.5 grams of protein per day)
·
3400 calories x 0.15 = 510 calories from dietary fats (510
divided by 9 calories per gram = 56.67 grams of fat per day)
*Click
on Nutritional Calculator for help with calculating this.
Cutting
This
is the term we use to describe diets where the reason is to reduce bodyfat.
There are many different approaches to doing this, in terms of diet. You will
most likely need to experiment to find out which one is for you and which type
of cutting diet your body responds to best. On any cutting diet you choose, you
need to take in less calories than your body uses. Without turning this into a
training article, cardio is another very important factor here. The basic idea
when cutting (in my opinion) is to eat a little less, and move a lot more
(cardio). Cardio should be performed anywhere from 3 times per week to twice
per day.
One
thing to consider while cutting is muscle loss. If you restrict your
maintenance calories by more than 500-750 per day, you will likely lose some
muscle. That being said, try to allow yourself 1 week for every 2 lbs of fat
you want to lose. If you are losing much more than 2 lbs per week, it's safe to
say that you are probably losing muscle mass.
Here
are a couple of types of cutting diets. All of these diet types will need to be
considerably high in protein.
·
Low carb -
The basic idea here is to reduce calories by restricting carbohydrates
considerably, while allowing more dietary fats. After you have used up the
small amount of calories that comes from carbs, the body will be using mostly
dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it's primary source of fuel. Sugars are
basically eliminated on this diet.
·
Ketogenic -
Also known as the Cyclic Ketogenic Diet (CKD) The idea here is similar to the
low carb diet, except carbs are virtually eliminated from the diet completely
which makes the body go into ketosis (produce ketones which are reported to be
anabolic while promoting fat loss at the same time...For simplicity's sake, we
won't get into all of that here.) As with a low carb diet, the body will be
using mostly dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it's main source of fuel.
Carbs are generally kept at around 15-20 grams per day.
·
Low fat -
The way this type of diet reduces calories is by virtually eliminating dietary
fats, while keeping carbohydrate intake relatively high compared to the above
two diet types. The body uses carbs as it's main source of fuel. While on this
diet, you will still want to get around 20 grams of healthy or "good"
fats per day.
*To
find out how many calories you need to reduce body fat, you will want to
multiply your body weight by 12-14 to start (use a higher number if you are
losing more than 2.5 lbs per week).
·
200 lbs x 12-14 = 2400-2800 calories. So, a 200 lb
bodybuilder will need 2400-2800 calories per day. As he loses weight he will
want to recalculate this every 4 weeks or so.
Although
a 55/35/15 carb/protein/fat ratio used above would probably work, the ratio
will be different depending on what type of cutting diet you choose, which can
get a little confusing. For further detail, I suggest getting a book focusing
on one of these diet types and reading the nutrition articles in the magazines.
Part III - Timing
One
thing you will learn with body building, is that timing truly is everything.
Eat at least 5 times per day!
Your
body needs nutrients provided in a steady stream throughout the day, meaning
you need to eat 5-8 times per day. If you don't eat for an extended period of
time (over 3-4 hours), your body will go into a catabolic state, meaning it
will literally feed off of muscle. Not eating for extended periods also causes
your metabolism to slow down and hold on to stored body fat that you already
have and even store more body fat when you do get to eat. This is because your
body has determined that you are out of food and may not get any food in the
near future. This is the body's defence against famine...good for survival, bad
for bodybuilding/fitness goals.
Another
benefit of eating every few hours, is the thermo genic effect of food. When
your body digests food, your body temperature rises slightly, burning calories
along the way. Make sure that there is always some protein in there every time
you eat (before training excluded).
That
being said, you should try to eat every 3 hours or so.
Don't skip breakfast!
Your
mom isn't pulling your chain. Breakfast is
the most important meal of the day (or a tie with the meal following your
workout). I can't stress this enough. If you don't eat within an hour of when
you get up, you are cheating yourself to put it mildly. If you are getting the
8-9 hours of sleep that you should be, then you haven't eaten for 8-9
hours...this is not good for bodybuilding. Some bodybuilders even wake up in
the middle of the night and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when trying
to bulk, so don't think you can get away without eating breakfast because you
can't.
Late night snacks
Carbs
and Fats are important, but if it's late at night and you are trying to lose
bodyfat, a protein shake may be all you need. If you're having trouble gaining
muscle, eat protein, carbs, and fats before bed.
If
you are cutting and you get hungry when you go to bed, try eating a teaspoon of
natural peanut butter. This is low in carbs and high in healthy fats and
protein and should stop cravings for food long enough to let you get to sleep.
Eat before and after you train!
I
like to have some carbs before I train in order to provide me with fuel for my
workout. I usually try to take in 40-50 grams of carbs about 30-45 minutes
before I train. I tend to get sick if I eat a significant amount of protein or
fat this close to when I train, so it's mainly just carbs at this time.
The
worst mistake you can make is to not eat after your workout. When you train,
you are breaking muscle down. If you do not provide your body with sufficient
nutrients within 45 minutes of training, you are robbing yourself of recovery
and muscle growth. Unless you are cutting carbs, you should try to consume some
simple carbs (fruits or fruit juice, not cookies and junk food) after you
train. This will allow your body to replenish it's glycogen stores more
quickly...allowing for quicker recovery. You should also consume protein after
you workout.
Part IV - Convenience
The
easiest way to make sure you stick with your diet is to make it convenient.
It's not going to taste all that good, so you might as well make this as easy
as possible on yourself. Needless to say, it's pretty challenging to go out of
your way 5 or 6 times per day to find clean food when Taco Bell and Burger King
is right across the street. Don't do this to yourself, it's not fun.
If
for some reason you have to eat fast food, at least go out of the way to find a
Subway or similar sandwich shop and order a sub. If you're cutting, order a 6
inch sub on wheat bread to keep the carbs low, with double meat to keep protein
high. Cheese and Mayo should be avoided, but mustard is a good topping when
you're dieting.
Prepare ahead of time.
Take
your meals with you when you aren't going to be home for an extended period of
time. You don't want to be forced to choose between Taco Bell and not eating
when you are on a cutting diet.
When
you're bulking, there's no better way to get fat than by eating the wrong kind
of carbs and fats. Even though you don't have to be as strict as you do when
you're cutting, you still need to eat quality calories. Even when bulking, try
to prepare your meals at home and take them with you.
I
prepare all of my food for the week on Sundays, put each meal in a plastic
container and freeze them until the day I plan to eat them. Then all you need
to do is pack a grocery bag with 2-3 meals out of the freezer and a 32 oz.
Rubbermaid container full of protein or MRPs and take it to work (or wherever)
the next morning. People at work will think you're a little different when your
"lunch" sack is usually a full grocery bag. If you aren't going to
have access to a refrigerator, buy a cooler and an ice pack.
Don't forget Protein Powders and MRPs (Meal Replacement
Powders).
The
difference between a meal replacement powder (MRPs) and protein powder is that
MRPs have carbs included in them, so they tend to taste a little better. The
carbs in MRP's aren't really slow burning like oatmeal, etc. but they are
decent calories for bulking. I don't recommend MRPs for cutting purposes.
If
you try to get all of your protein from solid food, it can get very expensive
and is just hard to do. Meal replacement and protein powders are a great way to
get extra calories and protein. When dieting down, I prepare about 120 grams of
protein powder and water in a 32 oz. container to take with me to work the next
morning. I leave it in the refrigerator and drink about 1/3 of it at 3
different times during the day (in between meals). I do the same thing when
bulking, but with a couple of MRP's and some protein powder instead of just
protein powder.
For
those who don't put on fat easily, another variety of MRPs is the so-called
"Mass" drinks. These come pre-bottled or the do-it-yourself powder
form. They are usually full of carbs (including a lot of sugar) with a nice
amount of protein, and some fat. If you put on fat easily, "Mass"
type drinks are probably not for you. These can be a very useful tool for
bulking, but can also make you fat, so I generally only recommend these to
people that don't put on fat very easily (no matter what they eat).
Part V - Water
Drink plenty of water!!
This
is an easy concept. Water is the most overlooked part of nutrition. Drink 1-3
gallons (depending on your size) every day whether bulking or cutting. If you
aren't getting enough water, you won't grow muscle as quickly and you won't
lose fat as quickly. Enough said.
