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Elvia1023
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Obviously I am nothing compared to some of the freaks on here. But I was looking through an old article I wrote so thought I would update a tiny bit and post on here. Just for any beginners who may struggle with their diets.
Nutrition by Elvia
Just a basic article I have put together that may help guys with their diets. We could all talk about this subject all day. Whilst it can be very simple it's very easy to overcomplicate things regarding ours diet. Like with most things I think a balance is best. This balance comes in the form of a steady supply of protein, fat and carbohydrates throughout the day.
My first thought to nutrition for bodybuilders is only protein will build and repair muscle tissue. That statement should be embedded in all your heads and your diet based upon that fact. Next comes fats that are vital for healthy hormones, energy, protein sparing, brain health, skin health and just about everything due to their role in building healthy cells throughout the human body. Lastly are carbohydrates that provide your body with an excellent source of energy, can be great sources of fiber and various vitamins and minerals plus they are protein sparing. Infact carbs present in your diet are great at letting protein build/repair muscle as when our body needs energy it first looks for glucose from carbohydrates.
I am not here to say this or that way is best. All our bodies respond differently to various diets. I think experimentation is key like with most things within bodybuilding. Fixed macros per meal throughout the day is an excellent way of ensuring you get all your macros. This could be 50/40/20 when bulking or maybe 30/50/10 when dieting. The key is to find out what works for you. There are 1001 ways of getting the results you desire. For instance I know there are quite a few very successful prep coaches who utilize next to no fats for many clients when cutting or in contest prep. This may not be the healthiest of systems but can be extremely effective. When compared to protein and carbs, fats account for more than double the amount of calories per gram showing no/low fats is a great way to lower overall calories. I should add I personally think it is best to diet on the most calories possible. An example if you go down to something silly like 1000 cals and stagnate (which you eventually will) where do you go from there. You need to leave yourself with room to move down gradually. Extremely low calorie dieting will only ruin your metabolism over time. Starting bf levels are key but for optimal results you want to lose your bf very slowly. The range would be about 2-4 pounds but ideally no more than 2 pounds for most weeks. Anymore than 2-4 pounds per week and you risk wasting more muscle tissue.
Although I stated I am not here to say which way is best, I generally feel our bodies require different amount of calories throughout the day. In addition to the fact fixed cals per meal simply bores me. Overall cals are the most important element but my thoughts are that my body definately requires more macronutrients post workout compared to other parts of the day. I also like to have more cals pre bed and before I start work as I am unable to eat for atleast 4 hours. By reason of this larger meals are added in during those times when I can. Food choices also come into this but that will be mentioned later in the article. As a result of this I think it is optimal to have most of your carbs around your training. An excellent approach when cutting or lean bulking is to use approx 90% of your carbs around your training and for the rest of the day consume mainly lean sources of protein combined with lots of greens and vegetables. For people wanting to cut/lose body fat my general system is to use all 3 macros for most meals but with restricted carbs and/or fats at certain times. Most of the carbs I like to use are low calories but nutrient dense such as vegetables and certain berries.
An excellent way of getting your nutrients in around your training is through shakes. I prefer to use them either intra or post training and sometimes both. Again not gonna write intra shakes suit everyone as they clearly don't. Although I feel a big reason for that is people using them incorrectly. Many put an insane amount of calories (mainly carbs) in a small shaker and drink it fairly quickly. For most this will cause bloat, lethargy and possibily sickness. Ideally you want to put your shake in a large bottle with approx 1-2 litres of water added. It should be drank very slowly starting just before you start training and throughout your workout. For people who workout very quickly (30mins for example) then I would recommend the shake be consumed over about an hour so ended after traning. I understand the arguments for both sides so find out what works for you. Although I think intra shakes are highly effective and especially useful for those who like to use insulin around their training. When I am able to my workout plan will look similar to the below:
Pre training (1 hour)- Rump Steak, Sweet Potatoes and Veg.
Intra training- Shake consisting of approx 100-200g carbs and 50g protein.
Post training- Chicken, wholewheat pasta and lots of honey drizzled on top.
Please note insulin will be added pre training (20 mins) so I personally like to keep fats fairly low (have them pre slin though).
Please note the amount of carbs listed above is high and you may only requite 1/4 of that as everyone goals are different. Moreover you may never want to use insulin and that is fine. During the last few months I have been using 20g BCAA's and 40g Dextrose (no slin) in my intra shake to give an indication. I think those amounts are perfect for most to aid recovery and get great results. I like to use BCAA's or Peptopro for my protein source during training but there are many alternatives. Fast acting carbs such as highly branched cyclic dextrin, vitargo, or dextrose are best used intra training.
It's clear to see many different nutritional methods can be effective for the bodybuilder. This is no different for the overall daily meal plan. We have all heard of extremes such as x bodybuilder looking incredible and consuming only 2 meals per day. Whereas others eat every 2 hours including sleep time so 12 meals per day. Find what system works for you as it could be either of them. I think a balance between the two is optimal. 2-3 large feeds per day can aid in insulin sensitivity amongst other things but I personally prefer to eat more meals. But I don't wake up through the night to have a protein shake as to me it is unneeded. Sure if I wake up I would have one but I am not gonna ruin my quality of sleep for that purpose. Fact is catabolism on aas is gonna be near on impossible especially if you eat smartly pre bed. Fasting is another prime example of how catabolism on gear is hard to achieve even when depriving the body without macronutrients for 24 hours and over. Anyone who has fasted before will know what I mean. I highly recommend fasting (adding anti-oxidants) on rare occasions to help keep things fresh and to clear out any toxins.
Types of foods can be extremely important for the bodybuilder. Earlier I listed I like to consume more calories at certain times. On top of the calorie requirements are the different types of food for a particular time of day. We all know fast absorbing protein and carbs are optimal post training. Another example of this is utilizing foods that digest slowly during certain times. A perfect meal pre bed could be steak and/or eggs as they will digest very slowly. Cottage cheese is another great example of a pre bed food choice. If you want to use a protein shake pre bed (or any other time) I highly recommend Micellar Casein as it is absorbed very slowly. Any good protein source pre bed is great but common sense would show us the above are gonna be better when compared to a fast absorbing whey isolate shake. Although add some olive oil to that shake and things are looking better. I like to add some carbs pre bed as I feel they only aid in recovery, sleep and general well being. I also think many can overcomplicate things especially regarding types of food used. A prime example of this is brown rice and white rice. When you combine protein to carbs and fat it slows does it's absorption. Therefore when combining white rice to a protein and fat source (typical meal) it's gonna make little difference to your results at the end of the day. Find what foods work best for you in regards to digestion, bloat and taste. Similar examples could be white and sweet potatoes, brown and white bread, brown and white pasta. Point is get your macros in and be consistent and the results are there to be had.
Carrying on from the above comes organic and speciality type foods such as grass fed beef. We all know organic is abit of a gimmick for many food choices. However for some it can make a difference and those foods can provide more health benefits. A prime example of the differing standards in one food item are eggs. Anyone who has had an organic free range egg compared to a caged hen one will know the huge difference in the quality. The better quality ones will always provide more health benefits to the user. The same goes for things like grass fed beef and fresh wild caught salmon. Adding in these food items will only aid in your long term health. I do think a healthy bodybuilder is a better one. Fact is a healthy body procresses everything more efficiently and that is only a good thing for the bodybuilder. But for anyone on a tight budget don't stress yourself about getting these items as they are simply unneeded. They are optimal but in regards to bodybuilding results they will make little difference in the grand scheme of things.
Rotation in your diet is very important as it keeps things fresh, provides a variety of food choices and helps prevent any allergies from forming. I like to rotate macros throughout the day and also during different times. A mix as well as a good balance is important in your diet if you want to add to your health. Diet is a huge subject so I will generalize but the most common food types I consume are the following:
Protein- Chicken, Turkey, Steak, Fish, Eggs, Milk, Cottage Cheese and Greek Yoghurt.
Carbs- Fruit (Pineapple, Bananas and Blueberries), Pasta, Rice, Vegetables, Bread, Sweet Potatoes and Honey.
Fats- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Cashew Nuts, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Almonds, Argan Oil and Peanut Butter.
Obviously some food choices contain high amounts of different macronutrients. As discussed earlier everyone has different nutritional requirements and goals so possible meals will be different for everyone. For anyone wanting to build their body I feel by combining the 3 macros intelligently you are at the start of a great nutrition plan. Some examples of possible meals include:
-Chicken, Rice and Cashew Nuts
-Fish, Mediterranean Vegetables and Olive Oil
-Greek Yoghurt, Blueberries and Almonds
Every meal will have a different macronutrient breakdown due to food choice and quantity but that's for you to decide. Some foods contain various macros so picking from all 3 may not be needed. A good plate of food should have a nice mix, balance and be colourful. Including lots of fruit and vegetables into your diet is something I highly recommend. Herbs, Spices and Minerals are also vital to help keep things enjoyable. Most of us have got tired of eating chicken breast time after time. By simply adding in some salt and pepper, maybe some chilli flakes or even lemon juice you can transform a simple dish. I used the s word and I know some bodybuilders try to avoid salt (sodium) as best they can. Sodium is vital for the human body and I highly recommend you use sea salt as opposed to table salt (in limited quantities). I prefer Himalayan pink salt for it's taste and added health benefits. Processed foods is where many go wrong. Even something as simple as a packaged chicken salad sandwich can contain something silly like 2g salt. They may not even taste that salty so it can be very misleading. Then when you get to the likes of packaged pizzas in the supermarket, those bad boys can contain anything up to 12g salt. I like to treat myself from time to time but just be careful, especially if your on a high calorie diet and using drugs that increase water retention (blood pressure). A small salt grinder contains approx 80g salt so you would have to be stood there for a good 5 mins straight grinding away to get the salt content of that large supermarket pizza. Other spices and herbs I recommend people look into are: Cinnamon, Garlic, Ginger, Nutmeg, Saffron, Tarragon, Chilli Peppers, Turmeric and Thyme.
Protein/Weightgain shakes are an effective way of meeting your nutritional/bodybuilding needs. There has been countless debates over the years stating how whole foods are far more effective. Whilst I agree that whole foods are superior, shakes can be an excellent source of nutrition. Protein is protein at the end of the day. Moreover it can be hard to meet the daily calories (protein) needed without shakes. Fact is most of the pros you admire rely heavily on shakes. My personal favourite shake is a combination of chocolate whey isolate, activated barley and cashew/peanut butter. Adding a few of them into an already good meal plan will only aid in building bigger muscles. Generally I prefer isolates such as Syntherpure from Synthetek. For carbs I like barley and oats throughout the day. If I want to add fats into my shakes I mainly use nut butters (cashew, peanut and almond) or even some coconut or olive oil. For the bodybuilder on a budget after a good combination I would recommend a good whey protein with oats and peanut butter as a great mass builder. As I stated I am not here to say you should use shakes as whole food is superior. But for most they provide convenience and results so don't think you are underplaying yourself by using them. I know some incredible bodybuilders who use shakes more than food and they don't think they could look the way they do without them. Shakes will continue to be a big part of my diet plan, especially when you have great companies like Synthetek, My Protein and Matrix.
Overall just a look at some of my ideas in regards to nutrition. I am not here to say this or that way is best but just share what I have found to work for me over the years. The most important thing I have learnt is you can still get results whilst eating an enjoyable diet. Sure for the guys that compete those weeks are slightly different but in a general sense food is there to be enjoyed, bodybuilder or not. This article may do nothing but I would be happy if a few guys after reading this started experimenting with spices, herbs and their diets in general. We take a lot of things that negatively effect our health so by incorporating a mix of quality foods, spices, fruits and vegetables I feel we are only helping our future health. Thanks for reading!
Nutrition by Elvia
Just a basic article I have put together that may help guys with their diets. We could all talk about this subject all day. Whilst it can be very simple it's very easy to overcomplicate things regarding ours diet. Like with most things I think a balance is best. This balance comes in the form of a steady supply of protein, fat and carbohydrates throughout the day.
My first thought to nutrition for bodybuilders is only protein will build and repair muscle tissue. That statement should be embedded in all your heads and your diet based upon that fact. Next comes fats that are vital for healthy hormones, energy, protein sparing, brain health, skin health and just about everything due to their role in building healthy cells throughout the human body. Lastly are carbohydrates that provide your body with an excellent source of energy, can be great sources of fiber and various vitamins and minerals plus they are protein sparing. Infact carbs present in your diet are great at letting protein build/repair muscle as when our body needs energy it first looks for glucose from carbohydrates.
I am not here to say this or that way is best. All our bodies respond differently to various diets. I think experimentation is key like with most things within bodybuilding. Fixed macros per meal throughout the day is an excellent way of ensuring you get all your macros. This could be 50/40/20 when bulking or maybe 30/50/10 when dieting. The key is to find out what works for you. There are 1001 ways of getting the results you desire. For instance I know there are quite a few very successful prep coaches who utilize next to no fats for many clients when cutting or in contest prep. This may not be the healthiest of systems but can be extremely effective. When compared to protein and carbs, fats account for more than double the amount of calories per gram showing no/low fats is a great way to lower overall calories. I should add I personally think it is best to diet on the most calories possible. An example if you go down to something silly like 1000 cals and stagnate (which you eventually will) where do you go from there. You need to leave yourself with room to move down gradually. Extremely low calorie dieting will only ruin your metabolism over time. Starting bf levels are key but for optimal results you want to lose your bf very slowly. The range would be about 2-4 pounds but ideally no more than 2 pounds for most weeks. Anymore than 2-4 pounds per week and you risk wasting more muscle tissue.
Although I stated I am not here to say which way is best, I generally feel our bodies require different amount of calories throughout the day. In addition to the fact fixed cals per meal simply bores me. Overall cals are the most important element but my thoughts are that my body definately requires more macronutrients post workout compared to other parts of the day. I also like to have more cals pre bed and before I start work as I am unable to eat for atleast 4 hours. By reason of this larger meals are added in during those times when I can. Food choices also come into this but that will be mentioned later in the article. As a result of this I think it is optimal to have most of your carbs around your training. An excellent approach when cutting or lean bulking is to use approx 90% of your carbs around your training and for the rest of the day consume mainly lean sources of protein combined with lots of greens and vegetables. For people wanting to cut/lose body fat my general system is to use all 3 macros for most meals but with restricted carbs and/or fats at certain times. Most of the carbs I like to use are low calories but nutrient dense such as vegetables and certain berries.
An excellent way of getting your nutrients in around your training is through shakes. I prefer to use them either intra or post training and sometimes both. Again not gonna write intra shakes suit everyone as they clearly don't. Although I feel a big reason for that is people using them incorrectly. Many put an insane amount of calories (mainly carbs) in a small shaker and drink it fairly quickly. For most this will cause bloat, lethargy and possibily sickness. Ideally you want to put your shake in a large bottle with approx 1-2 litres of water added. It should be drank very slowly starting just before you start training and throughout your workout. For people who workout very quickly (30mins for example) then I would recommend the shake be consumed over about an hour so ended after traning. I understand the arguments for both sides so find out what works for you. Although I think intra shakes are highly effective and especially useful for those who like to use insulin around their training. When I am able to my workout plan will look similar to the below:
Pre training (1 hour)- Rump Steak, Sweet Potatoes and Veg.
Intra training- Shake consisting of approx 100-200g carbs and 50g protein.
Post training- Chicken, wholewheat pasta and lots of honey drizzled on top.
Please note insulin will be added pre training (20 mins) so I personally like to keep fats fairly low (have them pre slin though).
Please note the amount of carbs listed above is high and you may only requite 1/4 of that as everyone goals are different. Moreover you may never want to use insulin and that is fine. During the last few months I have been using 20g BCAA's and 40g Dextrose (no slin) in my intra shake to give an indication. I think those amounts are perfect for most to aid recovery and get great results. I like to use BCAA's or Peptopro for my protein source during training but there are many alternatives. Fast acting carbs such as highly branched cyclic dextrin, vitargo, or dextrose are best used intra training.
It's clear to see many different nutritional methods can be effective for the bodybuilder. This is no different for the overall daily meal plan. We have all heard of extremes such as x bodybuilder looking incredible and consuming only 2 meals per day. Whereas others eat every 2 hours including sleep time so 12 meals per day. Find what system works for you as it could be either of them. I think a balance between the two is optimal. 2-3 large feeds per day can aid in insulin sensitivity amongst other things but I personally prefer to eat more meals. But I don't wake up through the night to have a protein shake as to me it is unneeded. Sure if I wake up I would have one but I am not gonna ruin my quality of sleep for that purpose. Fact is catabolism on aas is gonna be near on impossible especially if you eat smartly pre bed. Fasting is another prime example of how catabolism on gear is hard to achieve even when depriving the body without macronutrients for 24 hours and over. Anyone who has fasted before will know what I mean. I highly recommend fasting (adding anti-oxidants) on rare occasions to help keep things fresh and to clear out any toxins.
Types of foods can be extremely important for the bodybuilder. Earlier I listed I like to consume more calories at certain times. On top of the calorie requirements are the different types of food for a particular time of day. We all know fast absorbing protein and carbs are optimal post training. Another example of this is utilizing foods that digest slowly during certain times. A perfect meal pre bed could be steak and/or eggs as they will digest very slowly. Cottage cheese is another great example of a pre bed food choice. If you want to use a protein shake pre bed (or any other time) I highly recommend Micellar Casein as it is absorbed very slowly. Any good protein source pre bed is great but common sense would show us the above are gonna be better when compared to a fast absorbing whey isolate shake. Although add some olive oil to that shake and things are looking better. I like to add some carbs pre bed as I feel they only aid in recovery, sleep and general well being. I also think many can overcomplicate things especially regarding types of food used. A prime example of this is brown rice and white rice. When you combine protein to carbs and fat it slows does it's absorption. Therefore when combining white rice to a protein and fat source (typical meal) it's gonna make little difference to your results at the end of the day. Find what foods work best for you in regards to digestion, bloat and taste. Similar examples could be white and sweet potatoes, brown and white bread, brown and white pasta. Point is get your macros in and be consistent and the results are there to be had.
Carrying on from the above comes organic and speciality type foods such as grass fed beef. We all know organic is abit of a gimmick for many food choices. However for some it can make a difference and those foods can provide more health benefits. A prime example of the differing standards in one food item are eggs. Anyone who has had an organic free range egg compared to a caged hen one will know the huge difference in the quality. The better quality ones will always provide more health benefits to the user. The same goes for things like grass fed beef and fresh wild caught salmon. Adding in these food items will only aid in your long term health. I do think a healthy bodybuilder is a better one. Fact is a healthy body procresses everything more efficiently and that is only a good thing for the bodybuilder. But for anyone on a tight budget don't stress yourself about getting these items as they are simply unneeded. They are optimal but in regards to bodybuilding results they will make little difference in the grand scheme of things.
Rotation in your diet is very important as it keeps things fresh, provides a variety of food choices and helps prevent any allergies from forming. I like to rotate macros throughout the day and also during different times. A mix as well as a good balance is important in your diet if you want to add to your health. Diet is a huge subject so I will generalize but the most common food types I consume are the following:
Protein- Chicken, Turkey, Steak, Fish, Eggs, Milk, Cottage Cheese and Greek Yoghurt.
Carbs- Fruit (Pineapple, Bananas and Blueberries), Pasta, Rice, Vegetables, Bread, Sweet Potatoes and Honey.
Fats- Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Cashew Nuts, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Almonds, Argan Oil and Peanut Butter.
Obviously some food choices contain high amounts of different macronutrients. As discussed earlier everyone has different nutritional requirements and goals so possible meals will be different for everyone. For anyone wanting to build their body I feel by combining the 3 macros intelligently you are at the start of a great nutrition plan. Some examples of possible meals include:
-Chicken, Rice and Cashew Nuts
-Fish, Mediterranean Vegetables and Olive Oil
-Greek Yoghurt, Blueberries and Almonds
Every meal will have a different macronutrient breakdown due to food choice and quantity but that's for you to decide. Some foods contain various macros so picking from all 3 may not be needed. A good plate of food should have a nice mix, balance and be colourful. Including lots of fruit and vegetables into your diet is something I highly recommend. Herbs, Spices and Minerals are also vital to help keep things enjoyable. Most of us have got tired of eating chicken breast time after time. By simply adding in some salt and pepper, maybe some chilli flakes or even lemon juice you can transform a simple dish. I used the s word and I know some bodybuilders try to avoid salt (sodium) as best they can. Sodium is vital for the human body and I highly recommend you use sea salt as opposed to table salt (in limited quantities). I prefer Himalayan pink salt for it's taste and added health benefits. Processed foods is where many go wrong. Even something as simple as a packaged chicken salad sandwich can contain something silly like 2g salt. They may not even taste that salty so it can be very misleading. Then when you get to the likes of packaged pizzas in the supermarket, those bad boys can contain anything up to 12g salt. I like to treat myself from time to time but just be careful, especially if your on a high calorie diet and using drugs that increase water retention (blood pressure). A small salt grinder contains approx 80g salt so you would have to be stood there for a good 5 mins straight grinding away to get the salt content of that large supermarket pizza. Other spices and herbs I recommend people look into are: Cinnamon, Garlic, Ginger, Nutmeg, Saffron, Tarragon, Chilli Peppers, Turmeric and Thyme.
Protein/Weightgain shakes are an effective way of meeting your nutritional/bodybuilding needs. There has been countless debates over the years stating how whole foods are far more effective. Whilst I agree that whole foods are superior, shakes can be an excellent source of nutrition. Protein is protein at the end of the day. Moreover it can be hard to meet the daily calories (protein) needed without shakes. Fact is most of the pros you admire rely heavily on shakes. My personal favourite shake is a combination of chocolate whey isolate, activated barley and cashew/peanut butter. Adding a few of them into an already good meal plan will only aid in building bigger muscles. Generally I prefer isolates such as Syntherpure from Synthetek. For carbs I like barley and oats throughout the day. If I want to add fats into my shakes I mainly use nut butters (cashew, peanut and almond) or even some coconut or olive oil. For the bodybuilder on a budget after a good combination I would recommend a good whey protein with oats and peanut butter as a great mass builder. As I stated I am not here to say you should use shakes as whole food is superior. But for most they provide convenience and results so don't think you are underplaying yourself by using them. I know some incredible bodybuilders who use shakes more than food and they don't think they could look the way they do without them. Shakes will continue to be a big part of my diet plan, especially when you have great companies like Synthetek, My Protein and Matrix.
Overall just a look at some of my ideas in regards to nutrition. I am not here to say this or that way is best but just share what I have found to work for me over the years. The most important thing I have learnt is you can still get results whilst eating an enjoyable diet. Sure for the guys that compete those weeks are slightly different but in a general sense food is there to be enjoyed, bodybuilder or not. This article may do nothing but I would be happy if a few guys after reading this started experimenting with spices, herbs and their diets in general. We take a lot of things that negatively effect our health so by incorporating a mix of quality foods, spices, fruits and vegetables I feel we are only helping our future health. Thanks for reading!
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