Success in bodybuilding is 50% dependent on diet. Find out how Arnold and similar athletes plan their meals to trigger maximum muscle growth. The vast majority of athletes know about the need for proper nutrition. Unfortunately, not everyone pays sufficient attention to this factor, but it must be done. If you haven't changed your nutritional program yet, then this article will definitely come in handy for you. Thus, today you will learn how professional athletes plan their meals.
You need to start consuming more protein compounds, limit the amount of fat in your diet, and switch to complex carbohydrates. A correct nutritional program for athletes should contain in percentage terms:
- 20 to 30% protein compounds;
- 10 to 20% fat;
- 50 to 60% carbohydrates.
What should be the correct diet?
The first step is to decide on the required number of calories to maintain your weight:
- Men - body weight (in pounds) x 15;
- Women - body weight (in pounds) x 14.
One pound is equal to 0.453 kilograms.
Using the above formulas, you will find out how many calories you need to consume daily in order for the metabolism to remain at the normal level for the body. To gain muscle mass, you must consume more calories, since energy expenditure during training increases significantly. On average, you should add 500 to your calorie intake. This will create a positive energy balance.
Let's say you weigh 70 kilograms or 150 pounds. Using the formula, we get a daily requirement of 2250 kilocalories. Adding 500 to this value gives 2,750 calories. The last figure is the required caloric intake of the daily diet for gaining muscle mass.
It is also necessary to take into account the type of physique, since the metabolism is significantly different. So ectomorph can safely increase the calorie content of the diet by 100 calories. But the endomorph should not do this, as it will begin to increase the fat mass.
How to eat right?
The optimal meal is 5 to 6 times a day. If you, it turns out, eat when you feel hungry, then it will be even better. In the morning, after waking up, you should eat protein-carbohydrate food. This will stop the catabolic processes that occur at night and trigger anabolic reactions.
Before a workout session, you should eat a diet containing carbohydrates and protein compounds and completely devoid of fat. It will be very good if during this period of time the amount of fat does not exceed three percent. By consuming carbohydrates, you will create an adequate supply of glycogen in your body, providing your muscles and brain with a reliable source of energy. During training, your energy reserves will be consumed rapidly and the body must take energy from glycogen, since fats cannot provide the required amount of energy. This is due to the fact that there is a lack of oxygen for oxidative reactions to proceed at the required rate.
Thirty minutes before the start of the class, you should drink a protein-carbohydrate mixture. This will raise your insulin levels and your body's energy tone. During training, you should consume a carbohydrate drink every 15 minutes. The main amount of protein compounds should be taken after completion of the training. This should happen within one or two hours after training. During this period, a "protein window" is opened in the body and thanks to this step, you can significantly increase the anabolic level.
It is also necessary to take protein compounds before going to bed. In addition, it is very useful to use amino acid compounds. As mentioned above, at night in the body, catabolic reactions intensify, and thanks to protein and amino acid compounds, you can slow down their speed.
You should stick to a fractional meal plan. If you previously ate three times during the day, then add a second breakfast, increasing the number of meals to four. You should also consume protein mixtures twice during the day, and after completing the training - protein-carbohydrate. It is easy enough to do, and the effectiveness of your training sessions will increase significantly.
During the first two weeks of training, you should gradually eliminate all unhealthy foods, such as confectionery, animal fats, sugary drinks, and white bread, from your diet. You should not actively use sports nutritional supplements, and try to provide most of the calorie content of the daily diet with food.
So, summing up all of the above, we can derive the following formula for the correct diet:
- 1 meal - neutralize nighttime catabolism with a quality protein-carbohydrate shake.
- Meal 2 - a hearty first breakfast, which includes complex carbohydrates, for example, cereals and a large amount of protein compounds of animal origin. This is meat, fish or poultry.
- Meal 3 - The main focus is on protein compounds.
- Meal 4 - lunch time. Eat protein compounds and complex carbohydrates.
- Training session - a large number of protein compounds and liquid simple carbohydrates (gainer) at the end of the training.
- Meal 5 - a lot of food containing protein compounds and a moderate amount of complex carbohydrates.
- 6th meal - protein compounds in the absence of fats and carbohydrates. In this case, it is desirable that the proteins were "long", say, casein. The hydrolyzate is not suitable in this case, since the body will quickly absorb them and during the remaining night time it will not be able to obtain the required amino acid compounds.
This is what your approximate diet should be. Remember that nutrition is a very important factor in muscle growth.
For more information on how to properly formulate a diet in bodybuilding, see this video:
