One of the most important pieces to the muscle/bodybuilding puzzle is nutrition. The sooner you realize the importance of not only what kind of food you eat but when you eat it, the sooner you will see increases in both strength and muscle density.
One of the biggest problems I see when trying to train novice bodybuilders is their idea of what proper nutrition is. The fact is that if you want to grow large amounts of muscle it takes hard training, proper rest, time and more food than you can imagine. You simply have to eat enough quality food at the right times. For example, you are working out consistently and yet you wake up in the morning and have maybe a banana, or some cereal. If you’re lucky, it’s oatmeal. Then, 4 hours later you might have some lunch. Consisting of what? Maybe a sandwich of lunch meat, some chips etc. You hit the gym after work or school and then you eat a huge dinner.
None of this will help you grow. When you wake up, your body has been without food for anywhere from 6-8 hours. And that’s if you ate right before bed!
What you need in the morning is protein and some complex carbs! Depending on your weight, goals, level of training etc, a breakfast could easily consist of 6 egg whites, a bowl of oatmeal, maybe some whole grain toast. And that’s just going to cover you for about 3 hours!
Mid morning should consist of a high protein meal (remember, since you should be consuming 5-6 meals a day, a meal only means maybe 400-600 calories) of possibly some tuna, turkey, chicken or a meal replacement or protein drink. Lunch should be some protein along with some complex carbs such as brown rice, broccoli etc. You should also have a pre-workout meal and a post workout meal.
The bottom line is that most guys simply do not eat anywhere near enough food to grow. Eating itself is almost a workout! And yes, it can get pretty boring having to eat 2500-3000 calories a day when you are not eating Big Macs. Considering that you might need anywhere up to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, on a 200lb guy, that’s 300 grams of protein a day! That’s a lot of tuna.
Just remember your nutrition will make or break your training. You must eat enough and it must be the correct type of food. Protein should come in the form of egg whites, chicken breast, tuna, lean cuts of beef such as round steak, flank steak, fish such as salmon, nuts etc. Carbs should be whole grain breads, brown rice, yams and the best of all, oatmeal. Some guys will find that due to work, school or time restrictions, a high quality weight gainer might help them get some extra calories but once you make these changes and commit to a solid diet, the gains will come!
Mike Berg has been involved in bodybuilding and fitness as an enthusiast and trainer for over 20 years.
Visit his website for bodybuilding and fitness articles and Bodybuilding Supplements at http://www.milleniumfitness.com.
