An hour of tough workout and a carefully planned
nutritional diet goes a long way in assuring a good physique. For body
builders, consumption of a balanced diet becomes quintessential. Believe
it or not - appropriate nutrition truly decides how successful one can
be in the bodybuilding schedule. The diet should be planned in a manner
that it helps in muscle gaining and not in weight gain. You must also
realize that consuming supplements alone will not do wonders for your
body. They can only enhance and contribute to the bodybuilding process.
Ideally the body building diet should include food items that contain
all categories of nutrients. It is essential to consume all the
nutrients, be it proteins, carbohydrates or fats. Some of the various
items that bodybuilders can consume for the intake of proteins are: lean
meat, fish, eggs, milk, nuts etc. For carbohydrates, brown rice,
potatoes, whole meal bread, fresh fruits and vegetables can be the best
bet. However, indulging in white flour products can rebound your
efforts.
Basic Rules
As a bodybuilder, the foremost thing you need to do is follow the basic
rules of diet. Go for small and regular feedings, instead of binging on
irregular and large ones. The best option would be to eat six meals a
day, spaces out at 2 ½ hours intervals. The proportion of
carbohydrates, fats and protein intake should be in the ratio of 4:2:4.
This ratio ideally helps in reducing weight and building an impressive
muscular body. However, make sure you do not consume carbohydrates three
to four hours before going off to sleep.
Week 1 & 2
An important rule for week the first two weeks would be to cycle
calories intake. This would help your body avoid the metabolism from
getting used to a certain caloric level. For those, who want to increase
the muscle mass, go for two days of lower calorie and five days of high
calorie diet. However, those of you, who want to lose fat; you need to
follow five days of lower caloric intake and two days of high calories.
Remember, you diet should provide you with support to indulge in the
higher level of physical activity.
Week 3 & 4
Instead of frying food items, begin roasting and steaming. Go for
skinless chicken or turkey, instead of high fat meats. Processed foods
and junk foods are strict no-no for bodybuilders. The next step would be
to eliminate refined sugars from the diet. High sugar content foods like
fruit juices and carbonated drinks should pave way for diet sodas. In
due course of time, the best bet would be to settle down to water. Make
it your main beverage and increase its consumption level. Follow this
diet plan, as it is sure to augment with your efforts for a good
build-up.
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