Bodybuilding has a fun myth surrounding it: you need a lot more calories than other people. And that’s true, to an extent. It doesn’t mean you get to eat three pizzas for breakfast. It’s all more nuanced than that. You don’t get to just eat junk and burn it off. As a beginner in bodybuilding, that might be lost on some. If you want to get into bodybuilding, it’s important that you make yourself a clear eating plan as your secret weapon for building muscle instead of creating more body fat.
So what does a bodybuilder eat? Well, of course, there is no one-fits-all answer to what the perfect diet is. Regardless though, there are some basic diet tips you can follow to achieve your dream bodybuilding body.
Taking high-quality supplements from www.flexpharma.is will be a useful start. However, making sure that you are eating the right quantity of protein each day will also be essential. This blog explores the ideal diet for a bodybuilder.
Power Up with Protein
The bread and butter, if you will, of building muscle comes down to the amount of protein you eat every day. You won’t grow any muscles, no matter how much you pump iron, without a good amount of protein.
Protein is absolutely key for muscle repair and growth. The standard recommendation for protein consumption each day is to eat between 1.2 to 2.2 grams of protein per kg of your body weight daily.
Despite this, the amount of protein a bodybuilder needs each day will vary based on factors such as training intensity, body weight and overall goals. Some research suggests that eating 1.2 to 1.6 grams of high-quality protein per kg of body weight is the ideal amount to achieve muscle growth as a bodybuilder. Despite protein being key to your diet as a bodybuilder, there are other nutrients you should focus on getting as well.
Energize with Carbs
Believe it or not, carbs are very important to a bodybuilding lifestyle, so you don’t have to keep to a keto diet to get big. Carbohydrates give you the slow-releasing energy you need for those intense workout sessions in the gym. Sure, a shot of sugar or caffeine will get you moving for that one-hour session, which I wouldn’t recommend anyway, but then the rest of the day’s a write-off. So, before you head out, load up on brown foods like rice and bread, and toss in some quinoa or sweet potatoes into your dinner to keep you performing your best throughout the day.
Fuel Up with Healthy Fats
Yes, there are healthy and unhealthy fats. In case it wasn’t obvious, you want the healthy fats. But trying to distinguish them can be easier said than done. Healthy fats are super important for your general well-being as a bodybuilder. Healthy fats are packed with quick energy, fuelling you with energy to smash tough workout sessions. They have more calories per bite than carbs or protein, making them brilliant for keeping your energy up during long training sessions. Some recommended sources of healthy fats could be avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil.
Creating the Ideal Bodybuilding Diet
At the end of the day, the ideal bodybuilding diet stems down to understanding your current body weight, your goal weight as well as your other goals. It all depends on a variety of things like how many days a week you spend training, or how intense your workout routine is. This means you’ll have to tweak your diet to meet your goals – and don’t just follow what Men’s Magazine says The Rock is eating!
Happy training!