Bodybuilding Diet Plan

To be a bodybuilder you must have great focus, and discipline. The discipline to lift weights on a regular basis isn’t enough. The discipline to go running 3 times a week for cardio is still not enough. A healthy competing bodybuilder requires a diet that is considered very strict to most. In the off season bodybuilders can slack a little, but if they want to be the best they will stick with discipline. That’s not to say that a bodybuilder can never have cheat foods, or eating anything that tastes good. However, they do have to have a lot stronger emphasis on eating clean then they’re other weight training counterparts. For example, many Power Lifters eat whatever they want and have bellies to show for it. But they’re still amazingly strong, even pound for pound. The point is, they don’t need a six pack to win their competition.

Now a days, most people that lift weights are just normal people trying to get healthier and look better. Since their focus isn’t on lifting maximal amounts of weight, they’re goals are more closely matched with a bodybuilders. So even if you don’t want to be a bodybuilder, you can still learn a lot from this bodybuilding diet plan. Why is that? Because bodybuilders are the experts on getting ripped. They are the six pack experts, and they practice many dieting principles that we can follow. Before I go any further though, let me just clarify that I’m talking about natural bodybuilders. The big guys that take steroids are cool too, but the majority of people aren’t interested in living that way.

The diet of a roider is different from the diet of a natural bodybuilder. One difference is that a steroid taking bodybuilder can use more protein than his or her natural counterpart. The massive amounts of protein that they eat actually goes to building muscle. If you and I eat that much protein, we get bloating, gas, and sometimes fatter. So for those taking a natural approach here are some numbers to consider. 0.6 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is the right amount for most people who want to build muscle or lose fat. Carbohydrates, and fats should be increased or reduced depending on the goal of weight gain or weight loss. Fats should be about 0.4 to 0.6 grams per pound of bodyweight, and Carbohydrates should be about 2.7 to 4.6 grams per pound of bodyweight.

Let’s take a look at what these numbers would look like for me. I weigh in at 160 lbs. So, my protein intake should be between 96 and 128 grams. My fat intake should be between 64 and 96 grams, and my carbohydrates should be somewhere between 432 and 736 grams. The upper end numbers are meant for those who work out a lot, have naturally really fast metabolisms, or need to gain weight. In fact, it’s usually a combination of those. This is mostly true for the fat and carbs numbers. Protein at 0.8 grams is often a good way to go when you’re dieting. The protein curbs your appetite while the body is dealing with lower fat and carb intake. Don’t forget to include 20 to 30 grams of fiber, and make sure that you’re eating plenty of vegetables. 3 to 7 servings of veggies is recommended as well as 2 to 4 servings of fruits. In bodybuilding, it’s important to remember that the more attention to detail the better the results.

Calorie counting isn’t necessary if you eat pretty much the same thing everyday. Depending on how you look at it, both of these methods can get old. If you’re not looking for super fast results, a cheat day or even a cheat meal works great to break up the monotony. Also, try flavoring those usually bland healthy foods with healthy spices. There are many spices that are low in calories, and even some such as mustard that have zero calories. To sum it all up, I just want to say that workouts are very important to building and sculpting muscle, but all of that hard work won’t mean as much if you can’t see it in the mirror.