Bodybuilding is a lifestyle that revolves around nutrition and training, in order to stay healthy and strong. Infact, it shares 80 % and 20% respectively. The professional fitness enthusiasts accept that time in the training center plays a minor role in bodybuilding but the time we spend outside of the gym plays a major role. The time spent outside of the gym determines the quality of the time we are spending in the gym. So, we need to focus on discipline, diet chart, environment we are in, and many other factors while outside of the gym. We can’t do anything about the environment but can take care of self discipline when it comes to food intake. You may need the help of a diet planner for it but everyone should be aware of what to eat.
Know The Basics Of Bodybuilding:
Before planning the foods for bodybuilding, know some basics of it. It is not weight lifting like we see in the Olympics or powerlifting. It is more about physical appearance than strength. So, in bodybuilding, you have to maintain both muscular and lean physique. There are mainly two types of phases in bodybuilding that need different types of meal plan.
- Bulking phase: Fitness enthusiasts generally do bulking during winter when they take care of their high- calorie to build muscles. Along with a weight gain diet plan, they have to plan their training routine for getting faster results. During bulking up, you have to increase your daily calorie intake to 15% of what you are taking at present. For normal physical activity, it is recommended to take at least 2,500 calories per day for a man and 2,000 calories per day for a woman. You need more than you can burn a day to bulk up. So, include a calorie rich diet in your muscle building diet plan. Or you can fill your calories needs from the bodybuilding supplements like protein, mass gainer, weight gainer, and others. While curating diet plan for muscle gain make sure that you are including your calories from :
- Protein: 30 to 35 %
- Carbohydrates: 55 to 60%
- Fats: 15 to 20 %
But other nutrients are as important as calories in the bulking up phase. So include:
- Fats: 58 to 77 grams
- Protein: 259 to 302 grams
- Carbohydrates: 474 to 518 grams
- Cutting phase: Another phase of bodybuilding is the cutting phase; it is also called lean mass gain. It is an important phase to get a shredded body which is attractive and healthy. Generally ,fitness enthusiasts start it during summer, a best time to show an aesthetic body. But it is not so easy to gain. You have to control your eating habits opposite of the bulking up phase. You have to curate a fat loss diet but make sure you will not lose muscles. You have to cut your calorie intake by 15 %. For instance: if you take 3,450 calories per day for maintaining your weight, you have to start taking 2,550 calories in your cutting phase. Make sure you are taking all the nutrients for your lean mass gain.
- Proteins: 191 to 223 grams
- Fats: 43 to 57 grams
- Carbohydrates: 351 to 383 grams
What To Eat: Bodybuilding
While curating either your gym diet plan for muscle gain or lean muscle gain, here are some foods you must include.
- Fish like cod, salmon, merkel, and others.
- Seeds like walnuts, chia, flax, almonds, sunflower seeds, and others.
- Oils like avocado, olive, flaxseeds, and others.
- Meats like pork, sirloin steak, venison, chicken breast, and others.
- Dairy products: milk, cheese, cottage, yogurt, and others
- Grains: wheat, rice, quinoa, bread, oatmeal, and others.
- Fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, pears, peaches, berries, oranges, green peas, potatoes, cassava, broccoli, spinach, green beans, mushrooms, and others.
As bodybuilding is about only 20 % training and 80% out of the gym, you have to stay selfdissipline enough to say no to junk foods, smoking, alcohol, added sugars, cookies, doughnuts, icecreams, soda, and deep fried foods. Always choose a clean meal over processed food.
