How Much Protein Do You Need for Bodybuilding and Strength Training? For bulking, you need more protein and carbs to put on that crucial size since more energy is required to be in an anabolic state. But… every blessing has its burden; however, the results are entirely worth it…. 3 Let’s keep with our example of weighing 90kg. Limit processed (junk) foods as much as possible for optimal health and quality gains. If you are going to have fruit, it is best to try and time it so that you are eating it around your workouts, as this is when you will need a faster releasing source of carb. reduce carbs and fat at same time), or else you wont know what causes what. It’s very important to eat high-quality proteins to build muscle mass (Animal meats, dairy, and nuts are effective to name a few). If you are losing more weight than this per week you are LOSING lean muscle mass. Feel free to jig the ingredient amounts around to suit your goals. Fruit is acceptable for some people in their cutting diets while others may chose to completely cut this out. Obviously the main goal of many bodybuilders who are cutting is to lose fat whilst maintaining or, if possible actually gain some quality muscle. It is also reasonable in portion sizes, so should help in keeping you feeling full up and satisfied whilst cutting. Personally, I aim to lose 1.5 pounds per week and have found great success in retaining muscle at that rate. (24). This anabolic window is around 3-5 hours (And maybe slightly longer) after a workout and you can maximally replenish your lost nutrients in this time frame. As we mentioned earlier, there are three different common body types which are ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. Legendary bodybuilder, Ric Drasin, shares his expert advice for beginner bodybuilders. But, this is only if you’re weight training. But with all of the processed foods we have nowadays, it’s hard to eat in a similar fashion. But if you're not a distance runner, anything over 60-70 minutes per day is likely counterproductive—especially if you aren't consuming enough protein or calories to support the daily caloric expenditure. Now, to figure the approximate numbers in order to bulk, cut, or maintain; we can use the handy dandy calculators that we’re so blessed to have access too. (7, 8). However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis. How do we offset … Strictly speaking, from a scientific … The thrill of pushing your body to its limits and feeling your muscles pulsate with blood after a hard set is tough to duplicate outside of the gym. There is a common myth that you need to bulk in order to grow muscle. When transitioning from a bulking to a cutting phase, you would instead decrease your maintenance calories by 15%, meaning you would eat 2,550 calories per day instead of 3,450. Example cutting meal plan for a bodybuilder who wishes to lose body fat, whilst gaining muscle mass. When you train for bodybuilding, you are essentially pushing your body day in and day out in the gym or wherever you work out. But, for the main, with gentle dieting you can successfully lose fat and grow, reaching your bodybuilding objective, i.e. An effective bodybuilding diet will make all the difference when it comes to making gains. carbs should be low, but not omitted. Also, when cutting you generally don't have as much energy for quite as good of a workout, so you might be slightly smaller because you aren't doing as much volume. It’s really not that cut and dry though, and the truth is that it completely depends on how much you’re specifically consuming, how often you’re doing it, and how much you allow a night out of drinking to affect your training and diet in the overall picture. We can just punch in the numbers, which include age and amount of activity per day to get an estimate of required caloric and macronutrient intake. The more you lose from then on, the smaller the deficit becomes, as you get back into a normal body composition. Matthew's other passions include learning about mindfulness, strolling through nature, and always working to improve overall. But, whether or not this is true, choosing the right foods to get the job done is imperative for muscle growth and effective fat loss. So, check with a doctor if you feel any strange feelings after consuming higher amounts of carbs because your health is nothing to take lightly. The vegan lifestyle often gets a bad rap since many people who implement this diet experience illness and deficiencies. Required fields are marked *. consume more calories than you need to maintain your weight (protein intake aside), and by doing this a little fat deposition is inevitable and nothing to worry about. In order to achieve optimum results, I’d also try to include 30-40 minutes of cardiovascular exercise or high intensity interval training (HIIT) three or four times a week, as exercise preferentially burns fat whilst maintaining muscle mass. Plus, nerve, muscle, and energy function. Here are the levels below. FitnessVolt.com - 1700 Lincoln St. Denver, CO. © Copyright 2010 - 2020 FitnesVolt.com - FitnessVolt IBC. (9), Here are general macronutrient guidelines for bulking, cutting, and maintaining body weight…. Always read nutrition labels to make sure you’re not eating unhealthy amounts of processed ingredients like refined sugars, trans fats, white flours, palm oil, artificial sweeteners, etc. But, women should train just as hard as men to build lean muscle mass, and diet should only be tweaked slightly with carbs on the lower end, fat on the higher end, and protein should be around 1 gram per pound of bodyweight each day. Am I Prepared For Potential Setbacks? Protein: 25-35%; Carbs: 40-60%; Fat: 15-25%; Cutting/Fat loss. SODIUM AND BODYBUILDING. So, people who do not weight train will need a much more conservative amount of protein. There is another bodybuilding myth that you cannot gain muscle and cut at the same time. How To Cut After Bulking? There are a number of foods which most bodybuilders consume because they contain high-quality nutrients, are healthy for you, and are very effective for building muscle and burning fat. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are found in fish/seafood fats. Experiment with different macro ratios if you’re not getting the desired results. You need to do 2-3 to finish the workout. The biggest mistakes when cutting water weight are made when manipulating minerals and cutting water intake too soon or too gradually. This will ensure a slow weight loss which doesn’t wreak havoc on your health. So, supplementing with EAA’s is a good idea. But, if you do have a protein shake go with fast-digesting whey. Sleep aids and muscle relaxers are also commonly used to lower stress levels while dieting. Your email address will not be published. Then when you want to tighten it up more, increase your protein to at least five times a day, and spread it out at 2½-hour intervals. But complex carbs like roots and rice are great for long-lasting energy and maintaining an anabolic state (Necessary for bulking and muscle gain). Determining macros will vary between individuals based on age, weight, goal, and activity levels. Weight training whilst cutting, must remain intense. Losing body fat takes a caloric deficit or an increase in cardio, and this is necessary to see the cuts and striations in each muscle. That alone will make a huge difference. (21), Eating complex carbs and protein before a workout is a good idea because it will maximize glycogen stores (Sustained energy), and help to preserve muscle mass. But, some people do Paleo for health reasons as the benefits for staving off chronic illness and health conditions are evident. You will also have to be that little bit stricter in avoiding treats and junk food of course! This is called maintaining and it’s necessary once you hit your desired goal weight. Nuts/nut butter/seeds (Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc). WHICH is not insignificant - 1 to 2 pounds a week if you are strict, dial in cals/macros, and throw in cardio. As a general guideline, losing more than 2 pounds per week will result in a "significant" amount of muscle loss (certainly 3 pounds per week is too fast). Now, some people just feel better overall and experience a more desirable body composition by consuming lower carbs. Using the example of 2,400 calories, removing 500 calories from that would leave you with 1,900 calories (these numbers are purely for the sake of the example). Holding too much fat puts you at greater risk of some diseases, including heart disease. Meals must be small but regular, and in order to keep growing, it is essential to keep protein intake high. Conversely, however, I would certainly not recommend that a bodybuilder stays with a low bodyfat (under 6-7%) all year round, as this will limit energy levels required for growth, unless of course you are one of those guys who is fortunate enough to have a naturally cut physique. But the same macro numbers need to be met (If you’re the type to keep track). Even professional bodybuilders aren’t big fans of cutting. Cardiovascular exercise also plays an important role in … (17). Buying food in bulk is a great way to spend less money on food and it helps to have access to wholesale clubs with many options. Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Your email address will not be published. While bodybuilders spend most of the year eating excess calories to build muscle, when a competition is looming, cutting calories is vital to help shed … There are three principle reasons why a bodybuilder would want to cut: Whilst this article is principally about (1) and (2), as cutting for a competition is a very much more extreme approach and would warrant a lengthy article in its own right, the first few weeks are much the same whatever your reason for cutting. looking and feeling great. (22). Get a baseline. (19). Serious bodybuilders are always in one of two states, either in a bulking phase or in a cutting phase. In order to build or maintain muscle, you need to eat enough food. And this doesn’t mean you have to load up on bad carbs and fried foods. The key to effective cutting lies in careful manipulation of your intake of carbohydrate foods, i.e. But that’s just my opinion and one which is clearly different to that of some pro-bodybuilders like Lee Priest who willingly shows off-season photos of himself topless, gut and all, tens of lbs over his stage weight stuffing his face! There’s a myth that’s been around for a long time and that is to stop eating before bed as this will cause body fat accumulation. If you’re not familiar with the vegan type diets then no worries. Following a Plan Assess your current weight and body fat percentage. This way you’re body continued to burn carbs and use protein to repair muscle tissue. And sometimes, it just takes a little getting used too but it’s always a good idea to get blood work done (No different from a meat eater). If that happens, it means that your metabolism is slowing down. (1). They do put on muscle pretty easily too but have a slower metabolism and do better with lower carb and higher fat diet. It's a specialized plan to look your leanest on a target date. To put on serious mass you must eat an excess of energy in the form of calories which come from carbs, fat, and protein. After a workout our glycogen stores are low and our muscle tissue has been broken down. This is ample fat in order to grow muscle. The Best Bodybuilding Carbs Sources For Muscle Growth; How Much Muscle Can You Gain Naturally, And How Fast? And of course, the staple of your carbohydrate source while cutting should come from vegetables. When bodybuilders are deep into a cut, they’ll often add one cardio session per day to their routine in addition to weight training. This ideally should be done on a different day or a different time of day to weight training so as not to interfere with nutrients required for muscle growth. So, let’s over the necessary diet rules and guidelines so you can be best prepared to take on a bodybuilding regimen…, When we weight train, we break down muscle tissue, and to rebuild them even bigger than previously, we need adequate protein and carbohydrates. To lose fat, you need to know your recommended daily caloric intake and decrease that number by 250 to 500 calories per day. For the latest news and updates please follow us on. Here the priority is maintaining muscle mass. Luckily, … Plus, minerals like potassium, sodium, iron, zinc, selenium, choline, etc. And each body type requires a different nutritional strategy in order to reach the desired goal, in combination with a good workout plan…. So, this information on bodybuilding diets for beginners should give you enough information to start your bodybuilding journey and be well equipped to achieve your best physique yet. Most of you will, no doubt, be well aware of what these two terms mean, but for those who don’t: Personally I am not a big believer in alternating bulking and cutting cycles because you don’t need fat in order to gain muscle, and the cutting period then becomes a waste of valuable muscle growing time. Here are general macronutrient guidelines for bulking, cutting, and maintaining body weight… Bulking/Muscle Gain. (12, 13). Now, the general consensus for protein intake is that 1-1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight is sufficient for protein synthesis, and creating a positive nitrogen balance for muscle growth and anabolism. Mesomorphs are the people who most others are usually envious of because they can put on muscle without much fat by just looking at a set of dumbbells…. When cutting, change 1 variable, do not make wholesale changes (ie. When you eat high fat, moderate protein, and low carb diet, your body goes into a state of ketosis. Paleo involves eating whole, natural foods that were available during the Stone Age. Some lazier bodybuilders will use DNP to try and shorten the fat loss process. (15), So, obviously a bodybuilding diet has its benefits like supplying your muscles with essential nutrients to build a muscular physique, and burning body fat to reveal your hard work. To get to this standard, your weight training and the food you eat are of paramount importance. There isn’t too much to say about a mesomorph regarding diet modification because they’ll be able to grow and easily tweak their macros for optimal results. But protein has also been shown to be beneficial for fat loss and weight control which is another reason to eat good, quality protein. There’s not much getting past the downsides of this type of dieting diet and bodybuilding is a tough job which is why it’s not a lifestyle that’s suitable for everyone. I do not recommend this, but it does exist. Yes of course it will be effective -- at losing the pounds you can lose in a month. But, to fuel our workouts and have sufficient energy for an intense session, we need sufficient carbs and fats. Following a meal plan similar to the one below should give a steady loss of body fat, and if you are training hard, you will gain muscle too. Carbs should be on the lower end because women tend to carry more body fat on average when compared to men and any excess carbs can be stored as fat. (4, 5), And fats are important for energy but they help to regulate metabolism and testosterone; which equals muscle growth! So, many bodybuilders will let loose a little and hit up a burger joint when not in contest prep and be a little more lenient with their diets. Again keep in mind you might not have as much energy while cutting so try not to overstep your limits. But, this is purely based on each individual’s genetics and health. But, keeping protein high with moderate carbs and low fat can work very well. So, for example, if you need 2500 calories to maintain your weight, you should up that number by 250 to 500 calories in order to gain an extra pound a week. Strictly speaking, from a scientific viewpoint, it isn’t possible to gain muscle whilst being in an energy deficit due to the fact that muscle growth is an energy-requiring process. Of course the slower you go, the less muscle you will sacrifice. (20). You will be able to continue to train hard as your calorie intake will not be mega low and you’ll be including regular carbohydrates. Basically for circuit training you pick 5-8 exercises to work the entire body. But carbs also promote anabolism (Muscle building metabolic process) and it’s the only macronutrient that can burn energy efficiently enough to sustain you through intense physical activity. But, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a plant-based fatty acid found in flaxseeds and oils. Remove 5% of TDEE when required until at desired leanness. There are several interpretations of the ketogenic diet, but most limit your carb intake to 50 grams or less per day. Both plans are merely a guide and must not be stuck to rigidly! Use supplements to fill in what your diet cannot. Endomorphs tend to have a pear shape with bigger bones, and a predisposition to carrying more body fat. Or, you can opt for milk or a slow-digesting casein protein supplement. All Rights Reserved. Macros will vary as well as the type of foods consumed. In fact, many believe diet is even more important than training (They’re likely equal). Protein powders (Substitute for a few meals), High sugar fruits (Mangoes, grapes, figs, bananas). (10), Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the healthy fats which we need for optimal brain function, metabolism regulation, and testosterone production. A typical vegan bodybuilding diet includes lots of the following foods…. However, lowering your calories and staying in that deficit for too long would cause a negative metabolic adaptation. 1g of has 4K/Cal, so this comes up to 720K/Cal. The cutting phase is a term bodybuilders use to describe the period of dieting leading up to a competition. (11), Now, Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for a healthy heart and they’re found in certain fish, nuts, and seeds. So, stick with your daily caloric intake if you want to keep your size. We fast when we sleep but we could be building muscle instead (We prefer the latter option). This gives us 180g of protein to eat each day. (2, 3). Following a suitable cutting regimen, should provide high and regular protein, low but regular quality carbohydrates and low fat, whilst including essential fatty acids and sufficient amounts of fruit and vegetables. Now, the word diet may sound intimidating but it’s just a word used to describe a way of eating. Train hard to get the benefits of a strict bodybuilding diet. However, if you are cutting extremely strictly, then it is not possible to gain muscle at the same time as losing body fat, as there is far too insufficient energy reserves for muscle growth. For bulking, you need more protein and carbs to put on that crucial size since more energy is required to be in an anabolic state. The 4 Levels of Leanness. We have 2000K/Cal per day and our protein target is 2g/kg. A bodybuilder is always doing either of three things (Bulking, cutting, or maintaining) but to do so effectively you must know how many calories you burn when at rest (Resting metabolic rate), your total daily energy expenditure (Calories burned per day), and, of course, you need a goal weight. This is called bulking, and although you will put on body fat, it’s the only way to gain muscle tissue as quickly as possible. Drinking lots of milk and eating more fats wasn’t as uncommon for the top bodybuilders like Reg Park, Larry Scott and even the men of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s time. More energy = more muscle growth and weight gain. But, of course, these are only a few of many options as each individual should experiment for different ways to eat on the cheap. He also loves to help others to achieve their fitness goals and spread the knowledge where needed. This is not a fat loss diet. Consume complex starchy carbohydrate foods regularly, but in small portions only. (16). I see so many newcomers and experienced bodybuilders who do efficiently lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously. You can still look incredible and get the job done on a budget. It’s very fashionable amongst many bodybuilders to cycle nutrition, weight training and cardio routines in order to go through ‘bulking’ and ‘cutting’ cycles every few months. Protein creates a positive nitrogen balance which is crucial for muscle growth and preventing catabolism (Breaking down or loss of muscle tissue). This second plan relies less on supplements for protein intake and more on food for a bodybuilder who wishes to lose body fat, whilst gaining muscle mass. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for cutting. Myself, I carry about 1½ stone of fat over a stage weight so I always look big and still have that shapely bodybuilder appearance rather than just ‘bulk’ (well, so people tell me!). That’s where a deload comes in. Ectomorphs are generally skinny with a short torso and longer limbs. Aim to gain no more than one pound per week to bulk and lose no more than 1-2 pounds per week for fat loss. In life, there are few precious things we can control. 3 Let’s keep with our example of weighing 90kg. Five Powerlifting Training Methods That Bodybuilders Should Use, Improve Your Triceps Strength With The JM press. (22), But studies also show amino acid consumption before a workout to beneficial for promoting protein synthesis. (18). Give us a typical day in your cutting diet: My contest prep diet I try to match my protein to my body weight, so it may start a little high around 210 grams per day, and then gradually decrease as I drop weight - but never going under around 190 grams per day. (22, 23). Now, some bodybuilders do implement a keto diet before a contest, however, this may not be a sustainable way to achieve optimal performance and results. Some are a little less strict, but it’s only by cutting your carb intake that you force your body to produce ketones and burn more fat for fuel. Plant-based protein powder (Pea protein, brown rice protein, etc). Consume protein and amino acids before a workout for optimal protein synthesis.