EZ Bodybuilding Tips » Nutrition

Why ‘High Calorie Meal Plans’ are Natural Bodybuilding Nutrition BS

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:08:23 +0000

You see them all over the Internet – ‘high calorie meal plans’ purported as necessary for going from skinny runt to ‘muscular he-man’ with the simple application of a one-workout-per-week bodybuilding training routine. “Experts” tell you to pump heavy iron, eat every three hours, and take in 3,000 to 5,000 calories per day and, voila, those massive quantities of excess calories will miraculously be converted to slabs of powerful and shapely muscle. This simple-minded prescription is one I personally adhered to twenty years ago. The result? I ended up with more body fat than muscle and an eating addiction more intense than what it had been prior to my having official approbation by the “high priests of bodybuilding” for being a downright pig.

Do you need to “eat a lot” in order to build muscle? Are ‘high calorie meal plans’ a necessary component of natural bodybuilding nutrition? Or is there a low threshold to the law of diminishing return in this context: Too much food ingestion requires processing energy by the body; energy traded from the reserves necessary to undergo the muscle building recuperation process itself? If the latter is the case, then body fat accumulation might be the lesser of detriments from excess calorie consumption; the greater being a hindrance to the very muscle building progress that the under-developed natural bodybuilder is seeking.

My Bad Experience with ‘High Calorie Meal Plans’

In the late eighties and early nineties, very high calorie meal plans were the rage in bodybuilding. As high as 10,000 calories-per-day consumption were being encouraged in certain bodybuilding circles. This simple-mindedly ridiculous eating protocol was the fuel behind the marketing machine that promoted “weight gainer powders” that eventually reached the excesses of packing around 1,400 calories in a single serving. Smack-center on the receiving end of those marketing messages was… uh… well… “yours truly.” I was more than happy to hear that my gluttonous habits were justified by the earnest and worthwhile endeavor of building muscle and strength. Consequently, many of these high-calorie, sugar-packed “meal supplements” sat on a shelf in my pantry right next to the high-calorie foods that competed with them for space in my stomach.

Of course, I hit the weights like a madman. I did “compound exercises” (squats, bench presses, dead-lifts, T-bar rows) because these movements were supposed to make me big. Well, actually, it was the combination of these so-called “testosterone releasing exercises” and all the high-calorie healthy protein and carbohydrate foods I was consuming that had been promised to make me “big.”

Did the ‘high calorie meal plans’ put weight on me? You bet they did. But it wasn’t the kind of weight that was typically associated with bodybuilding. I managed to eventually brandish a 38-inch waistline and a tipping of the scale that exceeded 230 pounds. As if the food addiction I’d already had wasn’t bad enough, now I had one that included 1,000 calorie bodybuilding smoothies and a lethargy-inducing, incessant food coma problem; not good.

An Example of Why ‘High Calorie Meal Plans’ don’t make sense for Natural Bodybuilding Nutrition

I’ll never forget an answer to a question I heard at a bodybuilding seminar back in 1990. The two-hour presentation had attendees asking personal questions of a Mr. Olympia competitor who had placed as high as second in that biggest of bodybuilding contests:

“How much muscle can you gain in a year?” asked one of the audience members.

Keep in mind – this was asked of a genetically gifted athlete who admitted to all of us that he was on regular cycles of anabolic steroids and growth hormone drugs.

“When I was in my teens, I could gain up to ten pounds of muscle per year.” He answered. “Now that I’m twenty-seven, I’m lucky if I add on two pounds of muscle per year.”

So with his genetics and pharmaceutical enhancement, he gained ten pounds of ‘solid weight’ (muscle) in a year. This was his fastest rate of muscle growth. When we divide those ten pounds of muscle per year by 365 days, we get nearly .03 pound of muscle per day. Ask yourself: How many extra calories does it take to activate tissue recuperation for gaining .03 pound of muscle each day?

We know the formula for gaining body fat. With 3,500 calories being present in each pound of fat, a mere 500 calories above maintenance is required each day to gain a pound of body fat in a week. That’s a gain of .14 pound of fat each day. If we assume we need as many calories to gain muscle as we need to gain body fat (big assumption), we can subtract .03 from .14 to get .11 and then multiply .11 by 500. This gives us 55, which we can subtract from 500 to get 445.

If we need as many calories each year to gain ten pounds of muscle as we do to gain ten pounds of fat – we’d need approximately 445 daily extra calories (above maintenance) to make it happen.

Wow… approximately four-hundred fifty calories each day? That’s about half a serving of dessert at the ‘Cheesecake Factory.’ More nutritionally speaking, it’s a small can of tuna, a half cup of oatmeal, a banana, and an apple; not exactly a ‘high calorie meal plan’ if you’re currently maintaining your weight on a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet.

Conclusion

Energy is required of the body to digest and process the mega calories from a “high calorie meal plan.” This is often wasted energy that could have otherwise been utilized to actually build some muscle. When we consume food that amounts to 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 calorie per day “meal plans”, the simple fact that muscle tissue grows at a slower pace than these calories can be utilized for their contribution to its growth makes the meal plans prescriptions for fat gain.

Twenty five years of natural bodybuilding has shown me this: Utilizing an effective muscle building schedule/routine is higher in importance for progress in “solid weight gain” (muscle) than is following a supposedly tailor-made plan of natural bodybuilding nutrition. After all, if your muscle breakdown/recuperation timing ratio is not optimal, all those well-timed bodybuilding meals will contribute little to that .03 pound-worth of recuperation needed each day. In other words: the calories could end up on your waistline while your solid flesh remains underdeveloped.

That’s from a guy who’s speaking from experience.

Scott Abbett is the author of HardBody Success: 28 Principles to Create Your Ultimate Body and Shape Your Mind for Incredible Success. To see his personal transformation, visit >www.hardbodysuccess.com

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Bodybuilding Supplements and nutrition

admin — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 19:02:16 +0000

this is a video made for those who are looking to start taking supplements. im very educated on the subject. ive been into bodybuilding for several years, and love the way it makes me feel. i encourage you to challenge yourself, and make ur body ache every once and a while. supplement list is as follows, Whey protein, creatine monohydrate, mega mens multi vitamin, fish oil, ZMA, and L-arginine.

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Bodybuilding Diet And Nutrition

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:32:59 +0000

I often pay close attention to the bodybuilding. Occasionally, i took note of a book namedbodybuilding revealed, which is written by Will Brink. When i saw the pages of it, i was rendered still. The book is a great resource that you need to have in the advanced stages of your bodybuilding education.

This book refers to every possible subject associated with bodybuilding, including gain muscle mass,bodybuilding nutrition, bodybuilding supplement and bodybuilding training science. It is easy to understand and follow. During all of these subjects, there is much diets information especially.

If you want to achieve maximum results in bodybuilding, diet is the most important part you should seriously take into account. 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 bodybuilding process. During the bodybuilding process, ideally the bodybuilding diet should include food items that contain all categories of nutrients. It is essential to consume all the nutrients, such as 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 products can rebound your efforts.

The knowledge about diets and nutrition introduced in this book is so much more than this. If you would like to know more, please do not hesitate to read this e-book. Since you know these information, you should have a balanced and nutritious bodybuilding diet plan meeting your body needs and help you out. After reading this book, you can know how to use your diet to gain more muscle in a health way and to complete your bodybuilding plan. Grab A Copy Click here

Body Building Revealed Complaints

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Macrobolic Nutrition: Priming Your Body to Build Muscle & Burn Fat

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:07:26 +0000

Product Description
Many people want to attain the muscles and lean body of a bodybuilder but wonder how to do it right. Some have been pumping iron but haven’t been able to get the results they’re striving for. This book gives readers the key to attaining that sculpted body without wasting their efforts in the gym. It explains the principles of the Macobolic Nutrition plan, which can be used to get bigger, leaner, and healthier. Readers will gain an undestanding of the impact food has on the many biochemical processes in the body that influence muscle growth and fat burning. Gerard Dente is a nationally ranked bodybuilder, who understands the importance of nutition and supplementation fo maximum perfomance. His own personal quest… More >>

Macrobolic Nutrition: Priming Your Body to Build Muscle & Burn Fat

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Unknown Secrets to Natural Bodybuilding Nutrition

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:01:40 +0000

Are you not satisfied with how you look? Do you wish there was something out there that will help obtain your desired shape without actually using supplements and drugs? No need to fret because natural bodybuilding is your answer. This process basically is doing bodybuilding without taking any muscle enhancing drugs or anabolic substances. Many people choose to use only natural foods as a supplement to bodybuilding.

Every natural bodybuilder understands they will exert more effort than those taking supplements but the results are great. Plus you get rid of any unwanted side effects that most of the supplemental drugs cause. The focus is largely on proper diet, training and exercise. Dedicated hard work and consistency should be your main forte to success. Most bodybuilders are persistent enough to eat the right food and do the proper diet for weeks but after time they begin to lose the dedication. They end up throwing all their effort away into nothing! Building muscle doesn’t happen overnight. It should be cultivated over time. Bodybuilding is a rigorous process and you will have to condition your body and mindset for achieving the target. Some people fail to get what they really want because they don’t set a goal. In bodybuilding, goals need to be a short-term for fast result.

Proper nutrition is half the battle in natural bodybuilding. Typically you’ll need to consume 12-13 calories per pound to lose an extra pound or 17-19 calories to gain muscle. Thirty percent of the calories should come from proteins, 20% fats, and 50% natural carbohydrates. Avoid any kind of processed foods and sweets. Not only they provide extra calories but they do not have any nutritional value at all. Eat healthy and don’t starve yourself since hardcore weight training breaks down muscle fiber and your body needs to repair them through good nutrients. Get the perfect balance between all the minerals, nutrients, proteins and fat in your food. And you should get the maximum benefit from calories that you consume to ensure the nutrients are going straight to your body. Protein powders can help fill in the gaps but shouldn’t be your only source of food since you are aiming for a natural bodybuilding process.

In the natural bodybuilding technique, you have to undergo a lot of obstacles including body exhaustion and getting rid of unhealthy food. And of course a lot of dedication! There’s no shortcuts and when you find success, you’ll be delighted and pleased about your body. You were able to surpass all the difficulties with flying colors. You will also be proud of knowing you are able to gain the results comparable to the drug enhanced athletes. But the difference is, you are 100% natural!

Did you know the right way to build muscle fast? Want to learn which muscle building supplements work best?

Visit http://www.buildmuscletoday.com to get your FREE VIDEO COACHING LESSONS NOW!

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BodyBuilding and nutrition Tips?

admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 04:04:47 +0000

Hi guys,
Can anybody provide me with a full weekly program for body building and nutrition. The web is really misleading.
I want to start from the beginning. My main concern is broadening shoulders and having a nice chest and stomach. What I really need is a weekly program that says how many times do I need to do it, how many sets of each excercise I need to do, what kinds of excercises, etc.

Thanks to you all

Abdul

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Warning: Optimum Nutrition Right Here – Bodybuilding Tips & Guide

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 07:04:24 +0000

Offers information related to optimum nutrition. Helpful tips, tricks, and suggestion about optimum nutrition.

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Natural Bodybuilding Nutrition

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:01:07 +0000

Many bodybuilders use supplements that help their muscles to grow quickly. And there is nothing wrong with this. Care must be taken though to make sure that what we put into our bodies is not just cooked up in a chemical lab. Natural bodybuilding relies on natural nutrition rather than artificial substances. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use supplements to help muscle growth. It just means that these supplements should be natural products. And this means staying clear of man-made steroids and hormones.

Bodybuilding as a sport, just like professional ball other competitive amateur sports, takes a dim view of using illegal and artificial substances – especially in competitions. In fact, there are many contests for only natural bodybuilders. Contestants are tested before competition and if found to have illegal substances in their body are not allowed to compete.

There is good reason for this. No one wants competitions designed to destroy the contestants but this is what the synthetic substances do. While they may actually help your muscles grow very quickly, they can have horrible side effects. Natural bodybuilding is about growing your body naturally with natural and staying healthy while you are growing your muscles.

You have to make a choice. And if you do decide to “go natural” it is really important that you get enough of the right types and amounts of nutrients and vitamins to gain the maximum benefit from your workouts. This requires eating properly to make sure that you are getting all of the muscle building proteins that your body requires to work under stress. Natural bodybuilding nutrition also requires daily multi-vitamins.

An effective weight training program together with proper nutrition is all that is needed to build your body naturally. Steroids or growth hormones are not needed for any reason at all for you to gain maximum muscle mass. For every person that says that synthetic substances are needed to help build muscle mass there are two others that put the lie to this and have the healthy, muscular bodies to prove it.

Proper nutrition is a must in a natural bodybuilding program. You must also keep a positive mind set. You don’t need the artificial crutches, do you? Of course not! Just keep that in mind and half the battle is won. But you do need to take some supplements if your goal is fit, toned muscles. Stick with supplements like creatine and glutamine which are naturally produced in the human body anyway. Whey protein is also a great supplement. These simply enhance the ingredients produced naturally by your own body.

A natural bodybuilding regimen of proper diet, including correct supplements, will produce a healthy toned body. This is definitely the way to go if you want to end up with a healthy body and feeling good about your program. You don’t need hormones or steroids so avoid them at all cost.

Natural bodybuilding is best for everyone. Don’t take the chance that you will suffer ill effects from steroid use. Stick with a strong workout program and commit building your body in a natural way not an artificial way.

To get the low down on natural bodybuilding, go to Gerry’s website, Muscle-Building-Reviews where you will find reviews of top natural bodybuilding programs and many free articles and resources including a free muscle building course.

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