CARBOHYDRATE CONSUMPTION

My friend and world-class natural bodybuilder, Chris Faildo, shared a dieting tip with me that has proved very useful. What he does is rotate his carbohydrate intake -- not only in amount, but also in type. For three days he will get his carbohydrates only from vegetable sources and keeps the total to around 150 grams. Then he will eat a more moderate amount of grainy types of carbohydrate sources for two days, then rotate back and forth. This is a very difficult contest diet -- especially when you need to train hard and heavily also. But, if you have seen the trademark condition Chris routinely shows in competition, you know that it works. I tried his method at the 1995 Mr. Universe contest and competed in my all-time best condition. As I look at pictures from that show, I am amazed at the cookie cutter shape I was able to achieve. I would have had trouble believing that this was possible drug-free if you had asked me a couple of years ago! Give this method a try. I'm sure if you stick it out, you will also be surprised with your results.

As a bodybuilder, I will always keep my protein intake high. If I want to get or stay lean, I will also watch the fat content in my food. What's left? Carbohydrates. This is the one nutrient that you must vary in amount to trick your body into getting lean.

As I learn more about nutrition, my theories sometimes change. I still believe that watching your carbohydrate consumption plays an important part in shedding body fat, but probably not for the same reasons as I once did.

I believe that eliminating starchy carbohydrates (at least for periods of time) are an effective way to lose fat because they are calories-dense and very easy to overeat more than any other reasons.

Regardless of all the different diets, nutrition theories, glycemic indexes of foods, and other complex and debatable factors, when it all comes down to it, effective weight and fat loss is a matter of calories consumed versus calories burned. If you eat more calories than you burn over the course of a day, you will gain weight. On the other hand, if you burn more calories than you eat over the course of a day, you will lose weight.

SHOULD YOU BULK UP?

Is it better to bulk up for added muscle growth, or stay lean all year around? Unfortunately, this is an area where there are no definitive answers.

One school of thought is that if you consistently ingest high-quality protein and train heavily and efficiently, it is not necessary to put on excess weight to gain muscle. The addition of body fat is not considered beneficial in the off-season to acquire more muscle. The more fat you put on, the tougher it will be to prepare for a show, so it is advised to stay within 10-15 pounds of contest condition.

Others feel that if you limit the amount of weight you can gain, you will also limit the amount of muscle you can gain in the process.

I have tried both methods during my off-seasons and personally feel it is better to bulk up -- but with some limitations.

I am definitely stronger when I am not restricting my calories -- regardless of the quality of those restricted calories. Consistently feeling stronger means heavier training sessions. Heavier training sessions over time leads to more muscle.

Carrying around a little extra weight also allows my body to fuel its energy requirements from body fat -- without threatening valuable amino acid stores (or protein). These protein stores can be used to build and repair muscle all year long - every single day of it!.

If you do decide to bulk up, be sure not to get too far away from contest shape. If you get behind schedule and need to drastically reduce your calorie intake to be ready for your show in time, you will undoubtedly sacrifice a lot of precious muscle in the process. This will negate the very reason you bulked up in the first place! As a natural bodybuilder, you do not have any chemicals to help you save muscle.

Whether you are a competitive or noncompetitive bodybuilder, ultimately you will need to decide how much body fat you are comfortable carrying. It may not be worth it to you to feel "sloppy" most of the year to display more muscle on that one day of the contest.

A good rule of thumb when it comes to eating in the off-season is "eat to gain muscle." Do not eat to get fat or eat to stay lean. Consistently feed yourself high-quality protein for muscle growth and enough carbohydrates to keep you feeling your strongest. After prioritizing those needs, consume as much fat as you feel comfortable eating.

SCHEDULING YOUR MEALS

Why are smaller, more frequent meals better than larger, less frequent meals? The body can better utilize the nutrients in the food. I heard this analogy used once to explain how smaller meals are beneficial to the bodybuilder. Think of steer, horses, or other "grazing" animals. They eat a little all day long -- and have tremendously muscular and lean bodies.

You should try to feed yourself every two to three hours. This will take a lot of planning, but if you want a quality physique, you must do it. There are many things you can do to insure that eating frequently will not be so difficult.

THE BENEFITS ARE MORE THAN JUST A GREAT BODY

Sound nutrition has many more benefits than just aesthetics. Applying good eating habits to your daily life will also help you mentally. If your body is a machine that needs fuel to run properly, then food is that fuel. The higher quality food you give your machine, the better it will perform. That means a better sense of well-being, sharper thinking, more strength in the gym, and better performance in other areas of your life, such as work and relationships with people. I believe when you consistently eat right, you have more "pep in your step," the sky seems a lot bluer, the air seems a lot fresher -- you become a happier, more optimistic person. It goes without saying you will need to put forth some effort -- and this can become very difficult. But isn't anything worth having always a little difficult?

Attaining a muscular physique that you can be proud of -- while sticking to your commitment of staying drug-free -- is one of these difficult tasks. Eating properly on a consistent basis is going to help you reach your goals. Eating well is the avenue to enjoying the great physique you desire.

NAME:

MAIL:

URL:

COLOR:
Black LimeGreen SeaGreen Teal FireBrick Tomato IndianRed BurlyWood SlateGray DarkSlateBlue LightPink DeepPink DarkOrange Gold DimGray Silver
SUBJECT:

COMMENT:

PASS:

トラックバックURL