Cardiovascular fitness can be defined simply as the body’s ability to get oxygen and blood to the muscles. The shortened term used when referring to cardiovascular exercise is “Cardio”, but the slang term “wind” is also frequently used when referencing endurance. Physical activity becomes cardio work when the pulse quickens and breathing becomes deeper causing the cardiovascular and respiratory systems to work harder. One can improve the efficiency of both systems through regular training. However, too much of this activity can be counter-productive as it forces the body to catabolize muscle tissue.

buy clenbuterol with www.pharma-eu.info

TIPS ON TRAINING

Exercise should be pre-meditated, deliberate, and methodical with limited distress. One must make time for structured exercise at least 4 times a week and not overlap this designated time with work, chores or family.

As with dieting, competitors adjust their workout routines depending on where their body is at a certain time, and where they need to be by competition time. As expressed earlier, the cleaner the diet the less time spent in cardio sessions, thus most average about 3-5 days a week (plus routine practice). This number and duration will increase as contest time nears, but not by much. Here’s one competitor’s quote on the subject, “I have found that if I train smarter, more intense, then I can spend less time in the gym. It makes my life more efficient that is so important when managing my time.”

Due to differences in genetics, not all workouts will have the same impact for everyone. The one constant that is repeated throughout the websites of female competitors regarding the key to training, is to continually vary both weight and cardio training.

Weight bearing cardio work, those exercises for that standing is required, are superior to non-weight bearing ones by virtue of having to support one’s own bodyweight throughout the activity. This means that walking or running SHOULD be preferred over cycling or rowing, however one should not forget to account for intensity. That is to say, a moderate walking session, may not be as productive as a fast cycling one.

How Much Cardio is Necessary?

There are a few simple guidelines to follow when determining how much cardio work should be done. But as with every other aspect of training, it all comes down to goal orientation.

buy clenbuterol -cytomel-t3 with www.pharma-eu.info

• To gain weight one will find reducing cardio of value, but there is still a need for it in order to maintain health. Twice a week light cardio sessions of 20 minutes is sufficient to provide for these requirements.

• When seeking to lose fat cardio activity is recommended four to six times per week at 40+ minutes per session. However, as discussed earlier, the amount of cardio required for serious training is directly related to the soundness of the dietary and weight training programs.

• For improving cardiovascular fitness in general training three or four times per week for 20 to 40 minutes per session (depending on current level of fitness) will yield good results.

What Type of Cardio Should Be Done?

Cardiovascular training, no matter what the exercise, is categorized based on duration and intensity. When choosing that type of cardio to do keep the ultimate goal in mind.

• If the goal is fat loss but the body is poorly conditioned, begin with low intensity, long duration work such as walking. For the same goal with reasonably good cardiovascular conditioning, one should work out at a level that burns the most calories, i.e. high intensity training (explained in detail below).

• If the goal is to improve general cardiovascular fitness, then moderate intensity work is more appropriate. This is where deep breathing begins, and conversation is labored but possible.

Maximum Heart Rate

The heart rate is the guide for cardiovascular exercise intensity.

• The maximum heart rate (HR max) is the theoretical number of beats per minute that your heart is capable of producing.

• This is found by subtracting your age from 220, e.g. if you’re 40 years old, 220 – 40 = 180 HR max. But this is simply estimation, not an absolute upper limit.

• To measure aerobic exercise intensity, percentage of HR max (%HR max) is often used. If you want to exercise at 60% of your HR max, your heart rate should be (using the example above) around 108 beats per minute.

Target Heart Rate

Your Target Heart Rate is the range of heart beats per minute at that you should work in order to best achieve aerobic fitness. This range is typically between 60% and 80% of your HR max. The bottom end of the scale is best for low intensity training while the top end is for high intensity training.

ADDRESSING THE LOW INTENSITY = FAT LOSS MYTH

Now most people familiar with the claims of low intensity fat loss training are probably shaking there heads right now. Although there is a wee bit of initial truth to this philosophy, further analysis reveals it to be a myth that low intensity training is best for fat loss. The reasoning behind this is simple, more fat is burned for fuel as a percentage of the total calories burned, and high intensity work burns more calories. Now scratching their heads, some readers may be thinking, “What did I just hear?” Okay it’s time to pull out the pictures. Let’s view this from an illustrative vantage point.

Low Intensity (L.I. for short) burns about 50% fat for fuel while High Intensity (H.I.) burns about 40%. This is not a big difference.

But say, for example, one burns 100 calories in 20 minutes of L.I. work, compared to 160 calories in 10 minutes of HI work. Performing HI actually burns more total fat, and does so in only half the time as illustrated below.

Low Intensity
100 calories x 50% = 50 calories

High Intensity
160 calories x 40% = 64 calories

In addition, HI training will also boost the metabolism long AFTER the workout is done. This post-workout fat burning effect does not accompany LI training. Even though HI training is a powerful fat loss tool, it should only be used by those who have already attained a good level of cardiovascular fitness.

The basic idea when trying to lose fat is to create a caloric deficit that prompts the body to release stored energy, a.k.a. fat. The type of training does not matter nearly as much as creating this deficit, bringing us back to the paramount importance of diet and muscle building, but as illustrated above HI training creates this deficit more efficiently than LI training.

The human body is a marvelous machine and as such it responds best to a variety of stimuli. To derive optimal value one’s cardio training should be varied. Here are some examples of ways to diversify this training component.

Equipment – treadmill, stationary bike, stair stepper and elliptical machine

Rather than doing the same old steady-state fixed pace, alternate between fast-blast intervals and recovery paces. A fast-blast interval can last from 30 seconds to several minutes and should be done at an intensity that leaves you barely able to hold out for even a few moments longer. The recovery interval should have the effort level of a casual-paced walk, and is done for one to two minutes to catch your breath.

Classes. A major component among fitness competitors is their use of instructed classes (often taught by them). These groups serve multiple purposes including help with cardio motivation, increased flexibility and core strength, and as great stress relievers. At least two of any group classes per week are recommended, and general course selections included various Step, Boot Camp, Kickboxing, Core training, Yoga, Pilates and Spinning.

The track. Run or walk one lap at a rigorous speed, then walk moderately the next lap. Alternate for 20 minutes.

The climb. Climbing gyms are easy to find, and wall-climbing offers an exciting alternative to more traditional exercise while working the entire body. For those who dislike stretching, climbing stretches the body while providing excitement to the exerciser, and there are different routes for all levels of participants.

The rope. Still one of the single best cardio activities known to (wo)man, the jump rope is simple, inexpensive, convenient and extremely efficient. The best way to improve and monitor your jumping is by timing it. Begin by simply jumping for as long as you can, then take a one minute break and repeat for a total of four repetitions. On successive outings increase the jumping time of each repetition by a very minor amount such as 5 seconds until you become a world class skipper.

The great outdoors. Outdoor exercise is an option that helps break up some the monotony of gym workouts. Several of the women reviewed used this option in conjunction with the gym. That is to say they’d: warm-up with outside walking, jogging or inline skating before lifting; burn additional calories this way after lifting, as well as; utilize the outdoors for independent cardio sessions.

Larry Scott, the first Mr. Olympia, remarked in 1965 ‘Bodybuilding is 90% nutrition.’ Shawn Ray in 1993 echoed the sentiment: ‘The weights, the gym, the training, I can do that part in my sleep; it’s fun and relatively easy. It’s the other stuff, the dieting and supplementing, that demands the discipline.’ If success is any measure, Shawn knoweth that of which he speaketh. Top professional bodybuilders weight, measure, quantify and chart every bite they put into their mouths.

Does the grass roots trainer need to go to that level of dedication and exactitude? To maximize gains, yes. Perhaps not to the degree the elite go to, but nutrition is a key ingredient in bodybuilding success. So take a hint. Without a scientific nutrition program, bodybuilding devolves into plan weight training, which is a hell of a lot further down athletic evolution. As Robby Robinson once observed ‘Nutrition is everything’.

Taoist monks in search of spiritual enlightenment have a method for obtaining nirvana called Wu Wei, the Negative Way. In the system of Wu Wei, adherents obtain enlightenment through negation. Rather than try to define the enlightened truth, they identify all that is false. After doing so, they are left with that which is true. Hidden within the science that encapsulates modern bodybuilding nutrition, we have the equivalent of Wu Wei. We can acquire nutritional truth through the identification of that which is false. Identifying the false sheds light on its opposite, the truth. Here are the top 10 false moves of bodybuilding nutrition and their implied opposites.

1. Eating Too Much

We all know the biology. Excess calories are stored as bodyfat. For overeating to be at the top of the nutritional false move list is no mistake. Building muscle is the number one goal of bodybuilding and bodyfat is the bodybuilder’s number one enemy. What’s the sense of working an impressive set of muscles requiring much blood, sweat and tears, if it’s obscured by a layer of lard? May I suggest the obvious? If you are overweight, eat less. The simple act on consuming less food will cause you to lose weight. Be aware, however, that if you eat less but retain your current food profile, you will just construct a miniature version of your old self. Less of the same will shrink you, but your proportion of muscle to bodyfat will stay the same. The end result? You look like your old self, just pounds lighter. Truly sensational physical transformation lies in losing bodyfat while maintaining muscle. To achieve true nutritional nirvana, building muscle while simultaneously losing bodyfat, we need to practice nutrient based dieting.

To lose fat and retain muscle, besides doing aerobic exercise, you need to eat precise amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fat. You need to become nutrient conscious. Read the labels on the food you eat. What is the consensus on achieving metabolic nirvana? To hang on to muscle, you need protein and lots of it. To maintain energy and fuel growth you need quality cards. To shed the fat blanket and keep the muscle, to effect the physical transformation you seek, you need lots of quality nutrients, but not in excess. You tread the razor’s edge between enough and too much. Everyone is different. Experiment and monitor.

2. Eating Too Little

Undereating is as bad as overeating. Physiologically, it’s impossible to build muscle if your diet lacks proper nutrients. Ample amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and yes, even fat are necessary to build muscle. The trick is balance, you need enough high quality food to grow muscle. Yet even the finest muscle fuel will be stored as fat if taken in excess. One key strategy is to confine your eating to ‘clean fuel’, nutritionally dense foods with little or no fat and sugar. And you need to eat plenty of them. A serious weight trainer who additionally performs regular cardiovascular work will need to the extra nutrients to cope with the additional metabolic demands.

3. Insufficient Protein

The fact remains: Protein is the single most important nutrient for muscle regeneration and building. The trick is to use only lean protein. Protein and fat usually coexist in food sources. Meat, fish, fowl, dairy, these primary sources all can have much fat content. In the old days, we did not worry about such inconveniences. As a result, heavy protein consumers developed nasty clogged arteries and astronomical cholesterol rates. The fault wasn’t in the protein, but the fat attached to the protein.

Nowadays, we hardcore weight trainers confine our protein to nonfat or low fat sources. Skim milk, egg whites, fish, skinless fowl, flank steak, and of course that staple of weight training, protein powder. These foods represent powerful, clean protein sources. Start by ingesting 1 – 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. To stay anabolic, divide the total intake into 4-8 equal portions and eat these low fat protein sources at regular intervals throughout the day.

4. Failing to Cook for Yourself

Meal preparation is a critical skill. To be truly successful as a bodybuilder, you should be able to prepare your own food. Nutritionally sound foods eaten throughout the day are necessary to obtain anabolism. Most male bodybuilders (and more than a few female ones) do not cook. Big mistake. Why depend on mom, your spouse, restaurants or fast food joints for the endless succession of small, nutritious feedings required to mount a serious bodybuilder effort?

Not only do you have to come to grips with cooking, but you have to develop a wide and inventive repertoire of dishes and meals. Otherwise you are locked into the equivalent of prison chow. Jail house cuisine is bland, unimaginative, tasteless. Kinda like the clean foods we bodybuilders choose to contend with day in, day out.

You need a lot of imagination to deal with clean food. Tuna and egg white need not be dull. How do the ignorant become enlightened? Comb the magazines. Read low fat cook books. Assemble your ingredients, set aside some time and have at it. Plus, you’ll impress the heck out of your mom when you serve her a low fat gourmet feast some fine Sunday.

5. Not keeping a Nutrition Log

As cumbersome as it might sound, the muscle elite keep daily records of what they consume and when they consume it. They write it all down in a log. This allows them to keep a running tally of their nutritional progress. They establish a long term game plan and keep daily tabs on food and supplement consumption. Tracking results, identifying trends, finding what works, discarding what doesn’t, a log becomes your nutritional report card. You can make truly accurate assessments and implement intelligent corrective action when you base your adjustments on factual data and objective analysis. Otherwise it degenerates into wishful thinking and self-delusion.

So begin by assembling data. The truly complete nutritional log lists date, time, food type, and carb, fat, sugar, sodium, protein and caloric content. Body stats are notated along with short descriptive phrases on the athlete’s general condition. Drawn up in column format, the comprehensive notation of a meal takes about two minutes. And you’ll find that the purchases of a food nutritional value book (available at any bookstore) will be of a great help. Did I hear you say what a hassle? It could be worse. Thomas Jefferson wrote down every financial transaction he made in his adult life and he lived to be 83.

6. Too Much Fat & Sugar

The twin demons of nutrition. Fat is calorically the densest of all nutrients, with nine calories per gram. Fat is hard to digest and is the body’s preferred storage material. Though a certain amount of fat is needed for brain and other bodily functions, the little that’s required is easily acquired through regular low fat eating.

Excess sugar is easily converted to fat once in the body. Buyer beware: A food may be advertised as low fat and still be loaded with sugar. Taken in excess, this sugar can be quickly converted to fat. Quite a few a few of the sports drinks and nutritional sports bars are loaded with sugar. Limit fat intake to roughly 15% of your total caloric consumption.

7. Not Drinking Enough Water

As we know, the body is 67% water, and we should drink lots of water throughout the day. Water courses throughout the body’s plumbing; downing copious amounts throughout the day keeps the pipes clean as chrome. So flush the system continually and regularly, regenerating muscle cells through water replenishment. Drink 10 eight ounce glasses of water a day.

8. Lacking Positive Nitrogen Balance

Positive nitrogen balance is the physiological state in which muscular growth is possible. How to achieve it? Take in a fresh supply of muscle building nutrients every 2-3 hours. The human body works most efficiently when given small feedings at regular intervals throughout the day. These evenly spaced feedings should be composed of high quality protein and carbohydrates.

How can you eat every 2-3 hours when faced with the rigors of a job, family and real world responsibilities? A nutritious sports bar and a glass of skim milk can supply 50 grams of protein and 50-100 grams of carbohydrates. How long does it take to eat a sandwich? Or drink a protein shake? How about a piece of fruit and a chicken breast? You get the idea. This ties into food preparation; pack clean food snacks and graze throughout the day. When an athlete is in positive nitrogen balance, the body is ready, willing and able to grow.

9. Lacking Food Balance in Meals

Imbalance is rampant in this off kilter world. Food consumption is no exception. Balanced eating as defined by some nutritionists is not quite the same as balanced eating as defined by the muscle elite. The optimal feeding, according to the elite, is a skillful blending of lean protein, starcvhy and fibrous carbohydrates, minuscule amounts of fat and no sugar. The proportional divisions vary depending upon individual characteristics. Some folks are carb sensitive and need to keep starchy carbs to a minimum, otherwise they blow up like cartoon characters who’ve swallowed an air hose. Others thrive on a diet heavy on potatoes and rice with no ill effects.

How you metabolize food is as individual as your hair color or height. You need to determine how foods affect you. Rule of thumb for proportional balance: 50% calories from carbs, 35% from protein and 15% from fat. This is a good starting point, and careful monitoring once on this 50-35-15 regimen will dictate any necessary adjustments. The goal is building muscle and reducing bodyfat. How do you achieve a real world balance with traveling around with a scale, calorie book, and calculator? At each meal, fill 50% of your plate with carbohydrates. Half of these should be dense, starchy carbs (rice, potatoes) and half should be fibrous carbs (broccoli, green beans, lettuce, etc.). The other half of the dinner plate should consist of lean protein (skinless chicken, turkey, fish, etc.). Don’t worry about the 15% fat… it’s there!

10. Ignoring Supplementation

We all have little holes and shortcomings in our diets, and supplements help us round them out. All elite athletes use supplements. The expense, hassle and confusion of diet supplementing scares off some trainers. Big mistake. State with a prepackaged multipak. In addition, a quality protein powder, a high grade carbohydrate powder, and a big supply if beef liver tabs will do wonders for your recuperation, training, and physique.

Bodybuilding Nutrition for Beginners Made Easy

——————————————————————————–

Written by AJC

To those who already know “everything”: Please remember that this was written to give beginners a place to start in terms of nutrition. I could get into much more detail, but the object of this article is to be brief and explain the very basics of bodybuilding nutrition. This gives the beginner a place to start, so that when they read the articles in the magazines, they aren’t completely lost. Hopefully after reading this, Snackwell’s fat free cookies will no longer be considered a good diet food and protein will no longer be considered just a supplement.

Beginners, hopefully this will spark your interest enough to get you to read articles and books and further educate yourself, so that you will get the results that you want. In my opinion, nutrition is 50% of the equation when trying to achieve your goals, training is 40%, and the correct use of anabolics is 10%. Yes, anabolics do make more than 10% of a difference, but that’s only if you are eating right and training hard. Anabolics, in my honest opinion are merely supplements that actually do what they are supposed to.

Part I – Macronutrients

What are macronutrients?

It’s actually very simple. All foods fit into these three categories: Protein, Carbohydrates, or Fats. As a bodybuilder (or anyone trying to get fit or get bigger), you need to know this and you must know what each one does in your body.

Protein

Literally, protein is the essential building block of muscle. Without this, you cannot and will not grow, even if you are on a boatload of drugs! As a matter of fact, without sufficient protein you will lose muscle. Strive for a bare minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each and every day. Most bodybuilders keep protein intake at 2 grams per pound or more. All protein has roughly 4 calories per gram. Remember that the body will use protein as a source of energy instead of using it to build muscle if you aren’t getting sufficient calories from carbohydrates and dietary fats. This will rob your muscles of this essential building block, so you must take in sufficient quality carbs and fats as well, but more on that later.

Protein sources include:

All meats – including beef, poultry, and fish.

Protein powdesr – Adding this to your diet is probably the only way you will get 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis unless you have nothing to do all day except eat, train, and sleep.

Nuts, legumes (includes peanuts, soy beans, etc.) – Not the best choices, but remember not to worry so much about what kind of protein you get as much as you should worry about how much protein you’re getting every day. Adding nuts to your diet is a good way to add protein and healthy fats.

Carbohydrates

The body’s preferred source of energy. Carbohydrates also provide your brain with energy, which is why you will be somewhat “out of it” when you first start a low carb diet. Most bodybuilders will strive to get 2-3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight when bulking. (i.e. A 200lb. bodybuilder would strive for 400-600 grams per day). All carbohydrates have roughly 4 calories per gram. In my opinion, it’s very important to eat some carbs before training to provide you with energy that you will need.

Too many calories from carbohydrates at one time will be stored as fat. Carbohydrates that are digested fast (called sugars, simple carbs, or simple sugars) will be more likely to be stored as fat because the body doesn’t get enough time to burn the calories. Foods that include simple carbs and sugars are fruits, fruit juice, sweets and junkfood containing sugar (including candy, cookies, cakes, soda, etc.) Obviously, you will want to limit the amount of simple carbs that you take in. The only time it is advantageous to take in simple carbs is immediately after training, when your body’s glycogen stores are low. Taking in simple sugars at this time will allow your body to replenish glycogen stores more quickly (in short, this means faster recovery, which translates to quicker growth).

Carbohydrates that are digested by the body more slowly (referred to as complex carbohydrates) are less likely to be stored as fat and tend to be high in dietary fiber. These are the bodybuilder’s preferred source of carbohydrates.

These slow burning carbohydrate sources include:

Oatmeal

Whole Grain Bread (nothing with the word “enriched” in the list of ingredients)

Grains

Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes (Yams)

Vegetables – These will be mainly used as a source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and not as a source of energy

Pasta

Rice – Brown rice tends to burn slower and because of that, it is a better choice than white rice.

Not all complex carbs burn as slowly as others, for instance whole wheat bread (not enriched) burns much slower than white bread, white rice burns faster than brown rice, also note that pastas burn faster than most other complex carbs.

Faster burning carbohydrate sources include:

Candy

Soda

Cakes, Pies

Sugar of any type

Fruit Juice – Not as good as fruit, but a better choice than the above mentioned foods.

Fruits – Still a very good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Carbohydrates also affect blood sugar, muscle glycogen levels and insulin production. But for the purpose of keeping this article “beginner friendly”, I won’t get into all of that. Just remember that when you take in simple carbs (sweets/sugars) your blood sugar spikes relatively fast and then drops that much faster (unless they are taken in after training), which will leave you feeling tired, sleepy, and even a craving for more sugar or carbs. This is another reason why slow burning carbs are preferred.

Fats

Some dietary fats are good for your fitness goals and other dietary fats are very bad for your fitness and your health. Fats, like carbohydrates can either be burnt as energy or stored as bodyfat. Fats generally burn faster than carbs, therefore they are more readily stored as bodyfat. Dietary fats have roughly 9 calories per gram, as opposed to 4 calories per gram for protein and carbs. Along with being used as energy, healthy fats provide a host of other benefits, including maintaining overall health and even making your skin and hair look better. Unhealthy fats (saturated fats) can do just the opposite, especially to your skin.

Sources of “good” or “healthy” fats include but are not limited to:

Fish Oil (basically fats found in fish)

Nuts (good source of protein and healthy fats)

Olive Oil

Flaxseed Oil – can be found in most nutrition stores like GNC

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) – also can be found nutrition stores

Sources of “bad fats” include, but are not limited to:

Anything that it deep fried (french fries, fried chicken)

Fat from animal sources, such as the saturated fats found in beef and pork and the saturated fat found in milk.

Part II – Diet Types

What kind of diet should I be on?

This depends on what you want to accomplish. We’ll look at two categories of diets, “bulking” and “cutting”.

Bulking

This is the term we use to describe diets where you are ultimately trying to add muscle. The only way this can be done is to take in more calories than your body uses. Most bodybuilders will tell you that it’s easier to add muscle when a small amount of fat is added along with it. That being said, if your body fat is over 20%, you should probably consider cutting down to around 12-15% before you think about bulking or you will end up looking like an fat person rather than a bodybuilder.

To build muscle, you need to take in adequate protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and even some sugars (Candy bars aren’t really what I mean). As you already know, protein is what builds muscle. But, without sufficient calories coming from complex carbs and healthy fats, your body will use that protein as a source of energy, which will in turn rob your muscles of this very important building block.

*To find out how many calories you need to build muscle and what form they should be in (Protein/Carbs/Fats), you will want to multiply your bodyweght by 15-17 for starters (use a higher number if you don’t see desired results).

200 lbs x 15-17 = 3000-3400 calories. So, a 200 lb bodybuilder will need 3000-3400 calories per day.

Chris Aceto, a popular nutritionist used by many pro bodybuilders recommends a protein/carbs/fats ratio of 35/55/15, which means 35% of calories come from protein, 55% come from carbs, and 15% come from dietary fats.

We’ll use that 200 lb bodybuilder at 17 calories per pound as an example.

3400 calories x 0.55 = 1870 calories from carbs (1870 divided by 4 calories per gram = 467.5 grams of carbs per day)

3400 calories x 0.35 = 1190 calories from protein (1190 divided by 4 calories per gram = 297.5 grams of protein per day)

3400 calories x 0.15 = 510 calories from dietary fats (510 divided by 9 calories per gram = 56.67 grams of fat per day)

*Click on Nutritional Calculator for help with calculating this.

Cutting

This is the term we use to describe diets where the reason is to reduce bodyfat. There are many different approaches to doing this, in terms of diet. You will most likely need to experiment to find out which one is for you and which type of cutting diet your body responds to best. On any cutting diet you choose, you need to take in less calories than your body uses. Without turning this into a training article, cardio is another very important factor here. The basic idea when cutting (in my opinion) is to eat a little less, and move a lot more (cardio). Cardio should be performed anywhere from 3 times per week to twice per day.

One thing to consider while cutting is muscle loss. If you restrict your maintenance calories by more than 500-750 per day, you will likely lose some muscle. That being said, try to allow yourself 1 week for every 2 lbs of fat you want to lose. If you are losing much more than 2 lbs per week, it’s safe to say that you are probably losing muscle mass.

Here are a couple of types of cutting diets. All of these diet types will need to be considerably high in protein.

Low carb – The basic idea here is to reduce calories by restricting carbohydrates considerably, while allowing more dietary fats. After you have used up the small amount of calories that comes from carbs, the body will be using mostly dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it’s primary source of fuel. Sugars are basically eliminated on this diet.

Ketogenic – Also known as the Cyclic Ketogenic Diet (CKD) The idea here is similar to the low carb diet, except carbs are virtually eliminated from the diet completely which makes the body go into ketosisr (produce ketones which are reported to be anabolic while promoting fat loss at the same time…For simplicity’s sake, we won’t get into all of that here.) As with a low carb diet, the body will be using mostly dietary fats (healthy fats only) as it’s main source of fuel. Carbs are generally kept at around 15-20 grams per day.

Low fat – The way this type of diet reduces calories is by virtually eliminating dietary fats, while keeping carbohydrate intake relatively high compared to the above two diet types. The body uses carbs as it’s main source of fuel. While on this diet, you will still want to get around 20 grams of healthy or “good” fats per day.

*To find out how many calories you need to reduce bodyfat, you will want to multiply your bodyweght by 12-14 to start (use a higher number if you are losing more than 2.5 lbs per week).

200 lbs x 12-14 = 2400-2800 calories. So, a 200 lb bodybuilder will need 2400-2800 calories per day. As he loses weight he will want to recalculate this every 4 weeks or so.

Although a 55/35/15 carb/protein/fat ratio used above would probably work, the ratio will be different depending on what type of cutting diet you choose, which can get a little confusing. For further detail, I suggest getting a book focusing on one of these diet types and reading the nutrition articles in the magazines.

Part III – Timing

One thing you will learn with bodybuilding, is that timing truly is everything.

Eat at least 5 times per day!

Your body needs nutrients provided in a steady stream throughout the day, meaning you need to eat 5-8 times per day. If you don’t eat for an extended period of time (over 3-4 hours), your body will go into a catabolic state, meaning it will literally feed off of muscle. Not eating for extended periods also causes your metabolism to slow down and hold on to stored bodyfat that you already have and even store more bodyfat when you do get to eat. This is because your body has determined that you are out of food and may not get any food in the near future. This is the body’s defense against famine…good for survival, bad for bodybuilding/fitness goals.

Another benefit of eating every few hours, is the thermogenic effect of food. When your body digests food, your body temperature rises slightly, burning calories along the way. Make sure that there is always some protein in there every time you eat (before training excluded).

That being said, you should try to eat every 3 hours or so.

Don’t skip breakfast!

Your mom isn’t pulling your chain. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (or a tie with the meal following your workout). I can’t stress this enough. If you don’t eat within an hour of when you get up, you are cheating yourself to put it mildly. If you are getting the 8-9 hours of sleep that you should be, then you haven’t eaten for 8-9 hours…this is not good for bodybuilding. Some bodybuilders even wake up in the middle of the night and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when trying to bulk, so don’t think you can get away without eating breakfast because you can’t.

Late night snacks

Carbs and Fats are important, but if it’s late at night and you are trying to lose bodyfat, a protein shake may be all you need. If you’re having trouble gaining muscle, eat protein, carbs, and fats before bed.

If you are cutting and you get hungry when you go to bed, try eating a teaspoon of natural peanut butter. This is low in carbs and high in healthy fats and protein and should stop cravings for food long enough to let you get to sleep.

Eat before and after you train!

I like to have some carbs before I train in order to provide me with fuel for my workout. I usually try to take in 40-50 grams of carbs about 30-45 minutes before I train. I tend to get sick if I eat a significant amount of protein or fat this close to when I train, so it’s mainly just carbs at this time.

The worst mistake you can make is to not eat after your workout. When you train, you are breaking muscle down. If you do not provide your body with sufficient nutrients within 45 minutes of training, you are robbing yourself of recovery and muscle growth. Unless you are cutting carbs, you should try to consume some simple carbs (fruits or fruit juice, not cookies and junk food) after you train. This will allow your body to replenish it’s glycogen stores more quickly…allowing for quicker recovery. You should also consume protein after you workout.

Part IV – Convenience

The easiest way to make sure you stick with your diet is to make it convenient. It’s not going to taste all that good, so you might as well make this as easy as possible on yourself. Needless to say, it’s pretty challenging to go out of your way 5 or 6 times per day to find clean food when Taco Bell and Burger King is right across the street. Don’t do this to yourself, it’s not fun.

If for some reason you have to eat fast food, at least go out of the way to find a Subway or similar sandwich shop and order a sub. If you’re cutting, order a 6 inch sub on wheat bread to keep the carbs low, with double meat to keep protein high. Cheese and Mayo should be avoided, but mustard is a good topping when you’re dieting.

Prepare ahead of time.

Take your meals with you when you aren’t going to be home for an extended period of time. You don’t want to be forced to choose between Taco Bell and not eating when you are on a cutting diet.

When you’re bulking, there’s no better way to get fat than by eating the wrong kind of carbs and fats. Even though you don’t have to be as strict as you do when you’re cutting, you still need to eat quality calories. Even when bulking, try to prepare your meals at home and take them with you.

I prepare all of my food for the week on Sundays, put each meal in a plastic container and freeze them until the day I plan to eat them. Then all you need to do is pack a grocery bag with 2-3 meals out of the freezer and a 32 oz. Rubbermaid container full of protein or MRPs and take it to work (or wherever) the next morning. People at work will think you’re a little different when your “lunch” sack is usually a full grocery bag. If you aren’t going to have access to a refridgerator, buy a cooler and an ice pack.

Don’t forget Protein Powders and MRPs (Meal Replacement Powders).

The difference between a meal replacement powder (MRPs) and protein powder is that MRPs have carbs included in them, so they tend to taste a little better. The carbs in MRP’s aren’t really slow burning like oatmeal, etc. but they are decent calories for bulking. I don’t recommend MRPs for cutting purposes.

If you try to get all of your protein from solid food, it can get very expensive and is just hard to do. Meal replacement and protein powders are a great way to get extra calories and protein. When dieting down, I prepare about 120 grams of protein powder and water in a 32 oz. container to take with me to work the next morning. I leave it in the refridgerator and drink about 1/3 of it at 3 different times during the day (in between meals). I do the same thing when bulking, but with a couple of MRP’s and some protein powder instead of just protein powder.

For those who don’t put on fat easily, another variety of MRPs is the so-called “Mass” drinks. These come pre-bottled or the do-it-yourself powder form. They are usually full of carbs (including a lot of sugar) with a nice amount of protein, and some fat. If you put on fat easily, “Mass” type drinks are probably not for you. These can be a very useful tool for bulking, but can also make you fat, so I generally only recommend these to people that don’t put on fat very easily (no matter what they eat).

Part V – Water

Drink plenty of water!!

This is an easy concept. Water is the most overlooked part of nutrition. Drink 1-3 gallons (depending on your size) every day wether bulking or cutting. If you aren’t getting enough water, you won’t grow muscle as quickly and you won’t lose fat as quickly. Enough said.