In bodybuilding, training hard is only part of the equation, your diet is the most effective tools you can have if you want to achieve maximum potential. Diet is so important as you need to balance your protein, carbs and fat at the proper levels to supply your body with the energy needed to perform your exercises, as well as supplying the nutrients your body needs to rebuild your muscles, and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Protein
A good mass building diet will include protein high in amino acids. Having sufficient high quality protein is critical for building muscle, losing fat, and contributing to the overall health of your tissues and organs.
You should be consuming 1 gram of protein for each pound of your body weight. Bodybuilders trying to build mass should increase that amount to a gram and a half per day. Good sources of protein include meat, fish, and milk.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates should also be a big part of your diet. Carbs are used as a major fuel source to supply the body energy for activity. You should include complex carbohydrates in your diet through starches and fiber.
This would include eating pasta, whole grain rice, and whole grain breads as well as potatoes.
Fats
Believe it or not, fats are also an important part of a balanced diet. You need some healthy fats in our regular diet to function correctly and efficiently. They are also a energy source for the body and regulate most of our bodily processes.
The proper way for including fat in your diet is to consume only the good fats as opposed to the bad ones. Good fats are the unsaturated kind found in olive oil or flax seed oil. Unsaturated fats are ones that are liquid at room temperature.
Saturated fats will clog up your arteries and lead to many health problems, so you should avoid them whenever possible. Animal lard and butter are saturated fats that are solid and should be avoided as much as possible.
Fiber
You should also have adequate fiber in your diet. Having a healthy amount fiber helps your body flush out impurities on a regular basis and helps contribute to weight loss. Some good sources of fiber are whole grain as well as nuts and seeds.
Finally, you will want to have good sized portions of vegetables in your diet as well as a moderate amount of fruit. To much fruit can cause you to retain water and contribute to a larger amount of sugar that you would otherwise need.
Vegetables contain many of the essential vitamins and nutrients that yout body needs to operate efficiently.
A good healthy diet is one that is balanced and nutritious. You should try to consume the majority of your protein and carbohydrates in the morning and eat five or six small balanced meals daily instead of three large ones.
Your diet is so important that it can make or break your bodybuilding goals, so know what your body needs and then go for it.
Are you following a good bodybuilding diet? Tell me in the comments below.
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