The Bodybuilding Diet
Vince Gironda, one of the greatest bodybuilding trainers of his era, was often quote as stating that “Bodybuilding is 80% diet and 20% proper training” many years ago. That statement puts a lot of emphasis on the bodybuilding diet and shows how important it is for a bodybuilder.
The “Iron Guru”, as he was known, with some fame as a bodybuilder himself, was more famous for helping the bodybuilding legend and seven times Mr. Olympia winner, Arnold Schwartzenegger to become one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time.
In his multi-decade career as a trainer of champions, Vince was convinced that a bodybuilding diet was the key to muscle-building success, and he was fundamental in convincing other people of this principle.
In few words, the bodybuilding diet should focus on the best consumable sources of protein, natural carbohydrates in the form of fresh vegetables and fruits, fats and oils, and finally, nuts. The bodybuilding diet should also include supplements that help with muscle tissue growth and reduction of subcutaneous fat on the body.
Bernard Beverley, a renowned biologist, stated that human tissue is 100% biological. That means that eating foods that are very high in biological content is essential for developing that tissue as far as possible. There seems to be a lot of confusion between foods that are high in biological content and foods that are high in protein, but this is not entirely the case as not all protein is the same. Biological content means food that contains protein of a structure that is very similar to the protein contained in human tissue.
This might come as a surprise to you, or you might already know it but the food with the highest biological content is the humble egg! Raw milk, organ meats (heart, liver, kidneys and sweetbreads), steak, lamb, poultry and fish are other foods that are high in biological content. Beans, legumes and some other vegetables are also good sources of protein, so it is really essential to include them in your bodybuilding diet as well.
Soybeans, on the other hand, although famously high in protein, are only 22% biological. This means that you would have to eat massive amounts of soy to equal the amino acid content of the higher quality protein previously listed. For bodybuilding contest preparation, the Iron Guru recommended avoiding anabolic steroids in favor of eating as many as THREE dozen eggs per day!
The idea is that in order for your muscles to reach new levels of strength and quickly repair any damage, you should give them a massive influx of biological protein. You should then reduce this amount to one or two per day, as you would have achieved your goal after six to eight weeks.
Other bodybuilding diets, on the other hand, focus on red meat and fresh vegetables, or one high in dairy products and fish. Each of these approaches serves a particular goal, that of loading the system with protein to replace and rebuild muscle tissue torn down by heavy workout sessions. They are not long-term diet plans however. Bodybuilding supplements that the Iron Guru recommended were: Kelp tablets, desiccated liver, lipotropic amino acids(inositol, choline, methionine, betain that aid in the metabolism and assimilation of protein) and wheat germ oil. Another bodybuilding diet method the Iron Guru developed to get rid of that last bit of subcutaneous fat, in preparation for contests, was putting his students on a special bodybuilding diet cycle.
This bodybuilding diet was composed of four days of zero carbohydrates, then on the fifth day eat normally. For the next four days eat zero carbohydrates, and on the tenth day eat normally. The students would keep this up until every muscle separation and vein popped out on the surface for three to eight weeks.
In conclusion, a good bodybuilding diet should be focused on protein, fats, good carbohydrates and fiber. The breakdown should be 25% protein, 40% natural carbohydrates (no refined starches or sugars) and the balance in fat and fiber.
For competition preparation, the just before competition diets, and cycling of zero carbohydrates for four days and the fifth day free, should be followed for no more than eight weeks. Appropriate supplements should be taken as well.
If you found this article useful, spread the word and help others find “The Bodybuilding Diet” by sharing it with your friends:
Tags: Bodybuilding competition diet, Bodybuilding diet, muscle building diet, muscle building diets