True strength and building that dream physique, starts not in the gym, but on your plate! A smart, well-balanced bodybuilding diet can run through the objectives of performance, recovery, and muscle results. This article will help clarify what a bodybuilding diet really looks like, discusses the importance of protein, and highlights which foods help elevate your muscle building process. It will also identify foods to stay away from and provide you with a practical and fun-to-follow 7 day meal plan to get started. Finally, there are five important FAQs that follow which answer the most common questions with concise explanations. Let’s fuel the muscle, from the inside out!
What is a Bodybuilding Diet?
A bodybuilding diet should have a comprehensive eating strategy which supports muscle growth, desired body composition, strength performance, and recovery. Bodybuilding diets as a category go beyond just counting calories – it is about incorporating the right amount of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats) and a specified amount of energy needed.
A person consuming a bodybuilding diet may adjust their daily calories depending on their macronutrient intake, whether they are within a bulking phase (surplus to build muscle) or a cutting phase (leaning out while maintaining muscle mass). Meals within a bodybuilding diet are generally spaced throughout the day, often five to seven smaller meals or more frequently, having protein-rich snacks to maintain energy, and to optimize muscle protein synthesis and hunger control.
The Importance of Protein for Body Building:
Protein is the foundation of muscle repair and growth.It provides the necessary amino acids, and more specifically, it provides essential amino acids directly related to building and repairing muscle tissue (for example, leucine). It is officially recommended that you eat a general intake of 1 g of protein for every pound of body weight every day, or 1.6-2.2 g of protein for every kilogram if you have training goals that you hope to build muscle.
Protein intake should be distributed evenly as you are able across the entire day which means in your meals and in your snacks as to maximize effect to increase muscle protein synthesis rates. Both animal (e.g., chicken, fish, eggs, and dairy) protein and plant (e.g., beans, tofu, lentils) protein offer these benefits.
Best Extra Foods for Building Muscles:
The following foods will help you build muscle more efficiently. Lean or clean protein sources: chicken breast, turkey, lean beef, salmon, tuna, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt – while there are external deviations, they all have more bioavailable protein and necessary nutrients than many types of food.
- Complex carbohydrates: oats, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, whole grains – complex carbohydrates have more than a little bit of energy to fuel your training and assist in recovery post training.
- Healthy fats: avocado, nuts, lean fatty fish, seeds, olive oil – good sources of needed essential fatty acids, they are used for energy reserve in the body, they are also required to produce hormones in the body that support muscle growth and recovery; they also help absorb fat soluble nutrients and vitamins….again required for recovery.
- Other applicable foods, that are general in nature, include any combination of cooked or fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, and dairy. Using varieties allows for a greater chance that you are consuming greater amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibers from food sources.
The macro nutrient ratio we standard prescribe is about 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% healthy fat though everyone’s body needs something different.
What Foods to Avoid During Body Building?
Some foods may negatively impact your progress:-
Fried & processed foods: These are high in bad fats and sodium, empty calories that will prevent muscle growth and recovery, and in turn won’t allow the absorption of nutrients.
Meat high in saturated fats and full-fat dairy in excess these will work against your body composition goals and health.
Added sugars and energy drink: These are not nutrient dense and lead to fat gain and energy crash, or spiking glucagon levels that get your blood sugar unstable, and draws from muscle glycogen.
Drinking too much alcohol: Alcohol inhibits recovery and cortisol balance, sleep, and will slow the process of building muscle.
7-Day Meal Plan:
The following are the two meal plans you can try in your 7 day meal plan, both the meal plans are made very carefully with protein, carbohydrates, good amount of fats, and nutrients for your body to build muscle rapidly.
Meal Plan- 1
1)Breakfast: Oatmeal, eggs, fruit.
2) Snack: Greek Yogurt, nuts.
3) Lunch: Grilled Chicken, rice, veggies.
4) Pre-Workout: Protein Shake, banana shake, protein shake + banana.
5) Snack: Cottage Cheese, berries, milk.
6) Dinner: Salmon, asparagus.
Meal Plan – 2:
1) Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Whole Grain Toast, fruit salad.
2) Snack: Hard boiled eggs, apple.
3) Lunch: Chicken sandwich, salad, avocado.
4) Pre- Workout: Protein smoothie.
5) Snack: Nuts, Greek yogurt.
6) Dinner: Goat meat, rice, broccoli.
FAQs:
Q1: How much protein is required to eat every day?
Ans: Every day eat 1 g per pound of body weight or 1.6 – 2.2 g per kg if you want to gain muscle.
Q2: Should I eat meals frequently?
ANS: 5- 7 meals or snacks every 2 to 3 hours allows for a consistent rate of muscle protein synthesis.
Q3: Can I gain muscle just by eating plant based foods?
ANS: When combined properly beans, tofu, legumes, dairy, and grains create complete protein.
Q4: Do I have to take supplements?
ANS: Whole foods supply the best nutrients for building and recovery. Supplements can assist, but are not necessary.
Conclusion:
A solid plan for muscle gain and muscle development includes sufficient nutrition along with some consistency and personalization. Now, when you’re doing the basics as outlined below, and eating enough quality protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and limiting the consumption of processed foods, added sugars and saturated fat, you have set the stage for conditioning for a real life, physical change.
Following a balanced, 7-day total meal plan, like the one provided, will eliminate unnecessary mental spend in order to take action and implementing the principles of progression is then easy. Allow for body modification, food volume, food options, and total calories to be congruent with your level of activity; however, one thing to remember, true physical change comes as a result of long term habits rather than rapid gain or loss of weight. Eat well, train hard, and rest often, and your body will thank you.
