Natural Bodybuilding Nutrition Tips

Bodybuilding Nutrition to help get the most out of your genetic potential:

No matter how hard you push yourself in the weight room, it is imperative to have proper natural bodybuilding nutrition tips to go along with it. Bodybuilding legend Vince Gironda once said that “Bodybuilding is 85% nutrition.” Now I don’t think it’s that high of a number but that just shows just how important bodybuilding nutrition tips are to the serious bodybuilder.

It is extremely important that your natural bodybuilding nutrition consists of a constant supply of protein throughout the day. Your muscles are constantly being broken down via weight lifting and strength training and protein is needed to rebuild them. When weight lifting, you are technically damaging your muscles. So after your muscles are broken down, they are then “repaired.” This is when your muscles adapt to the stress put on them and become bigger and stronger. This is why it is imperative that a serious bodybuilder eat well and focus on consuming the vital nutrients necessary to allow for growth.

So you’re probably thinking well “what about days where I’m not weight lifting?” Those days are just as important! After an intense workout, your muscles may take a long period of time to recover and may even be sore for many days. This means that they are still rebuilding days after your workout. Soreness is a great reminder to eat. Bodybuilders have no off days in regards to nutrition even on days of no weight lifting!

Natural bodybuilding nutrition tips to maximize your strength gains

Proper bodybuilding nutrition tips:

• Tip #1: Have an intake of .75-1.0 g of protein per pound of body weight per day
• Tip #2: Eat natural foods, meaning non-processed foods. The less a food is altered the better it is.
• Tip #3: Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Tip #4: Drink lots of water
• Tip #5: When building muscle, try to avoid foods high in saturated and trans fats and try to consume healthy fats that come from foods such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, fish
• Tip #6: Eat whole grains- try to make all of the grains you consume whole.
• Tip #7: eat omega-IIIs daily- flax seed and salmon are great sources
• Tip #8: Consume an after workout meal/shake of 25-35 g of protein and 50-60 carbs to replenish your muscles after a tough weight lifting session.

So in summary, it is very important that bodybuilding nutrition consists of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and good fats. Try to avoid processed foods as much as possible as their nutritional content is much poorer than natural non-processed foods. And learn to read labels as most companies try to trick its consumers into thinking a product is healthy when really it is not. If you read a nutrition label and have no idea what some of the ingredients are, research them. You may be surprised at what you find. Most of the products out there sell because of a great marketing scheme rather than being a good product, but you can see past these tricks and fad advertisements by being able to read a nutrition label.

As far as supplements go, I am a firm believer in being natural. I feel like supplements are way overused and most of them are not very good for you.  With healthy and well-balanced natural bodybuilding nutrition, supplements are not necessary. However, if your diet is lacking, supplements, like one used to repair your gut health, can be very beneficial. If you are highly stressed or pressed for time, protein shakes and multivitamins may be very beneficial in your diet. Ideally, a nice piece of chicken breast with whole grain rice would be the best after a workout, but from my personal experience, a lot of times this is unrealistic. When consuming protein powders, try to choose the best quality. Many protein powders, such as muscle milk, contain harmful ingredients that can be detrimental to health over the long run. When buying protein powders, try to buy shakes that are the most natural. And I personally believe that plant protein powders such as hemp, as well as egg white protein powders are better options for health than whey (whey is still a good option), despite being slightly pricier, as they are much more natural as well as being complete proteins.

You spend so many hours working hard weight lifting in the gym. Get the most out of your workouts with natural bodybuilding nutrition!

Put It into Practice: 3 Impactful Takeaways to Implement

• Make sure to get enough protein: I suggest having an intake of .75-1.0 g of protein per pound of body weight per day. Protein is needed to rebuild muscles after they are broken down via weight lifting and strength training. Try incorporating more high-protein foods into your diet to meet this goal.
• Choose whole foods: I recommend eating natural foods, meaning non-processed foods. The less a food is altered the better it is. Try incorporating more whole foods into your diet and reducing your intake of processed foods.
• Stay hydrated: I suggest drinking lots of water to improve your health. Staying hydrated is important for overall health and can help improve athletic performance. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day.