Sunday, October 18, 2009

Bodybuilding Diet to Build Bigger Muscle

By Harley Radowski

Bodybuilding routines must include eating to build muscle as a component of an overall bodybuilding program. Working up a sweat in the gym and concentrating on all your muscle groups in order to build muscle mass is fine, but you are only going half way if you do not also eat foods that build muscle.

Working your muscles utilizes considerable energy. And the only way to replace that energy is with food! So what happens if you fail to eat the right type of food to build muscle mass? It will take longer to build muscle, and it may even prevent effect muscle building altogether once you reach a certain point.

A diet that is low in fat goes without saying with any serious bodybuilder. Even if you do not carry extra flab or fat, it is important to keep it that way. And if you do have some fat you want to get rid of, eating foods that build muscle in the form of low fat food is important. But what about protein? Is it important or not? You bet it is. Protein provides the building blocks to build that muscle. What types of protein are best? Chicken, eggs, steak (with the fat cut off), fish, cheese (especially cottage cheese), and nuts are all great sources of protein.

There is an optimum amount of protein that your body needs for building muscle effectively. Do you know your lean body mass weight? Yes? Great! Take that figure (in kilograms) and multiply it by 2.75. You have now got your daily protein requirement. If you do not know your lean body mass weight, you will need to apply one of the formulas that calculate this.

Carbohydrates, in moderation, are also essential when finding foods that build muscle. Do not eat too much, though, unless you choose high fiber carbohydrates (which are the healthiest ones anyway), and then you can indulge in much larger amounts. Good high fiber carbohydrates include rice, potatoes (yes, potatoes - just do not add butter!), oatmeal and bananas.

Reducing fat in your diet is also important when considering what foods build muscle mass. I said earlier that protein is essential for the best muscle building nutrition. The problem is that many protein sources are also high in fat. The key, therefore, is to eating plenty of proteins that are low in fat. That way you get the benefit of the protein, and you reduce your fat intake at the same time. So cut all the fat off your meat, and the skin off your chicken, and drink low fat milk instead of the full fat variety.

When eating to build muscle, make sure you drink water. Liquid is important for hydration, and a dehydrated body is sluggish, and can even make you sick. This is not a recipe for obtaining the healthy, fit physique you are striving for.

Most experts agree that between 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day helps flush toxins and hydrate the body. And that is for everyone, regardless of activity levels and desire to have a buff body. So for those of us on bodybuilding diets, who are conscious of building muscle, water is even more important.

Foods that build muscle are one of the two essential components to having the body of your dreams. The other component is your weight training program or other type of bodybuilding workouts that you engage in regularly. Just because you have found foods that build muscle does not mean you can start to slack off with your weight training.

About the Author:

0 comments:

Post a Comment