Proper Nutrition And Meal Planning Provide Keys To Bodybuilding Success

I'm continually amazed whenever I encounter people who complain that they're not seeing any progress in the mirror from their workouts, but they refuse to limit their consumption of sugary and fatty foods.
It's truly amazing that so many people mistakenly believe that as long as they're working out they can eat anything in sight, regardless of its nutrient composition.
If you're one of these people (and I sincerely hope that you're not) prepare for a reality check!No matter how hard you workout, you can't build a lean, muscular body on a diet that is high in fat or sugar.
No way, no how - it just won't happen.
Period! Consider the following as an illustration of what happens when you workout without also keeping an eye on what you eat.
If you watch professional football or national level competitive powerlifting, you'll see huge offensive lineman and super- heavyweight powerlifters who are tremendously strong.
These athletes have developed incredible strength through years of intense weight training.
But unlike bodybuilders and other fitness athletes, many offensive linemen and powerlifters don't worry about limiting their dietary fat and sugar consumption when it's time to "chow down" at meal time.
As a result, these powerful athletes often appear blubbery and out of shape despite their Herculean efforts in the gym.
While I have great respect for what offensive linemen and super-heavyweight powerlifters accomplish in their respective sports, the fact remains that I wouldn't want to look like these guys after spending weeks, months and years sweating my guts out in the gym.
The hard truth is that proper nutrition is essential to the success of every bodybuilding or weight-training program.
And this rule applies even if you're not a competitive bodybuilder or fitness athlete.
During my many years of training I've learned that there is nothing worse than working hard in the gym and then masking hard earned muscle with layers of body fat! To ensure that you see the results of your hard work you must use some discipline at meal time.
I'm not suggesting that you maintain the type of strict pre-contest diet that competitive bodybuilders use.
I am, however, advising you that healthy eating habits will facilitate muscle growth, enhance muscular definition and minimize body fat.
Since the objective of any weight-training program is to build muscle and power, you must consume sufficient quantities of high quality, low-fat sources of complete protein each day.
By "complete" protein I mean the form of this nutrient available in fish, meat and dairy products that contain all of the essential amino acids necessary to build muscle.
You must also eat sufficient amounts of low glycemic index ("GI") carbohydrates which are your primary energy source during your workouts.
Low GI carbohydrates are basically found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains that slowly release these nutrients into your bloodstream to avoid excess insulin secretion and lipogenesis or fat production.
Finally, dietary fat consumption should be kept to a minimum, averaging no more than twenty percent of your daily calorie intake.
Careful monitoring of your protein, carbohydrate and fat consumption is critical to the nutritional aspect and ultimate success of your bodybuilding efforts.
Meal Planning Meal planning isn't rocket science and my suggestions in this area are very simple.
The customary "3-meals-a-day" approach may be fine for the average "couch potato," but you're no couch potato - and you need to eat small meals more frequently in order to build lean, powerful muscle mass.
Instead of eating three large meals, you should eat 5-6 smaller meals over the course of your day to avoid rapid increases in your blood sugar level and lipogenesis.
Additionally, eating less more frequently keeps your metabolism working and ultimately increases your ability to burn excess calories.
In addition to eating more frequently, you should try to consume most of your carbohydrates earlier in the day to provide energy for your workouts or other physical activities.
This front loading of your carbohydrate consumption not only ensures that you have energy for your workouts, but it helps you avoid accumulation and storage of excess carbohydrates as fat.
This explains why you're evening meal should generally exclude breads, pastas, white rice and baked desserts if you're serious about building a lean, muscular physique.
As your energy needs decrease, which often occurs in the evening or after a good workout, the nutrient balance in your meals should emphasize high quality protein consumption.
This way, your body has the protein that it needs to build muscle while you rest or sleep.
To the extent that you can load your evening meals with low-fat protein sources, you'll satisfy your hunger without filling up on excess carbohydrates that your body will store as fat.
But let me be clear.
I'm not recommending that you eliminate all carbohydrates from evening meals or that you try some extreme "low-carb" diet.
There's nothing wrong with having a low GI salad or other fruits and vegetables with your late afternoon or evening meal.
The point here is that the bulk of your calories in this meal should come from low-fat sources of complete protein if you want to gain muscle instead of fat.
Remember, if you train hard and eat smart and you'll surely achieve your bodybuilding goals.