No matter your genetics or the goals you've set for yourself, you need to follow the rules of bodybuilding nutrition if your hard training is going to pay off.
Granted, nutrition can be a complicated subject - carbs, proteins, vitamins and minerals, not to mention meal timing, creatine and shelves and shelves of other exotic supplements can make your head spin.
These are 70 rules of nutrition from FLEX online to help guide you through the minefield of all things related to food and supplements. This comprehensive compendium of commandments gives you 70 easy-to-follow basic to advanced dictums that have passed the test for accuracy and efficiency. Whether you want to add mass, get ripped or simply maintain your weight, you'll find the answers here.
1 TAKE IN PLENTY OF PROTEIN
FLEX recommends that bodybuilders take in at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. Protein needs for individual bodybuilders may vary, but this minimum ensures sufficient amounts with which to build muscle. If your bodyweight is low or if your caloric needs for bodyweight maintenance are high, then you may need even more protein than bodybuilders of comparable size.
2 DON'T OVERDOSE ON PROTEIN
Some bodybuilders develop a mentality that if some is good, then excessive amounts are better. If you're eating more than 2 g of protein per pound of bodyweight each day, then you're probably consuming more protein than your body can use for muscle building. Excess protein will simply be broken down and burned as energy (or stored as bodyfat). Protein is difficult for your body to break down because it's a complex molecule, so it's an inefficient source of energy. Keep protein consumption high, but don't go overboard. Rely on other good bodybuilding foods, including carbs, to keep weight up during growth phases and watch the mirror for signs of excess.
3 TAKE IN PLENTY OF CARDS FOR ENERGY
Your body can use protein, carbs or fats for energy, but when you're training hard, it preferentially uses carbs. Essentially, carbs are chains of glucose molecules, and the body can easily absorb sugar for energy. Taking in ample carbs makes it easy for your body to fuel itself, sparing protein and fats for their more specific nutritional uses.
4 EMPHASIZE COMPLEX CARBS
Complex carbs are constructed of long chains of sugars. These types of carbs are easily digested, yet they're slow burning because the body has to break them down to use them. Since complex carbs are a longer-lasting fuel than simple carbs, there's less chance they'll be stored as bodyfat. During a mass-building phase, strive to take in 3 g of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight per day, drawn mainly from complex sources such as vegetables, pasta, potatoes, rice, yams and oatmeal. During cutting phases, reduce total carbohydrate consumption, relying more heavily on slow-burning complex carbs, including brown rice, yams and oatmeal.
5 DE-EMPHASIZE SIMPLE CARBS
Except after workouts, a bodybuilder should minimize calorie consumption from simple carbohydrates (sugar). Simple carbs can be rapidly absorbed, especially in liquids with little or no fats or solid foods to slow down their passage through the gastrointestinal tract. Significant quantities of simple carbs provide the release of insulin, which is desired after a workout but not at other times, because it can encourage the body to store these sugars as bodyfat. Foods that are high in sugar are among the worst for bodybuilders seeking to keep bodyfat low.
6 LIMIT SATURATED FAT AND AVOID TRANS FATS
Excesses of these two types of fat increase the risk of heart and other health problems, and they can also undermine bodybuilding efforts. Trans fats are commonly found in processed foods such as crackers, cookies and other baked goods. Saturated fats are prevalent in lower-quality (fattier) cuts of meats.
7 CONSUME HEALTHY FATS
Foods containing unsaturated fats, particularly monounsaturates, are excellent for bodybuilders. Don't buy into the notion that a bodybuilding diet should be low fat -- it should only be low in saturated and trans fats. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and flaxseed oils, are important for creating a favorable hormonal environment for building muscle tissue. Other unsaturated fats, such as those found in olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive and canola oils, also provide bodybuilders with numerous muscle-building advantages. Except when cutting up, fats should represent 15-20% of your daily diet.
8 COUNT CALORIES
When breaking down a bodybuilding diet, macronutrients are often split into percentages. For instance, an offseason dietary recommendation might be to get 50% of calories from carbs, 30% from protein and 20% from fats. To do this accurately, you have to have this valuable information: Every gram of carbs has approximately four calories; every gram of protein has four calories; and every gram of fat has nine calories. This calorie differential explains why bodybuilders, even those who are not on a low-fat diet, need to pay attention to fat calories, as well as to carbs and protein.
9 DRINK AT LEAST A GALLON OF WATER EVERY DAY
Steady water intake keeps nutrients moving in your bloodstream and into muscle cells. Water is also a critical source of many minerals. But don't drink that gallon-plus in one sitting -- gulp it during the course of the day. This is especially important for bodybuilders on high-protein diets, as well as those using creatine, fat burners or other supplements that affect hydration. Water is the essence of life, and its importance to bodybuilders can't be overstressed. Drink a pint of water with main meals and try to exceed the daily one-gallon recommendation.
Water is essential for overall health as well as for muscle growth. Keeping your body well hydrated benefits everything from protein synthesis to digestion.
10 FIRE UP YOUR FIBER
Most bodybuilding foods are notoriously low in fiber yet, bodybuilders need plenty of fiber to make ideal gains. Bodybuilders must get most of their dietary fiber from complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. Strive to take in 30 g of fiber a day, and even more when you're on a high-calorie diet. If your diet doesn't provide this amount, then consider daily supplementation with a fiber product.
11 MEAT MAKES MUSCLE
All forms of protein are good for bodybuilders seeking to add muscle mass, but lean forms of meat are among the best. Turkey, chicken, beef and other meats have complete proteins, meaning they contain all the amino acids that your body needs - other forms of protein, especially vegetable sources, are incomplete and thus less-concentrated sources of protein. For best results, FLEX recommends that bodybuilders strive to take in some form of animal protein at least once if not two or more times a day. Among the best meat choices are chicken and turkey breast, as well as lean cuts of red meat.
12 EAT BOTH FATTY AND LOW-FAT FISH
Fish, an excellent source of protein, should be consumed regularly by bodybuilders. Varying in fat content, some types of fish are high in healthy fats,. others are low in fat altogether. Unlike other tissue proteins, though, fatty fish provide a host of benefits to bodybuilders. Salmon and sardines, for example, are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which support the immune system and assist with muscle recovery and growth, in addition to many other benefits. Fish that are lower in fat, such as tuna, also make an excellent source of protein. All bodybuilders, regardless of their phase of diet or training goals, should strive to take in eight ounces of fatty fish at least twice a week.
13 EGGS ARE AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF PROTEIN
Eggs are a versatile, easy-to-cook and easy-to-consume protein source. They're also relatively inexpensive. Eat just the egg whites if you're seeking a low-calorie protein source. Use the yolks when you want the benefits of various fats, lecithin and other nutrients. Eggs can be boiled in bulk, they're easily transported, and they make fine between-meal fare.
14 DAIRY IS VERSATILE
As do eggs, dairy products provide many dietary options. First and foremost, milk proteins -- casein and whey -- have innumerable nutritional benefits. Nonfat milk is an excellent cheap and readily available source of protein, calcium and other nutrients. Cottage cheese is the casein fraction of milk and an outstanding bodybuilding protein -- you can find low- or nonfat varieties that are relatively inexpensive. Unsweetened yogurt is also a good protein source, and it contains beneficial bacteria to help support the immune system and improve digestive efficiency.
15 USE GRAINS AND STARCHES AS APPROPRIATE
Some bodybuilders shy away from grains such as white rice and wheat because they are mostly carbohydrates. Others include liberal portions of pasta, cereal and bread in their diets. In general, you should include grains, but pay attention to how they affect your physique. Some bodybuilders can eat them every day with little consequence. Others need to carefully monitor the quantity they take in. Regardless, all bodybuilders should opt for whole-grain varieties over processed grains.
16 EAT VEGETABLES EVERY DAY
Vegetables are one of the most overlooked components of bodybuilding nutrition. Many bodybuilders are rigorous about their protein and complex carbohydrate consumption, but lax about eating a sufficient quantity and variety of vegetables. Bodybuilders should strive to take in five or six servings every day. To meet your needs, include more than one serving at a meal. Not only do vegetables provide nutrients that other bodybuilding foods may lack, but they also provide bulk and fiber, helping your body more efficiently process a high-protein diet.
17 FRUIT PROVIDES NUTRIENTS AND FIBER
Many bodybuilders skimp on fruit, just as they do with vegetables. Fruit is an excellent source of fiber, carbs, antioxidants and numerous other nutrients. Fruit also supplies nutrients that are hard to come by from other bodybuilding food sources. Eat a range of fruits, taking in two or more pieces or servings a day.
18 FATTY FOODS PROVIDE MANY BODYBUILDING BENEFITS
Low-fat diets have gone out of vogue in the world of bodybuilding. Bodybuilders have learned instead to cut harmful saturated and trans fats while boosting healthy unsaturated fats, especially omega-3s. Foods such as olives, avocados, nuts and seeds, and olive, flaxseed and canola oils are all high in healthy fats, and they should be a part of a bodybuilder's daily diet. Healthy fats are essential for optimizing growth, recovery, mood and even fat loss.
19 USE SUPPLEMENTS INTELLIGENTLY
Supplements are a tool to help you achieve your goals. They are not magic pills and potions that will grant your physique wishes. You must use supplements intelligently, with reasonable expectations of what they can do for you. You still have to train and rigorously follow your diet. If you do the hard work and use supplements as they're designed, then you'll get the benefits that you seek from them.
20 USE PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS
Take a protein supplement at least once a day. If you choose a product from a good manufacturer, this practice can give you an extra 40-50 g of protein per day, and it will help bring you into compliance with FLEX's standard protein recommendation (at least 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight daily). It's often enough to cause acceleration in muscle growth, usually noticeable within four months. It's especially important to follow this formula when dieting. Higher protein needs and restricted caloric intake make a protein supplement essential.
21 TAKE GLUTAMINE
Known for its immunity-enhancing properties, glutamine is not only one of the most prevalent aminos in the body, but also one of the most important for bodybuilders. If you are overly stressed from dieting or training, supplementing with glutamine allows your body to maintain its storage supply of glutamine in muscle tissue, enhancing overall muscular growth and recovery. Take 10-40 g of glutamine a day, spread over 3-4 servings, with food.
22 TAKE CREATINE
Supplementing with creatine can provide bodybuilders with tremendous benefits, including faster recovery from intense weight training, decreased postexercise muscle soreness and increases in muscle mass. Take 5 g of creatine, once or twice a day around training.
23 TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN/MULTIMINERAL PACK
Take a multi with breakfast each and every day for insurance. Being low in any vitamin can cause breaks in the blueprint of muscle construction. A fast-food world combined with the demands of bodybuilding training can leave you short of a host of micronutrients. That's bad when you consider that many of them are needed for the things an ironhead is most interested in, such as building muscle and burning bodyfat.
24 MIX YOUR ANTIOXIDANTS
Take a mix of antioxidants; a good cocktail has an anticatabolic effect by quenching free radicals formed during and after intense exercise. In your antioxidant regimen, include FLEX's top candidates: 400-800 international units (IU) of vitamin E, 500-1,000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, 200 micrograms of selenium (from selenium yeast). Get the rest from 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
25 USE THERMOGENICS INTELLIGENTLY
Use thermogenic supplements sparingly and intelligently to reduce bodyfat. Supplements containing caffeine can help curb appetite, boost metabolism, enhance workouts and preserve muscle mass during a cutting phase. The side effects are irksome for some trainers, but they usually can be avoided by starting with a low dose in the morning only and working up to the recommended dose of 200-400 mg caffeine three times per day over two or three weeks. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Do this consistently for at least three months to achieve significant fat loss. Check with your doctor before taking thermogenics if you suffer from depression or other psychiatric conditions.
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