Optimal Weight Training Diet

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Your weight training routine and diet are now equally important, but Professional bodybuilders and nutritionists sometimes disagree on what the right weight training diet should look like. Let’s take a look at the situation from both, a nutritionist’s point of view and an athlete just like you.

Nutritionists Optimal Weight Training Diet

Most nutritionists will agree with you on the fact that in order to build muscle you must exercise and lift weights, but not all will agree on the amount of protein you should consume. Nutritionist Nancy Clark explains that consuming an extra amount of protein will do nothing for you because your body can’t store any excess protein.

Clark says that extra calories are necessary to build muscle, and according to her these calories should come mainly from carbohydrates, and not from protein sources.

Clark is not alone, there are many other nutritionists who have a similar view on the issue and believe that a proper weight training diet should be centered around high quality carbohydrates and not on protein.

Carbohydrates are broken down in our body and transformed into energy, this is what fuels us through a workout routine, but eating too much of the wrong carbohydrates can do more harm than good, since many of the processed carbs, such as white flour will turn into sugar.

Good Carbohydrates choices include:

• Whole grains (such as whole wheat, barley, quinoa, couscous, oatmeal)
• Brown rice
• Wild rice
• Beans, lentils
• Whole grain pastas

What do Athletes and Bodybuilders consider an Optimal Weight Training Diet?

Arnold Schwarzenegger believes that protein is the building block of a muscle physique, and he stated that the right amount of protein should be about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight; this may be no surprise to you, but the question then becomes,

Do You Just Need Massive Amounts of Protein?

An effective weight training diet will not only focus on the amount/ratio of protein, carbs and fats; equally important are the size of your meals and the time between each meal. Keep your muscles well-fed at all times.

Good Protein Sources include:

• Salmon, tuna
• Chicken Breast
• Turkey
• Eggs

Enough show me what the weight training diet looks like!

Since every person has a different calorie/carbs/fats need it is practically impossible to say just follow this diet and your biceps will grow so big that they will burst out of your shirt, so when looking at the guide below, consider it just that, a guide from which you may build your own optimal weight training diet.

• Eat several small meals throughout the day, 6 is a good number
• Eat clean, avoid foods high in fats
• Avoid Fast Food (you need calories, but just not these)
• Choose Complex Carbohydrates such as the ones shown above. Whole Grains.
• Get your protein! Between 0.5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight
• If you can’t eat six meals a day for reasons such as being out of the house a lot, plan ahead and prepare healthy, nutritious snacks to take with you.
• Don’t forget your fruits and veggies

Amount of Carbohydrates and Protein

The optimal weight training diet requires, like we said above, that you consume high quality carbohydrates and protein, but what about the amounts?

How many grams of Carbohydrates, Proteins should I eat?

Nutritionist Clark says that a good weight training diet where you are trying to put on muscle mass should follow this guideline:

• 3 to 5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight
• 1 gram or less of protein per pound of body weight

What about Supplements and Shakes?

Many bodybuilders choose to supplement their weight training diet to include:

• Creatine
• Whey Protein
• BCAA (Branch Chain Amino Acids)
• Beta Alanine
• Casein Protein

Resources:

Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Photograph SSCusp CCL