Food and fitness go hand in hand when it comes to bodybuilding or exercise in general. If you know your way around the kitchen and restaurant, you’ll make out like a bandit. But if you’re a slouch, it’ll be like walking around in a circle with one foot nailed to the floor.
Far too many wannabe bodybuilders believe they’re eating the best food they can for ultimate gains, when most of their diet consists of sugar-infused protein bars and other absolute garbage.
The result? No gains – or at least very few. Avoid lacklustre results by following these 4 key tips.
1.Don’t follow the pack
There are as many diets plans out there as there are idiots on their cell phones at the gym. Don’t buy into all the hype about low-carb, no-carb, high-protein, and moderate-fat diets. The main thing is balance!
Your body needs carbs for energy, protein for muscle regeneration, and fat for hormone production. Stick to the basics and don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Your workouts need to be balanced to promote a well-toned physique, and so does your diet.
Simply put, eat meals that are balanced with protein, carbs, and fat. A salmon fillet with steamed Brussels sprouts and a baked sweet potato is a good example of a balanced meal.
If it helps, get hold of a ‘portion plate’, which can help you to keep tabs on exactly what proportion of each food type you’re consuming at each meal. In addition to this, keep a record of the type of snacks you eat – whether that’s in a diary, on a fridge planner or using an abacus. The right way to track this is the way which is practical for you!
Making sure your body has the key ingredients it needs to promote muscle growth is key, and a healthy balanced diet, alongside a good natural bulking stack will really skyrocket your results.
2. Fast before you work out
This is a win-win situation, although it does take a little time and discipline to get used to.
If weight loss is your number 1 goal, fasting before exercise will enable you to burn more fat while training. Plus, it will give your metabolism a boost for hours after you finish. This is since your glycogen stores are depleted when you first wake up, meaning your body has no option but to turn to other energy reserves (fat) to get you through that workout.
If you are trying to bulk up, you’re still in good hands. Working out in a fasted state causes a spike in testosterone and growth hormone. In case you’ve been living in the Ozarks, these two hormones join forces to help you build muscle and strength.
The most important thing to remember when working out is to stay hydrated. While the body can cope fine without food during exercise, water isn’t optional. So, make sure to sip on some before, during, and after your workouts.
3. Eat cruciferous vegetables on the regular
Did you ever hear of estrogen? This is the female-dominant hormone that gives women their female characteristics. If you’re a guy, you don’t want your estrogen levels to be high. Unless you like bitch tits. And yes, you do produce estrogen, but on a small scale.
Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage have a secret substance in them that causes estrogen levels to drop. Do you know what happens next? Testosterone levels rise. And you know what that means – Yep, you end up building muscle faster!
To get the most out of these veggies, steam or roast them and throw some coconut oil or grass-fed butter on top for good measure. Fat also plays a key role in hormone production, so it does no harm to include some healthy fat here.
4. Stop eating as early as possible in the evening
You may have been told this for a long time, but for the wrong reason. The real reason you should shut your pie hole as soon as possible in the evening is because your circadian rhythms change and you technically go into a diabetic state.
If you couple this with slovenly eating habits that include bowls of ice cream and cereal, you’ll set the table for fat gain. That is the last thing you want to happen as day turns to night.
Ideally, wrap it up by 6 p.m. But if you can’t close the window by then, get as close to there as possible. Under no circumstances should you be wolfing down food at 11 or 12 at night. Besides the fat gain, you’ll also find that late night meal lays on your stomach and disturbs your sleep.
7 Tips To Stay Lean During Thanksgiving >> Now go clean up your diet! It’s crazy there are so many people who think they can get away with poor eating habits and still achieve a great body. To each his own tragedy. But if you truly want to excel with your body, you’ll pony up and make the necessary alterations to your diet. Once a few weeks go by and you see the results, you’ll have all the momentum you need to stay the course.
