For example, you want carbohydrate for energy, but too much carbohydrate can make you lethargic or make you crash. If you focus on a lot of protein, your body won’t have a readily available source of energy because it takes longer to break down protein than carbohydrate.

Athletes need a different type of diet than a weightlifter, because an athlete is interested more in speed and endurance than in bulk. However, most athletes do resistance training as well, and they use up muscle aerobic movement too, so how much protein do they need?

The answer to the question of what athletes should do is based on what is most healthy. Protein is what builds up muscle; fat is needed for your hormones, nervous system, and brain; and carbohydrate is the quickest way to provide energy for your daily activity and to maintain a constant supply of blood sugar to the brain. If you are missing any of these nutrients, or don’t have them in adequate quantities, you will suffer from ill health, or at least less health than you could enjoy.

Nutrients and Metabolism

At each meal, you should have a balance of the three different macronutrients. If you had just carbohydrates, for example, your body would be missing protein nutrients that slow down the breakdown of carbohydrate into sugar, and you would find yourself starving soon after you ate. You also wouldn’t be providing your body with the building blocks to restore and add muscle after you exercise, either. Plus, it’s harder to fill up on carbohydrate than protein, making it likely that you’ll eat more than you should.

This illustrates the importance of balance in your diet.

Diet also depends on timing. An athlete who is about to go on a race should have a large supply of carbohydrate to run on, so that he doesn’t run out of energy. However, without protein to make the sugar break down more slowly, he might find himself with a burst of speed and then a blood sugar crash. Obviously, this isn’t a good outcome.

The other major factor is an athlete’s particular metabolism. Some people simply burn calories faster than others. If you know that you have a very fast metabolism, you will probably need protein to offset the speed of breaking down sugar for energy. Someone whose metabolism is not quite as fast might get by with mostly carbohydrate.

The Supplements

Also, never forget why you eat. It’s not just about being the best athlete or looking good. It’s about giving your body the nutrients it needs. If you want to really be your best, you need to be getting all the essential nutrients.

This means possibly going for an all-in-one supplement like the Universal Nutrition Animal Pak, or buying separate supplements if you know you’re getting most of what you need in your diet. However, do consider what your diet isn’t giving you and fill in the gaps.

For example, if you aren’t drinking orange juice with breakfast, you might want to start taking Vitamin C. If you don’t eat fish fairly often, you might want some Optimum Nutrition Flaxseed Oil to get the essential fatty acids you’re missing.
Other supplements you might want include creatines like Bronx Wild Bull, chromium, green tea extract, a protein powder like Dymatize Elite, and anything that can assist you in reaching your goals as an athlete and a health enthusiast.

When it comes to the proper diet for a bodybuilder or weightlifter, there are two factors at work: one is doing what is healthy and will allow you to sustain heavy lifting for an extended period of time, while the other is maximizing the effects of your workouts to have the biggest muscles you can. You probably know that you are going to have to have a unique diet to support your weight lifting routine, but what happens if you decide to stick with an average-calorie diet, as opposed to a higher-calorie diet?

Well, at best, you would be holding yourself back from experiencing all the benefits of frequent workouts. At worst, you would be actively damaging your body without fully repairing it, because you just don’t have enough calories or nutrients to keep up with your level of activity. In this case, you are also more prone to injury, because your body isn’t at its best when it isn’t getting what it needs.

Defining “Enough” Calories

You should understand that frequent exercise is going to use up more calories. While you might feel like you should lower your calories to lose weight, this is not necessarily a good idea if your calories are already hovering around an average quantity for your body type. You need enough calories to support the activity you’re doing.

Skipping out on food or having too-small meals is going to come back to bite you later on. Your body will naturally be more equipped to lose weight as you put on muscle, so if one of your main motivations to become a weightlifter is for the weight loss, keep this in mind.

What Does the Diet of a Bodybuilder or Weightlifter Look Like?

What specifically should the diet of a bodybuilder or weightlifter contain? There are three types of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. What you want are the healthiest types of each, and in the proper ratio to each other.

Generally, you want to keep the caloric intake of protein and carbohydrates even, and have about half the calories of those in good fats. If you don’t get enough of each, you won’t maximize the results of your workouts, and you might even be harming yourself. Since one presumed goal of exercise is to get healthier, this is the last thing you want to do.

Another important feature of a bodybuilding diet is frequent meals interspersed throughout the day. Instead of two or three large meals, you should have four to six smaller meals. The major reason for this is that you need a lot of energy, but you need it throughout the day, not all at once. If you were to eat a lot of food all at once, you would actually feel less energetic, as your body would be using more energy for digestion than for activity. Keeping meals light and healthy will give you the energy you need for lifting and living.

Vitamins and Supplements

Finally, consider the importance of vitamins and supplements in maximizing your workouts. You should take Vitamin C for its antioxidant properties, green tea extract pills to reach thermogenesis, a creatine like Bronx Wild Bull for better overall recovery and performance, a source of essential fatty acid sources like Optimum Nutrition Flaxseed Oil for overall health, chromium supplements for a better metabolism, etc.

You might also try a protein powder to maximize the bulking potential before a workout, such as Dymatize Elite. And for convenience’s sake, consider an all-in-one supplement like the popular Universal Nutrition Animal Pak. Through a strong diet and a range of helpful supplements, you will achieve the kind of success you desire out of weight lifting and bodybuilding.

The Diet

A flat stomach requires you to be hyper-aware of what you put into your body. Diet and nutrition are a major component of six pack abs. You will need to decrease bloating, retain muscle mass, and manipulate your calorie intake so that your body burns fat.

Bloating is a major cause of flabby stomachs. The best way to prevent bloating is by eating a healthy diet. A majority of the population is allergic to lactose. By simply consuming dairy products a lactose intolerant person will bloat.

Celiac disease also causes stomach bloating. A person with this disease cannot process glutens. Their body is unable to digest any food product containing glutens and the result is discomfort and bloating. All potential sources of gluten must be eliminated from the diet of a person suffering from Celiac disease.

Body builders know to avoid processed foods. The chemicals in processed foods are also known to cause bloating. Eat natural foods such as lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables to decrease bloating.

To lose belly fat you will need to take in a lower number of calories. At the same time you need to sustain your muscle mass. If you lose muscle mass you will never get the definition you want. To help with definition you can focus on proteins and healthy fats.

In what is called a thermic effect, proteins give your metabolism a boost. This allows your body to use more calories during digestion. This is important because it will help you to keep your body “unbalanced”.

When your body is balanced it is in a state of homeostasis – fat is stored for later use. When your body is unbalanced it burns fat instead of storing it for later. Increasing lean proteins and staggering the amount of calories you consume each day will defeat homeostasis.

The Exercise Plan

Diet alone will not give you the flat stomach you desire. Exercise is essential. The abdomen is composed of 5 major muscles and they must all be exercised. You may have previously only done “the crunch” and had no results. In order to reduce fat in the abdominal area you will need to do a combination of exercises.

Cardiovascular training, such as walking, swimming, biking, and running is necessary to increase your metabolism. Strength training will help you define your muscle. Flexibility will both boost your metabolism and help with definition.

Exercises directed toward the abdominal area must be rotational. Crunches can be included but they should make up only a portion of your overall program. A great example of a rotational exercise is the standing towel twist. While standing with your feet 1 foot apart hold a towel in both hands and raise your arms over your head. With arms raised twist your body back and forth. Make sure you feel the strain in your stomach muscles.

The Necessary Supplements

When you think of supplements you may think of steroids or other not so healthy means of weight loss and muscle definition. Fortunately, experts say there are healthy supplements your body can use to help you achieve a flat stomach. These supplements are natural and will not harm your health.

Whey protein is one of the most important supplements for a flat stomach. This protein gives you energy and helps build muscle. It can be consumed both before and after exercise.

Glutamine is an amino acid that your body needs to help with muscle growth and to repair muscles. Glutamine also helps increase the secretion of the Human Growth Hormone which naturally aids in muscle building.

Creatine supplements are like providing fuel for your engine. As you workout your muscles will be burning fuel. Creatine replaces this fuel and lets you develop leaner and longer muscles just where you need them – in the stomach area.

Remember, for the best abs you must have a total change in your lifestyle – you must change your diet, begin to exercise, and add supplements.

Most athletes work constantly, through exercise and the use of healthy supplements, to build their muscle endurance. It is an important factor in almost every type of fitness activity. From swimmers to weight lifters, athletes will benefit from increased muscle endurance.

Twitch Muscles

Muscle endurance determines how well your “slow twitch muscles” are functioning or developed. Slow twitch muscles are the main type of muscle used for endurance. They are not able to exert great amounts of pressure but can withstand effort for a long period of time.

The other type of muscle fibre is the fast twitch muscle. These muscles are utilized for strength. They can exert great force, but they cannot sustain the force over time.

You can improve your slow twitch muscles by participating in aerobic activities such as biking, swimming, or any other type of sustained exercise. They can also be improved by building your upper body strength through pushups, pull ups, and triceps dips.

Natural supplements such as creatine are specifically formulated to help build slow twitch muscles.

Types of Endurance

Different sports utilise different forms of endurance. The first form of endurance is power endurance. This is developed for sports that require powerful movements that are repeated for extended periods of time. Tennis and martial arts both require power endurance.

Power endurance requires the athlete to use his slow twitch muscles. He must also build up his fast twitch muscles so they can exert power and force for longer periods of time without becoming fatigued.

Short time muscular endurance is used when the athlete only exerts power and force for short periods of time, usually from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Long term muscular endurance is needed for exercise that is steady and continuous. Rowing, marathons, and triathlons all require long term muscular endurance.

Increasing Muscular Endurance

Muscular endurance is best achieved by a combination of exercise and healthy supplements. Your exercise routine should be designed to overload your muscles. This means that you want to overwork your muscles in order for them to become stronger and build endurance. This must be done under professional supervision so you do not stress or strain your muscles.

As you work out, especially when you overload your muscles, they will burn muscle mass as fuel. As a result, the muscle mass you were seeking to “pump up” becomes depleted. Supplements are necessary to prevent this depletion and help rebuild muscle mass.

A creatine supplement will allow your muscles to recover faster and enhance your metabolism. Athletes who take creatine supplements do not require as much down time between workouts. Their metabolism is increased and they are able to efficiently flush out the trash left behind, (lactic acid), from the burning of their muscle fuel.

Creatine is a natural and safe muscular endurance supplement. It is not a steroid and is found naturally in meat. You will find that creatine is available in several different forms such as serums and powders. You can even purchase mixes which combine creatine with other muscle enhancing supplements such as glutamine.

The Back Story

Testosterone is a naturally occurring steroid hormone. Testosterone has both anabolic and androgenic properties in the athlete’s body. This hormone is responsible for building lean muscle mass, giving the body energy, bone building and health, activating the immune system, and the male libido.

Testosterone is naturally secreted into the male body through the testes and into the female body through her ovaries. The adrenal glands also provide a small amount of the hormone to the body. As the body ages testosterone levels are decreased in the body.

SHBG

Testosterone circulates throughout the body using the bloodstream. During this process it can become attached to binding proteins. The protein that most concerns athletes is the Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, SHBG. This protein may inhibit testosterone from reaching the cells in the body. Once testosterone attaches itself to SHBG it can no longer perform as needed.

In order to combat the problems caused by testosterone becoming bound to SHBG an athlete must strive to keep his testosterone bioavailability high. If the athlete is able to convert excess testosterone in the body to estrogen the estrogen will bind to SHBG first and leave the testosterone found in the body available to do its job – build lean muscle mass.

Testosterone Building

Athletes must work hard to keep their testosterone levels from getting too low if they want to build lean muscle mass. There are many bodybuilding supplements available that help athletes accomplish this task naturally.

Any supplement containing nettle root is recommended for testosterone building. This supplement is known to combine with SHBG and leave testosterone free to do its job in building muscle mass. Nettle root also has the extra benefit of preventing testosterone from transforming into a more forceful form of itself leading to prostate swelling and other health problems. One form of the body building supplement now being studied has shown potential to actually decrease SHBG levels in the body.

Another natural supplement is pygeum. This body building supplement works much the same way as nettle root and inhibits testosterones ability to bind onto SHBG.

Avena Sativa is also a supplement used by many body builders. Unlike nettle root and pygeum, this supplement frees testosterone that has already attached to SHBG. This leads to increased testosterone levels in the body and an increased chance for building lean muscle mass.

The Bottom Line

No athlete should ever attempt to build lean muscle mass without the use of approved supplements. A healthy diet and exercise program combined with body building supplements will increase the viability of lean muscle mass in the athlete’s body. In addition to the supplements noted above, the body builder should include vitamin C, protein, (protein bars are an excellent source of protein), zinc, and magnesium. Protein powders and protein shakes are two of the best ways to ensure you are getting the supplements your body needs to build muscle mass.

Reducing Body Fat

Fat might as well be a four letter word for most of us. Every workout show on television focuses on body fat percentage and how to reduce this percentage. Fortunately body fat can be reduced through diet and exercise.

A well balanced diet will keep you from ingesting too many fatty foods. It will encourage you to focus instead on foods and food groups that that help burn fat. Green leafy vegetables, peppers, and certain fruits are natural fat burners. They can be added at every meal to help reduce body fat naturally.

Exercise is also a great way to reduce fat. Aerobic exercises speed up your metabolism which in turn helps your body process and eliminate foods faster. With a higher metabolism your body will use what it needs and get rid of the rest before it finds a permanent place on your body.

Muscle Building and Fat

If your goal in reducing fat is to also build up lean muscle mass you will not focus so much on eliminating fats but on transforming fats into muscle mass. Proteins are an important part of any diet but many people avoid them because they feel they only add to unpleasant weight gain.

If you are losing weight but trying to build muscle mass you must increase your protein intake. Proteins, once ingested, break down into amino acids. With a good exercise regimen you can use these amino acids to build up muscle mass and strength. Body builders will even find that they require protein supplements to get the amount of muscle mass they want.

Supplements

There are many different types of supplements to help reduce body fat and help turn fat into muscle mass. Protein supplements containing whey, creatine monohydrate, and glutamine are the most popular body building supplements on the market today. These supplements work with your natural healthy diet to give you the nourishment you need to achieve results.

Supplements can be added to the diet in several different ways. Protein bars are a great way to get some instant protein. Protein shakes made form protein powders and whey powders are also useful before and during your workouts.

If you have been trying to reduce body fat without any luck you may want to evaluate your diet and exercise program. Make sure you are eating a balanced diet that includes all food groups. If you are leaving out a certain food group your body may be adapting in unpleasant ways.

Evaluate your exercise program by discussing your goals with a trainer. A trainer may see areas where you can improve your program for better results. You can also discuss supplement use with your trainer. Many supplements add to your workouts and help you burn fat at a higher rate.

A Balanced Diet

The balanced diet for a body might shock the average person. A good diet for athletes includes high amounts of carbs and high amounts of proteins. Why does a body builder want to consume these typically fat building foods?

The goal of a body builder is to develop a beautiful body, great muscle tone, and keep healthy in the process. In order to manage all three of these goals a body builder will need to eat foods that give him energy and help build muscle mass.

A lot of high energy foods have a reputation of adding unwanted pounds to the body. A body builder can take these potential pounds and turn them into lean muscle mass with intense workouts. For example, proteins break down to amino acids which can give body builder’s energy to work out and are the building blocks for lean muscle mass. Proteins also aid in repairing muscles and boosting the body’s metabolism.

So Why Supplement?

Why should an athlete supplement an already healthy diet? Athletes burn more calories and their bodies need more fuel than the average person. This is especially true for body builders are constantly working to build muscle mass. They need to be able to work out frequently with a quick recovery time between workouts.

Supplements are used by body builders for several reasons. Supplements can provide extra energy during workouts when it is really needed. Supplements can also help a body builder’s body recover between workouts by working to repair torn muscle fibers.

Which Supplements are Best?

Protein supplements are probably the best known body building supplements on the market. Protein is needed to help muscles repair themselves and for energy. Many body builders’ consume protein shakes and shakes with whey powder before, during, and after every workout. The shake before the workout is for energy, as is the shake during the workout. The shake after the workout is for muscle repair and healing.

Whey proteins should be taken every morning upon waking and can also be taken with every meal. Another form of protein supplements, egg proteins, can be taken throughout the day. Both forms of proteins can be found in protein powders and protein shakes. Glutamine is a specific amino acid the body produces for energy and muscle building. Many protein shakes and protein bars contain l glutamine which is the supplement form of glutamine.

Creatine supplements are also used by body builders. Creatine is used by the muscles of the body to produce energy. This energy is used during workouts and must be replaced by supplements. It also aids in cell production in the muscle area. Creation is usually taken twice a day.

These and many other supplements can be added to a healthy diet to achieve optimum muscle building results.

Athletes should look for supplements that encourage muscle tissue growth. Protein, fibre, and other nutrients that stimulate this tissue growth can be used to supplement a healthy diet.

Getting Ready

Before beginning a supplement regime it is important to ensure you are in great health. A short visit with your doctor will allow you to rest assured that you are taking the proper approach to reach your goals. As a body builder, your body consumes massive amounts of protein. Your doctor will want to check kidney functions and blood levels so you will find the proper balance of supplements to add to your existing diet.

After getting the go ahead from your doctor it is time to design a daily supplement regimen. You must take into account your existing diet and the amount of protein, creatine, and amino acids you already receive from food every day. To this baseline you will add the necessary supplements to aid in building lean muscle mass.

Proteins

When designing your supplement program there are several guidelines to keep in mind for adding proteins to an existing diet.

• Stagger protein intake so that you are getting protein throughout the day
• Your body needs 1 gram of protein for every pound on your body

A proper protein supplement regime will include protein shakes or protein powders after each workout. It is important to replace the proteins lost during your workout with supplements. Throughout the day you should consume protein at each meal.

Along with proteins, you will also want to add to your intake of fibre. Whey and iso whey can be added as supplements with the use of whey powder. Remember, once you have increased your fibre intake it is important to increase your water intake as well.

Mid-Workout and Pos Workout Supplements

Current research shows that adding a supplement drink, such as a protein shake, to the middle of your workout gives muscle tissues an extra boost. If you are already following a supplement routine that includes a protein shake after your workout consider adding a mid-workout shake for improved benefits. The shake should be consumed with water and drink this shake in addition to your after workout shake, not in place of the later shake.

The after workout protein shake is the key to helping your body recover and repair itself for your next workout. It should always be included in your supplement regimen. The best after workout supplement drinks will include creatine and glutamine along with protein for optimum results.

It is important to constantly assess your supplement intake to see if it is working. The best way to test your regimen is to make sure you are able to fully complete a workout and fully recover in time for your next workout. This information, combined with the changes in your body should give you an accurate idea of the success of your body building supplement intake.