Can someone please give me a quick summary of a healthy and simple bodybuilding diet. What do bodybuilders generally eat, what do they avoid, and what do they eat the most? Also, any extra tips for bodybuilding diet are appreciated.
Thank you!
Old-school body building diet is TYPICALLY six small meals a day, lower in fat, moderate to high carbs, very high protein. Lean protein sources (egg whites, lean cuts of meat), complex carbs (fruit, sweet/reg potatoes, oats, rice) and small amounts of healthy fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil). Typically avoid processed sugary foods like white bread, cookies/donuts/etc, white flour, fatty meats like pork and ribs. In my opinion, its best to count calories/macros.
To be honest though, there’s a lot of body builders who look fantastic but in reality there really not that healthy. I’m not saying you should stop gaining lean muscle but it’s just tough on your organs and body to be a 5’8 220 pound guy. A lot of blood to move around lol. But something to take into consideration is have vegetables and protein with every meal. I know carbs are important but most people eat way too much carbs. If your going to consume carbs have vegetables first, then protein or healthy fats, then the carbs and if your in the mood do a little bit of exercise to make sure your blood sugar levels remain in a safe range. Sorry for the ramble but blood sugar is a big thing that people neglect especially in body building. Hope everything works out.
If you’re talking about professional body builders then they have coaches who guide them. You could probably dm some to ask. Some showcase their diet on YouTube and others don’t because they don’t want to promote disordered eating on social media. I listen to a lot of podcasts with body builders and follow some on social media some are flexible but still very little junk food. Others eat very low calories and it detrimental to their health and they are open about this. (Some women lose their periods and disrupt their hormones. Some men have low libido and have to start taking testosterone after competing).
*my response only applies to people wanting to compete at shows.
You need to be more specific.
A bodybuilders diet is going to change vastly throughout a year depending if they are bulking or in context prep. Also the diet of a newer BB and an advanced BB are going to be different.
Professionally qualified bodybuilder here (GBO).
My day usually involves:Meal 1 - oats, fat free Greek yoghurt, frozen berries and milkMeal 2 - rice, chicken breast and vegMeal 3 - rice chicken breast and vegMeal 4 (pre workout) - squares bars or jam and bagel with a banana Meal 5 (post workout) - potato waffles, salmon, or another fish, if it’s low in fat I’ll add avocado and a whey shake depending on protein content of fish Meal 6 - whey shake (add oats and peanut butter if needed depending on calories)
Typically my veg is stir fry packs, mixed frozen veg , cherry toms or broccoli.
The big thing is eating every 3-4 hours which becomes laborious, to ensure optimal muscle protein synthesis, plus eating so many calories is hard so eating regularly makes that easier.Food prep is also key, that’s why so many bodybuilders eat the same meals day in day out, so it’s easier to prep in bulk.
Any high GI foods are usually eaten pre or post workout. Depending on carb intake, maltodextrin, creatine and EAAs may uk be used intra workout. Foods that are avoided are typically high or ultra processed foods, fast foods and takeaways etc. although they are eaten in small amounts when off plan meals/refeeds (although not that often in prep).
Hope this helps.
If you aren’t going to compete it really doesn’t matter that much. Your goals are to hit your calorie requirements and protein requirements. You can do that a thousand different ways, some healthier than others. Protein shakes are not required, but they’ll help hit that protein target. Definitely recommend a creatine supplement.
Chicken thighs or breasts. Pan fried. Medium high head 6 min each side or until proper internal temp. Use low cal seasons and sauces.
Diced sweet potatoes. Spray baking sheet with Pam. Lay out sliced sweet potato pieces. Spray with Pam. Salt and pepper to taste. 25 min at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Broccoli. Same make sure they aren’t large pieces. Spray baking sheet with Pam. Add broccoli. Spray with pam. Salt and pepper. 25 min 350 degrees.
I switched to a 40 (protein) 40 (carb) and 20 (fat) meal plan 3 months ago and have been able to increase my weights at the gym just about every other week. The things that helped me the most were the following:
I’ve found that if you meal prep, aim for 20g of protein at least for each meal, and have good snack options you’re on the right path. I wasn’t eating or even drinking this much protein and this change alone has made a huge difference in my weight lifting. Happy to share recipes I like!
Edit: Get a kitchen scale and a meat thermometer. About $20 each on Amazon. Overcooked meat doesn’t taste very good and the kitchen scale was the best way to calculate how many oz. Both are a worth it investment!
Rule of thumb is to try to get about 1.6g of protein per kg of weight. This will mean your muscles will have a lot of resources to use.
A good way to break down your diet is to have 20% fat, 40% carbs, and 40% protein in food consumption.
Edit: Sorry, sorry! I used pounds when I meant to use kg! Thank you for catching me.
It is a lot of protein - chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs. Protein shakes after workouts are also consumed.
Carbs are encouraged for producing energy. Plus the usual fruits and veggies.
Only other thing I can say is that to eat about an hour after a workout. Wait no longer than two hours after a workout to eat.
1-1.2g/lb of bodyweight of protein, Figure out your protein and then determine your fat number. Usually about 30% for a bodybuilder to facilitate balanced hormone production. Then the rest will be carbs. Carbs are protein sparing and will allow the protein to be used for building muscle instead of energy. Carbs also replenish glycogen stores in muscles for big lifts to help you increase strength and maintain intensity in the gym and RECOVER..the most overlooked aspect of building muscle.
As far as foods:
Chicken, Beef, Turkey
Rice (white / brown)
Cream of rice is cheap and easy
Lots of fruit for fiber
Every bulking bodybuilder loves some cheeseburgers, pizzas.
Really depends on what you are doing. Bulking, cutting, recomp. Recomping is much harder and takes a lot more time. These are just examples. Decide if you want to bulk or get lean. You will spend a lot of time doing them at the same time.