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 By: Marc David
If you are trying to build up muscle or burn off the fat and your eating habits are not optimal... this letter is for you. It's the 4 (Four) Rules of Performance Nutrition. Normally, I don't like to use the word 'rule' as it sounds like I'm being an absolutist and it's "my way or the highway." That isn't how I mean it at all. But generally speaking, if you aren't doing these 4 things when it comes to nutrition, you will not succeed at your performance goals.
"A generalized statement that describes what is true in most or all cases" - Dictionary.com. For starters, I've been receiving a whole lot of emails recently from people who are desperate to build muscle quickly or to burn off some fat for an event (wedding comes to mind). These people don't track what they eat and have no idea about what to eat, when to eat, or why eating frequently would be something they would even want to do! More often then not, when you mention frequent eating, the first response goes like, "There's no way I can eat 5-6 big meals a day!" Frankly, if you are not following these simple rules, it's not really shocking you aren't getting to where you want. [Print this article out now (before you forget), and for 2 days monitor your own eating habits. If you are not following these rules, you have found a problem that you can easily solve without spending a dime!]
Always eat at least 5 times a day. Two or three meals simply isn't enough. Two of the meals can be considered snacks as long as the nutrition ratios are correct as I'm about to describe in Rule 2. Why Is Eating So Frequently A Must, They Ask?
In planning each of your daily meals (or snacks), a caloric ratio of approximately 1 part fat, 2 parts protein, and 3 parts carbohydrates is a good place to begin. What you will see in Rule 3 below, is this is just an estimate for average people. You can adjust this to fit your needs. Keep in mind, you do not want to eliminate the healthy fats from your diet! This rule preaches consuming enough protein to support muscle growth and enough carbohydrates to ensure you have fuel for your workouts and you are able to recover. Low glycemic carbs are optimal for the choices in this stage. Remember that carbohydrates are your body's preferred fuel source!
Ask yourself, "What am I going to be doing in the next hour?" If you won't be active, then lower the amount of carbs you consume; if you will be training, then bump up the carbs you will consume so you'll have the energy to train. Alter your carbohydrate intake depending on your anticipated activities. Remember that low glycemic carbs are optimal for pre-workout consumption!
What if you want to build muscle and lose fat at the same time? Pick a new goal. Simply put:
As you can see, clearly the goals are in conflict. And while it's true that beginners can do both (their bodies are easily changed), the rest of you will find this an inefficient task. It's best to alternate periods of negative calorie balance with periods of positive calorie balance. You'll ultimately build more muscle and burn more fat if you simply pick a single goal!
I'm not entirely sure I agree with this one, but it does make realistic sense to the common person who has a job, maybe married with kids, and can't be a full time cook - or simply doesn't have the time to prepare foods. This secret rule says that it's almost impossible to get all of the nutrients your body needs to remain healthy and active from food alone; especially if you are on some sort of diet. Therefore, it is important to supplement your diet with vitamins, minerals and carefully selected supplements. Let's get real here (I fully expect fall-out from this statement) - I'm not preaching you have to take supplements. In fact, many programs out there, including my own, do not require it in any way, shape, or form. And if you can carefully select your foods, you will be just fine. Personally, I know of one bodybuilder who doesn't take any supplements and is ripped to shreds and his workouts make me cry! He's dedicated and proves every time he steps into the gym, natural, supplement-free bodybuilding is the way to go! But it's crazy not to at least mention the arguments for this secret nutrition rule because as a bodybuilder myself with a life and who's occasionally time-constrained, these next points happen to most of us. There's not a person who's reading this article now that hasn't felt like, no matter how hard you try, no matter how good a cook you are, or where you buy your food:
Eliminate The Junk Food. Drink Plenty Of Water A Day. Determine Your Daily Protein Needs. Consume Foods Higher In Fiber. Increase Your Lean Body Weight Thru Resistance Training.
To learn more about these nutrition and training rules, you'll want to see what all the fuss is about in "The Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding." This 250-page, jam-packed book is full of insights like this and many more that will get you the results you want today! Take a look at what it's all about at Beginning-Bodybuilding.com. Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here! Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
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4 Rules Of Nutrition: 98% Of You Aren't Doing These!
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