form of glycogen in the muscles and liver . H owever , it cannot store protein and amino acids except in muscles . So when we get low on protein , we need it and we pull it from our hard earned muscles . P ro bodybuilders know this and ensure they take in regular protein throughout the day . This is the one diet staple that is non-negotiable .
ADAPTABLE TRAINING – F ollowing up on workout consistency , adaptability comes in a close second . This involves being in tune with your body , adj usting to pains and inj uries , and taking what your body will give you . It ’ s not possible to push yourself 100 % every single day , nor can you expect to never face injuries , aches and pains . Adaptable training means that we find a way to intelligently work through all the challenges that come along with pushing our bodies to the limit . P ro bodybuilders work around an inj ury , not through it . Nor do they hang up their weight belt when an inj ury arises . They tend to the inj ury and continue to train around the inj ury .
ARE PROTEIN SHAKES MORE IMPORTANT THAN REAL FOOD IN A BODYBUILDING DIET ?
TAKING SOME TIME TO CRUISE- A n NF L football season is only 16 games out of 5 2 weekends in a year , that ’ s only 31 % of the time . E ven with only playing 31 % of the time , the incidence of inj ury is very high . NF L players are at the peak of physical performance , and this isn ’ t something you can maintain for 5 2 weeks a year . B odybuilding is no different . We go in hard bursts to get to our peak physical conditioning for a show or a shoot , then we need to cruise for a while to let our body recover and heal . This is not to say we stop training and dieting . It means we adj ust our training to minimize damage and adj ust our diets to accommodate recovery and growth . Those who attempt to stay in show conditioning year round will ultimately burn out . We can still stay in excellent shape , and it ’ s a good idea to as well . Science has shown that our body ’ s function at threir best at 12-14 % body fat for males and ��-��� body fat for females to minimize inflammation yet stay optimally healthy . So letting yourself completely go will be detrimental to growth and recovery , however , trying to stay at 7 % body fat will have an equally detrimental effect .
EMOTIONLESS , REGIMENTED DEDICATION
– Last but not least is the mental aspect of bodybuilding . Without a doubt we have all seen the people who get excessively gung ho about dieting and training out of nowhere . They pour their hearts and souls into it and undoubtedly get amazing results . This never lasts though . They have too much emotion tied to what they are trying to do , and much like your body can ’ t go 100 % all of the time , neither can your mind . Your emotions will wear off and your dedication will wane . P ro bodybuilders have mastered the art of keeping emotions minimal in regards to their diet and training . The j ust do it , day in and day out . It is a j ob they are doing and even though they are always doing it , they aren ’ t 100 % mentally focused on bodybuilding at all times .
�verall , no one supplement , workout program or diet is going to get you to be your absolute best . It is a combination of rituals and habits , done day in and day out over a period of time that are going to make the difference . P ace yourself , listen to your body , train and eat intelligently and most importantly , keep the long term goal in mind in your training and dieting . Nearly every pro bodybuilder would give you a different bit of advice as to the secret to their success . The secret is , it takes hard work over a period of time .
Real food is by far the most important component of a bodybuilding diet . There are so many nutrients that real food contains , many of which have not even been discovered yet , that you would be doing yourself a disservice by limiting the amount of real food that you are eating .
In addition , real food has what is called a “ thermic effect ” . A “ thermic effect ” is the impact that real food has in your metabolism . B ecause real food requires digestion , your body burns more calories in processing it ; as opposed to shakes which are already pre-digested .
R egardless of what the ads tell you , protein shakes do not offer any muscle building benefit , nor “ secret muscle building ingredient ” , above and beyond what real food offers you . Yes , I have read the ads too with all sorts of speedy muscle building promises but I can assure you through experience that most of the ingredients advertised as miraculous have not been proven to work neither by science ( even though most ads of this nature usually talk about research studies that usually do not exist ) nor by actual results at the gym . These products however have been proven beyond the shadow of any scientific doubt to shrink the size of your wallet and bank account .
What protein shakes do offer the bodybuilder and fitness enthusiast is a convenient way to ingest your protein , thus allowing you to have your five to six meals every day without having to ingest real food in all of them . In addition , the best protein shakes in the market offer a protein blend of different sources of protein , something that introduces amino acid variety into your bodybuilding diet , thus making your diet more complete . H owever , do not ever think that protein shakes are superior to food .
HOW MUCH TO CONSUME
I recommend that you always have a breakfast , a lunch and a dinner consisting of real food items . A breakfast may consist of egg whites and oatmeal , lunch of chicken , some brown rice and green beans , while dinner can be some salmon , with a baked potato and some broccoli . In between meals , then you can have your protein shakes so that you can fulfill your every �-� hour meal re�uirement . �epending upon what your bodybuilding goals are , you may choose to j ust use a protein powder and mix it with either water or skim milk ( assuming that you are not competing ) , or a weight gainer that has more carbohydrate calories to help fuel the metabolism of hardgainers . You may also have an MR P ( Meal R eplacement P owder ) or an R TD ( R eady to D rink ) for the convenience that they offer . Never take in more than half of your meals in the form of protein shakes . So if you consume 5 meals a day , make sure that 3 of those are real meals . If you consume 6 , then up to 3 can be shakes . If you are wondering what I do , I personally have 4 real meals and two shakes .
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