Body Building Diet

[VinceFox]

Pvapour said:

VinceFox said:

Aye. It's a minefield tho, isn't it?

absolutely mind boggling to a beginner, although the OP sounds like he has exercise experience so thats a big help.

I was overwhelmed by how complicated it was when I started at 15, I'd never done any studying of the body, exercise or diet at this age but was instantly hooked on BB, not read many books to that point but Robert Kennedy became my first friend ('Beef it' 'Get ripped' etc) no internet in the mid 80s either so local competitive bodybuilders took me under their wing, good bunch of guys & I was very lucky.

Their physiques & techniques spoke for themselves & you would gladly listen to them as their results supported what they were saying, sadly I'm not so sure the same can be said for much of the posters on here, the internet is good in some ways & not in others I guess.

Now in my 40s, have never stopped training or learning & it has given me so much self discipline, enough to do anything I put my mind to which is why I always speak very highly of it, as you say, huge amount to learn but worth it in ways I could never have seen at 15.

Definitely. Another bit of advice to the OP is to know what your exact goals are, then break them down into achievable ones. Plateauing can be a nightmare otherwise.

[Pvapour]

VinceFox said:

Pvapour said:

VinceFox said:

Aye. It's a minefield tho, isn't it?

absolutely mind boggling to a beginner, although the OP sounds like he has exercise experience so thats a big help.

I was overwhelmed by how complicated it was when I started at 15, I'd never done any studying of the body, exercise or diet at this age but was instantly hooked on BB, not read many books to that point but Robert Kennedy became my first friend ('Beef it' 'Get ripped' etc) no internet in the mid 80s either so local competitive bodybuilders took me under their wing, good bunch of guys & I was very lucky.

Their physiques & techniques spoke for themselves & you would gladly listen to them as their results supported what they were saying, sadly I'm not so sure the same can be said for much of the posters on here, the internet is good in some ways & not in others I guess.

Now in my 40s, have never stopped training or learning & it has given me so much self discipline, enough to do anything I put my mind to which is why I always speak very highly of it, as you say, huge amount to learn but worth it in ways I could never have seen at 15.

Definitely. Another bit of advice to the OP is to know what your exact goals are, then break them down into achievable ones. Plateauing can be a nightmare otherwise.

absolutely, keeping the body & mind keen to keeping going is the hardest.

Trouble with BB is its largely based on vanity which has so many flaws, if you can inc. in your psyche a 'long term health for old age' then I found that helped in the latter years.

[thesyn]

Question to OP

Is the muscle gain you seek to promote strength and fitness related to the cardio exercise you already do or are you working toward the summer holiday 'gun show' as well?

[Hiromitsu11]

Similar situation for me and looking for some advice

I'm just short of 6ft and 11 stone. Always struggled to put on weight although I don't think i've ever eaten enough to see the outcome. Now I'm looking to bulk up, through diet and weightlifting.

Is packing the weight on initially the most important thing and at this stage, and is it still about high levels of protein or a more fat orientated diet?

Going to focus on the stronglifts 5x5 programe to begin with to just try and build up a bit of muscle. Hopefully following the programe for 6 months or so will give me a good base to build from

[didelydoo]

Hiromitsu11 said:

Similar situation for me and looking for some advice

I'm just short of 6ft and 11 stone. Always struggled to put on weight although I don't think i've ever eaten enough to see the outcome. Now I'm looking to bulk up, through diet and weightlifting.

Is packing the weight on initially the most important thing and at this stage, and is it still about high levels of protein or a more fat orientated diet?

Going to focus on the stronglifts 5x5 programe to begin with to just try and build up a bit of muscle. Hopefully following the programe for 6 months or so will give me a good base to build from

Go with strong lifts for 6 months as planned. Simple answer is eat lots more (of anything, don't worry about macro stuff) and train more, if you get fat, eat slightly less. I'm sure some one will be along to give you more details, but as a starter, I'd keep it simple. HTH

[Hiromitsu11]

didelydoo said:

Go with strong lifts for 6 months as planned. Simple answer is eat lots more (of anything, don't worry about macro stuff) and train more, if you get fat, eat slightly less. I'm sure some one will be along to give you more details, but as a starter, I'd keep it simple. HTH

Cheers

I've started taking impact whey protein and instant oats from myprotein.com to help up the calorie and protein intake. Not sure if this was a wise move or not but will plough through what I ordered and see if it helps

[didelydoo]

Hiromitsu11 said:

Cheers

I've started taking impact whey protein and instant oats from myprotein.com to help up the calorie and protein intake. Not sure if this was a wise move or not but will plough through what I ordered and see if it helps

Good move, best (and cheapest) combo for weight gain- make sure you follow the program, train hard and watch you body fat, instant oats can pack on weight fast! Use scales if you've got, but judge gain by a mirror- if you think you've got too fat, reduce the portions

There is not need to get any fancier for now (despite what other may say). Enjoy!

[Lost_BMW]

Pvapour said:

..when I was a competing Bodybuilder..

iirc you've mentioned having been a competitive bodybuilder before. What sort of competitions, weight category etc. were you involved in?

[exgtt]

Remember to increase and maintain your water intake. All this extra protein, you will need to increase your water intake accordingly. Min of 5 pints daily or just keep your urine clear whichever work best for you. Also consider how much calcium you are taking in, consider some suppliments if you see changes in your nails etc after upping protein.

It's a bit of a mission for your body and certain organs will find it hard work processing big amounts of protein so keep the basics in check and give yourself an easy time of it. I found upping my protein certainly aggrivated gout in my toes, i forgot to up water intake accordingly!

[Lost_BMW]

exgtt said:

Remember to increase and maintain your water intake. All this extra protein, you will need to increase your water intake accordingly. Min of 5 pints daily or just keep your urine clear whichever work best for you. Also consider how much calcium you are taking in, consider some suppliments if you see changes in your nails etc after upping protein.

It's a bit of a mission for your body and certain organs will find it hard work processing big amounts of protein so keep the basics in check and give yourself an easy time of it. I found upping my protein certainly aggrivated gout in my toes, i forgot to up water intake accordingly!

Exactly the same for me!

Alcohol triggered mine, regulalry, so I've been tea total since late 2008 (bugger!) but still get flare ups in toes and knees when my protein level is high and water level too low (a big problem for me to crack as I spend so much time on the road and in meetings and am nervous about toilet opportunities!). Not as funny as the comedy ailment sounds, believe me...

[exgtt]

Lost_BMW said:

Exactly the same for me!

Alcohol triggered mine, regulalry, so I've been tea total since late 2008 (bugger!) but still get flare ups in toes and knees when my protein level is high and water level too low (a big problem for me to crack as I spend so much time on the road and in meetings and am nervous about toilet opportunities!). Not as funny as the comedy ailment sounds, believe me...

Sorry to hear that, i used to get gout twice a year (birthdays and christmas) since the age of 24 (30 now) and decided to get some advise as didnt fancy going on tablets. Doctor said main cause was dehydration and poor circulation. Addressed this with proper water intake and regular excercise (i work in an office on my arse 8hrs a day) and have not had an attack in 18 months despite my love of cider! I can see the paraells in our life styles - get the water thing sorted if you can its not worth living with and you dont want bloody kidney stones! (sorry for the hijack op!)

[Hiromitsu11]

Instead of starting another thread, has anyone got any fundemental tips to ensure form is correct on the squat. It seems to be a bit of a mental thing for me in that I think I'm doing it wrong and stand there thinking too much with the bar on my back before doing the exercise. I'm sure i'm not far off but I have no one to watch/correct me as I'm working out in the garage. Same goes for the barbell row, can't help but feel I'm doing it wrong. Last thing I want is to wreck my back

As far water intake, I already drink about 3 litres a day so should be fine

[Lost_BMW]

exgtt said:

Lost_BMW said:

Exactly the same for me!

Alcohol triggered mine, regulalry, so I've been tea total since late 2008 (bugger!) but still get flare ups in toes and knees when my protein level is high and water level too low (a big problem for me to crack as I spend so much time on the road and in meetings and am nervous about toilet opportunities!). Not as funny as the comedy ailment sounds, believe me...

Sorry to hear that, i used to get gout twice a year (birthdays and christmas) since the age of 24 (30 now) and decided to get some advise as didnt fancy going on tablets. Doctor said main cause was dehydration and poor circulation. Addressed this with proper water intake and regular excercise (i work in an office on my arse 8hrs a day) and have not had an attack in 18 months despite my love of cider! I can see the paraells in our life styles - get the water thing sorted if you can its not worth living with and you dont want bloody kidney stones! (sorry for the hijack op!)

Cheers!

I got it in my early 40s then regularly, esp. through drinking wine/spirits/lager (which also leads to dehydration of course). Stopped drinking and it faded but comes back too easily if my protein intake goes much over 120g a day and especially if I don't drink enough.

So finally my doctor(s) prescribed Alluporinol after various debates between them about how long I'd need to be on - life or not - and the side effects. But, at the final moment I decided not to take them, even though bought, and to try to manage the issue.

You're right about the kidney stones, really worried about that so do need to take heed. Off for a glass of water now!

[Ordinary_Chap]

Hiromitsu11 said:

Instead of starting another thread, has anyone got any fundemental tips to ensure form is correct on the squat. It seems to be a bit of a mental thing for me in that I think I'm doing it wrong and stand there thinking too much with the bar on my back before doing the exercise. I'm sure i'm not far off but I have no one to watch/correct me as I'm working out in the garage. Same goes for the barbell row, can't help but feel I'm doing it wrong. Last thing I want is to wreck my back

As far water intake, I already drink about 3 litres a day so should be fine

- Legs at least shoulder width apart
- Back straight
- Looking up or at least level helps
- Make sure the bar rests on the back and not the neck
- Make sure you go down to at least parallel to your knees, see tons of guys barely moving their body

On top of that I'd suggest filming yourself and checking your form against one of the many tutorials on youtube afterwards.

It takes some practice and you need to distinguish between a back pump and a painful back. My back gets pumped everytime without fail although for a lot of people its not that bad.

[carmonk]

2g protein / lb bodyweight is way too much IMO for a beginner. If I were you I'd forget about it. All you need to do is eat sensibly, regularly and frequently with a preference for protein and an aversion to processed sugars and saturated fats, lift heavy weights with good form 2 - 3 times a week whilst not stressing one bodypart more than once in every seven days. You can go and read a hundred different methods and the minutae of protein quality and calorie absorbtion but in your position you don't need to do any of that. Whilst you progress in your training you can read info online and in magazines you'll gain a better understanding of the detail for if you want to step it up. I can't count the number of blokes who turned up at the gym with the exercise plan and diet sheet suited to a pro then wondered why they're the same size after 18 months as when they started.

Edited by carmonk on Sunday 1st January 14:16

[didelydoo]

carmonk said:

2g protein / lb bodyweight is way too much IMO for a beginner. If I were you I'd forget about it. All you need to do is eat sensibly, regularly and frequently with a preference for protein and an aversion to processed sugars and saturated fats, lift heavy weights with good form 2 - 3 times a week whilst not stressing one bodypart more than once in every seven days. You can go and read a hundred different methods and the minutae of protein quality and calorie absorbtion but in your position you don't need to do any of that. Whilst you're doing this if you read info online and in magazines you'll gain a better understanding of the detail for if you want to step it up. I can't count the number of blokes who turned up at the gym with the exercise plan and diet sheet suited to a pro then wondered why they're the same size after 18 months as when they started.

I'd agree with this.

[Lost_BMW]

didelydoo said:

carmonk said:

2g protein / lb bodyweight is way too much IMO for a beginner. If I were you I'd forget about it. All you need to do is eat sensibly, regularly and frequently with a preference for protein and an aversion to processed sugars and saturated fats, lift heavy weights with good form 2 - 3 times a week whilst not stressing one bodypart more than once in every seven days. You can go and read a hundred different methods and the minutae of protein quality and calorie absorbtion but in your position you don't need to do any of that. Whilst you're doing this if you read info online and in magazines you'll gain a better understanding of the detail for if you want to step it up. I can't count the number of blokes who turned up at the gym with the exercise plan and diet sheet suited to a pro then wondered why they're the same size after 18 months as when they started.

I'd agree with this.

Me too, fwiw. For a relatively new trainer it's too easy to read what serious/experienced/pro - and juiced - lifters do and go OTT. Then there'll be more fat than needed to be to cut when the (excess) bulk is over.

I don't have as much as 2g per lb even today (based on a guesstimate of what my ideal lean weight should be/was - not current weight! 600g a day might be a tad excessive )

[Hoofy]

Ordinary_Chap said:

- Looking up

I have found this helps a lot with not bending the back forwards and risking injury especially for deadlifts.

I was told that also you need to make sure your weight is going through the heels.

[Pvapour]

Lost_BMW said:

iirc you've mentioned having been a competitive bodybuilder before. What sort of competitions, weight category etc. were you involved in?

long long time ago, competed as a junior only as never intended to juice.

4 comps in total, 1st was after 1yr training & very embarrassing (16) junior natural UK, not last but no far off

last comp was at 19 I think, I was huge by junior stds, not cut but probably 11%, won by virtue of the fact that I dwarfed the comp, Junior South England, posedown at the end between all catagories for an overall win saw my on stage against Dave Poole winner of the over 90kg, I didn't look out of place next to him & it was awesome, came 2nd to him though. wasn't a massively strong field tbh looking back but it was fun

carried on training to competitive levels but never competed again, might do s seniors later on in my years.

[Lost_BMW]

Pvapour said:

long long time ago, competed as a junior only as never intended to juice.

4 comps in total, 1st was after 1yr training & very embarrassing (16) junior natural UK, not last but no far off

last comp was at 19 I think, I was huge by junior stds, not cut but probably 11%, won by virtue of the fact that I dwarfed the comp, Junior South England, posedown at the end between all catagories for an overall win saw my on stage against Dave Poole winner of the over 90kg, I didn't look out of place next to him & it was awesome, came 2nd to him though. wasn't a massively strong field tbh looking back but it was fun

carried on training to competitive levels but never competed again, might do s seniors later on in my years.

Cheers! Very interesting that. I used to train with folk like Christopher "Sugar" Robinson, Andy James, Steve Brooks, Gary Noakes - still going apparently - and others who used to be on the circuit back in the 80s and 90s, so it's interesting to hear from others who competed a while back.