| Maintaining optimum nutrition is
essential to building a strong, massive physique, yet it is the most
neglected element in the average lifter's program. Without super
nutrition, all training efforts are a waste of time. Nutrition also has
an impact on the efficiency of steroid cycles. If you want to get big;
you have got to eat eat eat! Food plays a major role in the acquisition
of muscle mass. A person must really be motivated to eat super nutrition
or it just wont happen! I won't
give specific diet plans here (you can find expert nutritional advice by
doing a search on google.com or any search engine) but I will repeat
some basic tips that every fitness expert can tell you:
Increase your protein intake (30 to 50
grams with every meal every 3 hours) - this prevents the body burning
muscle tissue whilst you are dieting. Good protein sources include
lean red meat, chicken, turkey fish and whey protein. For those protein
shakes - always try to consume high quality whey protein - not cheaper
milk or casein proteins! Research shows that whey protein leads to over
a 100% greater increase in protein synthesis (the fancy term for muscle
growth) than the cheap milk protein found in many protein powders. In
addition, whey protein halts the muscle-wasting hormone 'cortisol' .
Whey protein heads straight into the bloodstream - ready for delivery to
your protein-starved muscles. And always try to consume a protein shake
immediately after a workout - this is when your muscles need it most!
Try to eat 5 to 6 times a day. This
means working out your total calorie requirement and splitting it up in
5 to 6 meals. This will speed up your metabolism (helping to keep fat
levels down) and keep your energy levels up. 6 times a day may sound a
lot, but you can make it easier by consuming a good quality protein
shake in between your main meals
Drink lots of water - around 3 litres a
day if you can manage it! My advice here is to start early in the
the day! Drinking large amounts of water is
very important if you are taking a course of steroids. You need to flush
out those internal organs and supply the water your mucles need to grow.
Cut down on your salt as it reduces the
ability of your stomach to digest protein. Added to this, salt may lead
to water retention, heart disease and high blood pressure
Reduce your intake of fats from dairy
and animal products - but 'high fat' cold water fish such as salmon,
herring, sardines and mackerel are good for your system and should be on
your shopping list.
Make sure you eat nutrient rich foods
(tuna, chicken, salads, pasta, beans, pulses) and try to cut down on
your sugars, salts and fats! Empty calories (sweets, chocolates, fried
food) won't provide the fuel you need but they may make you fat.
Go for complex carbohydrates (bananas,
brown rice, green vegetables) and cut down on simple carbohydrates
(chocolate, cakes, chips, white bread - even carrots!). Basically,
complex carbs are harder to break down and they keep your insulin levels
on a more even plateau. Simple carbs will give you a short term boost
but make you feel more lethargic when the boost disappears!
type
Intense workouts require much higher doses of vitamins and your local
bodybuilding or health food store will be able to supply the packs of
pills you will need to eat! From what is on the market today, a daily
dose of vitamins and minerals could mean a 6 or 7 tablets!
In summary you should:
- Eat regularly during the day (5 or
6 times if you can)
- Increase your protein intake and
drink a protein shake immediately after your workout
- Eat carbs half an hour after
exercising
- Avoid sugar -- it contains empty
calories; eat fruits and vegetables for carbs instead
- Avoid salt - it reduces the
bodies efficiency for processing protein.
- Rest (from exercise) at least 3 days a week
- Sleep 8 hours a day
- Drink around 3 litres of water a day
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