Bodybuilding Diet Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs

1) Eating very little or excessive protein.

Protein is the key nutrient in any bodybuilding diet plan. In order to build muscle one should consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean bodyweight. Less protein can actually hinder one's progress significantly and result in frustration and lack of results. On the other hand excessive protein calories in a diet can be stored as body fat or in some cases used as energy. One gram per pound of lean bodyweight spread over 6 nutritious meals is a great starting point. If you want to build more muscle or you train harder OR you find that you are not recovering as fast you can slowly increase your protein intake to 1.1 grams per pound or 1.25 grams. Protein is the building block for muscle tissue and if you want to build mass OR get ripped you have to start eating more.

2) Eating the wrong types of carbs.

This is one of the most common nutritional mistakes I come across. I see people who want to add muscle and they eat anything for carbs, from chocolate bars & donuts to rice & potatoes! Fact of the matter is, not all carbs are created equal and you will be what you eat, eventually! Most people tend to overeat simple carbs (sugars) which give them an almost immediate rise in energy but also an equally sudden slump. A proper bodybuilding diet, whether it's for mass gaining purposes or leaning out, should consist mostly of complex carbs. Complex carbs are digested slowly and released into the bloodstream steadily over a period of time. This provides a steady source of energy for muscles throughout the day. With complex carbs there are no highs and lows in energy as they stay steady throughout the day.

Imagine your energy as a line in a graph. With complex carbs, your energy is a completely straight line, always staying high. With simple carbs, your energy line is like a few mountain peaks. It has a few extreme highs but it's followed by extreme lows as well! Carbs have a very significant effect on the way the body utilizes protein. Carbs have a "protein sparing" effect ie when you eat enough carbs, your body will use the protein you give it only for muscle repairing/building purposes. If you don't give your body enough carbs throughout the day, it will automatically break down protein to synthesize glycogen for energy. It's a process called glycogenesis and it will take place when your body is running low on carbs. If your body starts to break down proteins you will enter a catabolic state and your metabolism will slow down significantly. You will also lose muscle & strength.

3) Cheating too much with the wrong foods.

Cheating in any bodybuilding diet is an absolute must. Whether you are dieting for a contest or trying to gain muscle, you should set a specific day of the week where you will be able to have a cheat meal of your liking. The way you cheat depends 100% on how strict you are with your diet. Bodybuilders who are dieting for a contest are the most strict, limiting their cheat meals to once a week or once every two weeks. On the other hand, bodybuilders who are trying to gain muscle mass cheat more often, maybe 2-3 times a week. It is important however to cheat sensibly and not go overboard! If you eat a gallon of ice cream in one sitting and consume over 3000 calories, what do you think will happen? Most likely, the extra calories from sugars & fat will be stored as body fat! The KEY to cheating is to do it with moderation. If you want to be a bodybuilder you should forget about eating anything you want. I don't care how fast your metabolism is! If you eat a ton of cheat meals, it will backfire on you and your progress will slow down.

4) Thinking supplements as the "holy grail".

Nutritional supplements are exactly what they describe! They are there to supplement your diet in case you cannot eat enough nutrients from solid natural foods. Nothing on earth can substitute the power and metabolic effects of natural foods. Supplements provide mostly conveniency when we don't have time to cook but they are in no way better than food. Do not look at supplements as the "solution" to your lack of progress. Yes, some of them do provide an extra boost in strength or fat loss BUT if you do not have a solid diet & training program as the foundation of your bodybuilding goals, supplements will do very little for you.

5) Not eating enough fats & fatty acids.

All fat is not created equal! Eating some fats can actually help you gain mass and keep your body healthy. Most people try to avoid fats like the plague but this approach can actually hinder their mass gaining or fat loss efforts. Egg yolks, virgin olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil, natural peanut butter & fish oils are all excellent sources of healthy fats. These not only support a healthy metabolism & hormone production but can provide healthy calories for your bulking up bodybuilding diet. Stay away from saturated fats & trans fatty acids at all costs! They will ruin your physique and cause havoc to your body & health.

6) Not having variety in your diet.

I asked a bodybuilder friend of mine recently how his diet was. His reply was typical: "You know, Kostas, chicken breasts, brown rice, steak, tuna, more rice, baked potatoes..the usual". Don't get me wrong, all of these foods are top of the line for your bodybuilding diets but you can add MORE! Eating the same thing day in day out is really boring. I have eaten so much canned tuna that i cannot even stand to look at it anymore! A bodybuilding diet is a HEALTHY diet first and foremost. Variety is very important - not only for health's sake but also for your mind's sake. Having variety will help you enjoy your nutritional program for years to come and you will also cheat less. There are so many bodybuilding recipe cookbooks out there that give you an immense amount of choices, ideas & healthy alternatives to the staples of chicken & rice.

7) Failing to track calories on a daily basis.

Experts say to measure portions, measure plate fulls or just eat as much as you can (when bulking). I find all this completely wrong. In order to make real progress and see how your body is reacting to your specific diet, you need to accurately track calories. If you do not, you are setting yourself up for frustration. Knowing how many calories you are consuming on any given day can help you make necessary changes if you are not seeing the results you want. You can either keep a diary of your daily calories or you can add them up in excel. Counting calories can be a tedious process at first but you get used to it really fast. Eventually you'll be able to add everything up in your head automatically!

8) Overeating.

If you are trying to gain weight be careful not to fall pray to the "experts" who say that you have to eat everything in sight. Yes, you most definitely have to eat a large number of calories & meals every day but that does not mean that you have to stuff yourself like there's no tomorrow! Overeating calories & especially sugars will only make you gain body fat. You can gain a tremendous amount of weight & mass even if you eat clean foods! The only thing you have to do is eat more of them!!

9) Making big changes all at once.

Changing your diet all of a sudden and following a Mr. Olympia's diet will not do you any good. You will end up gaining body fat or starving your muscles. If you want to change your diet, make sure you do so by either increasing or decreasing your calories over a period of time. Start by adding 100 calories every 3-5 days until you have reached the desired caloric intake. Once you reach the desired caloric level keep close track of your body weight & body fat percentage in order to assess whether the new changes in your diet are beneficial or not.

10) Not drinking enough water.

Water is probably one of the most important ingredients for life. Over 70% of our muscles consist of water. Water is needed for all metabolic processes, including protein synthesis. It helps get rid of toxins, it is important in fat metabolism and it can reduce fluid retention. A good rule of thumb is to drink 10 cups of water per day, increasing it during the summer months and during hardcore training sessions. Even the slightest bit of dehydration can make you feel sluggish and hold you back during your training sessions. Never ignore water intake!!

Read More

Top 10 Bicep physical exertion And Bicep Exercise Mistakes

As a beginner, it's typically troublesome to induce into weight coaching and dealing out. Most beginners (including Pine Tree State after I was a beginner) don't desire to approach 
the big guys and raise them questions on workouts and what they are doing. In today's article we're getting to cross-check the highest ten bicep 
workout and bicep exercise mistakes. The aim of this text is to assist those that area unit unaccustomed bicep sweat and bicep coaching 
techniques. this can make sure that bicep sweat and exercise beginners build the foremost muscle within the time they pay within the gymnasium.

Bicep sweat mistake #1 - unhealthy technique

I go on and on regarding this on eBicep.com, bicep technique is extremely vital to create massive striated muscle. If you cheat throughout by swinging the load or not 
lifting the total vary of motion you're solely cheating yourself. For details on the way to do every bicep exercise properly, see eBicep's 
bicep exercise section.

Bicep sweat mistake #2 - Too several sets!

There have not been a rule that says additional sets = larger striated muscle. It's all regarding quality or coaching. you're comfortable doing fifteen sets of quality 
bicep sweat exercises than doing thirty sets of poor type rubbish. you would like to consider each rep of each set, watch your bicep muscle as 
you pull the load up - specialise in it. simply keep in mind, atiny low quantity of quality coaching can build larger mucles than an oversized quantity of poor 
quality coaching.

Bicep sweat mistake #3 - Overtraining

Overtraining thus quite common, particularly in an exceedingly competitive atmosphere like anaerobic exercise. As a general rule for all muscle teams (not simply biceps): if 
the muscles {you area unit|you're} on the point of train are still sore from your last sweat, do not train them. easy as that. As you will see from my next purpose, resting 
is additional vital than coaching.

Bicep sweat mistake #4 - Not enough rest

To somebody unaccustomed understanding, this simply sounds plain stupid. obtain as intimate muscle builders apprehend, rest could be a vital a part of building 
your mucles. once you sweat your bicep muscles you are really breaking and tearing them (that's why they "pump up"). And once you rest and sleep 
your muscle grow and repair. Not enough rest = not enough muscle growth. rest up!

Bicep sweat mistake #5 - High reps / lightweight weights

One of the foremost unremarkably asked queries in muscle building is, "how several reps ought to I do to create the foremost muscle?". there is is not any straight answer to 
this as a result of there is such a large amount of variables. there's one common rule although, heavier weights/less reps = larger and stronger muscles. thus to induce the foremost out 
of your bicep sweat, drop the reps right down to 6-8 on your massive bicep exercises and do some extre sets.

Bicep sweat mistake #6 - Same ol' routine

After some months of doing identical sweat, your muscles can get acquainted with the sweat and stop growing. this is often known as a highland, and each muscle 
builder hit's it at some stage. you would like to combine up your bicep workouts each 2-3 months. modification days, modification exercises, sweat your striated muscle with a unique 
muscle cluster. Mix it up, you will see and feel the difference!

Bicep sweat mistake #7 - Pre-exhausted striated muscle

It's important once designing your bicep wourkout that you just do not work the other body components that use the striated muscle before your bicep sweat. for instance, 
a big mistake I see all the time is coaching the rear then the striated muscle. this is often not smart for your striated muscle as a result of all the rear exercises use striated muscle 
as a secondary muscle cluster. thus do not train your back before your striated muscle, or the other way around. Train your back and striated muscle on separate days.

Bicep sweat mistake #8 - Wrong exercise order

If you have got browse our bicep sweat page you will see that we have a tendency to invariably do our biggest bicep 
exercises at the start of the sweat. These area unit the heaviest weight movers and wish the foremost energy. thus continue your massive exercises like 
bicep curl at the beginning of your bicep sweat and follow with the smaller exercises.

Bicep sweat mistake #9 - Not enough rest between sets

You need to form certain you have got adequate rest between sets, alternative you wont be ready to left serious weights, and you'll not be ready to grow the maximum amount 
muscle. For the larger bicep sets a extended rest is OK, take what you would like and do not rush it. If your sweat is taking to long, split it over a 
few days.

Bicep sweat mistake #10 - Poor consumption

You know the old chestnut, "eat massive to induce big", well it's true. specifically you would like to eat the maximum amount supermolecule as doable and complicated carbohydrates. You 
need to eat tiny meals, more often.


Article Source 

Read More