Fitness Through Diet

1. CALCULATION OF TOTAL ENERGY EXPENDITURE

The first step in building an ideal bodybuilding diet plan is to determine your total energy expenditure, which is calculated from basal metabolism and energy expenditure associated with physical activity.

The basic metabolism designates all the incompressible "expenses" that your organism must incur to maintain its vital functions in activity.

This is primarily the cardiovascular system and the individual functioning of each organ.

The level of basal metabolism depends on age, muscle mass and the intensity of physical activity.

As for the energy expenditure linked to physical activity, it includes the “additional” expenditure of our body.

The energy expenditure linked to physical activity is a very personal data impacted by factors such as profession, level of sports activity and type of leisure activities.

With our calorie calculator, you define the exact amount of calories needed for bodybuilding.

For personalized advice on your diet and training, use our free BMI calculation in the foodspring Body Check. Achieve your goals efficiently, quickly and sustainably.

2. NUMBER OF CALORIES NEEDED IN THE FOOD PROGRAM

The secret to muscle development lies in maintaining a caloric excess.

Only an additional "caloric buffer stock" of 300 to 500 calories allows your body to offer the "luxury" of additional muscle mass, because logically, these new structures need a sufficient supply of nutrients.

LET'S TAKE A CONCRETE EXAMPLE:

The total energy expenditure of a 26-year-old man (height 190 cm, weight 81 kg) who works in an office and does sports three times a week is around 3000 kcal / per day.

To develop his bodybuilding, he must include in his food program a caloric surplus of 300 to 500 calories, to add to his daily caloric need - and counting in addition to his total energy expenditure. This excess allows him to reach his bodybuilding goal more easily.

3. DISTRIBUTION OF MACRONUTRIENTS

The calculation of the amount of calories needed defined the basis of the diet program for bodybuilding.

The next step is to weigh the 3 macronutrients - proteins, fats, carbohydrates - and understand their role in the food program.

PROTEINS - THE BRICKS OF MUSCULAR

Protein plays a key role in recovery, nutrient intake and bodybuilding.

In our diet for bodybuilding, we recommend an intake of 1.5 to 1.8 g of protein per pound of weight (approximately 20 to 25% of the total amount of energy).

Note that higher protein consumption does not improve bodybuilding in any way.

DISCOVER PROTEIN FOODS

YOUR MUSCLES NEED PROTEIN IN THE FORM OF AMINO ACIDS TO REPAIR MUSCLE FIBERS AND FORM NEW CELLS.

When selecting appropriate protein sources, care should be taken to obtain a healthy mix of animal and vegetable protein. These must also have a high biological value and be very low in fat.

However, Cheat Day requires, various recipes such as pancakes or protein brownies are tolerated on this special day. You can also prepare protein snacks to incorporate into your diet.

CARBOHYDRATES - THE FUEL FOR YOUR TRAINING

The intake of carbohydrates in a nutritional program is governed by many factors. When training almost daily through intensive workouts, an adequate carbohydrate intake is imperative. Giving up carbohydrates means exposing yourself to fatigue and significant loss of power in the long term, with the risk of reduced motivation for training.

It is for this reason that we have developed Instant Oats. It is a 100% organic oatmeal, which you can add to yogurt, juice, or a whey shake. Complex carbohydrates will serve as a great energy resource for the muscles.

LIPIDS - FOR OPTIMAL HORMONAL BALANCE

Healthy fats are often overlooked in our diet. And yet, the myth that "fat makes you fat" has long been disproved.

A good intake of fatty acids, in particular polyunsaturated, is very important for the proper functioning of the body.

The absorption of fat conditions the level of testosterone and therefore the release of growth hormones necessary for bodybuilding.

These good fats are found in both vegetable and animal sources.

For bodybuilding, we recommend 1 gram of fat per kilo of weight (20 to 25% of the total energy amount).

Based on your daily calorie needs, our nutrient distribution calculation determines the exact nutrient distribution for bodybuilding. Thus, creating your own diet plan for bodybuilding becomes child's play.

4.BODYBUILDING AND NUTRITION: CHOOSING THE RIGHT FOODS

After having laid the theoretical foundations and defined the key figures of our food program for bodybuilding, let's take a look at choosing the right foods.

Do you want to gain muscle mass? So your menu should be based on a combination of high quality protein and complex carbohydrates.

Although it plays a central role in many metabolic processes, including the production of anabolic hormones like testosterone, it is advisable to limit fat to a moderate amount.

PREMIUM SOURCES OF PROTEIN FOR BODYBUILDING:

Low-fat dairy products (cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt)

Lean meats (beef, chicken, turkey)

Fish (salmon, mackerel, herring)

Red lentils, red beans, peas, quinoa, chickpeas, soybeans

HIGH QUALITY LIPID SOURCES FOR WEIGHT-BUILDING

In addition to proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, it is important to maintain an adequate supply of vitamins.

In fact, when you train, your body loses a lot of minerals and vitamins. The most affected are vitamins B2, B6 and B12, which play a crucial role in your fitness sessions.

If you want to learn more about vitamin B12, its specific role and its importance in vegan diets, read our article on the subject:

ALL ABOUT VITAMIN B12

NUTRITION FOR A GROUND TAKING: BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING

Next to your macros, you also need to have good timing for the menus you prepare, depending on the time of day. Certain foods will be better assimilated at different times of the day, and may have a strong impact on your progress in mass gain.

Here are our tips on how to prepare a top weight gain food program:

2 to 3 hours before training, we recommend that you consume complex carbohydrates.