Copyright 2005 Konstantinos Marangopoulos1) 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 ass muscle and they eat
anything for carbs, from chocolate bars & dohnuts 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.
For an absolutely 100% free bodybuilding recipe e-book
visit
http://www.bodybuildingapplied.com/bodybuilding_recipes.asp
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 definately 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!!
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Kostas Marangopoulos is a certified personal trainer,
natural bodybuilder and owner of one of the best
bodybuilding websites & forums on the web,
BodybuildingApplied.com. To get Kostas' free monthy
bodybuilding diet & training secrets newsletter, please
visit http://www.BodybuildingApplied.com
