November 22, 2009
The types of foods you eat and when you eat them are essential for bodybuilding success, but very few athletes really understand what it takes to maintain a healthy nutrition program. Bodybuilders involved in competition often resort to extreme weight loss that leaves them stressed, fatigued and incapable of increasing muscle size and strength later in their careers. You can avoid falling into the trap of a poor nutrition program by maintaining a log of your food and caloric intake, and making sure you follow the key nutritional guidelines for bodybuilders in training.
Many misconceptions surround nutrition. Fairly recently, high protein diets have become popular. However, limiting yourself to eat only protein has its downsides. Catherine Jackson in her book “Nutrition for the Recreational Athlete” maintains that a high-protein diet often causes irritability and lowers endurance in an individual. Avoid the pitfalls of a poor diet by eating enough calories and selecting the right foods. I’ll list here some basic and valuable guidelines on nutrition to help you with your training.
Decreased strength - Too little protein often results in decreased strength, which can make it very difficult to maintain a consistent workout program. It would be ideal if you were getting your supply of protein from a variety of sources. Foods rich in protein are meat, chicken, egg, milk and soya - based products.
Being moody and irritable - Moodiness and Irritability is actually brought about by low blood sugar. This can be interpreted as a sign that you’re not eating enough carbohydrates. In addition, a lack of carbohydrates will affect your ability to focus. Get your fill of carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains for optimal blood sugar level.
More frequent sick days - Being sick all the time is a sign that your immune system is weakened. Eat a variety of foods that are rich in B-vitamins and minerals such as bananas, lentils, tuna, potatoes, and turkey.
Reduced pace - A lot of people starve themselves before training. This practice is actually counter productive since you’ll mostly run out of energy in the middle of training. You’ll need to eat some type of carbohydrate at least 1 hour before your training session, if you want to increase your speed.
Lack of motivation - Lack of motivation is a sign of burnout. Give your body enough time for rest. Not eating right can also cause stress to your body. Professional athletes are commonly known to eat mini-meals every 2 to 3 hours. This helps in maintaining a stable blood sugar level needed for training.
The bottom line is that improper nutrition leads to training related problems. Natural supplements, such as Stemulite Fitness Formula, are a great way to help you get all the nutrition you need. Eating alone is sometimes not enough and so supplements can help make up for any nutritional deficiencies. Combine Stemulite with a sound nutritional plan for better performance and a healthier life.
March 17, 2009
Some people think that gaining muscles is as easy as popping a can of soda. Well it’s not that easy. You have to wait for months to see acceptable results. You have to consider a lot of things if you’re aiming for firm and perfect muscles. First, the things that you eat must be healthy in order for you to sustain your body’s exertion in gaining mass. You have to observe the proper ways of exercise and your muscle growth should be assessed. Here, you will able to ascertain whether or not you have the proper genes required to build and get muscles at a rapid rate than others.
If you don’t see anything that fits your type, worry not, because this is just one of those many factors that can determine the duration of muscle growth. It is also helpful that you know the type of body that you have and the kind of muscle that you wanted to build because through this knowledge, you will know the right kind of exercise and nutritional program that will suit your body’s requirement to grow.
There are three types of body each carrying a specific characteristic below it.
Type 1 – Endomorph
As an endomorph, you have natural large frame of body a round face with bigger bones and wider hips but with slower metabolism. This is the type of body that gains body fat and weight easily but also the type of person can have the capability to gain mass in a quicker way. The only problem that you will encounter is that your muscles tend to hide under the fat that you have which will make you look bulkier and clumsier. Even if you develop six packs, it wouldn’t be that prominent because of your fat tummy.
That is why, you have to grow muscles and at the same time burn the unnecessary fats for your muscles to be revealed and more defined. End point: you need to spend more time in the gym because aside from willing to refined muscles, you need to burn those fats away.
Type 2 – Mesomorph
These are the persons who are naturally blessed with a body that has a wider shoulder and a more muscular body. You also have a small waist and a frame fit for entering athletic competitions. Because your body has lower contents of body fat, you also have an increase metabolic rate. Due to your normal predisposition, you can pack that muscle and develop it really very fast. You have an inherent tendency which naturally allowes to excel in any kind of sport that you wish because your body can adapt physical changes easily.
Type 3 – Ectomorph
Skinny type and small muscles that is what you are. Your body has high metabolism rate with narrow hips, shoulders and waist. With this kind of stature, you will find it hard to gain on some muscles and weight. No matter how much effort you put in eating, you’ll still get the skinny frame. This kind of frame will make it harder for you to build some mass because your proteins and fats don’t last long.
People who fall under one of these criteria can have the specific unilateral characteristics or others may have mix of it. Either way, you now know that it will greatly depend on your body type and on how long you can gain muscles.