BodyBuilding Meal Plan: What To Eat & Avoid-Latest 2020?
Bodybuilding is the process in which the body is transformed by building muscles with the help of nutrition and exercise. Exercise for bodybuilding is known as weight lifting. This lifting of a different set of lifting weights helps to pump up muscles and makes them hard and big.
Bodybuilding is always a trending lifestyle. It makes a person healthy and makes an individual perfect in appearance and inside as well. However, in order to get a perfect result from bodybuilding, one must improve and get a proper intake of diet to keep the muscles in full form.
A healthy and proper diet can make the person’s body to transform in a well-shape physique, on the other hand, a wrong diet and junk will stop the body from transforming in a short time.
However, a healthy diet is always the best way to keep the body in good shape and keep the muscles in good form. A healthy diet keeps the muscles to retain its shape and makes it hard and strong.
Basic BodyBuilders
Bodybuilding is something different other than the sports used in the Olympics and power lifting. In bodybuilding, the person’s focus is on appearance and not on physical strength. Bodybuilding does not mean that a person must be bulky and heavy. Along with a heavy body, a person must have a lean and muscular physique.
There are two different types of body appearances- bulking and cutting. These two appearances have different types of exercises and diet, which makes the muscles visible and retain their shape.
The bulking phase is the process of making muscles heavy and as much as you can by lifting heavy weights and eat high calories and protein diet.
On the other hand, the cutting phase is the process in which the body has to lose fat while maintaining the structure of muscles and keeping them hard and prominent. This change takes time of about 12 to 26 weeks, along with a change in diet plan and exercise.
Benefits Of BodyBuilding:
Bodybuilding is the process in which the body is transformed into a different and well-managed body. Bodybuilding requires exercise and a healthy diet plan which keeps the body free from any junk, keep an individual healthy, and fit.
However, you can get several benefits from bodybuilding. In order to maintain and build muscles, a bodybuilder must be motivated and have to exercise daily along with a healthy diet.
Resistance exercise includes the strengthening of muscles and an increase in size. Muscle strength is related to prevention from many serious illnesses such as cancer, kidney problem, and heart diseases.
Aerobic exercise is the process in which bodybuilders regularly reduce body fat, improve heart condition, and prevents heart problems. This exercise also prevents dying from heart diseases, which is one of the diseases from which people die in numerous numbers.
Moreover, not only exercise is important in bodybuilding, even good and healthy nutrition plays an important role. Bodybuilders carefully select their meal planning, which can be supported throughout their gym time as well as provide them with energy throughout the day and keep them healthy.
Eating a proper well-planned diet with nutrients that can balance their energy and workout and keeping them healthy and fit. This diet also helps to lower chronic diseases.
INTAKE OF CALORIES AND NUTRIENTS:
As mentioned, there are two types of bodybuilding phases; cutting and bulking. In the cutting phase, the body reduces fat to make the muscles prominent while the bulking phase is to increase muscle fat while keeping the body healthy.
In the bulking phase, the body needs more calories to build up, and in the cutting phase, the body needs less calorie intake to get lean muscle mass.
CALORIES NEEDED FOR BODYBUILDING:
The best way to keep the count of your calorie is to keep track of your weight at least three times per week. This way, you can measure the intake of calories by your weight and keep the count of calorie intake by using some app.
In case, if your weight is the same, that means your calorie, intake is normal. This means that you are not gaining or losing weight; instead, your weight is maintained.
For the bulking phase, the calorie intake needs to be increased by 15%. For instance, if your daily calorie intake is 3000 per day, then you must consume 3450 calories per day in order to get a bulking physique.
While going from the bulking phase to the cutting phase, you must cut down the calorie intake by 15%. For instance, instead of consuming 3450 calories per day, you consume 2550 calories per day for the cutting phase.
Since you gain weight for the bulking phase and decrease weight for cutting phase, try to change your diet at least monthly to balance and change the weight. This means that if you have gained weight during the bulking phase, keep an increase in the diet and if you are losing weight during the cutting phase, keep the diet in progress to continue the reduction of weight.
However, during these two different phases, try not to lose more than 1% of your body weight per week. Make sure not to lose too much body weight during the cutting phase and gain more weight during the bulking phase.
INTAKE OF MACRONUTRIENTS:
After setting up the number of calorie intake, then you must keep count of your other macronutrients, which include protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
Contrasting with the changes in calories in the diet, intake of macronutrients does not change.
It is recommended to consume:
- 30 to 35% calorie from protein
- 55 to 60% calorie from carbohydrates
- 15 to 20% calorie from fat
This percentage of intake of macronutrients is the general result of intake. However, for best intake, consult the dietician to guide you on the proper intake of macronutrients, which is needed during the cutting or bulking phase.
WHAT TO EAT AND WHAT NOT TO EAT DURING BODYBUILDING:
The main and important part of bodybuilding other than exercise and training is the diet. Eating the right amount of food can help to grow the muscles and keep you energized all day long.
On the other hand, consuming the wrong food can disturb the exercise, and this way, there is no point in exercising when the food is not appropriate.
However, the food which should be eaten and avoid are:
FOOD TO EAT:
The food products which should be focused on during cutting and bulking phase are:
- Meat, poultry, and fish: beef, chicken breast, salmon and cod
- Dairy products: yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, low-fat milk
- Grains: bread, cereal, oat milk, popcorn, and rice
- Fruits: apples, banana, oranges, grapes, pear, peaches, watermelon, and berries
- Vegetables: broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, mushrooms, green leafy salad
- Starch vegetables: potatoes, corn, peas
- Seeds and nuts: almond, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds
- Beans and legumes: chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, black beans
- Oils: olive oil, avocado oil, and flaxseed oil
FOOD NOT TO EAT AND AVOID:

Food products to avoid during bodybuilding are:
- Alcohol: alcohol can have a negative impact on both the cutting and bulking phase, especially if it is consumed in excess.
- Sugars: Sugars are more in calories and less in nutrients. Food items such as candies, doughnuts, ice creams, and cakes along with beverages such as sodas and sports drinks.
- Deep-fried food: deep-fried food causes inflammation if consumed in excess. Food items include fried fish, French fries, onion rings, chicken strips, or any item which is fried.
These are some food items that should be avoided for the bulking and cutting phase. However, some food items should not be consumed before going to the gym to avoid slow digestion and stomach upset.
Those food items are:
- High-fat food: meat, buttery food, sauces and cream
- Fiber food: beans, broccoli, and cauliflower
- Carbonated beverages: diet soda or sparkling water
SUPPLEMENTS FOR BODYBUILDING:
Many bodybuilding supplements are found in the market. However, some products are better than others are. Therefore, some of the best supplements include:
- Whey protein: whey protein is the easiest way to consume and provide increase amount of protein intake for bodybuilding
- Creatine: Creatine helps to provide energy to the body, which is needed to perform extra rep in the gym.
- Caffeine: caffeine does not let the body to feel fatigued and tired
CONCLUSION:
Bodybuilding is the best way to get rid of body fat and lead a healthy life. People who are focused and motivated towards bodybuilding must control their intake of diet as well as manage their calorie intake to get a better result.
However, people who use supplement must be careful not to consume supplements which have steroids in them. Steroids will give you a faster result but will be harmful in the future.
Bodybuilding is essential to protect the body from different diseases and helps to get the body in perfect shape.
