The Right Nutrition For Strength Training

There are a lot of people out there that train to get bigger when they lift, but just can’t seem to reach their goals.  First, they start spending more hours in the gym, piling on the minutes until their about two hours into their workout and they’re tapped out for the rest of the day, or they just give up completely.  I’ve known a lot of people like this and it’s always the same.

For the most part, though, it all comes back to what you eat.  When you want to bulk up when strength training, about 70% of the process is what you eat.  Well, so I don’t come off as a complete idiot, I did my research first and I found the most simple and effective solution to help you.  They are very simple formulas to balance your carb, protein and fat intake throughout the day.

About.com Sports Nutrition Full Story Here

Carbohydrates

Carbs are important because they give you energy throughout the day…they’re the most efficient source of energy for your body.  Carbs are especially good for energy in short bursts, like lifting.  To measure how much your carb intake should be use this formula:

3.6gr carb x body wt(lbs)= grams carb/day

Protein

Protein contains amino acids, the essential building blocks of muscle.  In order to build more muscle, you need more protein, common sense huh…At the same time, though, you can’t overestimate your intake.  Here’s a formula to follow:

0.6 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight

so if you weigh 165 lbs., you should take in 132 g of protein a day (.8 x 165)

Fat

Not all fat is bad, fat is actually healthy for you, in very small doses, specifically unsaturated fat.  Your fat intake should be no more than 30% of your caloric intake a day…nuff said.

There is also some other very good information on the site about creatine and energy drinks, I would read up on them too.

I hope this helps, and don’t forget to pick up some muscle spasm and muscle cramp lotion!