bodybuilding diet? page

[lee1987]

hi guys
ive been reading with great intrest the articles on this website and im very exited about attempting to put it into practice.
i like to lift weights and have worked very hard over the years bulking to gain/maintain muscle mass on my naturally skinny hardgainer body although with the use of grains pasta rice potatoes etc
now obviously my natural health is more important to me than being big but this is my only hobbie that i enjoy and if i could continue to gain muscle mass with the same success i would be very happy. through experience ive realised its very hard to burn fat and gain LARGE amounts of muscle at the same time thats why bodybuilders are usually cutting or bulking
i just wondered if anyone with my similar body type has had any success with this area
please let me know your diet plans advice etc

[Wanderlust]

Hardgainer as well, and I haven't really bean able to gain decent muscle and lose fat, besides best case it's a slow narrow line you have to walk.

If you're trying to get big, you have to eat big, like humongous. I've had good results keeping overall carbs proportionately low, like 15-25% of calories.

Bulk of the calories coming from protein and fat (lots O' fat). Generally mostly primal food sources as well.

[Darz]

No such thing as a hard gainer - you're just eating less than you think - eat calorie dense foods if you are having trouble getting the calories you need - Any particular reason why you are following a low carb diet? Carbs are more anabolic than fats and they will help you sustain your workouts better.

[IcarianVX]

I have helped many hard gainers (it's a bad term but I guess it fits) and it does boil down to stuffing your pie hole with a shitload of food.
You can still get adequate amounts of carbohydrate without resorting to crap food like bread, normal pasta, etc.
White rice, potatoes (any), rice pasta, squashes; they are all great sources of carbohydrates. You can even use some steel cut/rolled oats (try to get the certified gluten free at least) if you want - though not really primal.

You can also look into the Anabolic Diet by Dr. Pasquale. It has worked for a lot of people and it's pretty Primal (on the weekdays at least). If you are health oriented, his weekend binges are over the top. You could do clean carb refeeds if you want (that's what I do).

However, if you *are* going to eat carbohydrates daily, I would recommend eating them around the training window. No more than about an hour before and 3 hours after training. Your body better utilizes the insulin (and the amino acids) at those times.
You can still utilize them at other times than that, but those seem optimal.

[Ripped]

Yes.

Let your diet and training be mutually exclusive and you can't go wrong. Stop making excuses and train as hard as you can no matter what. Your muscles will grow to their fullest. Then diet to cut the fat away.

Believing otherwise will only stop you from trying hard and being the best you can. Anyone else is either brainwashed or is trying to sell you something. The mind is a powerful thing.

[Zach]

Why do you feel your current diet in unhealthy?

[AngryKiwi47]

No such thing as a hard gainer - you're just eating less than you think - eat calorie dense foods if you are having trouble getting the calories you need - Any particular reason why you are following a low carb diet? Carbs are more anabolic than fats and they will help you sustain your workouts better.

This. This is gold.

Carbs are gonna be your best friend for gaining; rice, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, bananas, etc. They'll give you a ton of energy, are (as said) more anabolic than fats and taste awesome. Ground beef and/or offal on oven baked sweet potato crisps = post workout nachos awesomeness.

[Wanderlust]

I think he means the SAD/bulking diet of lots of crappy carbs and junk food, etc. was unhealthy.

[Darz]

However, if you *are* going to eat carbohydrates daily, I would recommend eating them around the training window. No more than about an hour before and 3 hours after training. Your body better utilizes the insulin (and the amino acids) at those times.
You can still utilize them at other times than that, but those seem optimal.

I beg to differ, eat them when you feel like to - 1 hr after your workout, 10 hrs after a workout, none before - it doesn't actually matter - as long as you meet your requirements by the end of the day and how you feel, you'll be fine.

[AngryKiwi47]

I beg to differ, eat them when you feel like to - 1 hr after your workout, 10 hrs after a workout, none before - it doesn't actually matter - as long as you meet your requirements by the end of the day and how you feel, you'll be fine.

Agreed.

Carbs are tasty, no matter the time of day.