In this article, we will look at 10 mistakes bodybuilders make.
Have you ever questioned why you haven’t put on mass? Or why you’ve never gotten ripped with your bodybuilding diets? The first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott, remarked in 1965 “bodybuilding is 90% nutrition.
Bodybuilders worldwide all tend to make the same mistakes. Like the title of this article says – 10 mistakes bodybuilders make. One cause is basic misinformation. Another problem is believing the myths. For example, “cardio is better than weight training when it comes to getting in shape”. Or, “the pros are clean”. What about “carbs are the root of all evil”.
10 mistakes bodybuilders make:
- Dieting impatiently. A lot of bodybuilders hop from one diet to another. They never give the first program time to work. It takes three weeks for your body to become accustomed to nutritional changes. At that point, you can look forward to seeing noticeable changes.
- Believing that real men stick to their diets 365 days a year. Most people say that to build muscle or lose fat you should stay on your diet 364 days a year. For the majority of bodybuilders all that would take place would be intermittent all out splurges. Such as eating six chocolate bars in two minutes. Or, being afraid of the next meal. It’s better to plan a cheat day every Sunday. This way, you can have a Danish pastry or chocolate bar.
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Not eating enough. The purpose after all is to pack on mass. If you aren’t eating adequately, what exactly do you intend to pack on? So devour more calories. How many calories to preserve your body weight? You need to put away 10 calories per pound of bodyweight. So consuming at least that is a necessity. Don’t be afraid to go 250-500 calories over. For each Joule of energy you use you require calories to replace that expenditure.
- Eating too much. We all know the biology. Surplus calories are stored as body fat. For overeating to be close to the top of the blunder list is no error. Building muscle is the number one objective of bodybuilding. Body fat is the bodybuilder’s number one foe. Does a layer of lard hide your muscles? Then what’s the sense of putting so much blood, sweat and tears into them?
- Not eating frequent, small meals. You should be eating five to six meals per day. They should range from 300-1000 calories. This will be dependent on your size and targets. For example, elevated energy levels and reduced body fat. Also muscle enlargement, and first-class gastrointestinal health. You should also have a hoard of meal replacement shakes. Why? They provide precise nutrient profiles.
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Late night snacking. Comfort food seems to taste better right before bed. However, it’s more prone to stick with us when eaten late at night. It has been confirmed that not eating three hours before bed decreases fat storage during the night. Stop eating for the day no later than 7 p.m. if you go to bed at 10 p.m. Make this a habit. You will be overjoyed at your long-term fat loss.
- Judging by the scale. People on a diet are often shocked when they find out how much they’re losing. As long as it’s fat and not muscle, it’s okay. Of course, the opposite holds true with the weight gainer. Gaining three pounds of muscle is great. But gaining 2.8 pounds of fat and 0.2 pounds of muscle is not. Keep in mind: a caliper and the mirror are your judges. The scale is not!
- 10 mistakes bodybuilders make – Not setting goals. There’s one mistake a lot of people make. They start a fat loss program without really making a decision. It may appear unimportant. Yet having a meaningful reason is vital to success. During moments of weakness your healthy meals look too bland. All you want is takeout. Or you decide you’re too tired to workout. You just don’t feel like it. That’s when making the right decision comes into play.
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Not eating enough protein. For the past half century or so, scientists have determined that bodybuilders do not need any more protein than the average couch potato. They use rudimentary techniques and inadequate study design. The fact is, bodybuilders and active people require more protein. Otherwise, you risk losing hard earned muscle tissue when dieting. Worse, you risk not gaining muscle tissue during the off season.
- Not watching their sugar intake. Is fat loss your goal? Then use carb cycling. More importantly, count how many grams of sugar you’re taking in! Is it double-digit for a single meal or snack? That’s too high! Keep it in the single digit range. On your cheat day, loosen it up a little. Not too much, though, because it adds up fast.
Amino Acids
Why do so many bodybuilders know so little about amino acids and protein? What about the variations in their form and the best times to consume them? The 23 or so amino acids are the molecular building blocks of protein and muscle tissue. You may not give it much thought when you bite into a chicken breast. Yet the substance and balance of amino acids is crucial. What about the proportion of essential amino acids to non-essential amino acids? That’s one of the keys to the value of a protein food or supplement.
The 10 mistakes bodybuilders make? Certainly that list includes not understanding protein. Take the time to know your amino acids. What are BCAAs? How many EAAs are there? How do aminos relate to protein synthesis? For that matter, what is protein synthesis? You want to build lean muscle? You’d better learn the answers to those questions.