Hey Guys, Sean Nalewanyj here of SeanNal.com and BodyTransformationTruth.com and in this
video lesson I want to outline 6 common bodybuilding nutrition myths that you should definitely
be aware of.
Now balancing your fitness program with your career and your friends, and your family and
all of your other hobbies and pursuits is hard enough work as it is and the last thing
you need on top of this is to waste valuable energy and time on useless, ineffective nutritional
techniques that really do nothing but make your life more complicated.
Proper bodybuilding nutrition is actually pretty straightforward, and you really don't
need to employ anything anything overly fancy or complicated in order for your results to
be maximized.
So avoiding these 6 myths is going to make your life a heck of a lot easier, it's going
to make your diet far easier to follow and it will still yield the same muscle building
and fat burning results that you're after.
So, Bodybuilding Nutrition Myth #1 is that you must consume a meal every 2-3 hours throughout
the day in order to maximize muscle growth and fat loss.
Now the idea behind these frequent feedings is that eating every 2 to 3 hours throughout
the day, which usually means about 6 meals, is going to keep your body in an anabolic
state and it's going to keep your fat burning metabolism elevated by keeping you out of
"starvation mode".
Now the reality here is that digestion and absorption is an incredibly gradual process,
and most standard sized meals that you consume throughout the day are going to keep your
body in a net anabolic state for around 5-7 hours, and not only that, but there's actually
quite a bit of research directly examining the effects of meal frequency on metabolic
rate, with frequent feedings showing no marked improvements and in fact, some of those studies
that are available actually show less frequent feedings to be superior for fat loss.
So if you want to maximize muscle growth and/or fat loss, just focus on meeting your total
protein, carb and fat requirements over the course of the day as a whole.
Lay it out in a way that fits your schedule best and that falls best into your natural
hunger patterns.
You're going to end up getting the same basic results and without the headache that comes
with obsessing about getting a meal in every few hours.
Bodybuilding Nutrition Myth #2 is that you must consume a whey protein shake immediately
following your workout in order to prevent muscle catabolism and to kick-start the recovery
process.
Once again, digestion and absorption is a very gradual process, and as long as you consume
a meal of some kind within a few hours leading up to your workout, those same nutrients that
you consumed are still being broken down and utilized even after your workout session is
over.
So slamming a protein shake within 37 seconds of finishing your last rep isn't going to
hurt, but it's definitely not mandatory either.
If you want to wait an hour or two or even more it's really not going to make any noticeable
difference to your results.
Bodybuilding Nutrition Myth #3 is that you must avoid consuming carbohydrates in the
evening in order to prevent excess fat storage.
So every day, your body expends a certain number of calories and calories are ultimately
just a measurement of energy in order to fuel natural bodily processes, like breathing and
digestion and circulation, plus all of the additional activities that you perform throughout
the day.
And in order to lose body fat, you have to create a “calorie deficit” by taking in
fewer calories than you burn.
And this stimulates your body to tap into its excess fat stores in order to obtain a
source of fuel.
Now as long as that calorie deficit is consistently kept in place, the specific timing of your
carbohydrate consumption is not going to make any difference in the overall picture.
Fat loss and fat gain is not an "on/off" switch.
Both processes are happening simultaneously.
So whether you burn more fat earlier in the day and store more later on, or store more
fat earlier in the day and burn more later on, the net result is still going to be the
same as long as your total calorie intake remains constant.
Bodybuilding Nutrition Myth #4 is that you must avoid eating carbs before bed in order
to prevent excess fat storage.
Now this is really the same logic as the previous myth.
Fat loss and fat gain is going to be determined by your overall net energy balance.
So as long as your calorie intake and your activity level are remaining constant throughout
your program, it really makes no difference whether you burn or store more fat earlier
in the day or burn or store more fat later in the day.
The net result is ultimately going to be the same regardless of the nutrient timing.
It's really just a basic matter of energy consumed versus energy burned.
As long as you're tracking your total calorie intake with reasonable accuracy each day then
you can ultimately eat whenever you feel like it without having to worry.
Bodybuilding Nutrition Myth #5 is that you must stick to slow-absorbing carbohydrates
on the low end of the glycemic index and the glycemic index or the GI for short is a chart
that ranks carbohydrates from 0 to 100 based on how quickly or slowly they raise blood
sugar levels in a 2-hour period after they are consumed.
And the idea here is that consuming carbs on the lower end of the scale is going to
provide you with a "steady stream" of sugars rather than a quick spike, which will, in
turn, prevent excess fat storage.
Now here are the two main problems, among many, with the glycemic index.
Number 1, The GI rankings are based on the glycemic effects of the specific foods that
you're consuming in an isolated and fasted state.
So aside from first thing in the morning, you're never going to be consuming your carbohydrates
sources in a fasted state anyway.
A typical bodybuilding nutrition plan will always combine carbohydrates with fats and
protein.
So when you consume your carbohydrates as part of a complete meal the glycemic response
can be dramatically altered.
So as long as the majority of your carbohydrate intake is coming from minimally refined, high
fiber sources, the glycemic index rankings are essentially useless.
And Bodybuilding Nutrition Myth #6 is that you must "eat clean" 24/7 if you really want
to get into impressive shape.
Now I've said this many times before but your body can't recognize individual food items
as separate entities.
It doesn't say "that's a chicken breast, that's an apple and that's a cup of rice".
It only sees your complete diet as a whole - the total protein, the carbs, the fats,
the micronutrients, the fiber, the phytonutrients, etcetera, that you're consuming each day.
So as long as the majority, around 80 to 90% of your diet is being derived from "clean"
sources, which is lean, high quality protein and minimally refined high fiber carbs and
healthy fats, and your vitamin and mineral and other micronutrient needs are being sufficiently
met then slipping in some "cheat foods" to fill in the remaining 10 to 20% is really
not going to make any difference to your results.
What it WILL do, however, is make your overall life more enjoyable while still yielding the
same results as the next guy who is eating nothing but chicken and broccoli and brown
rice 24 hours a day.
So I hope you found these 6 points useful and that you'll incorporate this advice into
your own diet in order to keep things more streamlined and simple for yourself.
So if you did enjoy the video, as always, please make sure to hit the Like button, leave
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Also make sure to check out my complete step-by-step muscle building and fat loss programs over
at BodyTransformationTruth.com.
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daily tips and updates.
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Talk to you again soon.