Muscle/body builders, what do you eat?

pilatemom

If I were trying to make muscle, I would probably eat eggs, peanut butter and drink protein shakes. But, I'm curious to what you muscle builders consume to make you so... Muscular?

SideSteel

If I were trying to make muscle, I would probably eat eggs, peanut butter and drink protein shakes. But, I'm curious to what you muscle builders consume to make you so... Muscular?

It's a function of training and calorie/macro intake and not at all a function of individual food sources. But that being said, I like to eat various animals, pizza, ice cream, cake, rice, oatmeal, pop tarts, almonds, and honestly just about everything but olives.

Cranktastic

If I were trying to make muscle, I would probably eat eggs, peanut butter and drink protein shakes. But, I'm curious to what you muscle builders consume to make you so... Muscular?

It's a function of training and calorie/macro intake and not at all a function of individual food sources. But that being said, I like to eat various animals, pizza, ice cream, cake, rice, oatmeal, pop tarts, almonds, and honestly just about everything but olives.

Ill eat your olives.



and ALL the food!

Lift_hard_eat_big

Burgers, pizza, steak, fried chicken, whatever I want.

Remo_Williams

Lots of milk...

All_Out_Attack

Lots of protein, and a steady diet of iron (not the type you eat).

californiagirl2012

If I were trying to make muscle, I would probably eat eggs, peanut butter and drink protein shakes. But, I'm curious to what you muscle builders consume to make you so... Muscular?

Well I can't eat like a guy because I'm tiny, but those watching my diet diary say they are impressed by the protein I eat. I really don't eat alot, and I like natural protein sources and not protein powders, I like meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products.

I've found all you really need to do is eat enough, not extra, and workout hard to gain muscle. To make the muscle show it's all about losing the fat = calories in. The fat in your body is controlled by calories. Macros are really not important except that you need enough protein and enough carbs, and enough fat, not too much of anything, and certainly not "extra". Extra = fat

Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

Everyone needs resistance training to improve their health and bone density and this will especially improve your quality of life when you get older. But you will not gain all that much lean body mass as fast as everyone thinks. Guys of course will gain more. A DXA scan will prove the point. There are lots of stories about changing size but no one REALLY knows unless they do a DXA scan. Here's more about that --> http://bradpilon.com/weight-loss/intermittent-fasting-and-bulking/ this is true whether you IF or not. My DXA scans proved that I really didn't gain that much lean body mass yet I look very muscular for a female. I have very high bone density from over 30 years of lifting yet my lean body mass is still only 104 lbs and my RMR is still only 1380.

I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am. Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

Cardio is good for you but it is optional. I love cardio, but you can't out exercise too many calories. Of course you burn calories, but not near what all the HRM's say. I learned the hard way, running marathon after marathon (yes even multiple runs during the day), as well as hitting the gym hard, martial arts, staying active all the time, not eating while watching TV, not binging, not mindlessly eating, not pigging out, not having emotional eating issues, yet I gained weight year after year, each decade putting on the pounds. I worked harder and harder, not able to figure out what was wrong. It didn't seem like I ate too much, but for my small size I did and didn't realize it until just a few years ago when I finally started losing weight by eating less. It is really easy to think you can eat more than you need when you do a lot of cardio.

myth4ever

If I were trying to make muscle, I would probably eat eggs, peanut butter and drink protein shakes. But, I'm curious to what you muscle builders consume to make you so... Muscular?

Well I can't eat like a guy because I'm tiny, but those watching my diet diary say they are impressed by the protein I eat. I really don't eat alot, and I like natural protein sources and not protein powders, I like meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products.

I've found all you really need to do is eat enough, not extra, and workout hard to gain muscle. To make the muscle show it's all about losing the fat = calories in. The fat in your body is controlled by calories. Macros are really not important except that you need enough protein and enough carbs, and enough fat, not too much of anything, and certainly not "extra". Extra = fat

Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

Everyone needs resistance training to improve their health and bone density and this will especially improve your quality of life when you get older. But you will not gain all that much lean body mass as fast as everyone thinks. Guys of course will gain more. A DXA scan will prove the point. There are lots of stories about changing size but no one REALLY knows unless they do a DXA scan. Here's more about that --> http://bradpilon.com/weight-loss/intermittent-fasting-and-bulking/ this is true whether you IF or not. My DXA scans proved that I really didn't gain that much lean body mass yet I look very muscular for a female. I have very high bone density from over 30 years of lifting yet my lean body mass is still only 104 lbs and my RMR is still only 1380.

I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am. Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

Cardio is good for you but it is optional. I love cardio, but you can't out exercise too many calories. Of course you burn calories, but not near what all the HRM's say. I learned the hard way, running marathon after marathon (yes even multiple runs during the day), as well as hitting the gym hard, martial arts, staying active all the time, not eating while watching TV, not binging, not mindlessly eating, not pigging out, not having emotional eating issues, yet I gained weight year after year, each decade putting on the pounds. I worked harder and harder, not able to figure out what was wrong. It didn't seem like I ate too much, but for my small size I did and didn't realize it until just a few years ago when I finally started losing weight by eating less. It is really easy to think you can eat more than you need when you do a lot of cardio.

Word!

WendyTerry420

If I were trying to make muscle, I would probably eat eggs, peanut butter and drink protein shakes. But, I'm curious to what you muscle builders consume to make you so... Muscular?

It's a function of training and calorie/macro intake and not at all a function of individual food sources. But that being said, I like to eat various animals, pizza, ice cream, cake, rice, oatmeal, pop tarts, almonds, and honestly just about everything but olives.

Olives are nasty! :laugh:

Victoria2448

I eat as clean as possible, but also splurge about once a week, depending on my current program or goal.

I eat lean meat, beans, lots of eggs, fish, seafood,fruits, tons of vegetables, especially leafy greens. I am a salad freak. Quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal,and whole grain breads. Lots of seeds, nuts and other healthy fats.

I do use protein powders, but only ones without artificial sweeteners,colors, and flavors and not everyday.

Basically, whole foods, not processed and organic as much as possible.

Keto_T

If I were trying to make muscle, I would probably eat eggs, peanut butter and drink protein shakes. But, I'm curious to what you muscle builders consume to make you so... Muscular?

It's a function of training and calorie/macro intake and not at all a function of individual food sources. But that being said, I like to eat various animals, pizza, ice cream, cake, rice, oatmeal, pop tarts, almonds, and honestly just about everything but olives.

Ill eat your olives.



and ALL the food!

ditto minus the green olive...they're nasty

minsooky

Macros matter more than what you're actually eating. Also, to gain muscle you have to bulk (eat in a surplus, lift heavy). I mainly eat a lot of chicken and veggies which I toss in curries or stir fries. Lazy cooking for the win :P

xgg2rs

Great read Californiagirl, thanks for sharing. Your an inspiriation for sure