Bodybuilding Off Season Diet

By Chris Deacon S E N I O R M R B R I T A I N

This month I would like to talk about my off season diet. The off season is the time to build muscle mass. An off season diet should be just as well thought out as a diet used for contest preparation.

In a pure muscle building sense, dietary consideration during the off season are more important than those followed in the countdown to your contest. The phase off season is perhaps an inappropriate term to use in bodybuilding. When applied to other sports i.e. football, cricket it evokes an impression in which an athlete doesn't follow his chosen physical activity, and relaxation is the order of the day, but not for the bodybuilder that's time he wants to build some muscle mass, because as far as I'm concerned during the run up to a contest he can only hope to hold onto muscle tissue you've developed during the off season training. You will not build any new muscle if you don't take your off season diet seriously, this is where you will make the gains! Eating for muscle size takes discipline and effort remember I'm still dieting I want to get BIG not fat.

Having said that once a week I'll have a diet treat, my preference at the moment is fish & chips. See I do have my moments of weakness. Right lets get back to the diet. I split my food as follows 30% Protein 60% Carbohydrate, and Fat only accounting for 10%.

Protein is the main constituent for building muscle tissue and my priority is to safeguard and improve this muscle building process, by providing my muscles with adequate amounts of protein to ensure I always have a positive nitrogen balance. I do this by consuming one gram of protein for each pound of body weight as my weight is 203lbs. I would need to eat at least seven meals containing 35 grams of protein each day, to create the optimum physiological state for first muscle repair and second muscle growth.

Below are a list of protein foods I would eat.

Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Egg Whites, Beef, Promax 159.

Next we move onto Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are or should be your preferred source of energy, think of carbs as the petrol in your car, if the tank is empty your engine will not run, that's how important they are to you. I know fat is energy food, but it's much slower burning source of energy is most suited to aerobic activity and endurance type exercises.

We need immediate supplies of energy and carbohydrates stored as glycogen is the most efficient fuel source we can use. I keep my fat intake low all year round, but as fat is vital in keeping skin and certain physical functions healthy as well as helping in the absorption of certain essential vitamins I will supplement my diet with Omega 3 Pure Fish Oils. This unique blend of two important ingredients called E.P.A. and D.H.A. which are concentrated from selected natural fish oils high in Omega 3 nutrients. They ensure my daily intake of natual omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a convenient taste free form.

In the off season I try to increase my body weight on average by one pound a week, I know that does not sound a lot when you are looking for muscular gains, there are lots of people out there that think they have to stuff themselves in order to grow. Yes this will increase you body weight, but I'm sorry to say most of it will be fat. Try to increase your calories slowly, work out your daily calorie intake to maintain you at your present body weight, i.e. if you need 3000 calories a day to maintain your body weight, I suggest you start by eating that amount plus an extra 300 calories a day, if your weight is still the same at the end of the week, then add another 100 calories to your body intake. Do this each week until your body weight starts to increase. Your muscular gains will be slow, but they will be muscle, when it comes to dieting down for your show you will be left with a lot more muscle than the guy who has been force feeding himself and gained six stone of which five and a half stone is fat. What a waste of time and money!

The diet I have outlined is the one I feel works best for me, give it a try but remember if you eat like a pig

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Important Notes

I have meal three immediately after, after training, I will consume 3 scoops of Atlas Carbo Charge plus 1 scoop of Promax 159, this replaces the glycogen I have used whilst in hard training, this is the first step in my recuperation. Recuperation must take place before growth.

Meal Four which I eat one hour later is the next step, also very important because my body is in a state of shock, it is screaming out for nutrients to repair and build the damaged muscle tissue. Whilst in this state my body is like a sponge and will utilise all the nutrients to enhance muscle repair and growth.

E A T W I T H T H E D E A K S !

Meal One

• 10 Egg White one egg yolk
• 3 Slices of Toast with Jam
• 1 Portion of Cornflakes, Porridge or Weetabix
• 1 Glass fresh Orange Juice
• 1 Mug Tea
• 1 Atlas Multimineral pack
• 2 Omega 3 capsules
• 1 100mg Vit C

Meal Two - 1 hour before training

• 1 Atlas Weight Gain
• 3 Atlas Prograde Amino

Meal Three - Immediately after training

• 3 Scoops Atlas Carbo Charge
• 1 Scoop Promax 159
• 3 Atlas Prograde Amino

Meal Four

• 200 grams Chicken
• 200 grams Rice or Pasta
• 1 Small Salad
• 3 Atlas Prograde Amino
• 1000 mgm Vit C
• 1 Piece of Fruit
• 2 Glasses Mineral Water

Meal Five

• 200 gms Tuna or 10 Egg Whites + 1 Yolk
• 200 gms Baked Potato
• 3 Atlas Amino
• 2 Glasses of Water

Meal Six

• 200 gms Chicken or Beef
• 200 gms Rice
• 1 Small Salad or Mixed Vegetables
• 3 Atlas Pro Amino
• 2 Glasses of Water
• 1000 mgms Vit C

Meal Seven

• 10 Egg Whites = 1 Yolk
• 2 Toast
• 3 Atlas Aminos
• 1 Glass Water

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