5 Things You Need to Know About Low Carb Diet For Bodybuilding

1. Eating Muscle-Head Style

Saying that bodybuilders are low carbohydrate proponents would be incorrect. Bodybuilders increase and decrease carbohydrates in a strategic cycle of muscle gain and body fat loss. During a building phase, competitive bodybuilders increase carbohydrates and eating overall to have sufficient energy to lift heavy and decrease recovery time. During this phase a bodybuilder gains a lot of body fat as well on top of the strong dense muscle. It is likely for a bodybuilder to eat a tremendous amount of food to build as much muscle as possible to have bigger size for the competition.

2. Refined Method of Cycling

To avoid so much fat gain, body builders use a cycling method of eating. The bodybuilding low carb diet uses protein and carbohydrate days, interspersed throughout a week. For example, breakfast on a protein day might include protein pancakes, egg white omelet and turkey bacon. Carbohydrate days will include oatmeal, egg whites and low fat toast. By cycling the level of carbohydrates from low to high the body still benefits from more energy for intense training. Cycling ensures there won't be too much body fat to lose before competition.

3. Reach For the Right Carb

The low carb diet for bodybuilding excludes processed, convenience foods. Stop eating bagels, chips, pretzels, cereal and too much bread. Better carbohydrate choices include vegetables, oatmeal, squash, yams, multi grain rice and whole wheat pastas. Sugary drinks, including performance shakes and drinks high in sugar, will increase body fat unnecessarily.

4. Make the Cut

Bodybuilding pre-contest low carbohydrate diet strategy is a process. During the cutting phase for competition training, bodybuilders will deplete carbohydrates gradually over a period of time. This differs with standard low carbohydrate diets that usually include an induction phase of less than 20 carbohydrates a day at first. The more slowly you decrease the carbohydrates the less muscle will be lost. Replace carbohydrates with more lean protein and some fat such as olive oil, avocados and almonds.

5. Plan For Perfection

Bodybuilding carb depletion will start one to two months before competition. Some will begin by reducing carbohydrates only at night and eating the most carbohydrates in the morning. Once a week, a high carbohydrate day will restore the glycogen in the muscles and liver needed for recovery from heavy training. The week before, the competitor will lower the carbohydrate intake to almost nothing which will also pull all of the water from the body for a hard, ripped look.