It would seem that calories have been all the rage in recent years and in many dieting programs. It is hard to enter the supermarket and find a food package item that does not list how many calories it contains per serving. However, what is a calorie really? You might be surprised to find out that a calorie is actually referring to a unit of energy. This is why we use calories to also refer to the amount of exercise we have performed in a given workout period. For instance, today you burned two hundred calories from running. What this really is referring to is the amount of energy you put into whatever exercise you were performing.
Now that the basic run-down on this subject has been explained, let’s move on to how calories relate to the world of bodybuilding. If you want that ripped appearance, the best thing you can do is focus on getting the right nutrition for this is what will ultimately help your body grow and recover from the workouts you will be going through regularly. Let’s focus on a few tips to help you get off to the right nutrition pathway.
First off, and probably most importantly is to remember that eating frequent and small meals throughout the day is essential. This will increase your metabolism and in turn reduce the chances of your body going into a catabolic state where it essentially feeds of lean muscle and stores fat because it feels as if it is starving.
Second, each meal should have the correct ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for the desired results to be obtained. When you have the incorrect proportions or decide to just focus on one, nothing good will be accomplished. In order for things to work correctly try to focus on meals that contain forty percent protein, forty percent carbohydrates, and twenty percent fat.
Last but not least, consider cycling your calorie intake. This basically means altering the amount of calories you take in each day so the body does not become familiar and produce stagnant results. Perhaps create a chart that allows you to record how many calories you should consume for each day of the week. This can be helpful in allowing you to schedule and remember the plan.
All in all, bodybuilding is all about maintaining the correct nutrition while working towards the body you have always wanted. Stick with these guidelines and you will be on your way to a great body.
