Time to put down the weight and focus on what you’ve ate.


You dont think your diet is that important? One of the biggest mistake beginners make is NOT thinking about their diet and nutrition. Bodybuilding is a whole more in depth than just weight training. Dieting and eating right is a one of the most important aspects of gaining muscle. How important? Bodybuilding champion Jay Cutler even says that diet is 90% of bodybuilding. He should know.
How do you make sure you're getting the optimum nutrition at the exact time to maximize your gains? Read on: I can teach you how to strategize your diet so that it will help you grow to your what your genetics will allow.
You don't necessarily have to "diet" but more eat in a specific manner. What you eat and put in body will determine how successful you can be as a bodybuilder, no matter what your age or experience. But the good thing is, nutrition for a beginning bodybuilder isn't rocket science. It's about eating as clean as possible, as well as getting in the right amounts of protein and other nutrients at the the right times.

KNOW YOUR BODY TYPE

You must know your body's needs in order to correctly feed it. Beginning bodybuilders usually find that they fall into one of two categories: hardgainers (skinny framed), who have trouble gaining weight no matter how much they train, or easygainers (fat, or big boned), who can add size with no problem -- but it's one pound of bodyfat for each pound of muscle. Generally, inexperienced bodybuilders will try to solve these problems by making adjustments in their training programs when the actual solution lies in making adjustments in their diets.
Hardgainers often think the reason they can't put on muscle mass is because they don't train enough. These are the same guys who perform 25-30 sets for each bodypart, using six or more exercises. Lack of training volume is not the problem in this case. Hardgainers need to consume more calories, eating more meals and better-quality foods to allow for more muscle building.
Easygainers, may need to eat more food as well. But, to limit the amount of bodyfat they are adding, they need to be more strict in their food selection. Often, easygainers include too much junk food, fast food, alcohol or carbohydrates (especially sugar). Learning how to limit these while eating better bodybuilding foods may allow those who tend to add bodyfat to eat more food and feel more satisfied without adding bodyfat.
The following program I will provide provides the basic nutrition info that all rookie bodybuilders need, and it also addresses the specific requirements of both hardgainers and easygainers. This is so that you can customize and build YOUR body.

NUTRITION CHECKLIST
* Eat more meals. Take in up to six meals a day.
* Eat at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Focus on whole-food proteins as much as possible, including fish, chicken and turkey breast, lean beef and eggs. Take protein supplements, definetly post-workout and before bedtime, to make sure you're getting all you need.
* Eat complex carbohydrates. These are oatmeal, yams, rice and potatoes. Often, bodybuilding hardgainers get the protein message, but fail to take in all the complex carbs they need to fuel activity and help keep their muscles full of glycogen.
* Eat healthy fats. Although you might be taking in plenty of fat from fast food, junk food and pizza, you may not be getting enough healthy fats. Replace these dietary don'ts with fatty fish, avocados, olives, all-natural peanut butter, nuts, seeds and healthy oils, such as canola, flaxseed and olive.
* Drink more water. Everyone should drink about a gallon of water a day. Keeping yourself hydrated ensures that you have enough water for all bodily functions, and help you train more effectively.
* Take a protein supplement with simple carbs after working out. Post-workout, you need simple sugars to help your muscles recover. Find a protein shake with about a 2:1 ratio of sugars to protein, and take it after EVERY workout.

These above are for everyone, now here is a more detailed checklist for hard and easy gainers.

HARDGAINER CHECKLIST
* Eat slightly beyond the point of fullness at most meals. Hardgainers don't take in enough calories each day; by focusing on eating just a little bit more at each meal, you can easily increase your  food consumption by 250 or more calories a day.

* Add even another meal, its ok if it's a small liquid one. Drink a quart of milk or have an extra protein shake. Hardgainers don't need to be overly concerned about the carbohydrate calories they take in from sugars found in these sources.
* Eat big on nontraining days. Often, you may find that your appetite diminishes without activity. Use these days for bulking, focusing on proper bodybuilding foods.
* Eat a big breakfast. Often, hardgainers don't eat enough during the first few meals of the day, and then they try to play catch-up at later meals. Take time to eat a big full breakfast every morning.
* Avoid skipping meals because you're busy. Prepare for this by always taking food with you.

EASYGAINER CHECKLIST
* Eat to the point of fullness at every meal, but don't eat beyond. Bodybuilding gains are made by eating frequent smaller meals, rather than by trying to overload on calories in one sitting. Excess calories can turn to fat more easily when eaten in one sitting than when spread throughout the day.
* Limit carbohydrate consumption. Easygainers need plenty of complex carbs to help with the muscle-building process, but there's a fine line. Once you cross it, those excess carb calories can be easily converted to FAT! Go easy on the sugars and avoid eating strictly carbohydrate meals. Make sure every meal includes protein
* Take a low-carbohydrate protein supplement. Except postworkout, you should limit the amount of carbohydrate calories you take in with your protein supplement. A lower-calorie high-protein supplement is a better choice for those predisposed to add bodyfat.
* Now same thing I said to hardgainers, avoid skipping meals because you're busy. Always take your food with you.

Please make sure to check for part 2 including nutrition for noobs to bodybuilding, good foods to build muscle, a sample diet, and more!