kman6234
03-26-2003, 08:43 PM
Next on our agenda is nutrition. As we already know, nutrition is an important aspect of bodybuilding if not the most important aspect. Nutrition can be the difference between a good bodybuilder and an extraordinary bodybuilder. If you’re not getting proper nutrition than much of your hard work in the gym will not matter because your body will not be able to repair and build upon the muscle that you have targeted in the gym. Getting proper nutrition is hard enough at home where you most likely have an abundance of quality foods; but getting proper nutrition in college is a whole other story. A college cafeteria is filled with tons of food; however, much of it is pure garbage composed of saturated fat, hydrogenated oils, fructose, and other bad things. Also, most colleges have some sort of a meal plan system. These systems are definitely not good for your typical bodybuilder because they only allow you to eat three meals a day. As we all know, a bodybuilder should be consuming anywhere from five to eight small, balanced meals throughout the day. This helps to keep our bodies fueled and prevents fat storage that is associated with large meals. Now hear are some tips on how to get the nutrition your body needs.
My first tip to you is to invest in Tupperware. If you own Tupperware, you can bring it to the cafeteria and stock up on chicken breasts, hard-boiled eggs, and other quality foods the cafeteria may have that particular day. Let me pre-warn you that filling up Tupperware containers in the cafeteria will result in a couple weird stares; but by stocking up on food you will be able eat your five to eight meals a day with ease. My next tip for you is to stock up on the following items…NATURAL peanut butter, tuna, oatmeal, whey protein, water and maybe some beef jerky just for kicks. You should always have these items in dorm room. Natural peanut butter is nature’s weight gainer; it is calorie dense, high in protein, and good fats. It also contains no hydrogenated oils and added sugar like regular peanut butter. Tuna is a great, cheap source of protein. At around 30 grams of protein a can, no collegian bodybuilder should be without it. Although oatmeal may taste like glue, it is a great source of complex carbohydrates and it is easy to make. For those days that the cafeteria lacks food with high quality protein, it is important that you have some whey in order to supplement your protein intake. I suggest Optimum’s 100% whey or Prolab’s Pure whey. Both are relatively cheap and provide a solid amount of protein with little carbohydrates. Last but definitely not least…water…good old H2O. A bodybuilder should be taking in at least one gallon of
water a day. I recommend buying a water filter if you can afford one. This way you will
not have to keep buying bottled water or drinking tap water. One final suggestion I will give you is to purchase a George Forman Grill. They are relatively cheap and it would allow you to cook chicken in the comfort of your own room. Also, you’d be surprise how much popularity you will gain by having a grill in your room.
I will now address a couple things you must be wary of if you really want to progress in bodybuilding. It seems every night in my dorm someone is ordering takeout. Whether it’s pizza, Chinese food, tacos, or heroes you will always be tempted to partake in the nightly feasts of fast food. You must learn to control your urges and resist that late night cheat meal. However, once every so often it’s okay to splurge and have a cheat meal (Just don’t make it a habit). The other thing I must address is a biggie…Alcohol. John Belushi once said, “My advice to you is to start drinking heavily.” Well my advice to you is to avoid alcohol like the plague. I mean it’s perfectly fine to go out and have a couple drinks in college…ONCE IN A WHILE. Not only is alcohol filled with empty calories, but it also lowers protein synthesis by about 20% and dehydrates you. Worst of all, alcohol can lower your testosterone levels by 25% when you are intoxicated and they will not return to normal for a couple days. Lower testosterone levels = less strength and gains. Also, there is the dreaded hangover, which will definitely affect your workout the next day. As you can clearly see, bodybuilding and alcohol do not mix. However, if you choose to drink, make sure you are also drinking plenty of water. Drinking water while drinking alcohol will help prevent dehydration and lessen the affects of a hangover. One more thing to remember is that each gram of alcohol contains seven calories. Just one shot of 80 proof vodka has about 100 calories. Now I’m going to assume that you are a large bodybuilder and that you have to consume a lot more than one shot of vodka to get drunk. Therefore, every time you get drunk you are taking in hundreds if not thousands of worthless calories. (No wonder why people gain so much weight in college)
The final aspect of bodybuilding in college that I will address is rest and recovery. There is no doubt in my mind that a college dorm is one of the craziest places on Earth. The things I have seen occur in my dorm range from bizarre to absolutely ridiculous. With all the entertaining events happening around you, going to sleep is probably the last thing that you’re going to want to do. However, getting at least eight hours of sleep every night is essential to bodybuilding. Your muscles take a pounding every time you step into the gym. While working out, the muscles you are targeting are actually getting broken down. This is why you often get sore the day after working out. When you sleep your body repairs and builds upon these muscles. This leads to increased size and strength (Exactly what a bodybuilder craves). This is why sleep is so important. Additionally, your body releases growth hormone while you sleep. Well their isn’t much more that can be said about sleep. Just make sure you get enough of it.
In conclusion, college is not the greatest place to be if you’re a bodybuilder; however, if you follow the tips I have given you, I can guarantee that you will continue to progress throughout your college career. I leave you with three words of advice EAT…SLEEP…TRAIN. If anyone has any questions or comments they would like to ask me, I would be happy to help. My e-mail address is Bure6210@yahoo.com or just PM me. You will probably get a quicker response if you PM me. With that said good luck to all of you in both your bodybuilding and college careers.
My first tip to you is to invest in Tupperware. If you own Tupperware, you can bring it to the cafeteria and stock up on chicken breasts, hard-boiled eggs, and other quality foods the cafeteria may have that particular day. Let me pre-warn you that filling up Tupperware containers in the cafeteria will result in a couple weird stares; but by stocking up on food you will be able eat your five to eight meals a day with ease. My next tip for you is to stock up on the following items…NATURAL peanut butter, tuna, oatmeal, whey protein, water and maybe some beef jerky just for kicks. You should always have these items in dorm room. Natural peanut butter is nature’s weight gainer; it is calorie dense, high in protein, and good fats. It also contains no hydrogenated oils and added sugar like regular peanut butter. Tuna is a great, cheap source of protein. At around 30 grams of protein a can, no collegian bodybuilder should be without it. Although oatmeal may taste like glue, it is a great source of complex carbohydrates and it is easy to make. For those days that the cafeteria lacks food with high quality protein, it is important that you have some whey in order to supplement your protein intake. I suggest Optimum’s 100% whey or Prolab’s Pure whey. Both are relatively cheap and provide a solid amount of protein with little carbohydrates. Last but definitely not least…water…good old H2O. A bodybuilder should be taking in at least one gallon of
water a day. I recommend buying a water filter if you can afford one. This way you will
not have to keep buying bottled water or drinking tap water. One final suggestion I will give you is to purchase a George Forman Grill. They are relatively cheap and it would allow you to cook chicken in the comfort of your own room. Also, you’d be surprise how much popularity you will gain by having a grill in your room.
I will now address a couple things you must be wary of if you really want to progress in bodybuilding. It seems every night in my dorm someone is ordering takeout. Whether it’s pizza, Chinese food, tacos, or heroes you will always be tempted to partake in the nightly feasts of fast food. You must learn to control your urges and resist that late night cheat meal. However, once every so often it’s okay to splurge and have a cheat meal (Just don’t make it a habit). The other thing I must address is a biggie…Alcohol. John Belushi once said, “My advice to you is to start drinking heavily.” Well my advice to you is to avoid alcohol like the plague. I mean it’s perfectly fine to go out and have a couple drinks in college…ONCE IN A WHILE. Not only is alcohol filled with empty calories, but it also lowers protein synthesis by about 20% and dehydrates you. Worst of all, alcohol can lower your testosterone levels by 25% when you are intoxicated and they will not return to normal for a couple days. Lower testosterone levels = less strength and gains. Also, there is the dreaded hangover, which will definitely affect your workout the next day. As you can clearly see, bodybuilding and alcohol do not mix. However, if you choose to drink, make sure you are also drinking plenty of water. Drinking water while drinking alcohol will help prevent dehydration and lessen the affects of a hangover. One more thing to remember is that each gram of alcohol contains seven calories. Just one shot of 80 proof vodka has about 100 calories. Now I’m going to assume that you are a large bodybuilder and that you have to consume a lot more than one shot of vodka to get drunk. Therefore, every time you get drunk you are taking in hundreds if not thousands of worthless calories. (No wonder why people gain so much weight in college)
The final aspect of bodybuilding in college that I will address is rest and recovery. There is no doubt in my mind that a college dorm is one of the craziest places on Earth. The things I have seen occur in my dorm range from bizarre to absolutely ridiculous. With all the entertaining events happening around you, going to sleep is probably the last thing that you’re going to want to do. However, getting at least eight hours of sleep every night is essential to bodybuilding. Your muscles take a pounding every time you step into the gym. While working out, the muscles you are targeting are actually getting broken down. This is why you often get sore the day after working out. When you sleep your body repairs and builds upon these muscles. This leads to increased size and strength (Exactly what a bodybuilder craves). This is why sleep is so important. Additionally, your body releases growth hormone while you sleep. Well their isn’t much more that can be said about sleep. Just make sure you get enough of it.
In conclusion, college is not the greatest place to be if you’re a bodybuilder; however, if you follow the tips I have given you, I can guarantee that you will continue to progress throughout your college career. I leave you with three words of advice EAT…SLEEP…TRAIN. If anyone has any questions or comments they would like to ask me, I would be happy to help. My e-mail address is Bure6210@yahoo.com or just PM me. You will probably get a quicker response if you PM me. With that said good luck to all of you in both your bodybuilding and college careers.