How True Is This Article?

[sdiizzle]

"Trends and fads in bodybuilding nutrition come and go with the release of the newest batch of cutting-edge supplements or the latest diet craze. There’s always something new, different and exciting to make you bigger and better.

I’m not going to look down my nose at alternative approaches to size building, but in searching for a mass-yielding magic bullet, many athletes forget the tried-and-true strategies that have packed on the beef for decades. In tribute to T.E. Lawrence. I refer to my core foundations of mass building as “Seven Pillars of Nutritional Wisdom.”
If Lawrence of Arabia could work wonders with the resources at his disposal in the desert, there’s no reason why you can’t build a better body by sticking with this time-tested blueprint for success.


#1 Total Calories Must Exceed Need
In order to build muscle mass, you must take in more calories than you need each day. To meet that goal, use protein drinks to supplement your daily meals, especially when you don’t have the time to sit down and enjoy a healthy lunch or mid afternoon snack.
You will not build muscle, though, if you load up on low-calorie protein drinks but don’t take in enough total solid-food calories.

#2 Carbs Are Anabolic
You can eat plenty of protein every day and still end up wanting for substantive gains in muscularity. You need carbs to stimulate an anabolic (growth enhancing) environment by elevating insulin levels, as insulin promotes increases in muscle mass and prevents the breakdown of muscle tissue.
On a daily basis, take in at least 2.5 grams (g) of carbs per pound of bodyweight.


#3 Eat More Carbs Than Protein
My apologies to certain diet doctors who treat carbs like the plague, but any mass-building diet should include more carbohydrates than protein at least 2.5 g of carbs and 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you decide to ignore this sage advice and experiment with a meal plan that’s higher in protein than carbs, then expect to stay small.
That will be your lot for the duration, unless you clean up your act and increase your carb intake.

#4 Fat Is Not All That
Dietary fat has its place in the mass-building process, but do not embrace high-fat diets based on eschewing carbs in favor of loads of fat in pursuit of mass gains. Dietary fat supports the production of hormones such as testosterone and, to a lesser extent, growth hormone. You should derive all the fat you need as a byproduct of eating red meat, whole eggs, salmon and peanut butter.

#5 Don’t Expect To Stay Cut While Bulking Up
Bodybuilders who hope to stay ripped as they get bigger are in for a rude awakening. These misinformed muscle seekers tend to skimp on carbs and calories in favor of more protein. Be realistic. It is OK to lose some definition while you pack on mass. The cuts will come when you tear it up later, whether in preparation for a contest or for looking good on the beach.

#6 Protein-To-Carb Ratio
Fix protein intake at 1 g per pound of bodyweight and bump your carbs to 3 g per pound of bodyweight. Try this ratio for two weeks; if you don’t see improvement in your physique, increase your carb intake to 3.5 g per pound of bodyweight. Remember to eat five or six meals daily, and make your post-training chow session the biggest carb blast of the day.

#7 Don’t Fear The Scale
To gain muscle, expect to gain weight. Shoot for adding to 1 pound per week while in growth mode. If you gain less than that, tweak your carb intake as described in Pillar #6. If the scale is moving up as planned, stay the course until you have all the mass you want and need.
Then sit back, enjoy your success, and prepare to dial in the cuts and conditioning that will put the icing on the cake of your body of work."

[nobrah]

I could quibble about some of the details, but the overall message isn't wrong in terms of body composition. It's a different way of approaching bodybuilding than I encourage, in that there's a focus on carbs -> protein -> fats rather than fats -> protein -> carbs, but I can't say that the article is untrue from a high level scientific and physiological standpoint; the take home lesson being that there's more than one way to build your body successfully.

[surfeatliftsurf]

It's not bad. Oversimplified, for sure, but overall there's nothing patently incorrect about that. Most people need to experiment a lot to really dial in their diets and find the correct carb/fat/protein balance...using simple 1:1 or 3:1 ratios like this article is an overgeneralization for most people.

Otherwise, there's nothing that screams "WRONG!", at least in my opinion.

[SuffolkPunch]

"Trends and fads in bodybuilding nutrition come and go with the release of the newest batch of cutting-edge supplements or the latest diet craze. There’s always something new, different and exciting to make you bigger and better.

I’m not going to look down my nose at alternative approaches to size building, but in searching for a mass-yielding magic bullet, many athletes forget the tried-and-true strategies that have packed on the beef for decades. In tribute to T.E. Lawrence. I refer to my core foundations of mass building as “Seven Pillars of Nutritional Wisdom.”
If Lawrence of Arabia could work wonders with the resources at his disposal in the desert, there’s no reason why you can’t build a better body by sticking with this time-tested blueprint for success.


#1 Total Calories Must Exceed Need
In order to build muscle mass, you must take in more calories than you need each day. To meet that goal, use protein drinks to supplement your daily meals, especially when you don’t have the time to sit down and enjoy a healthy lunch or mid afternoon snack.
You will not build muscle, though, if you load up on low-calorie protein drinks but don’t take in enough total solid-food calories.

#2 Carbs Are Anabolic
You can eat plenty of protein every day and still end up wanting for substantive gains in muscularity. You need carbs to stimulate an anabolic (growth enhancing) environment by elevating insulin levels, as insulin promotes increases in muscle mass and prevents the breakdown of muscle tissue.
On a daily basis, take in at least 2.5 grams (g) of carbs per pound of bodyweight.


#3 Eat More Carbs Than Protein
My apologies to certain diet doctors who treat carbs like the plague, but any mass-building diet should include more carbohydrates than protein at least 2.5 g of carbs and 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you decide to ignore this sage advice and experiment with a meal plan that’s higher in protein than carbs, then expect to stay small.
That will be your lot for the duration, unless you clean up your act and increase your carb intake.

#4 Fat Is Not All That
Dietary fat has its place in the mass-building process, but do not embrace high-fat diets based on eschewing carbs in favor of loads of fat in pursuit of mass gains. Dietary fat supports the production of hormones such as testosterone and, to a lesser extent, growth hormone. You should derive all the fat you need as a byproduct of eating red meat, whole eggs, salmon and peanut butter.

#5 Don’t Expect To Stay Cut While Bulking Up
Bodybuilders who hope to stay ripped as they get bigger are in for a rude awakening. These misinformed muscle seekers tend to skimp on carbs and calories in favor of more protein. Be realistic. It is OK to lose some definition while you pack on mass. The cuts will come when you tear it up later, whether in preparation for a contest or for looking good on the beach.

#6 Protein-To-Carb Ratio
Fix protein intake at 1 g per pound of bodyweight and bump your carbs to 3 g per pound of bodyweight. Try this ratio for two weeks; if you don’t see improvement in your physique, increase your carb intake to 3.5 g per pound of bodyweight. Remember to eat five or six meals daily, and make your post-training chow session the biggest carb blast of the day.

#7 Don’t Fear The Scale
To gain muscle, expect to gain weight. Shoot for adding to 1 pound per week while in growth mode. If you gain less than that, tweak your carb intake as described in Pillar #6. If the scale is moving up as planned, stay the course until you have all the mass you want and need.
Then sit back, enjoy your success, and prepare to dial in the cuts and conditioning that will put the icing on the cake of your body of work."

1. True for most people. Newbies, the overfat and roidheads can get away without a surplus.
2,3. All calories are anabolic. Not everyone responds well to carbs.
4. The counterpoint to 2,3 - some people prefer higher fat. Many people both lose fat and gain strength on CKD for example.
5. You don't have to gain lots of fat, you can keep a lid on it. But don't be afraid of a little bloating due to higher food consumption.
6. "fix" - again, not everyone does well on the same macros. Some eat a lot more protein and swear by it. High protein is especially good for people who get fat easily as it acts like a natural appetite suppressant.
7. 1lb a week is too much for most people. Although I do appreciate that daily variance in water weight makes it hard to sustain a slow weight gain.

[FitnessCPA]

This article oversimplifies without taking activity into account.