Most bodybuilders gearing up for a competition use a form of the "Low-Carb" diet tweaked to maximize results for their body. Some bodybuilders find that an Eating Plan that best uses the body's hormones for gains in strength is high in fat...but not just any fat! EFA's or Essential Fatty Acids actually help your body burn fat more efficiently and protect you from certain diseases.

First of all, a brief background on food and water in general is necessary. All the cells which compose your body use the broken down nutrients of food for energy. When you get right down to the basics of food you have protein (amino acids), carbohdyrates (simple sugars), fats (triglycerides), vitamins, minerals, and water. Since matter is neither created or destroyed (only converted from one form to another), the food and water which enters your body is used up by your cells as energy for maintaining the body. The excess is expelled or stored. Enough calories must be consumed to meet your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the minimum food needed to maintain your organs and body if you did nothing all day. Of course, working out and lifting weights in addition to normal average everyday activities like stressing out at work and running around all day like a chicken with your head cut off requires much more energy to power you than just that necessary to maintain your BMR. This is because when you start doing any exercise or activity your cells need additional energy to perform the work. The cells in your body typically use glycogen or sugar for quick energy. This comes from eating carbohydrates. If there is not enough carbohydrates in the bloodstream, your body resorts to burning fat for energy...this is what you want when you're cutting up, which is why many bodybuilders use the Low-Carb diet or the low calorie diet with balanced amounts of complex carbs, protein, and vegetables. If there are more carbs floating around in your bloodstream than you need for energy then your liver converts and stores them as fat.

The other key to the puzzle is protein. Protein is a great muscle-builder that your cells love. You've got to make sure you're getting a lot of protein to keep your muscles building. What is a lot? Well, bodybuilders obviously need a bit more protein than the average joe. Here's a good recommendation determinded by two factors: body weight and physical activity. Here's the RDA... a 150-pound person would require 55 grams and a 120 pounder could squeeze by with a mere 44 grams of protein daily. However, an active person, like an athlete or bodybuilder, needs roughly 25 to 85 percent more protein than the RDA. For example, a 150 pound bodybuilder would need 68 to 100 plus grams of protein daily, while a 120 pound bodybuilder's protein needs would jump to 80 plus grams daily.

Recommedations: