Layne Norton, what is your nutrition philosophy?
There is no single hard-and-fast rule that applies to everyone: it varies from person to person. Personally, I believe in moderation. Your protein intake should be 2.2 – 2.5 g/kg of body weight, fat should account for 20 – 30% of your total calories, and the remaining calories should come from carbohydrates. In the off-season, that means about 250 g of protein, 400 – 500 g of carbohydrates and 80 – 90 g of fat for me.
What does your typical pre-contest diet look like?
I don’t have a plan set in stone, and my pre-contest diet always changes a little from one contest to the next. It all depends on how my body responds. As contest prep approaches, my first step is to adjust the proportions of macronutrients in my diet slightly from their off-season levels. My typical daily intake during contest prep is around 250 – 300 g of protein, 150 – 250 g of carbohydrates and 45 – 60 g of fat. On two days a week, I increase carbohydrates to 300 – 350 grams a day while reducing fat and protein intake by about 10%.
What useful nutrition advice would you give readers?
Just as with training, be consistent in following your nutrition principles! I don’t believe in pushing yourself to the point where you feel weak and exhausted. Nor do I believe in “cheat days” or the huge binges that get called carb loading. Moderation and consistency are the key principles I believe in. If you want to succeed in natural bodybuilding, read the book “The Tortoise and the Hare”. The tortoise always wins.
Francisco Montealegre, what is your nutrition philosophy?
I believe in eating “clean” all the time and recommend keeping your body fat percentage under control even in the off-season. This is necessary to maintain insulin sensitivity and reap its benefits. Insulin sensitivity is a very important factor in body composition and how it changes. Your appearance, body fat percentage and muscle growth depend on it. It took me quite a while to realize this.
My diet changes quite a lot from the off-season.
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An example of my typical contest prep diet. I ate this way quite often in the run-up to my most recent contest.
Breakfast: 2 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 30 g of spinach, whole-grain bread and a whey protein shake
Lunch: Tilapia (fish) 225 g, vegetables (350-400g), cashews 25 g
Pre-workout: 94% fat-free popcorn, whey protein shake
Post-workout: 94% fat-free popcorn, whey protein shake
Dinner: Tilapia (fish) 225 g, vegetables (350-400g), cod liver oil (5g)
What useful nutrition advice would you give readers?
Eat “clean” all the time, while deliberately planning your “cheat meals” well in advance.
RJ Perkins, what is your nutrition philosophy?
Plenty of people will probably want to crucify me for this, but I firmly believe that how much you eat matters more than what you eat. Of course, I’m not saying that doughnuts, cupcakes or ice cream should be standard fare when dieting. Far from it. What I mean is that I believe your total calorie intake matters more. It’s important to know, monitor and keep track of your total daily calorie intake.
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Translator’s note: He means that it makes little difference whether your daily carbohydrates come from buckwheat, brown rice or rolled oats. Likewise, making small adjustments to your macronutrient proportions from day to day, mainly fat and protein, is no great sin. I agree with this idea.
I’m not suggesting that you can eat whatever junk you like as long as you keep your calories under control. But don’t be afraid to be flexible, stray from the usual “bodybuilding diet foods” even while dieting, and experiment with alternatives. Naturally, I keep my diet clean when preparing for a contest, but I definitely try to break up the routine by including different alternatives. Once a week, I make sure I allow myself one substantial cheat meal to reward myself for the hard work and keep myself sane.
What does your typical pre-contest diet look like?
Meal 1: 10 – 12 egg whites, 40 – 50 grams of rolled oats
Meal 2: 120 – 170 grams of chicken or fish, 40 – 50 grams of rolled oats, 2 – 4 tablespoons of natural nut butter
Meal 3: 120 – 170 grams of chicken or fish, 40 – 50 grams of brown rice, 2 – 4 tablespoons of natural nut butter
Meal 4: 40 – 50 grams of whey protein, 50 – 80 grams of rolled oats (pre-workout)
Meal 5:120 – 170 grams of chicken or fish, 250 – 300 grams of yam (post-workout)
Meal 6: 120 – 170 grams of chicken or fish, 40 – 50 grams of brown rice, 2 – 4 tablespoons of natural nut butter
What useful nutrition advice would you give readers?
Nutrition is much like training. Experiment with your diet and the foods you eat. It’s a process of trial and error to find out what works for you and how your body responds to different alternatives. One thing I’ve realized is that people are terrified of fat. Don’t fear fat like the plague: you need it while dieting, too. It helps preserve muscle mass and strength and is necessary for normal testosterone production. Experiment, get to know your body, make a plan and follow it with some flexibility. Dieting is the hardest part of bodybuilding.
Stu Yellin, what is your nutrition philosophy?
I try to keep things as simple as possible, but there are definitely some crazy ideas that need to die. When I see a post saying, “To lose weight, just eat 500 kcal less than you burn, and the weight will drop off and you’ll get in shape,” it really makes me angry. Our bodies can distinguish between nutrients, too; it’s not just about calories. Losing weight isn’t simply a matter of balancing intake and expenditure. Different nutrients have different hormonal effects on our bodies at different times. If I had to sum up the two most important aspects of nutrition, they would be getting your nutrient timing right and cycling your carbohydrates.
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What does your typical pre-contest diet look like?
Every contest prep is different in its own way. Here is one page from the food diary I kept during my most recent prep (spring 2010):
6.00: 200 – 225 grams of egg whites mixed with chopped raw broccoli, cauliflower and turkey breast ham, 45 – 50 grams of rolled oats
9.00: 250 – 300 grams of cottage cheese with sweetener and cinnamon
11.00: Chicken breast, 45 – 50 grams of rolled oats, a bowl of lettuce on the side
14.00: 45 – 50 grams of rolled oats mixed with 50 grams of protein powder
16.00: 3 “Finibar” bars (pre-workout), translator’s note: some kind of protein and carbohydrate bar
16.30: Intra-workout shake
19.30: 1 chicken breast, 45 – 50 grams of rolled oats, raw vegetable salad
22.00: 50 grams of protein powder, 2 tablespoons of nut butter
What useful nutrition advice would you give readers?
Even in the off-season, always remember to eat to satisfy your body’s needs first, before your own wants.
Author: Janar Rückenberg (translation)
Come and train! ArtGym
