Out site is about strength training and how your diet can help you achieve your goal. Our site is set up as a series of links that you see on the right hand side. We will guide you through the good and bad foods that can either help or hurt your strength training. If you have any questions about out site feel free to ask Connor Clinton or Colin Hong, or go to the sites at the bottom of our posts. We hope you find it informational and helpful.
-Connor
Monday, May 5, 2008
What Kinds of Foods to Eat
So you're thinking of starting a strength training diet? Good for you. First things first, your going to need to know which foods are good for you, and which foods are not. Also, it will be extremely helpful to know which foods are high in protein, carbohydrates and fats, which are all essential for a strength training program to succeed. Here, we will touch on all of those aspects.
BAD FOODS (Stay away!)
Candy, Soda and other sweets
Why?-Because they are way too high in sugar. And sugar, taken in large amounts, causes tooth decay, is addicting, and causes the body use excess carbohydrates as fat, which makes it harder to get healthy.
Cheese, butter and margarine
Why?- High on saturated fats, which can cause your arteries to clog.
Fast Food
Why?- How do you think they make it so fast? They don't. They just unfreeze it. It is so stacked with preservatives, its not even funny. WATCH THIS TO SEE WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT! http://shizzville.com/how-nasty-are-mcdonalds-fries
For more information about some terrible foods, see http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_12_22/ai_104943689/pg_3
GOOD FOODS (Cant get enough of these)
Fish
Why?- An excellent source of proteins. Need I say more?
Beans
Why?- Carbohydrates, Fiber and Protein, without much else. Best when taken in addition to something, like a salad.
Eggs
Why?-Eggs contain all of the amino acids a body needs, and is one of the few foods that supplies vitamin D.
See http://www.bodybuildingpro.com/top10powerfoods.html for more examples on good foods to eat for a strength training diet.
Continue reading to find out about which foods are good for protein, carbohydrates and fats (yes fats).
-Colin
BAD FOODS (Stay away!)
Candy, Soda and other sweets
Why?-Because they are way too high in sugar. And sugar, taken in large amounts, causes tooth decay, is addicting, and causes the body use excess carbohydrates as fat, which makes it harder to get healthy.
Cheese, butter and margarine
Why?- High on saturated fats, which can cause your arteries to clog.
Fast Food
Why?- How do you think they make it so fast? They don't. They just unfreeze it. It is so stacked with preservatives, its not even funny. WATCH THIS TO SEE WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT! http://shizzville.com/how-nasty-are-mcdonalds-fries
For more information about some terrible foods, see http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_12_22/ai_104943689/pg_3
GOOD FOODS (Cant get enough of these)
Fish
Why?- An excellent source of proteins. Need I say more?
Beans
Why?- Carbohydrates, Fiber and Protein, without much else. Best when taken in addition to something, like a salad.
Eggs
Why?-Eggs contain all of the amino acids a body needs, and is one of the few foods that supplies vitamin D.
See http://www.bodybuildingpro.com/top10powerfoods.html for more examples on good foods to eat for a strength training diet.
Continue reading to find out about which foods are good for protein, carbohydrates and fats (yes fats).
-Colin
Diet Plan
For a muscle building diet there are a few general statistics you should know. When you are strength training about 50 to 60 percent of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, 15 to 20 percent protein, and 20 to 25 percent fats. If you want to increase your daily amount of protein it is ok, but it should not interfere with the other types of food you should eat. If you want to learn more about this go to http://espn.go.com/trainingroom/s/2000/0225/380656.html
-Connor
-Connor
General Facts About Muscle Building
Whether or not you decide to undertake a Strength Training Diet, there are things that you should know about your muscles. In this short section, I will go over some basics about this essential part of the body.
Diamonds are forever-But muscles are not
After your 35 years old, your muscles start to degrade. But thats not all. For every pound you lose of muscle (And you lose half a pound a year), your body turns it into 3 pounds of fat. By the time you reach 80 years old (which we all hope to reach), you've lost a third of your younger self's muscles! However there is a cure. By exercising your muscles (eg. Strength Training), you can slow, stop and possibly reverse this process.
Building Blocks
Your muscles are made up of tissue, which in turn is made up of proteins and amino acids. And how does your body acquire the amino acids to make the protein for the muscles? It has to receive them from an outside source. In other words, eating. A large protein intake is critical for growing teens, and anyone else interested in gaining muscle mass. There are certain specific protein drinks (muscle milk), and while these are useful and convient, there are other healthy, more rounded options like eggs and fish, which give you other nutrients as well. On average, you should be eating .5-.7 grams of protein for every pound you weigh, everyday!
Repair Bill
When you work out, you are breaking down the muscles, and the quicker they recover, the quicker you can get back to your exercise, which means quicker results. This is essentially how steroids work, they dont just give you insta-muscles, they rebuild your muscles quicker and bigger. So, asides from steroid use (Never do this!), you need to get proteins and carbs back to your muscles and soon! The recommended time is once 30min after the workout, and again 2hrs after. A common item used is Muscle Milk, which can be bought at your nearest GNC (There's one downstairs Ala Moana).
If you are interested in Muscles, check out these sites for more information:
http://espn.go.com/trainingroom/s/2000/0225/380656.html
http://www.healthcastle.com/sports_nutrition_strength_training_diet.shtml
-Colin
Diamonds are forever-But muscles are not
After your 35 years old, your muscles start to degrade. But thats not all. For every pound you lose of muscle (And you lose half a pound a year), your body turns it into 3 pounds of fat. By the time you reach 80 years old (which we all hope to reach), you've lost a third of your younger self's muscles! However there is a cure. By exercising your muscles (eg. Strength Training), you can slow, stop and possibly reverse this process.
Building Blocks
Your muscles are made up of tissue, which in turn is made up of proteins and amino acids. And how does your body acquire the amino acids to make the protein for the muscles? It has to receive them from an outside source. In other words, eating. A large protein intake is critical for growing teens, and anyone else interested in gaining muscle mass. There are certain specific protein drinks (muscle milk), and while these are useful and convient, there are other healthy, more rounded options like eggs and fish, which give you other nutrients as well. On average, you should be eating .5-.7 grams of protein for every pound you weigh, everyday!
Repair Bill
When you work out, you are breaking down the muscles, and the quicker they recover, the quicker you can get back to your exercise, which means quicker results. This is essentially how steroids work, they dont just give you insta-muscles, they rebuild your muscles quicker and bigger. So, asides from steroid use (Never do this!), you need to get proteins and carbs back to your muscles and soon! The recommended time is once 30min after the workout, and again 2hrs after. A common item used is Muscle Milk, which can be bought at your nearest GNC (There's one downstairs Ala Moana).
If you are interested in Muscles, check out these sites for more information:
http://espn.go.com/trainingroom/s/2000/0225/380656.html
http://www.healthcastle.com/sports_nutrition_strength_training_diet.shtml
-Colin
Template
In general just do what your mom has always told you. Eat your vegetables, fruits, meat, and carbohydrates. Try to include as many of the food groups into your meals as possible. You should also try to eat up to 5 meals a day while training hard. These should not be huge affairs that leave you bursting, but still substantial. When you do this it keeps your metabolism running and continuously gives you protein and the other key nutrients in muscle building.
-Connor
-Connor
Lunch
Lunch Foods
Apple
Sandwich (chicken, steak, pbj, etc) on whole wheat bread
Bagel
Milk
Juice (apple, grape, etc)
Bars (protein bars, Cliff bars, etc)
-Connor
Apple
Sandwich (chicken, steak, pbj, etc) on whole wheat bread
Bagel
Milk
Juice (apple, grape, etc)
Bars (protein bars, Cliff bars, etc)
-Connor
Good Fats
Most of you have heard most if not all your life that fats are bad. This is undeserved bad light cast on fats. Some fats, specifically unsaturated (Both poly and mono), are needed terrible because of many reasons, like benefiting your heart, immune system and your metabolism. However, there are many, many bad fats, and accordingly, the list of good fats is rather short.
GOOD FATS
The best kind of fats and oils come from unrefined vegetable sources (Eg olive oil).
Also, choose oily fish such as salmon and tuna for even better sources of fat (These give you protein too)
See http://www.annecollins.com/good-fats-to-eat.htm for more information on fats.
-Colin
GOOD FATS
The best kind of fats and oils come from unrefined vegetable sources (Eg olive oil).
Also, choose oily fish such as salmon and tuna for even better sources of fat (These give you protein too)
See http://www.annecollins.com/good-fats-to-eat.htm for more information on fats.
-Colin
Good Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are essential for a Strength Training Diet, because of how easily your body converts these nutrients into energy. Carbohydrates usually also come loaded with fiber, which helps your digestive system keep things moving. Take a look at this list for some examples of foods loaded with carbohydrates.
Whole Grains
Why?- These give you the most bang for your buck. They give you an impressive amount of carbohydrates, are high in fiber, pack a decent amount of calories, and keep you feeling full, which will stop the temptation for that candy bar at the snack bar.
Fruits and Veggies
Why?- Low in calories, but packing large amounts of fiber, vitamins and minerals, more of these aren't hurting anyone
Nuts and Seeds
Why?- They give you great fiber, good carbohydrates, lots of protein, even some unsaturated fats. Whats the cost? These things are high in calories, which can really add up over time, working against your training.
For more information on good carbs see http://www.annecollins.com/good-carbs-to-eat.htm and http://www.healthcastle.com/nuts-benefits.shtml.
-Colin
Whole Grains
Why?- These give you the most bang for your buck. They give you an impressive amount of carbohydrates, are high in fiber, pack a decent amount of calories, and keep you feeling full, which will stop the temptation for that candy bar at the snack bar.
Fruits and Veggies
Why?- Low in calories, but packing large amounts of fiber, vitamins and minerals, more of these aren't hurting anyone
Nuts and Seeds
Why?- They give you great fiber, good carbohydrates, lots of protein, even some unsaturated fats. Whats the cost? These things are high in calories, which can really add up over time, working against your training.
For more information on good carbs see http://www.annecollins.com/good-carbs-to-eat.htm and http://www.healthcastle.com/nuts-benefits.shtml.
-Colin
Good Proteins
Proteins are the most essential part of a strength training diet, because your body converts these amino acids into building blocks for muscles. However, proteins can also help you lose fat, and stay healthy. This list will show you the benefits of the best protein foods out there.
Seafood (Fish, Shrimp etc)
Why?- An excellent source of protein, as well as some unsaturated fats in the form of oils. Unlike Steak and other fatty meats, fish strays from the unhealthy fats, and gives you what you want: protein.
White Chicken
Why?- Why should I eat white meat when dark meat is so much tastier? Because that taste comes at a cost of high saturated fat. White meat is relatively low, but remove the skin before cooking and eating, because the skin contains unecessary saturated fats.
Eggs
Why?- Eggs are like protein in a shell. They contain all the amino acids our body needs , so theoretically, we could just eat eggs to get all our proteins. Also, as a side benefit, eggs are one of the few foods that supply us with vitamin D.
Soy
Why?- Soy products like tofu have relatively high amounts of protein with low fat.
Beans
Why?- 6 ounces of steak is equivalent in protein to a cup of beans. Fiber included. Fat sold seperately.
Milk
Why?- Choose low fat or 1%, but otherwise milk is an excellent source of protein, as well as calcium. Drink milk with other protein products to get maximum effiency.
If your interested, see http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/good-protein-sources for more information.
-Colin
Seafood (Fish, Shrimp etc)
Why?- An excellent source of protein, as well as some unsaturated fats in the form of oils. Unlike Steak and other fatty meats, fish strays from the unhealthy fats, and gives you what you want: protein.
White Chicken
Why?- Why should I eat white meat when dark meat is so much tastier? Because that taste comes at a cost of high saturated fat. White meat is relatively low, but remove the skin before cooking and eating, because the skin contains unecessary saturated fats.
Eggs
Why?- Eggs are like protein in a shell. They contain all the amino acids our body needs , so theoretically, we could just eat eggs to get all our proteins. Also, as a side benefit, eggs are one of the few foods that supply us with vitamin D.
Soy
Why?- Soy products like tofu have relatively high amounts of protein with low fat.
Beans
Why?- 6 ounces of steak is equivalent in protein to a cup of beans. Fiber included. Fat sold seperately.
Milk
Why?- Choose low fat or 1%, but otherwise milk is an excellent source of protein, as well as calcium. Drink milk with other protein products to get maximum effiency.
If your interested, see http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/good-protein-sources for more information.
-Colin
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