Weightlifting Vegetarian

Many people think that being a vegetarian is a no, no for weightlifting. The reason for this has nothing to do with going to the gym and busting out the weights and is more to do with the nutritional side of weighlifting.

This is a huge myth and there are many weightlifing vegetarians out there who manage to carry out their lifts and increase muscle mass with ease, this being said a weightlifting vegetarian does have to take more notice of their diet.

While a weightlifting vegetarian doesnt have the meat intake that supports the body's requirements for protein as meat is a huge protein provider, there is ample protein opportunities for non meat eaters. For those that find themselves short of protein from their vegetarian diet there are also supplements too.

A vegetarian who enjoys weightlifting and wishes to bulk up can take whey protein shakes, or if they dont want to have ANY animal products there are now soy protein isolates as a protein option. Alternatively the protein options available to include in their diet are:

• Wholemeal Bread - av. 3.5 grams of protein per slice
• Quinoa - 18 grams of protein per cup
• Beans - one cup is around 13 grams of protein
• Soy products - one large glass of soy milk is 7 grams of protein (there is Tofu and other Soy variants)
• Nuts - Protein amounts vary in nuts but the level of protein is great (you can even use peanut butter)
• Eggs - If you dont mind your eggs then there is ample protein in them

You can also find protein in rice, pasta and other general foods. The only difference between a weightlifting vegetarian and a meat eater is that a vegetarian has to take extra care in reviewing their protein intake to ensure they get enough from their food.

Muscle Building Tuna Recipe

One of the problems with bodybuilding and eating correctly is the boredom that can set in with eating the same old foods. In light of this you will find some great muscle building tuna recipes below that will give you a brilliant alternative to the mundane meals you currently endure.

Tuna is one of the best protein food as it is high in protein and low in pretty much everything else so there is no risk of bad fats becoming part of your meal.

Tuna Salad

1 Romaine Lettuce
1 Tin of Tuna
5 Cherry Tomatoes
Small portion of Feta Cheese (low fat variety)
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and pepper
Teaspoon of olive oil

Using a chopping board and knife, cut all your ingredients and add to a bowl. Now take a teaspoon of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add to the bowl before adding a pinch of salt and pepper. Now toss your salad and serve.

Tuna Mix

1 Tin of Tuna
1 Onion
50 grams Cottage Cheese (low fat)
Potatoe (baked)

Cut your onion into small fine pieces and put in a bowl, now add the drained tin of tuna. Take your low fat cottage cheese and add to the bowl and mix. Now you have a new and interesting tuna mix for your jacket potatoe. This is a low fat and high protein variation of the normal tuna, cheese, onion and mayo version.

Tuna Bake

1 Tin of Tuna
1 Tin of Kidney Beans
1 Carrot
Peas
Tin of naturally sweet sweetcorn
Potatoe
Water
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Cut the potatoe into medium sized cubes and add to a baking tray. Add the tined tuna, sweetcorn and kidney beans to the tray. Now cut your carrot into small chunks before adding the carrot and peas to the tray.

Put a pinch of sat and pepper into the mix and then add 200 ml of water and a tea spoon of olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix the food in the tray before baking in the oven at 190 degrees for about an hour.

Eating Pork to Build Muscle

Many people tend to shy away from pork and concentrate on eating Chicken when it comes to building muscle and staying lean but I feel that pork gets a bad rep when it is really a great meat to eat when wanting to bulk up and lose fat.

Firstly did you know that Pork actually carries fewer calories per 100 grams than chicken? Shocking isn’t it, but it is true. For 100 grams of pork you will get 103 calories where 100 grams of chicken carries 150 calories.

Pork not only has less calories than chicken per hundred grams it also has more protein! Chicken carries eighteen grams of protein per hundred grams while pork actually has twenty grams of protein for one hundred grams.

Pork is also a great provider of B3, B6 and B12 vitamins which are vitamins that support the break down of carbohydrates and fats in the body. Pork is also high in Zinc which supports the production of testosterone in the body.

I tend to have pork once or twice a week to keep variation in my diet and to offer a great alternative to chicken as eating the same meat all the time can become mundane. When choosing my pork I always go for fresh steaks that are lean and don’t carry much fat.

Now you have found out that pork carries less calories and more protein than chicken what are you waiting for? Why not buy a fresh pork steak today and enjoy being a pig!

Optimum Hydration

When training I see a lot of people neglecting to drink water which is a huge issue as it can impact your training and possible cause dehydration.

Previous posts have gone over the need to drink water and stay hydrated but I have never really gone into talking about drinking while training.

While training your body is perspiring at a greater rate than when you are resting, this means your body is losing water at a faster rate than normal as you sweat and breathe out H2O. To counter this problem you need to drink more water than normal to ensure your water hydration levels are balanced.

But how much water is needed?

The rule of thumb is that when training you should drink about 250ml of water for every 15 minutes of training so this is around 1 litre of water per hour. This may sound like a lot to some people as normally a person would only expect to drink 2 litres of water in a whole day, trust me when I say its not a lot.

When training always keep a bottle of water with you and ensure you take regular sips of water to keep hydrated. By taking regular sips rather than large amounts less often you will find your need for the toilet will not occur so often.

If you do not drink enough water while training you could find yourself starting to become dehydrated and feeling drained of energy, unable to lift your usual amounts, legs feeling like lead and general tiredness.

Dehydration is not healthy as a vast amount of your body is made up of water so it is one of the most important yet simple structures your body requires. If your someone who doesnt take water with you while training make sure you do next time and you could find yourself feeling better.

Achieving Muscle Gains Without Supplements

I used to be big into taking supplements like weight gainer and protein shakes but have found that you do not need to take these to achieve muscle gains.

I am now stronger than I have ever been yet I have only taken two protein shakes this year!

Granted if you are someone who is always on the go then a protein shake or weight gain shake can be helpful to either ensuring you achieve your daily intake of protein or act as a meal replacement on the odd occasion.

If you are someone who doesn't have that much money spare to be spending on high quality protein supplements then I suggest that you don't as there are many foods out there you can use as an alternative.

Now this post isn't saying that protein supplements are bad or even that you shouldn't take them, far from it. For some people they really do support what they want to achieve in muscle building but for people like me they are not needed and natural food achieves what I want.

So how does it work?

Well if you don't want to take supplements for what ever reason I suggest having five to six meals a day and aim for a minimum thirty grams of protein in each meal. An easy way of achieving this in snacks is by using tuna as one tin of tuna carries around 31 grams of protein (differs depending on the make and type). tuna is also very versatile and works well in sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes and much more.

For larger meals use turkey, chicken or red meat and you are sure to achieve forty grams of protein in these meals.

The hardest meal to achieve your protein requirements is breakfast as its normally the meal where there is not much protein, this is seen in cereals etc. For breakfast you can supplement you cereal with eggs, kippers or sardines on toast.

Are Protein Shakes Halal?

I have noticed a great many people using the keyword phrase of protein shakes and Halal to find Muscle Power Shop so I thought it would be a good idea to write an article about this subject.

Now Whey is a by product of making cheese, in fact whey is the milk plasma left after the milk has been curdled. It sits on top of the curdled milk and is skimmed away.

In the process of creating Cheese and Whey the producers use something called Rennet. Rennet (actually called Rennin) is an enzyme chemical found in the stomach of animals and is used as part of the preparation to make cheese and whey so doesn't sound Halal at first.

Even thought Rennet is used in the process it is still Halal as long as it is not derived from Pigs. The reason why rennet is Halal is because no blood passes through Rennet thus it is rendered as not living so cannot die which means it does not need to go through the Halal process. Please see the SunniPath online Islamic Academy article for confirmation by clicking here

So to confirm, yes Whey protein shakes are Halal as long as the Rennet is not derived from pork and from my understanding no companies use pork products in their Whey protein shakes. The rennet used in Whey protein shakes is nearly always generated from the stomachs of Calves (Young cows).

Cottage Cheese - Protein While Sleeping

We all know that protein is an extremely important part of nutrition when trying to build muscle. Because of this how many of you are willing to eat cottage cheese just before bed so your muscles can carry on feeding on protein while you sleep?

Many weight lifters and bodybuilders understand that sleeping for 8 hours is very important for the muscles to repair but so is ensuring a constant supply of nutrition. You may have heard about many people who are serious about gaining muscle eating every four hours, well this doesnt just stop in the evening and start again in the morning.

To ensure a good and constant supply of proteins while sleeping there is nothing better than cottage cheese.

Why is cottage cheese so good?

Well cottage cheese is high in protein while being low in fat and carbohydrates and is also light on the stomach so gives no ill affects to eating right before going to sleep. Also the protein in cottage cheese is Casein protein which is a slow digesting protein so your body gets a slow release of protein into the muscles throughout the night.

Summary

If your looking to build your muscles properly then I suggest buying cottage cheese and eating 100 grams before bed every evening, your muscles will thank you for it and you will reap the benefits.

Cottage Cheese Nutritional Values

1% cottage cheese contains:

Per 100g
72 calories
12.39g protein
1.02g fat
2.72g carbohydrate

Green Tea

Green tea has been used as a hot beverage for thousands of years, the reason for this is not just because of its taste but also because of its great medicinal properties.

These medicinal properties actually have many benefits for weight lifting also.

When you drink a cup of green tea you are getting a good level of Catechins. Catechins are in the polyphenols family and are great antioxidants. In Catechins there are epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), these ingrediants provide a level of antioxidant activity that is nearly one hundred times more powerful than vitamin C or E.

Green Tea also has Theanine in it. Theanine is an amino acid that is known to give a calming and tranquilising affect on the brain!

Green Tea is also a great pre workout drink as it has some Caffeine in it yet also provides a relaxing affect on the mind without affecting the performance of the body. This is a great supplement to take instead of coffee or other caffeine products that can make you all anxious and jittery.

Finally it has been researched and confirmed that Green tea actually increases your metabolic rate by upto three percent if you drink two to three cup of green tea daily. Now this is perfect for those that want to lose fat and cut up for the summer!!!

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is one of the weightlifting power performance foods, yet is one that many people over look. This is strange given everyone knows about the great nutritional values of nuts, I suppose the issue is that they see the word butter in the name and worry about all the fat.

For those lacking the ability to take in the calories they need, peanut butter is the food for them. For those who find it hard to take in their daily intake of good fats and proteins...peanut butter is the food for them.

Granted peanut butter shouldnt be eaten constantly, but for those who wish to make the most from their training a good spoonful of the nutty buttery goodness wont hurt.

For those who are unsure the nutritional facts speak for themselves.

100 grams of peanut butter roughly returns the following

Calories - 599
Protein - 28 grams
Fat - 53 grams (only 9 grams from saturates with a Cholesterol of zero)
Carbohydrates - 15 grams (4 grams of sugar and 9 grams of fibre)

Peanut butter also accounts for the following of a mans daily intake

Vitamin A - 6%
Vitamin C - 1%
Iron - 8%

Chicken Livers

One of my favourite foods for protein is Chicken Livers. To many this is not the nicest meal available but for me Chicken livers with onion is an amazing and tasty dish that also supplies a high amount of protein. Oh and its very cheap! for 400 grams of Chicken Livers in the UK its 99 pence (about $1.50 in USD).

The nutritional facts are clear, for 100 grams of Chicken Livers your body gets

25g - Protein
5g - Fat (1.5 grams saturated)
0.1g - Carbohydrates

Chicken Livers are also very high in Iron, Thiamin, Zinc, Copper, Maganese, Vitamins A and C.

If you like eating liver then I suggest buying Chicken Liver and having it as a meal once in a while. The only downsides to Chicken Livers is that they do have a high level of Cholesterol and chicken liver is also high in Vitamin A. Vitamin A is great but in liver the levels of Vitamin A exceeds daily recommended amounts which if you do regularly can be toxic.

Egg Nutrition and Cholesterol

Previously it was thought that Eggs were great for protein but not good for cholesterol because of the fat found in the yolk, it was for this reaon that bodybuilders ate a large amount of egg whites but did not eat the yolks.

Recent research has found that the age old healthy diet of only eating three or less eggs a week because of cholesterol is actually not correct. The studies conducted showed that eating one or two eggs a day has no detrimental affect on cholesterol levels, heart disease or anything else as the natural cholesterol found in eggs did nothing to impact the levels found in the body.

The research went on further to say that it is the Tran fats found in food products that cause all the issues in obesity and heart disease.

So this shows that you can have you eggs and eat them, including the yolk that is packed with Citrulline an amino acid that supports lactic acid metabolism and reduces muscle fatigue along with Choline which improves the performance of the whole body.

Weightlifting and Dehydration

Dehydration has a direct impact on performance when weightlifting in the gym. Surprisingly many people dont realise that those "Off days" they sometimes experience can be due to mild dehydration.

If you dont ensure you are well hydrated when weightlifting then you can expect to see a huge dip in performance. Firstly you will find your strength reduced so you cannot lift as heavy as normal, after this you will then notice that you cannot lift for long so your muscle endurance is affected also.

To ensure you are fully hydrated drink water before and during your training session.

For a typical adult you should ensure you drink 1.5 litres to 3 litres of water a day, if you are on a training day then an extra 500ml to a litre will help keep you hydrated throughout the day.

Weightlifting and Islam

There are quite a few men down the gym I go to who follow the religion of Islam, this made me interested in posting about weightlifting and Islam for the purpose of nutrition.

Those who know about Islam will understand that there are some restrictions on eating meat which is the main staple of any weightlifters diet whether it be chicken, turkey or beef.

Islam requires all land animals (fish and most sea life are exempt) to have a swift incision to the neck cutting the jugular veins and carotid arteries of both sides but leaving the spinal cord intact. This will let the animals body of blood. When killed Gods name must be pronounced over the meat. Islam also does not allow eating pork.

The problem with the fact that Islam does not allow pork to be eaten is that many food stuffs actually carry pork derivatives such a Gelatin even if they are not meat products. Did you know that even Whey protein powders cannot be taken unless certified as Halal if a person follows Islam?

So for a Muslim carrying out weightlifting it is harder for them to ensure they get the correct daily intake of proteins. To ensure the correct level of protein is taken a Muslim weightlifter requires to maintain a strict diet using Halal foods where ever possible and when not available fish and pulses need to be taken as an alternative.

I have a lot of respect for my Muslim brothers who train because they not only have a difficult time because of nutrition, there is also the issue of Ramadan where in the ninth month they fast from dawn until sunset every day, this includes not even drinking water.

If you follow Islam and you are weightlifting in any way I would be very interested in your diet so please do make a comment below.

The Daily Plate

For those interested in bodybuilding and for others who want to watch their weight I am going to give you a little helping hand with watching those pounds/kilograms.

There is a great website on the Internet called The Daily Plate where you can monitor your training activity levels and your calorie intake from proteins to carbs and fats. This is a great and FREE site that will allow you to use their huge database of foods to keep account of the food you eat.

The daily plate even tells you exactly what percentage of carbs etc you need to take in each day and how much you have eaten accounts towards this...or goes over this on a bad day!

I used to use this site religiously but have not used it for a while...and I feel this is part of the reason a few pounds have gathered around my midriff which I am currently working off!!

Bodybuilder Diet

The bodybuilder diet differs greatly from that of a weight lifter or powerlifter. The idea behind the bodybuilder diet is to feed your muscle mass while being able to reduce body fat to gain that defined physique.

As I have mentioned previously you firstly need to establish you calorie intake to ensure you are eating enough, but not too much.

After this you need to understand how much macronutrients your body requires every day as part of your calorie intake.

• Protein - 1 - 1.5 grams of protein for every pound you weigh (2.2 - 3.3 grams for every kilogram you weigh)
• Carbohydrates - 2 grams of slow digesting carbohydrates, known as low GI foods, for every pound you weigh. (4.4 grams for every kilogram you weigh).
• Fat - Consume 0.7 grams of essential fats for every pound you weigh (1.54 grams for every kilogram you weigh).

Next you need to change your meal times. For a bodybuilder diet you need to eat no less than six times a day spacing your meals out evenly to ensure a sustainable amount of energy and to keep your metabolic rate at its optimum level.

If you are into bodybuilding and want that huge mass that is cut to clear definition then you need to really up your game and change your diet to achieve your dreams. This bodybuilder diet is just what you need to kick start your bodybuilding goals.

Glycemic Index - Low GI Foods

Many seasoned bodybuilders and weight lifters are well versed with the terms glycemic index and low GI foods as they use these as an important part of their diet.

What is surprising is that unlike bodybuilders many people have never heard of the glycemic index or low GI foods so do not understand how they can help maintain weight control and support fat loss.

So what is the Glycemic Index?

Created by Dr. David Jenkins at the University of Toronto (Canada) in 1980 the glycemic index is a measure of blood glucose levels caused by the consumption of carbohydrates.

The idea behind the glycemic index is that the lower the number a food sits on the glycemic index the slower the glucose is released into the bloodstream.

This means that the lower the GI rating a food has the better it is for the body as it releases glucose slowly and steadily over a period over time.

Most bodybuilders try to keep their carbohydrate intake within the low GI foods as this will keep their metabolic rate steady throughout the day, in turn supporting their fat loss to keep their body lean.

GI Foods

Below is a list of foods and their GI range

Low GI (55 or less on the glycemic index)

Fruits, vegetables (not including potatoe), pasta, pulses, milk, fish, eggs, nuts, oil, meat, grainy breads.

Medium GI (56 - 69 on the glycemic index)

Whole wheat products, brown rice, basmati rice, sweet potatoe.

High GI (70 - 100 on the glycemic index)

cornflakes and other cereals high in sugar, potatoe, white rice, white bread, croissant, sweets, desserts and sugar (Sugar is the only product that is 100 on the index).

Summary

If you want to give yourself a steady flow of fuel throughout the day and also keep your metabolic rate high to support potential fat loss and a leaner body try to keep towards the low GI food range.

Micronutrients and training

Micronutrients are just as important as macronutrients when it comes to training. Everyone knows about the macronutrients they need (fats, protein, carbohydrates etc) but how many know about what micronutrients their body needs on a daily basis?

Micronutrients are products that are needed to sustain life, unlike macronutrients which are needed in large quantities micronutrients are needed in very small quantities , so small in fact that most are only required in doses of 100mg or less every day.

Micronutrient deficiency

There is a belief that one third of the worlds population suffer with a lack of micronutrients in their diet, this is not just reserved for the third world this includes many in western society.

The most common deficiencies include Zinc, magnesium, vitamins A and E, iron and iodine.

The micronutrients, otherwise known as microminerals, that the body requires are

• Iron
• Cobalt
• Chromium
• Copper
• Iodine
• Manganese
• Selenium
• Molybdenum
• Zinc

Micronutrients and training

Those who train professionally will not only watch their macronutrient intake (protein, fats and carbohydrates) they will also watch their micronutrient intake as they understand that these small quantities of minerals have a huge impact to their training.

If you take in enough (not too much) macro and micronutrients then you really do have a great diet that will see your gains increase dramatically due to the body having everything it needs to repair and build your muscle mass.

I personally take zinc and copper supplements to support my diet, this ensures I am getting my micronutrient intake to support my training.

The Importance of Essential Fats

Many people get confused when it comes to looking at fats in their diet, they think that there are no essential fats as its fat and will make you put on weight around the waist.

The truth is that there are different types of fats, some of these fats are only used as fuel and are not needed in your diet but there are also important essential fats that your body needs.

Essential fats are actually called EPA's or Essential Fatty Acids. These essential fatty acids make up important parts of the biological process within the human body yet cannot be constructed by the body so have to be obtained by our diet.

The essential fatty acids that you need in your body are called Monounsaturated fat and Polyunsaturated fat (collectively called Trans fats). To obtain the correct amount of these essential fatty acids you need to take in an estimated 15ml per 25kg (55lbs) you weigh.

Looking further in to essential fatty acids from a science point of view you will understand that trans fats can be broken down further in to Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 fatty acids.

Dietary requirements show that the best ratio of taking Omega fatty acids is 50% Omega 3, 25% Omega 6 and 25% Omega 9 fatty acids although this ratio is not easily obtained on a daily basis unless really scrutinising your diet.

Below is a list of foods that you can gain your essential fatty acids from

* Fish (Tuna, Herring, Mackerel among others)
* Cereal
* Whole grain wheat
* Nuts (Peanuts, Walnuts, and other nuts)
* Oils (Olive oil, Sunflower oil and Safflower oil)
* Bananas
* Seed (Hemp seed and Flax seed among others)


So what does fatty acids actually do for my body and training regime?

* Enhance stamina by between 40% and 60%
* Improve muscular development
* Allow more frequent training
* Speed recovery from exhaustion
* Speed healing due to injuries
* Improve sleep
* Improve concentration
* Improve skin condition

Summary

Ensure that you are taking essential fatty acids in to your diet and that they make up 20% of your total calorific intake so you can maximise your gains.

Understanding Protein Types

I have talked previously about protein intake and how much you need to build muscle, but I haven't gone in to detail about proteins and the different types of protein in foods.

First of all its important to mention that meats and dairy products are called complete protein foods as they carry all of the nine essential amino acids the body needs. Vegetable food types on the other hand are classed as incomplete protein foods as they lack one or more of the nine essential amino acids.

These different types of proteins have different digestion rates, this means that understanding the protein types and how long it takes to digest can really help your training.

The main protien types are

• Whey - A protein found as a by product of the manufacture of cheese and milk products.

• Casein - A protein that makes up 80% of the proteins in most dairy products.

• Egg albumin - A protein found in egg whites.

You will here these protein type mentioned alot by bodybuilders who really know their stuff, the reason for this is because they understand how each of these protein types will support your muscle growth if eaten the right way.

Whey

Whey protein is found in the protein shakes that you can buy from the shop. The reason why whey protein is used alot in protein powder shakes is because it is ingested in to the body very quickly, in fact it can take as little as 30 minutes.

The fact that it only takes around thirty minutes for the body to start feeling the benefits of whey protein means that it is the perfect after workout supplement. By taking a protein shake straight after your gym session it will really help your body to start its repair and rebuild process.

Casein

Casein takes the longest of all the proteins to digest. For this reason many bodybuilders take casein before just before going to bed so the body can get a slow release of proteins over a period of two to seven hours to aid it with the repair and rebuild process.

To get that casein fix before bed many bodybuilders take a simple glass of milk. 80% of the proteins found in milk are casein and with roughly 11 grams of protein per 250 ml a big glass before bed will really support your body.

Egg albumin

Egg albumin, known as egg protein for short, is found in egg whites and is used as a great supplement to meals to increase protein intake. The idea is that at every meal you want to take at least 40 grams of protein in, this can be difficult at time so bodybuilders tend to remove yolks from eggs and just eat egg whites.

Egg albumin takes between one and a half to three hours to digest so makes the perfect protein to start your day with your breakfast.

Daily Calorie Intake

Many people fail in their desired aim in the gym for one main reason, they either do not eat enough or are eating too much because they do not know their daily calorie intake.

Before you start training you will know in your mind what your aim is to acheve. Your aim may be to lose those pesky rolls of fat and get buff or your aim may be to bulk up with muscle. Either way to achieve your desired results you need to know what your daily calorie intake is and just how many calories your body needs on a daily basis to achieve your goal.

Interestingly enough the formula of what your daily calorie intake should be is a very easy one, for those who wish to lose weight and cut up you take your body weight in pounds and times this by 12. For those wanting to maintain their body weight you need to take your body weight in pounds and times this by 14 and for those who wish to bulk up with muscle you need to take your body weight in pounds and times this by 18.

Example:

186 lbs X 12 = 2244 calories per day to lose weight and cut up
186 lbs X 14 = 2618 calories per day to maintain weight
186 lbs X 18 = 3366 calories per day to gain weight through muscle bulk

This may seem like a crude method but it does work and helps you to understand just what your daily calorie intake should be. You have to remember that your body needs energy to perform all the functions it carries out on a daily basis and what you also ask of it, if you do not feed your body how will it perform in the manner you want it to.