What You Need to Know About Nutrition and Bodyweight Training

Because it helps to have something visual (at least for some of us) here is a short video from ISSA Online’s YouTube™ channel.

There is a link to the full article below the video on their channel.

Nutrition is nutrition is nutrition

What do you think?

Yes?

Erm…NO.

The rules for nutrition are the same no matter what sport you do.

What do you think?

Yes?

Erm… A big fat NO.

Perhaps it is better to say “it depends”.

A long distance runner does not eat in the same way that a powerlifter eats.

Why?

Because their energy needs are different.

Every person is different in terms of how their body absorbs macronutrients to use them for energy.

Macronutrients are:

• proteins
• carbohydrates, and
• fats,

It is safe to say that most people know what they should eat and what they should avoid.

That’s the simple part.

After all, our doctors, nutritionists and trainers drum this stuff into our brains every time we go see them.

The difficult part is avoiding what you know you’re not supposed to eat.

We often don’t want to sacrifice the tasty foods that we’re accustomed to.

Let’s say, you satisfy your craving for salty foods for about a week…

…the weekend arrives and you have a massive headache and your blood pressure is way above normal.

Did I forget to mention that you have been diagnosed with hypertension?

Is there a psychological explanation for stuff like this?

There might to be a psychological explanation that we probably take for granted when it comes to changing our poor nutrition habits…

…after all, eating to survive and feeling satisfied is hard-wired into our being…

…for example, we get that nice, full feeling when we eat fatty foods.

Besides this, our bodies needs fats in order to survive and carry out essential processes.

If you’ve been on a clean diet for years, the idea of indulging in unhealthy, greasy food might be a turn off for you. You may prefer a slice of grilled chicken with some broccoli as a main meal or a snack.

One exception could be the competitive bodybuilder who has finished competing and who might just want to eat something…

…anything.

I am assuming the same goes for anyone who has had to “make weight” in a sport such as boxing and what happens when the competition is over.

For someone who enjoys junk food, they may balk at the thought of eating skinless chicken and spinach.

Without salt.

Are you finding this challenging when it comes to your nutrition?

Is the very thought of making the switch from poor nutrition to good nutrition a seemingly Herculean task?

Let’s see how your nutrition needs to be when you’re engaged in a bodyweight training program.

First things first

Before you can set a goal for your nutrition you need to know what your daily energy expenditure is.

Say what?

Your total daily energy expenditure relates to how much energy your body uses…

…whether awake or asleep..

…in a 24 hour period.

You can go to the link below to work yours out:

Total Caloric Needs Estimate Calculator

Additional note: you will find a range of tools and calculators, as well as useful downloads at the above ACE Fitness link.

Once you have worked it out, then go here to download this handy infographic about macronutrients (courtesy of ISSA Online):

Proteins, Carbs and Fats: An Overview (courtesy of ISSA Online)

Are you trying to lose weight?

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll need to be at a caloric deficit. You eat less than your body is burning in calories. Take care with fad diets which require you to starve yourself, leaving you deficient in essential nutrients.

If you are not careful, you will not only lose the weight plus water; you will also lose muscle.

It is not a nice position to be in when your body starts eating itself for energy.

You will need to go to the ER then!

Are you trying to build muscle?

When trying to build muscle, you’ll need to be at a daily caloric surplus. You eat more than your body is burning in calories.

If you’re a so-called “hard gainer”, you’ll need to consume even more calories.

Trying to bulk up with bodyweight training will generally yield some results in the beginning as your body has to adapt to the stress of training.

However, to get really big, you need to use heavy weights.

Having a fully equipped home gym that enables you to employ progressive resistance then is very helpful here. That is, if you have money and space.

Otherwise, it is probably going to be a trip to the gym, bearing in mind the current need for social distancing.

So then…

People who embark on a bodyweight training program generally want to develop a lean, wiry physique that’s very attractive.

However, the big, bulky look that comes from using heavy weights and consuming protein shakes round the clock – though not literally – is somehow difficult to achieve with bodyweight training alone.

After all, most of the time you only have your body to work with. While you can use weighted vests, chains, etc., there is a limit as to how much weight you can carry around on your person.

And getting those sleeve-splitting biceps you want to show off this summer (or on your favorite social media site) requires weight training that is focused on proper form and technique.

Are you a beginner starting out with bodyweight training who believes that nutrition alone will make you big and muscular?

You may find out that is simply not the case.

Even if your diet is consistently good, without the heavy weights, achieving increased muscle size, will be rather difficult.

So, to sum this all up, you need to adopt good, clean, nutrition practices. That’s the first step.

Eliminating sugar, processed foods, white flour/starchy carbs and junk foods is the most crucial change you must make.

From then on, it’s just a matter of tailoring your diet to meet your training and nutritional needs.

If you eat clean and workout intensely enough, you will develop the kind of healthy and strong body that you really want.

This is not rocket science. Not really.

It’s common sense and pure discipline.

Once you are hitting the milestones on the way to your goal, you can have a cheat meal once in a while, as a kind of reward for your effort.

Something to look forward to.

Just don’t go overboard, yeah?

If you are really struggling with shifting your mindset around food, you might wish to consider self hypnosis.

Seriously.

PS: I am working on a new series around food and nutrition. Watch this space!

Sources:

Proteins, Carbs and Fats: An Overview. Located at ISSA Online (online). https://www.issaonline.com/blog/img/posts/305/protein-carbs-and-fats-a-quick-overview-infographic-print.pdf [Accessed December 14, 2020]

Daily Caloric Needs Estimate Calculator. Located at ACE Fitness (online). https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/tools-calculators/daily-caloric-needs-estimate-calculator/ [Accessed December 14, 2020].