IFBB professional bodybuilder Gunter Schleikamp has extensive experience in building big muscles. He is 1.88 meters tall and is a top professional bodybuilder. When he participated in the Mr. Olympia competition in 2000, he weighed 130 kilograms and during the rest period, he weighed 144 kilograms. Gunter has a La-2 exercise machine at his home in California and a dog named Shakespeare who follows his movements every day to practice this knowledge.

Gunter's wife, Carmen, prepares low-fat snacks and turkey, tuna and beef sandwiches for him. Gunter recalled his early experience of participating in bodybuilding competitions and his unique diet plan, and said with emotion: "Many people go to the gym to train hard in order to make their muscles grow bigger. I didn't know much about it when I was 16 years old in Germany. Knowledge about nutrition. Now, I attribute 60% to 70% of my success to nutrition, and I’m still learning.”

Gunter believes that good nutrition is more important than training. He told us that the most important thing in building big muscles is to eat some type of protein every half hour to three hours. Because the body can store carbohydrates and fats, but protein is different. In this way, the body will receive a continuous supply of amino acids and thus remain in an anabolic state. This is a favorable environment for muscle growth.

Gunter also said: "Some people think they can get results by eating 4 times a day, but I am very concerned about the training results, so I decided to increase the nutrition to the highest level in order to get the best results. This is not enough, especially This is especially true for a professional bodybuilder." The California immigrant eats 6 to 7 meals a day, which adds up to 4,500 to 5,000 calories. But the more he eats, the leaner he becomes and the more muscle he gains. His views on fat are also very different from before.

Fatphobia

Gunter onceHe has always been an advocate of low-fat diets, but now his views have changed. “I tortured myself for years,” he said. “I would eat chicken and rice, and then more chicken and rice, until the sight of them made me sick!” Not only was it boring, it was ineffective. "I was afraid of fat, so I ended up eating too much rice," he said. "I ate a lot. Although I gained weight, a lot of it was fat and I looked soft." He said: " Now I eat more red meat and sardines, and I eat peanut butter, and I end up looking fuller and stronger. If I eat more fat, I eat less carbs, and the results really surprise me: I I have become leaner and my muscles have become clearer. I think whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, you should eat some red meat, but only lean meat.”

What is it about red meat that helps the body build bigger muscles? "There is such a substance," Gunter said. "Maybe it's creatine, maybe it's an amino acid. Arnold Schwarzenegger is my bodybuilder." Idol, he eats a lot of beef. I thought I should have listened to him from the beginning!"

　

More protein

Gunter's protein intake is much higher than the standard 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. "I don't think that's enough," he said. "I think that's just enough to maintain the muscle you already have. Over the years, I've noticed that bodybuilders eat much more protein than most nutritionists recommend. More. Look at top bodybuilders, both professional and amateur, and you'll see they eat more than the recommended amount."

How much protein can the body use? "I tell beginners who train hard that if they want to build big muscles, they need to eat 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. In other words, a 180-pound athlete needs to eat 270 grams of protein per day. grams of protein and divide it into 6-7 meals. The harder you train, the more protein you need. Therefore, bodybuilders who train hard and want to build more muscle have to do more than those who want to lose weight while maintaining the muscle they already have. Eat more protein."

"Now I even think I should be eating more, like 2 grams or even 2.5 grams per pound of body weight," Gunter said. "I guess this may sound weird, but I know that by analyzing certain chemicals in the urine Got tested and so far, everything is normal, which means I'm utilizing the protein, my muscles are utilizing it, and I'm growing in size."; But it is worth noting that whether it is protein or other nutrients, any additional energy intake that exceeds the required range will be converted into fat.

The power of water

Gunter disagrees with the ancient adage of drinking 8 glasses of water a day, and believes that you should drink at least 2 to 3 times this amount. "The bigger you are, the more water you need to drink, because a high-protein diet itself requires a lot of water."

In addition, carbohydrates, the main energy substance for high-intensity training, also require a large amount of water to produce glycogen, which is the main energy substance for muscles during weight-bearing training. Gunter also points out that the difference between protein and carbohydrates is that protein builds muscle, while carbohydrates provide energy for muscles.

In other words, the amino acids formed by protein breakdown are the raw materials for building new muscle tissue, and carbohydrates provide energy for this process. The higher the glycogen content in the muscles, the plumper and rounder the muscles appear. In fact, bodybuilders often eat a lot of carbohydrates three days before a competition to promote water entry into the muscles, thereby making the muscles look larger.

　

The wonderful uses of carbohydrates

Gunter has a simple estimate of the carbohydrates needed for muscle growth: "Start with 2 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight. If you get bigger and look good, keep going. Watch. See how you feel. If you feel tired or weak, increase your intake to 2.5 grams per pound of body weight per day. If you have a high metabolic rate but are still thin, increase your intake to 3 grams per pound of body weight per day. "With this approach, a 180-pound person should start training with 360 grams of carbohydrates per day and gradually increase to 450 to 540 grams.

Gunter also pays great attention to the balance between protein and calories. "If you're already getting enough energy from carbs and fat, it's still important to increase your protein intake and spread it out over six or seven meals. But be careful, eating too many carbs can cause Makes you gain more fat, not muscle."

　

Scary Cookies

Although Gunter has always insisted on eating natural food, he sometimes eats junk food. He said: "Actually, my favorite food now is oatmeal...oatmeal raisin cookies. My favorite food in the past was carrot cake, and then cheesecake." Why is he like this? Gunter can explain: "I only eat natural foods for two days, such as potatoes, rice and oats to provide carbohydrates, and egg whites and egg whites.Meal, chicken and meat provide me with the amino acids I need. On the third day I would eat a big piece of cake or add some cookies to the whole food. This makes it easier for me to stick to healthy eating habits. He added: "A lot of people wonder why I eat so few carbohydrates. Maybe it's because too much sugar is helping me." ”