When it comes to making gains, there is a lot more science behind it than simply going hard at it in the gym day in, day out.
Sure, don’t get us wrong – training is a crucial element to growing muscle. But if you’re not putting in the work outside the gym, you’ll never get your dream physique!
No doubt if you’ve been around the gym scene for a while you’ve heard people saying things like, “Muscle is made in the kitchen,” or “90% nutrition, 10% training.” And while these phrases are often overlooked, the truth is that they’re pretty spot on! Because without the fundamentals of a solid diet in place, you’ll never reach your true potential, no matter how hard you train.
For this reason, the Muscle Club team have compiled our top three reasons why working out without eating well will kill your physique goals. We break down exactly why you need to ensure you’re putting the right things into your body to make sure you not only train 100%, but feel 100% as well!
1. Protein intake: Protein, protein, protein! It sometimes sounds like a broken record when we say that you need to be consuming enough protein in order to grow. But it’s a very true statement! Most experts recommend consuming roughly 2–2.5g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight for optimal muscle growth. So for a 90kg male, that would range from 180 to 225g of protein per day.
Now, 225g of protein per day is a lot to consume through diet alone. You would have to eat 6 meals each day, yielding just under 40g protein per serving, in order to hit that figure! When it’s laid out like that, it makes it very clear that if you’re not eating well, you’ll make it very hard for yourself to get adequate protein every day.
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Everyone knows that not enough protein will result in poor recovery and limited muscle growth. So if your goal is to be in the best shape possible and grow muscle, you can see why eating well and getting enough protein is going to be crucial.
2. Energy: We get the energy we need to function on a day-to-day basis from the food we eat. If you fuel your body with low-quality fuel such as takeaway on a regular basis, it’s going to perform poorly.
While it’s true that a “cheat meal” every now and then can help boost your metabolism as well as satisfy those cravings, it’s important to make sure that these “cheats” are not a daily occurrence. A flexible diet of high protein, nutrient-dense foods should always be the cornerstone of your daily intake. Not only will these nutrient-dense foods give you the energy to perform in the gym, but in day-to-day life as well!
3. Body fat: Body fat – a bodybuilder’s biggest enemy. After all, what is the point of working tirelessly, day in, day out, to build lean muscle if it’s going to be hidden underneath a high amount of body fat?
High body fat is exactly what can be expected if you’re not putting in the work outside the gym and focusing on your diet. When it comes to building a lean, muscular physique, keeping tabs on what you’re eating is crucial to your success. If you don’t eat enough, you won’t gain any weight – and vice versa; if you eat too much you’ll gain body fat!
Keeping track of what you’re eating and making smart choices with your diet is the only way to ensure you’re doing everything possible to achieve your goals.
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Failing to keep track and letting your diet slip will only result in frustration, heartache, and in many cases throwing in the towel and giving up on your dreams. It’s crucial to understand that you only get out what you put in. In order to get the physique of your dreams, you need to put in 110% in every area of your life – including your diet.
