Every girl strives to create an ideal figure, and thinks about how she can tighten her muscles, make them elastic, and also eliminate all visible imperfections. It is impossible to achieve such a result with training alone, because half of the success depends on proper nutrition. It should be balanced, rational, as well as with calculated calories and proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Also, the diet should be regular and properly formulated.
You need to pay attention to the sports program, and after that you just start drawing up a menu. We must not forget that in order to achieve high results, you need to turn physical activity and proper nutrition into a lifestyle.
Sports nutrition for beginners or nutrition for muscle growth
To begin with, without going into deep details, so as not to confuse a beginner, we will define what sports nutrition is and consider the main types of sports nutrition products.
Sports nutrition is specially developed food products rich in protein, as well as products of special composition, which are produced as a source of additional nutritional elements, vitamins, amino acids, various endocrine stimulants and means for strengthening joints and ligaments, for people involved in sports or leading an active lifestyle. .
The main goal and task of sports nutrition is to improve the quality of life of an athlete, thus sports nutrition is designed to help improve sports performance, improve health, normalize metabolism and body weight.
Should you eat during training?
As was already written above, if you eat before physical activity, the body will consume energy from the stomach, and fat deposits will remain in their place - in reserve.
During workouts aimed at losing weight, it is better not to eat
The same applies to food during exercise. Nutrition for weight loss during intense training is excluded for girls, but water or a special cocktail is what you need.
Dietary Supplement Categories
Protein-rich products (Proteins) - whey, milk, egg, casein and soy, as well as complex ones, combining several types of proteins at once
Carbohydrate-protein mixtures (Gainers) - can have different percentages of protein and carbohydrates, usually on average 30\70, respectively.
Amino acids - complex, BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids) - branched amino acids, and individual Glutamine, Arginine, Lysine, Alanine, Taurine.
Special preparations - fat burners, preparations for joints and ligaments, vasodilation, energy drinks and ATP batteries, etc.
This is, of course, not the entire list, because the sports nutrition industry market does not stand still, new products appear every day, created through many years of scientific research, but we will leave this for another time, today we are considering only the most important and necessary products in the diet of a beginner in iron sports.
We have looked at the main types of sports nutrition, now we will look at sports nutrition for beginners, and what a beginner should eat.
The answer is simple - a beginner in the gym needs to eat; quality nutrition is a mandatory and necessary condition for progress!
Everyone needs to eat, both people who are not involved in sports and athletes, and it doesn’t matter whether you are new to the gym or a pro, only the portions differ.
Let's look at the portions, depending on gender, body type and lifestyle, each human being needs a certain amount of useful substances to maintain vitality, which are contained in natural products, and some are even produced by the body itself.
If, for some reason, the daily food intake cannot provide the human body with the necessary amount of nutrients, various supplements come to the rescue, and this is where we remember about sports nutrition.
According to scientific definition, people are divided into somatotypes, in general terms they are:
Ectomorphs are thin and have difficulty gaining muscle mass.
Mesomorphs are naturally athletic and muscular, but are also prone to gaining excess weight.
Endomorphs - prone to obesity, have a slow metabolism
For each body type there is a separate training strategy and diet, but this is if your body fits the classic definition, which is actually very rare. Therefore, for each person you need to individually select both a training program and a nutrition plan, and it is better to do this yourself, having thoroughly studied your body over many months or even years spent in the gym. No trainer will study your body better than you.
At the initial stage of training, regardless of body type and goals, the main tasks in the gym are:
- Accustom your body to stress
- Master basic exercises
- Get stronger
The nutrition of a beginner jock or fitness cutie has its own characteristics, regardless of body type. Beginners with strength training need a balanced diet and foods rich in protein, for starters, you can start with 2 g per 1 kg of your own weight per day, then with increasing fitness and appetite gradually increase to 3-4 g. per kg of weight.
As for carbohydrates, everything is individual, the recommended norm is from 2 to 7 grams per 1 kg of body weight, depending on the volume and type of training, as well as the goals set. If the goal is fat burning, then 2 grams will be sufficient. carbohydrates per kg of weight, and if you work for weight, then the amount of carbohydrates per kg of weight can reach 7 or more grams.
Where do we get all these grams per kg of weight?
Everything is quite simple, all the necessary proteins and carbohydrates are found in natural products.
The best natural foods rich in protein - eggs, cottage cheese, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products
the best natural sources of carbohydrates are various cereals and cereals, baked potatoes, bananas and other fruits, wholemeal black bread, durum pasta.
You are probably asking, where is sports nutrition here, since the article is about it? That’s right, the article is about what sports nutrition to choose for a beginner training in the gym, and the best sports nutrition for a beginner is natural products.
What are the principles of nutrition?
If you want to get a beautiful figure, then first of all you should learn to count calories. The female body needs approximately 1800 kilocalories per day if a woman leads an active lifestyle. If you consume more calories, but do not exercise, this leads to the deposition of fat in unnecessary places.
You can force the body to lose weight only when you create a stressful situation and reduce the caloric content of your diet by 500 kcal. At the same time, you need to do cardio exercises. This includes running, swimming and dancing.
The second rule is that calories must be healthy. That is why it is necessary to make a calculation and take into account the BZHU. Among the most important aspects of nutrition are:
- The most insidious thing for your figure is simple carbohydrates. They are found in sugar and in all products with this component. Such dishes should be reduced in quantity and preference should be given to complex carbohydrates. These include cereals, fruits, and vegetables.
- Fats are a source of additional energy that contains many microelements and vitamins. Useful acids do not affect your waist size in any way. Therefore, when losing weight, their amount is almost always compared with carbohydrates. The list of products can include seeds, fish, nuts, and vegetable oil. Dairy products are more harmful fats. But you shouldn't give them up. It is best to consume kefir, milk, and all products with a fat content of up to 3.5%.
- Proteins of animal and plant origin. They help build muscle mass, which allows you to form a beautiful body with the necessary relief. But you need to remember that before starting training, it is best to get rid of all fat deposits. Otherwise, you will not see your muscles grow in volume.
If you want to lose weight correctly and get into the desired shape, then pay attention to all these aspects. In addition, girls should eat regularly and in small portions, as well as at regular intervals. They must be at least 3 hours. It is best to eat many times a day, but in small portions. This will allow the body to digest food better and produce the required amount of energy potential.
Sports nutrition for beginners: pros and cons
Should I resort to nutritional supplements or are natural products sufficient?
In this article, we wanted to show you that sports nutrition is not a panacea and you can get the nutrients your training body needs from natural products. Therefore, first, review your diet, whether it contains foods rich in protein in sufficient quantities, whether there are enough carbohydrates, and create your first sports diet.
Start eating right, because sausages and ham are not a source of protein, they are a source of fat, and only then start surfing the Internet in search of sports nutrition.
If for some reason you cannot get the required daily amount of proteins and carbohydrates from natural products, then use sports nutrition or even a prepared protein shake at home.
For beginners training in the gym, the following scheme for taking sports nutrition according to body type is suitable:
Endomorphs - protein after training and at night, preferably complex protein after training, casein at night, BCAA amino acids in powder form 5 g. before training and 5 gr. after training, or with water during training.
Ectomorphs - gainer as a second breakfast and after training, protein during the day and at night, preferably casein protein before bed, BCAA amino acids in powder form 5 g. before training and 5 gr. after training, or with water during training.
Mesomorphs – whey protein after training and casein protein before bed, BCAA amino acids in powder form 5 g. before training and 5 gr. after training, or with water during training.
At this stage of your training activity, perhaps this assortment of sports nutrition will be enough, you can add multivitamins in courses and the complex for a beginner is ready.
Remember, no sports nutrition, regardless of brand and cost, can replace natural products!
Sports nutrition is just nutritional supplements, not miracle drugs; all results are achieved solely by your hard work in the gym, proper natural nutrition and regimen.
Nutrition before and after workouts
You can’t exercise on an empty stomach in order to lose weight faster!
- Firstly, you will quickly get tired and will not be able to perform the exercises correctly;
- Secondly, after classes you risk eating more than normal, and the work you have done will become useless.
An hour before training, you need to eat carbohydrate and protein foods that will charge you with energy. For example, cereal porridge, cheesecakes or omelettes and pancakes with jam. After training, you need to wait about an hour and only then eat. If you exercise in the evening, then give preference to protein dishes or vegetable salads so that carbohydrates do not turn into fats during sleep. We recommend that you take a closer look at our “Fit” nutrition line, which is designed specifically for those who want to lose weight. A balanced weekly menu, five meals a day, and a variety of dishes will allow you to lose weight with pleasure!
Menu for weight loss during training for girls
It is necessary to draw up an approximate diet in advance during active training and strictly adhere to it. Weekly menu for weight loss for a girl for 5 days:
1 day:
- breakfast - oatmeal with low-fat yogurt, green tea;
- lunch – bran bread, dried fruit compote;
- lunch – baked chicken breast, steamed broccoli, grapefruit juice;
- dinner - 2 eggs, tomato and cucumber salad, tea with honey and lemon.
Day 2:
- breakfast – 1 grapefruit, zucchini pancakes, coffee with milk;
- lunch – cottage cheese casserole, kefir;
- lunch – boiled fish, brown rice, berry juice;
- dinner - egg salad with vegetables, chicken in olive oil, compote.
Day 3:
- breakfast – five-grain porridge, orange juice;
- lunch – 50 g of nuts, drinking yogurt;
- lunch - boiled rabbit meat, cauliflower, fried in breadcrumbs, tea with lemon;
- dinner – vinaigrette, lean pork steak, fruit drink.
Day 4:
- breakfast – buckwheat porridge with apple, hibiscus;
- lunch – cottage cheese with dried apricots and raisins, green tea;
- lunch – onion soup, grapefruit juice;
- dinner - beef cutlets, Greek salad, cherry compote.
Day 5:
- breakfast - oat bran, drinking yogurt;
- lunch – hibiscus, cottage cheese casserole;
- lunch – vegetable stew, steamed fish, apple juice;
- dinner - salad of savoy cabbage, onions, bell peppers, scrambled eggs, tea with honey and lemon.
Vitamins and minerals – only a complex!
To support vital processes, the body uses energy obtained from food. But the body will not function properly if it does not have a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. These substances participate in absolutely all internal metabolic processes, and also affect the processes of growth, development, respiration, hematopoiesis, and so on. Therefore, if you are interested in what kind of sports nutrition a beginner needs, then vitamin-mineral complexes are definitely what should be in your arsenal! Here we can say even more - they are necessary for any person, even those who do not play sports.
Athletes need these substances in increased quantities. During heavy physical work, all internal processes accelerate. Accordingly, the consumption of vitamins and minerals also accelerates. In addition, some minerals leave the body with sweat, and due to their lack in the body, many negative processes can occur.
Three-day split. Training program for beginners.
The first day. Pectoral muscles and triceps.
- Warm-up - 7 minutes
- Bench press 4 x 7 reps
- Incline Bench Press 3 x 7-10 reps
- Seated bench press 4 x 10-12 reps
- Dips in gravitron 4 x 10 reps
- Triceps Crossover Press 5 x 7-9 reps
- Cool down - 10 minutes
Second day. Legs.
- Warm up - 10 minutes. Be sure to stretch!!!
- Bench Leg Press (Up) - 5 x 10 reps
- Leg extensions in the simulator - 4 x 12 reps
- Bodyweight Squats - 5 x 20 reps
- Calf raises with kettlebells or dumbbells - 4 x 15-20 reps
- Cool down - 5 minutes. Necessarily! If you don’t warm up after training your legs, the next day will be very difficult.
Day three. Back and biceps.
- Warm-up - 7 minutes
- Pull-ups on a horizontal bar or gravitron with a wide grip - 4 x 7 reps. 5th approach to failure.
- Block rows to the chest - 5 x 7 reps
- Pulldowns - 4 x 10 reps
- EZ Bar Curls - 5 x 10 reps
- Dumbbell Curls - 4 x 8 reps
- Cool down - 7 minutes
After physical activity for weight loss
After training, the body continues to intensively burn calories. Therefore, if the main goal is weight loss , then it is better to refrain from eating for at least an hour and a half .
If you feel hungry, eat something containing quickly digestible protein. It is better to avoid carbohydrates.
The best choice in this case would be to take a portion of whey isolate , which will protect muscles from breakdown, without slowing down the fat burning process.
