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Nutritional Meal Plan for Weightlifters

The goal of a weightlifter is to increase muscle and reduce the amount of fat in the body. Any nutritional meal plan that is adopted needs to embody a lifter's goal. That means proteins, carbohydrates and fats need to be artfully balanced in proportions that will help speed the process of muscle building along while providing just the right amount of calories to fuel the lifter's workout. The essence of a great nutritional meal plan for a weightlifter is to use the lifter's goals as a guideline for his nutrition.

  1. Identify Your Goals

    • Establishing goals is the key to success and can make all the difference when it is time to develop a nutritional meal plan. For example, getting the right amount of protein is crucial for a lifter because protein helps the muscles recover and rebuild faster after a workout. Gauge the right amount of protein for a given nutritional meal plan by accessing ultimate weight goals. If the goal is to be a lean 175 lbs., then eat around 175 grams of protein daily. If the goal is to be a muscular 225, then eat around 225 grams of protein every day. Goals can also be used to identify the proper daily caloric intake. Use a basal metabolic rate calculator that factors in weight to find the amount of calories needed every day. Only after the goals of a weightlifter are identified can the best nutritional meal plan be developed.

    Schedule Food Intake

    • When a weightlifter eats is almost as important as what a weightlifter eats. Eat between five and six meals per day to maximize muscle building. Eat small to medium sized snacks an hour before workouts to ensure enough fuel exists for the workout. Because protein helps muscles recover from the breakdown they experience during lifting, eat protein rich meals or snacks within one hour after a workout. The sooner a weightlifter consumes protein after a workout, the more muscle mass and strength is developed.

    Food Do's and Don'ts

    • While eating a proper nutritional meal plan can help a weightlifter achieve his goals, eating the wrong foods can destroy any chance of achieving the desired results. Avoid highly processed foods and refined sugars like table sugar, soda, candy, fried foods and baked goods made with white flour. Once ingested, these sugars and simple carbohydrates can turn into fat within the body and destroy a weightlifter's physique and training goals. To achieve lasting success, eat complex carbohydrates and foods rich in essential minerals and vitamins. Use the grocery store layout as a guide to nutrient rich foods. Items like eggs, milk, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, poultry and fish are placed around the walls of the store. Refined sugars and simple carbohydrates are found down the aisles.

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