Contrary to popular belief, the sport of bodybuilding entails more than just “comp prep” and an “off-season”.

Are you puzzled why you’ve been seeing red for your calories, when you’re still in the green for macros?

Let us help you put an end to this MyFitnessPal mystery!

Spoiler alert: we ALL have a processed diet.
 
Everything we eat essentially goes through a process before it reaches our mouth - hence, we all eat “processed” foods by definition whether we like it or not.

The truth about BCAA’s: They’re unlikely to hinder your training, however they won’t enhance it either. The good news? There are alternative protein supplements available on the market that CAN enhance your training performance and subsequent physique results.

If your goal incorporates weight loss, then this infographic illustrates a few important points to bear in mind when trying to “go on a diet” and how to actually do it successfully!

For decades now artificial sweeteners have been abundant in our food environment, and with this has come decades of randomised control trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis which have researched their effects on human health outcomes. So the question is… are they safe?

The process of getting stage lean and “conditioned” for a bodybuilding show is multi factorial. For simplicity, we’ve broken down this process into five main components. Swipe through the above to read our best advice on how to nail the conditioning criteria for your next bodybuilding season!

Some claims in the fitness industry have merit… and some, well… don’t. Swipe through the above to bust five common bodybuilding myths, and understand that while they sound good in theory, they don’t hold up in practice.

Don’t ditch your goals in December! Today is the first of the month, meaning that there’s still 31 days left in the year of 2022. Despite this being >8% of an entire year’s worth of potential progress, some people are convinced that December should be a “write-off” simply due to an increased number of social events (namely Christmas and New Years Eve).

Despite the name, this is not a time you want to be taking “off”. Swipe through to read our five top-tips for how to maximise your results and maintain momentum during the off-season!

As a result of swinging the pendulum, the human body responds naturally via hunger and appetite hormones when it feels as though it’s entering “uncomfortable” territory. On one end this could entail an individual pushing their bodyweight upward 15% of their stage weight during a building phase, which would result in a suppression of appetite hormones and hunger cues. On the flip side, someone approaching near 5% of their stage weight during a dieting phase is likely to experience an up-regulation of appetite hormones and internal hunger signals.

In the case of food manufacturing, when a nutritional constituent of a product is removed, then in most circumstances an alternative nutrient will take its place. Therefore, if something is marketed as being “low” (e.g. carbs), then this implies something else must be higher in contrast (e.g. fat).

As fun as it may seem on social media, competing in a bodybuilding competition for the first time should be viewed as a very serious decision. There are key considerations to bear in mind before committing to a prep and prematurely announcing how many “X” number of weeks out you are. And yes, the importance of these heavily outweigh the colour of your stage bikini/trunks or whether you carb-up on rice cakes or cereal.

There are levels within a health and fitness journey, and competing in bodybuilding is near the top.

By now you’ve probably been told that it’s a relatively smart idea to eat something after you lift weights. But the question is why? And what type of food? And how long after working out?

The great news is that dietary fibre can be found in an abundance of plant-based foods that have both low and high energy density per 100g. Therefore, regardless of daily caloric requirements, there are plenty of food options that can ensure fibre goals are met on the daily!

While recomping at a maintenance bodyweight is possible… it will eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. Here’s why!

Listed above are three examples of easy-to-prepare, high-protein breakfast ideas that satisfy several nutrition fundamentals, including —>

When it comes to A-listed supplements creatine is top of the list, being one of the most researched and evidence-based ergogenic aids on the market. However, for some people this white powder is still mysterious and questionable… as it often raises concerns of water retention, kidney health, dosing protocols and the like.

Bodybuilders spend months and years remaining hyper-focused on a specific goal, and will build up immense anticipation and excitement for show day. However, when they step off stage, it’s normal for heightened emotions to return to baseline and for competitors to feel slightly lost with no clear direction.