How Bodybuilders Really Train and Diet by Jerry Brainum 5/22

 

 

I have described the contest preparation techniques of both natural and drug-using bodybuilders, as well as both amateur and professional competitors in past issues of Applied Metabolics. I think it's important to do this for two reasons. First, to illustrate how successful bodybuilders really train and diet, as opposed to the utter nonsense that often is published in magazines and on the web, or shown in YouTube videos. The second is to analyze these various techniques and see if they comply with established science related to both increasing muscular hypertrophy or muscle size and losing excess body fat. The intimate goal of every bodybuilder is to build muscle and lose body fat. But the methods used to achieve these goals often are not based on known established science. A good example of this is the various drug regimes used by bodybuilders. I've seen dozens of online videos that purport to describe the use of various anabolic drugs but such descriptions have zero basis in science. What that means is that they have never been tested on a large number of subjects to determine both efficacy and safety. Instead, they are based on word of mouth and anecdotal information considered the lowest level of scientific evidence.

In recent years, a few scientific journals have published surveys of bodybuilders related to their dietary, training, and drug practices. This type of information is likely to be more realistic because the survey respondents remain anonymous and therefore have nothing to lose by telling the truth. In addition, the greater the number of respondents in a survey, the greater the likelihood of patterns emerging that could portray genuine practices of these athletes. As such, the recent publication of still another survey of competitive bodybuilders [ref] Daniel, HA. Training, supplementation, and pharmacological practices of competitive male bodybuilders across training phases. J Strength Con Res 2021: in press[/ref] is of interest because it entails a larger number of respondents. The answers provided in the survey questions can be of use to anyone who is interested in competitive bodybuilding and what it takes to succeed in that endeavor.

Bodybuilding competitors divide their training into two basic phases: Offseason, when a contest isn't imminent, and pre-contest phases. The main difference between the two is the amount of training volume and dietary changes designed to maximize body fat loss while retaining muscle. The survey discussed here incorrectly listed the precontest phase as beginning 20 to 30 weeks prior to a contest. In reality, this phase begins 12 to 16 weeks prior to a contest. So let's take a look at what this survey of bodybuilding practices found. The study subjects consisted of 235 male bodybuilders with an average age of 26. They had been competing for an average of 3 years, which isn't very experienced. They were provided with a questionnaire that asked them 28 questions with most of . . .