There is a clear distinction between Olympic weightlifting and body building. Both are competitive and both involve lifting weights. But in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, the aim is to raise a darn heavy bar from the floor to overhead with style and grace. In body building, the shape and physique of the athlete is all important. The most important aspect of Olympic weightlifting is seen in the grace and style of the execution of the lift.
Diet for Weightlifting
But both sports require enormous amounts of dedicated training, the right equipment and most importantly, the correct and appropriate diet. There are strict rules in Olympic weightlifting. The types of lifts, the weight categories of the competitors, the time in which a lift must be completed, how it must be raised and for how long as well as rules about foods and supplements. Certain supplements and drugs are banned and every weightlifter must know what they can and cannot consume. A weightlifter in the sport of Olympic weightlifting can be banned from the sport if they are caught having consumed an illegal substance. Therefore, its important to know the best weightlifting diet!
Whats in a diet?
But what constitutes a good diet for a weightlifter? The first point to understand is that being on a diet doesn’t mean you have to lose weight although that’s how many people see it. In weightlifting, the diet has a strict purpose. You wish to improve your strength, to put more power into your muscles. In a nutshell [and nuts can be a very important part of a healthy weightlifting diet] a weightlifter needs proteins, carbohydrates [or carbs] and fat. Yes fat because there are good and bad fats. And remember eating fats don’t make you fat but rather it’s eating too many calories. You need to establish how many calories you need per day according to your optimum weight – a solid weightlifting diet plan.
Then these three ingredients will make up the food intake in any serious diet for a weightlifter.
Protein and Fat Are Crucial
Proteins are sometimes called the building blocks of a good food intake and are found in such things as fish, chicken, red meat, turkey, nuts and the whites of eggs. It is recommended that you eat a gram of protein a day for every pound you weigh. If you top the scales at 160 pounds, then your food intake should be 160 grams of protein. And remember there are protein bars, shakes and supplements to help you reach your target.
Regarding your intake of fats, it’s recommended that 25% of your daily calorie intake should be good fat. Good fat is found in fish and fish oil supplements, in nuts, olive oil and flax seed oil.
So having worked out how much protein you need, and that 25% of your calorie intake is from good fats, whatever else is needed for your daily calorie intake will come from carbs and that includes such things as 100% whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, yams, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and lots of leafy green vegetables. That is a good weightlifting diet.
Supplements
As far as supplements go, some people argue that the right food intake as mentioned above is all that is needed with the rest coming from the right sort of training. Others argue that food supplements are vital as the weightlifter is trying to do some serious activities as in the various lifts. One solution is to find what is best for you. There are some weightlifters who swear by certain supplements and others who rely solely on their natural good food diet as listed above.
