Post by Steve Gardener on Mar 4, 2008 17:12:45 GMT
Protein requirements
Questions I get asked - this week Again and again the same problems crop up.I've been training and reading for such a long time I ought not to be surprised that I know what I do and the new guys don't but... Anyway on our old site was an article on protein requirements. Written by myself and Steve Crabbe (bodybuilder and class winner of the 03 Gravesend Classic) we went into some detail on working out what you need. In between the 7000th question on Creatine over at the (previously) Whey Consortium supported www.muscletalk.co.uk I did a basic version which goes like this:
Q: Steve how much protein should I be using?
A: I haven't got a clue? After all I don't know how hard you train, how much whole food you eat and all that jazz. But here's how to work it out. The 'average' man apparently weighs only 11 stone or thereabouts - that's 154 lbs. He supposedly gets through between 70 and 90 grams of protein from his typical non-training bog standard diet. Now when we take out Joe and shove him into the gym and start cracking the whip his protein requirements - just to recover - go up a notch.
There is a bunch of articles each and every month and some super massive pro will be consuming as much as 800g a day (yes for real. 400lbs Trevor Smith (RIP) over at nuclear nutrition used to get through that much). However, many articles use 1g of protein per lb bodyweight as a good and generous guide. So Joe, who used to get through 70 - 90g, now training, needs to add 64 - 84g of protein just to harden up and recover and he'll still be 154 (better muscled - but still 154). To grow he needs to add a few more grams of both carbs and protein (carbs for energy and to 'spare' the protein for growth). Without working out the calorific requirements (I'd have to get the abacus out ha ha) for him to be looking to weigh 168 (12 stones) he needs to eating an additional 78 - 98 grams above what his typical diet contains. Adding that to a routine that includes hard training, rest and recovery will, all things considered, see him slowly add some muscle. As and when that happens he'll need to adjust again. For those of you who already have a good idea that your whole food diet contains high levels of protein (tuna, eggs, chicken etc) because you know the score - train hard with weights + eat more protein = build muscles will maybe getting a little more than the 70 - 90g of protein. Just work out the balance. Even though there are whole food nuts online who say they never use Creatine and only ever eat real food - 'supplements are the devils spawn' and other tosh they neglect to tell you there eating steak and eggs 24-7 (high in protein and creatine) and mostly live in the US where it's a lot cheaper.
In real life we realise that eating all that extra food means a lot more calories from fat and other nasties we don't want. So I weigh 255-258 - how much do I get through? On non-training days (2-3 a week), I eat 255-258g. On training days I go as high as 367g. Post training I can really cane it. To finish here's a mad day: Tuesday (8th Feb) Breakfast - cereal, milk and tea (protein minimal). Mid-morning - protein drink (100g powder = 75g protein) Late morning - pre workout coffee Gym Leg press to 1234lbs, bench 200+ (I'm not a strong bencher), low lever row to 198lbs an arm and high lever row to 132lbs an arm. One hand lift 450+ lbs per arm. Postworkout shake: 45g protein Late lunch: 1 x venison grill steak - 60g protein Late tea: Protein drink (as a.m.) plus flapjack Supper: Steak pie and veggies Evening: protein drink (as a.m and p.m.). Protein total - about 300g. The key is learn what amount you get from food, take that from your bodyweight in lbs and eat the rest as a protein drink. To get bigger - use more. K.I.S.S. baby
Questions I get asked - this week Again and again the same problems crop up.I've been training and reading for such a long time I ought not to be surprised that I know what I do and the new guys don't but... Anyway on our old site was an article on protein requirements. Written by myself and Steve Crabbe (bodybuilder and class winner of the 03 Gravesend Classic) we went into some detail on working out what you need. In between the 7000th question on Creatine over at the (previously) Whey Consortium supported www.muscletalk.co.uk I did a basic version which goes like this:
Q: Steve how much protein should I be using?
A: I haven't got a clue? After all I don't know how hard you train, how much whole food you eat and all that jazz. But here's how to work it out. The 'average' man apparently weighs only 11 stone or thereabouts - that's 154 lbs. He supposedly gets through between 70 and 90 grams of protein from his typical non-training bog standard diet. Now when we take out Joe and shove him into the gym and start cracking the whip his protein requirements - just to recover - go up a notch.
There is a bunch of articles each and every month and some super massive pro will be consuming as much as 800g a day (yes for real. 400lbs Trevor Smith (RIP) over at nuclear nutrition used to get through that much). However, many articles use 1g of protein per lb bodyweight as a good and generous guide. So Joe, who used to get through 70 - 90g, now training, needs to add 64 - 84g of protein just to harden up and recover and he'll still be 154 (better muscled - but still 154). To grow he needs to add a few more grams of both carbs and protein (carbs for energy and to 'spare' the protein for growth). Without working out the calorific requirements (I'd have to get the abacus out ha ha) for him to be looking to weigh 168 (12 stones) he needs to eating an additional 78 - 98 grams above what his typical diet contains. Adding that to a routine that includes hard training, rest and recovery will, all things considered, see him slowly add some muscle. As and when that happens he'll need to adjust again. For those of you who already have a good idea that your whole food diet contains high levels of protein (tuna, eggs, chicken etc) because you know the score - train hard with weights + eat more protein = build muscles will maybe getting a little more than the 70 - 90g of protein. Just work out the balance. Even though there are whole food nuts online who say they never use Creatine and only ever eat real food - 'supplements are the devils spawn' and other tosh they neglect to tell you there eating steak and eggs 24-7 (high in protein and creatine) and mostly live in the US where it's a lot cheaper.
In real life we realise that eating all that extra food means a lot more calories from fat and other nasties we don't want. So I weigh 255-258 - how much do I get through? On non-training days (2-3 a week), I eat 255-258g. On training days I go as high as 367g. Post training I can really cane it. To finish here's a mad day: Tuesday (8th Feb) Breakfast - cereal, milk and tea (protein minimal). Mid-morning - protein drink (100g powder = 75g protein) Late morning - pre workout coffee Gym Leg press to 1234lbs, bench 200+ (I'm not a strong bencher), low lever row to 198lbs an arm and high lever row to 132lbs an arm. One hand lift 450+ lbs per arm. Postworkout shake: 45g protein Late lunch: 1 x venison grill steak - 60g protein Late tea: Protein drink (as a.m.) plus flapjack Supper: Steak pie and veggies Evening: protein drink (as a.m and p.m.). Protein total - about 300g. The key is learn what amount you get from food, take that from your bodyweight in lbs and eat the rest as a protein drink. To get bigger - use more. K.I.S.S. baby
