Increasing muscle size, strength and endurance is the result of a consistent workout regimen and a sound nutrition program. Almost all professional bodybuilders and athletes go through ‘phases’ during their training programs to ensure they are meeting their performance goals and eating just enough to feed their muscles. It’s important to note that most of the muscle gaining takes place in the off season, a time when eating large amounts of protein and eating small meals throughout the day is essential for success.

After this phase, bodybuilders go through several phases that involve changing the amount of carbohydrate-rich foods, lean proteins and supplements that support the training program at each stage. Understanding what is involved in each of these phases can help you create an effective training program that gets the results you need.

Off-Season Phase - As stated above, athletes in this phase are mainly concerned with building up muscles as much as possible. Luis Burke, author of the book "Practical Sports Nutrition", explains that high amounts of protein with healthy carbohydrates are essential to a bodybuilder during off season. Bodybuilders schedule their eating habits to monitor their protein intake and may even schedule their meals based on their training sessions for better results.

Hypertrophy Phase - during this phase, it is common practice to follow a very rigid eating plan that means eating every 2-3 hours - even overnight. The goal here is to eat just enough food to maintain weight and allow the body to increase strength. This is done with careful selection of muscle-building foods and healthy carbs that provide sustainable energy.

Competition Preparation - This phase starts 6 to 16 weeks before a competition. Calorie intake is restricted for a consistent weight loss leading up to the event. This is done to preserve all the muscle built up during off season while reducing body fat. This is easily achieved with a low-fat, high protein diet scheduled around each training session.

Cutting Phase - this phase typically occurs right before the competitive event, and involves severe calorie restriction to stimulate rapid fat loss. Many bodybuilders drastically reduce their calories and rely on supplements to achieve nutritional balance. This phase may also include intensive circuit training routines and getting more rest so that the body can recover easily.

Post Competition - many bodybuilders resort to binge eating immediately after the competition since they’ve been on a near starvation diet for up to 6 months prior to competition. This can be a health hazard for many, especially for those that end up gaining a lot of weight in a very short period of time. Bodybuilders who want to avoid weight gain during this stage can ease themselves into a healthier eating program so that they can maintain some of the results they worked so hard for and not compromise their health in the process.

Maintaining a steady nutrition program is difficult with the different phases that most bodybuilders go through. However, sound nutritional principles and working with a nutritionist or dietitian throughout training can help you increase your chances of long-term success.

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