Getting down to the details.

When it comes to building lean muscle mass and losing fat it takes more than just training to make things happen. The hardest part about getting shredded is definitely having the proper nutrition to accentuate all the hard training you’re putting in at the gym. Even when a bodybuilder does have a decent idea of what macronutrients they need throughout the day, there are many that make the mistake of loading up on the wrong food sources at the incorrect times throughout the day. It’s all about timing when it comes to your nutrient intake.

Sure, there are many people out there that may refute the claim, saying that if you’re putting in the hard work and maintaining the proper macronutrition then it should all just work itself out. But just take a moment to consider the reasoning. Unless you’re a professional bodybuilder with a ton of time on your hands and the ability to workout through the day, you’re probably going to be spending periods of time throughout the day being inactive. If you have a day job that requires you to sit down at a desk all day then eating correctly will be essential to ensuring that you keep fat off of your body.

Where most people start their day off with a carb heavy breakfast it makes more sense to focus on eating quality protein and healthy fats. An omelet is a great option to have earlier in the morning. Why leave out the carbs? Because while you’re being inactive through the day the body isn’t burning as much calories or being used for a specific physical activity. Because of this the carbs consumed will send insulin into your fat tissues rather than into your muscle and liver tissues. The muscle and liver will need the insulin from carbs during and before a workout to replenish and repair what was broken down during the workout.

When it gets later in the day, depending on your workout schedule, you could start to introduce carbs into your meals. Some oats, banana, apples, and other slow burning carb food sources would be great to consume within an hour or two of your workout and should be extremely beneficial in providing energy.

What does your diet plan look like? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.