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Let’s face it, most of the quality nutrition information that comes out of the bodybuilding community is geared towards bodybuilders. But the problem is strength athletes don’t necessarily need to eat like that. In fact, most strength athletes would benefit from NOT eating like the typical “bro” bodybuilder. Typical bodybuilding diets that are low in carbs and/or fat will not do us any favors when strength is the primary goal. That’s not to say strength athletes can’t learn a thing or two from their jacked and tan counterparts. However, at the end of the day it’s important to remember the ultimate goal at hand. As a strength athlete you are trying to get as strong as possible while the bodybuilder is trying to look as strong as possible.
Before we go any further I need to make something known: this is not an article on how to lose fat, diet or get shredded. There will come a time when EVERYONE can benefit from losing some fat but this is not the article. Find those articles here, here, and here. This is an article about how to maximize strength through manipulation of your diet. It’s time for the strength athlete to get some nutrition love!
Part 1: Caloric Surplus
This should go without saying but in order to get as strong as possible you need to eat big! Can you get strong while dieting? Yes, of course, but it’s not optimal, and unless you need to make weight (more on this later) there is no reason to be dieting while trying to maximize strength.
The first thing I want to bring up is what I call the “Chronic Dieter”. In my opinion this is the worst possible situation to be in for strength so if what I’m about to describe sounds like you, change quickly!
Chronic Dieter: Someone who always seems to be on a diet every time you talk to them. They ultimately spend 75% of the year in a caloric deficit, often times jumping from one fad diet to the next in an attempt to get shredded.
We all know at least one chronic dieter. They crop up in every gym, typically weighing under 150lbs and are extremely concerned with being lean while simultaneously wanting to get huge. See the problem? The typical chronic dieter complains about being a hardgainer and deems it nearly impossible for them to gain size or strength. From an outsiders perspective it is easy to see what the issue is. It’s impossible for anyone regardless of genetics to gain muscle and strength while trying to cut the majority of the year. This is one reason why I strongly recommend getting a coach. It’s easy to trick yourself into thinking there is another issue (genetics) for why you are not getting results instead of just realizing your nutrition is terrible.
I’m not saying it is a bad idea to cut, however, as a strength athlete you want to spend the majority of time in a caloric surplus. This creates an optimal environment to not only gain strength but build muscle as well. The exact amount of calories in excess you consume is going to depend largely on your own specific metabolic capacity. The first step in identifying how many calories you need to consume is figuring out your maintenance calories, or how many calories you need to consume in a day to stay at the same weight. From there we can make some additions to get you in a surplus.
In order to find our maintenance caloric intake we need to first figure out our Basal Metabolic Rate. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – is the total amount of energy (calories) your body requires daily just to maintain normal bodily functions, including digestion, circulation, respiration, temperature regulation, cell construction and every other process in your body. BMR is the total of all the energy you use for basic bodily functions at REST. This does not include physical activity so its not that applicable to our every day lives but, it’s a starting point.
My two favorite ways to estimate BMR:
Katch-McArdle Formula: This one is pretty good if you have a good idea of where your body fat percentage is.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM) *LBM = (total weight in kg) x (100 – bodyfat %) /100
Most Basic Formula Possible: This is overly basic but remember we are just looking for an estimated starting point. Obviously there is a lot of limitation to this method. This is for people who like simplicity.
MEN: BMR = (Body Weight in lbs x 8-10)
WOMEN: BMR = (Body Weight in lbs x 7-9)
Then the next step is to multiply by an activity multiplier which will take into account your daily activity to determine your maintenance calories which is what we are looking for.
Activity Factor Multiplier
The activity factor takes into account everything you do in a day, not just training. Be honest with yourself here…this is where most people mess this process up.
BMR x 1.2: Sedentary (You don’t move much. No exercise, desk job, lots of TV)
BMR x 1.3-1.4: Lightly Active (Active a few days a week, exercise 1-3 days)
BMR x 1.5-1.6: Moderately Active (Where I would assume most people are at. Train 3-5 days a week and active lifestyle)
BMR x 1.7-1.8: Very Active (Training hard for a specific sport or purpose 5-6 hours a week. Typically one with a hard labor job as well)
BMR x 1.9-2.2: Extremely Active (Endurance training or hard charging athlete who spends 10 or more hours training a week and/or lots of activity outside of training. Can require more calories than this as well depending on ones metabolic capacity)
Now we simply take that number and add calories to create a caloric surplus. Start small with the surplus and go from there. Add between 250-500 calories and see how your body responds. If you are not gaining any weight or a small amount (~under 1/2 pound a week) add more calories, if you are gaining too much weight (~more than 2 pounds a week) decrease calories.
I can hear it now…
Hey Kyle, I thought you said I didn’t have to eat like a bodybuilder? If I wanted to go through all this trouble I would just shave myself and go tanning too.
I know this all seems like a lot of work but even as a strength athlete you need to know how many calories to take in. Most powerlifters, strongmen, etc vastly underestimate how many calories they need. In order to get this right we need to quantify exactly how much food we need to be eating. Simply saying “eat more” is not good enough, eating more means different things to different people.
Further Reading – How to Calculate Calorie Requirements
Part 2: The Macro Diet for Strength Athletes
We managed to make it over 1100 words deep in a nutrition article without me using the words “macro” or “macronutrient”, this has to be a record. In all seriousness, macronutrients are still key for the strength athlete. I have not figured out how in the world diets like Paleo, Carb Back loading, Keto, etc have gained so much popularity in the powerlifting and strength community. Consuming only meat and veggies is NOT eating big and is not optimal for gaining strength. On the flip side eating chicken and rice out of Tupperware all day is not going to be optimal for strength either. We need to find a balance.
In my experience there is nothing that provides balance like following a Flexible Dieting (IIFYM) approach. I am going to make this as simple to follow as possible. Since we are not looking to optimize aesthetics we don’t need to be quite as intricate.
If just hearing Flexible Dieting or IIFYM in a sentence freaks you out or pisses you off I highly suggest checking out my Free Flexible Dieting Manual.
Start with our calorie total we figured out from part 1. Maintenance calories plus the additional “extra” calories to put us in a surplus. Then we can move onto the macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates and fat. The most important macronutrient to get right for the strength athlete in my opinion is protein.
What Determines How Much Protein You Need?
Next we are left with carbohydrates and fat. Honestly, as a strength athlete it is not going to make much of a difference how you split up your carbs and fat. They are energy nutrients and are going to be responsible for fueling your workouts. As long as you get a good balance of both (don’t go “low” carb or fat) you can eat as you see fit. Some people feel better with more carbs in their diet and some feel better with more fats. The key is being honest with yourself and not trying to “force” yourself into one or the other because of some bullshit you read online. Most people respond best with a nice balance.
Here is an example of how this all plays out. Lets take a hypothetical man named John. John figures out in part 1 that he needs 3500 calories a day to be in a nice caloric surplus. Since he weighs 175lbs, he is going to shoot for 175g of protein a day.
175g protein x 4cal/g = 700 calories from protein
3500 – 700 = 2800 calories left for carbs and fat.
John decides he wants an equal distribution of carbs and fat (doesn’t need to be equal, just an example) so this is what it breaks down to.
2800 / 2 = 1400
1400 cals worth of carbs = 350g (1400/4)
1400 cals worth of fat = 155g (1400/9)
John’s Macros: 3500 Calories – Protein:175g Carbs:350g Fat: 155g
The beauty of this type of approach is you only really have to hit 2 numbers, overall calories and protein intake. Carb and fat intake can fluctuate from day to day depending on how you feel (your workout for the day) and how your day unfolds as long as protein and calorie intake remains the same.
If you have never tracked your food intake before, trust me it is easier than it sounds. The first week or two weigh and measure everything. This will allow you to figure out what portion sizes look like and then you can start estimating. Always track everything with My Fitness Pal or a site similar but since you are not looking at improving aesthetics everything does not need to be 100% on point.
*Note- If you are a physique athlete pre contest this does not work quite as well for you. Also, if you are a strength athlete who is looking to do EVERYTHING necessary to be as strong as possible you would be better off dialing in your macros 100%. If either one of those applies to you, you should probably just hire me as a nutrition coach.
Quick Points I Feel Need to be Addressed:
Conclusion
The internet is filed with misinformation and as a strength athlete it can be confusing trying to figure how to eat for performance. Hopefully this article cleared up a few things. To recap, you need to eat big to be strong. Low carb and/or fat diets are not the way to go. Eat around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Overall calorie and protein intake at the end of the day is most important.
Before we go any further I need to make something known: this is not an article on how to lose fat, diet or get shredded. There will come a time when EVERYONE can benefit from losing some fat but this is not the article. Find those articles here, here, and here. This is an article about how to maximize strength through manipulation of your diet. It’s time for the strength athlete to get some nutrition love!
Part 1: Caloric Surplus
This should go without saying but in order to get as strong as possible you need to eat big! Can you get strong while dieting? Yes, of course, but it’s not optimal, and unless you need to make weight (more on this later) there is no reason to be dieting while trying to maximize strength.
The first thing I want to bring up is what I call the “Chronic Dieter”. In my opinion this is the worst possible situation to be in for strength so if what I’m about to describe sounds like you, change quickly!
Chronic Dieter: Someone who always seems to be on a diet every time you talk to them. They ultimately spend 75% of the year in a caloric deficit, often times jumping from one fad diet to the next in an attempt to get shredded.
We all know at least one chronic dieter. They crop up in every gym, typically weighing under 150lbs and are extremely concerned with being lean while simultaneously wanting to get huge. See the problem? The typical chronic dieter complains about being a hardgainer and deems it nearly impossible for them to gain size or strength. From an outsiders perspective it is easy to see what the issue is. It’s impossible for anyone regardless of genetics to gain muscle and strength while trying to cut the majority of the year. This is one reason why I strongly recommend getting a coach. It’s easy to trick yourself into thinking there is another issue (genetics) for why you are not getting results instead of just realizing your nutrition is terrible.
I’m not saying it is a bad idea to cut, however, as a strength athlete you want to spend the majority of time in a caloric surplus. This creates an optimal environment to not only gain strength but build muscle as well. The exact amount of calories in excess you consume is going to depend largely on your own specific metabolic capacity. The first step in identifying how many calories you need to consume is figuring out your maintenance calories, or how many calories you need to consume in a day to stay at the same weight. From there we can make some additions to get you in a surplus.
In order to find our maintenance caloric intake we need to first figure out our Basal Metabolic Rate. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – is the total amount of energy (calories) your body requires daily just to maintain normal bodily functions, including digestion, circulation, respiration, temperature regulation, cell construction and every other process in your body. BMR is the total of all the energy you use for basic bodily functions at REST. This does not include physical activity so its not that applicable to our every day lives but, it’s a starting point.
My two favorite ways to estimate BMR:
Katch-McArdle Formula: This one is pretty good if you have a good idea of where your body fat percentage is.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM) *LBM = (total weight in kg) x (100 – bodyfat %) /100
Most Basic Formula Possible: This is overly basic but remember we are just looking for an estimated starting point. Obviously there is a lot of limitation to this method. This is for people who like simplicity.
MEN: BMR = (Body Weight in lbs x 8-10)
WOMEN: BMR = (Body Weight in lbs x 7-9)
Then the next step is to multiply by an activity multiplier which will take into account your daily activity to determine your maintenance calories which is what we are looking for.
Activity Factor Multiplier
The activity factor takes into account everything you do in a day, not just training. Be honest with yourself here…this is where most people mess this process up.
BMR x 1.2: Sedentary (You don’t move much. No exercise, desk job, lots of TV)
BMR x 1.3-1.4: Lightly Active (Active a few days a week, exercise 1-3 days)
BMR x 1.5-1.6: Moderately Active (Where I would assume most people are at. Train 3-5 days a week and active lifestyle)
BMR x 1.7-1.8: Very Active (Training hard for a specific sport or purpose 5-6 hours a week. Typically one with a hard labor job as well)
BMR x 1.9-2.2: Extremely Active (Endurance training or hard charging athlete who spends 10 or more hours training a week and/or lots of activity outside of training. Can require more calories than this as well depending on ones metabolic capacity)
Now we simply take that number and add calories to create a caloric surplus. Start small with the surplus and go from there. Add between 250-500 calories and see how your body responds. If you are not gaining any weight or a small amount (~under 1/2 pound a week) add more calories, if you are gaining too much weight (~more than 2 pounds a week) decrease calories.
I can hear it now…
Hey Kyle, I thought you said I didn’t have to eat like a bodybuilder? If I wanted to go through all this trouble I would just shave myself and go tanning too.
I know this all seems like a lot of work but even as a strength athlete you need to know how many calories to take in. Most powerlifters, strongmen, etc vastly underestimate how many calories they need. In order to get this right we need to quantify exactly how much food we need to be eating. Simply saying “eat more” is not good enough, eating more means different things to different people.
Further Reading – How to Calculate Calorie Requirements
Part 2: The Macro Diet for Strength Athletes
We managed to make it over 1100 words deep in a nutrition article without me using the words “macro” or “macronutrient”, this has to be a record. In all seriousness, macronutrients are still key for the strength athlete. I have not figured out how in the world diets like Paleo, Carb Back loading, Keto, etc have gained so much popularity in the powerlifting and strength community. Consuming only meat and veggies is NOT eating big and is not optimal for gaining strength. On the flip side eating chicken and rice out of Tupperware all day is not going to be optimal for strength either. We need to find a balance.
In my experience there is nothing that provides balance like following a Flexible Dieting (IIFYM) approach. I am going to make this as simple to follow as possible. Since we are not looking to optimize aesthetics we don’t need to be quite as intricate.
If just hearing Flexible Dieting or IIFYM in a sentence freaks you out or pisses you off I highly suggest checking out my Free Flexible Dieting Manual.
Start with our calorie total we figured out from part 1. Maintenance calories plus the additional “extra” calories to put us in a surplus. Then we can move onto the macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates and fat. The most important macronutrient to get right for the strength athlete in my opinion is protein.
What Determines How Much Protein You Need?
- Caloric Intake -Protein needs go up as caloric deficit goes up. Not much changes in the middle range (slight surplus, maintenance, slight deficit) where you will be as a strength athlete.
- Lean Body Mass – Theres is not much research looking at protein needs based on lean body mass. It would be great if there were more, because ideally protein needs should be based on LBM more so than just body weight. However, since we don’t have much literature to give us those figures we must largely base needs off body weight. Also since most people do not have accurate body fat numbers, body weight is a lot easier to implement. The higher your body fat percentage is the lower your protein needs are. This is even more true for people who are obese. Obviously you can not recommend protein based solely from body weight with someone who weighs 350lbs at 40% BF.
- Training Age – As your training experience goes up, your protein needs actually go down. However, since most people who have been training a long time frequently train harder with more intensity, volume, and frequency, this is often a mute point.
- Training Intensity, Volume, and Frequency – The “harder” you train the more protein you need. If training is set up to create a high level of adaptive stimulus you need to intake more protein, since protein turn over is higher. This works the other way around as well.
Next we are left with carbohydrates and fat. Honestly, as a strength athlete it is not going to make much of a difference how you split up your carbs and fat. They are energy nutrients and are going to be responsible for fueling your workouts. As long as you get a good balance of both (don’t go “low” carb or fat) you can eat as you see fit. Some people feel better with more carbs in their diet and some feel better with more fats. The key is being honest with yourself and not trying to “force” yourself into one or the other because of some bullshit you read online. Most people respond best with a nice balance.
Here is an example of how this all plays out. Lets take a hypothetical man named John. John figures out in part 1 that he needs 3500 calories a day to be in a nice caloric surplus. Since he weighs 175lbs, he is going to shoot for 175g of protein a day.
175g protein x 4cal/g = 700 calories from protein
3500 – 700 = 2800 calories left for carbs and fat.
John decides he wants an equal distribution of carbs and fat (doesn’t need to be equal, just an example) so this is what it breaks down to.
2800 / 2 = 1400
1400 cals worth of carbs = 350g (1400/4)
1400 cals worth of fat = 155g (1400/9)
John’s Macros: 3500 Calories – Protein:175g Carbs:350g Fat: 155g
The beauty of this type of approach is you only really have to hit 2 numbers, overall calories and protein intake. Carb and fat intake can fluctuate from day to day depending on how you feel (your workout for the day) and how your day unfolds as long as protein and calorie intake remains the same.
If you have never tracked your food intake before, trust me it is easier than it sounds. The first week or two weigh and measure everything. This will allow you to figure out what portion sizes look like and then you can start estimating. Always track everything with My Fitness Pal or a site similar but since you are not looking at improving aesthetics everything does not need to be 100% on point.
*Note- If you are a physique athlete pre contest this does not work quite as well for you. Also, if you are a strength athlete who is looking to do EVERYTHING necessary to be as strong as possible you would be better off dialing in your macros 100%. If either one of those applies to you, you should probably just hire me as a nutrition coach.
Quick Points I Feel Need to be Addressed:
- Peri Workout Nutrition: Pre/during/post workout nutrition is not nearly as important as the absolute daily intake of nutrients. As a strength athlete you do not need fast digesting carbs immediately post workout. In actuality you don’t even need to eat immediately post workout. With that being said, if you have your daily numbers on point just make sure you are consuming a protein/carb blend a few hours or so before and after training. They can be regular meals or a shake, it doesn’t matter. Here is a great research article to check out with more information about nutrient timing: http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/5
- Meal Timing: In addition to nutrient timing, meal timing is largely irrelevant as well. There is no difference between consuming 2 meals a day or 8 meals a day as long as daily calorie and macronutrient numbers are hit. It all comes down to personal preference. Between 3-5 meals a day seems to be the sweet spot for most people.
- Making Weight: Being a former wrestler, I know all about weight cutting. In my experience as an athlete and working with athletes, cutting more than .05 % of overall bodyweight in a short time (around a week) is about the max without losing a bunch of strength. Dehydration, lack of energy, new leverages, etc are all part of the reason why strength could go down. If it has worked for you in the past and you feel it gives you an edge, by all means go for it. However, if you are just starting out and wondering if you should cut a bunch of weight for an upcoming meet I would recommend you just compete at what you weigh. The bottom line with weight cutting is this – if you stay relatively lean and in shape all year there is no reason to cut weight.
Conclusion
The internet is filed with misinformation and as a strength athlete it can be confusing trying to figure how to eat for performance. Hopefully this article cleared up a few things. To recap, you need to eat big to be strong. Low carb and/or fat diets are not the way to go. Eat around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Overall calorie and protein intake at the end of the day is most important.
