Dave Draper's Rules of Bodybuilding Nutrition

RULE # 7 — Simple carbohydrates (sugar, honey, soft drinks, candy and cakes) provide us with a quick pick-up but let us down just as quickly. Excessive sugar plays havoc with our insulin metabolism and leads to fatigue, poor performance, fat storage and diabetes.

RULE # 8 — Fuel up before your workout. Eat a small, easily digested meal about an hour before you train. With protein and complex carbohydrates in your system, you'll train harder, longer and with more enthusiasm. You won't experience low blood sugar jitters or dizziness; you'll get a great pump and probably hit that last rep. Big Tip — whey protein drinks work great here and work well as post-workout muscle repair food. Convenient, inexpensive and effective.

RULE # 9 — Similarly, you need to eat a hearty protein meal with sufficient carbs within forty-five minutes of the completion of your workout. This is necessary to provide the muscle-building materials to repair depleted tissue and support the process of building new muscle.

RULE #10 — The most important ingredient in your body is plain water. The quality of your tissues, their performance and their resistance to failure is absolutely dependent on the quality and quantity of the water you drink. Detoxify. Flood yourself throughout the day, especially during exercise.

RULE #11 — Sleep, rest and relaxation are of prime importance. It's during periods of sound sleep that our bodies recuperate and build muscle tissue.

RULE #12 — Regard the twelve rules listed as a regular life-long, life-rewarding priority, one that hones discipline and is honed by that same discipline. Next time we meet, I'll introduce you to the commercial gym and what you can expect there. Remember, also, that laughter builds strong bodies and healthy minds. It restores the soul.

About Dave Draper
Dave Draper is a bodybuilding author and fitness expert with over four decades of practical experience. He holds the prestigious bodybuilding titles of Mr. America, Mr. World and Mr. Universe, in addition to being part of the Bodybuilding Hall of Fame. Dave writes a weekly e-mail newsletter which can be found at www.davedraper.com and is also a frequent contributor to Muscle and Fitness, as well as many other publications in the fitness industry. Dave has also authored a book on bodybuilding called Brother Iron, Sister Steel, and a book on weight loss called Your Body Revival: Weight Loss Straight Talk. He has also designed his own protein powder supplement called The Bomber Blend (which is a blend of fast released whey protein with slower released casein protein), as well as his own exercise home equipment line.