BodyBuilder GUY!??

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(10-07-2015, 09:44 AM)6andcounting Wrote: I've always heard and went by 1 gram for 1 pound of weight.

The strength and conditioning coach at my school (it's D1) has been doing competitive powerlifting for most of his life - I think he's in his late 30's. Just last spring, I heard him speak as a guest speaker and he said 1 gram for 1 pound is the rule of thumb. He doesn't eat a lot of meat so most days he doesn't even get to that guideline. He writes for EliteFTS.com so I looked up some of his articles and bio. His max bench is 2.5 times his bodyweight and max deadlift is close to 4 times.

Even if less than 1 gram/pound isn't going to hurt  1 gram/kilo seems like it would be way too little, but that's just from my experience.

Everything else from you post i couldn't agree with more.

6andcounting - you may be right on the formula, but I have seen it the other way many times. I am not an expert but have read a bit on it. I have seen it gram per pound too, but just always assumed that was on oversight on the part of the person repeating it (we aren't used to saying kilos in the US much).

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/will-eating-more-protein-help-your-body-gain-muscle-faster

^ This article offers some caveats about too much protein and says 1/3 gram per pound which is close to a gram per kilo, which I have seen in numerous body building and medical articles. I've seem that formula many times which says a quick way to get your target is instead of dividing by 2.2 (number of pounds in a kilo) to get a close approximation and be able to do the math in your head just divide your weight by 2 and there is your target. So for me at 200 pounds I would be targeting 100 grams of protein a day.

Given that there are many who say you can't process more than about 23 grams from a meal, that sounds about right and realistic. If I am eating four or five times a day and I get 20-25 grams of protein per meal then I am right on target. For me it is tough to consume that much protein. I can't do the Rocky thing and crack six raw eggs in a glass and drink them. But it is impossible for me to imagine consuming twice that much. For example, a McDonalds Quarter Pounder with cheese has 29 grams of protein. (Just looked it up.) So let's say I make a quarter pound burger in my kitchen (cheaper and probably better quality ingredients) but we are probably still looking at around 29 grams of protein. I have to eat almost seven of those in a day to get 200 grams of protein. That's almost two pounds of beef. I guess there are people who can do that, and obviously you don't eat a burger for every meal - but beef is up there for protein percentage content (plus some from the cheese and bun) and so other meals you would have to eat more volume to get to 29 grams.

I also just looked at a bag of protein supplement (I use it sometimes because I don't eat much beef and can't begin to eat enough vegetables to get 100 grams of protein in a day and don't always eat fish or chicken every day so if I feel I need to get some protein and can't eat it I will do a shake). It has 27 grams per serving (it is 100% whey, which tastes like ass but has a high protein content and is digestible). Again, I think there is a lot of research that says consuming any more than about that amount in a sitting is a waste. In other words if I drink two shakes at meal time I might as well have poured one out - my body can't synthesize all that protein that quickly. If we think of it as a meal replacement and the typical person eating three large meals a day and not the 4-5 smaller ones many nutrition experts recommend then again that puts protein for the day at ca. 100 grams (3X27 is actually under 90) and not 200 grams.

I am sure there are people who find a way to cram that much (1 gram per pound) down, and maybe it puts on the muscle mass they want. I just think it sounds like an awful lot and again, there can be some health risks with eating too much protein. Of course, as a couple guys noted, genetics does play a huge role. I know guys who never exercise and eat a crap diet but they are big and stupid strong and some even look decent (not just a big strong blob) and I know guys who eat clean and lift but never put on any bulk and don't experience huge strength gains even when lifting.

There are so many "experts" out there you just have to be careful. I think many of them advocate over training (not allowing enough rest) and many know little about diet and nutrition. But we are in a culture that knows little about that. Our stores are filled with chemicals masquerading as food and our streets are filled with chronically obese people. I commend anyone who tries to figure out a healthier way. And I appreciate others sharing their thoughts, insights, and experiences.