How strict is a powerlifter with his food?

[snuff-sann]

Hya guys,

Well, the title says enough.
I'm really very curious how strict you guys are with your daily food-intake.
I'm a body-builder myself and I know what it takes to get most out of your sport.
So good and healthy food is very important.
A cheat-meal a week is very common, but do you guys go any further?
I hear stories that power-lifters eat all kinds of crap, lots of refined sugar and saturated fat.
So what is the real story, I really would like to know.

Cheers.

 

[Ox-Sandra-Loan]

It depends on lots of things. Guys I know in lower weight classes are usually pretty strict. When I was compteing, I was in a heavier weight class (220-242) and I would usually weigh around 245 to 250 until just before competition. At this weight, I was not strict at all, in fact I ate rather sloppily. Burger King twice a week for a 2-whopper meal. Things like that. Only thing I was strict about was getting my 300 to 400g of protein a day. Looking back, it would have been more beneficial to me to keep a cleaner diet, and maybe compete in a lower weight class.

added note: I competed about 13 years ago. Currently I weigh 205, and am aiming for 195, and I feel and look much better than I did back then. I actually look more muscular too, because you can see the muscle.

 

[Treephon]

Personally I am very strict as far S food quality is concened. I follow a high fat paleo approach with lots of tubers and squash as my carb sources. Grassfed ground beef and lamb as main protein sources! I switched over from the bodybuilding world about 10 months ago and have seen amazing progress so far. I think the benefits of inflammation reduction and nutrient uptake are great for maximizing recovery and strength performance.

 

[rshammock]

What i usually concern myself with is getting good nutrition. I try to eat plenty of fruit vegetables and have various different protein sources in my diet. I do a good job when healthy of getting about 500 grams of protein a day.

 

[Compete2Win]

Yes I am strict about one thing: QUANTITY! I do eat high quality because otherwise my energy levels would suffer.

__________________

Bill Kazmaier: 'Kaz Training' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1plZoN7Ec0

 

[the small soldier]

competing at 198 I'm cutting down from 205 and I'd like to get down to 185 or so and bulk up to 198 again sold. I'm doing well so far. I'm down to 197.8 and my strength is still up. raw lifts: squat 470 (belt no knee wraps) bench 330, dead lift 550. I premeasure my food and i count macronutrients bodybuilder style. I eat carbs ONLY after my workout. 30 grams of sugar post workout, and another 120-200 grams spread of the next 3 meals. the rest of the day is lean protein, peanut butter, olive oil, and almonds.

 

[dspeed]

The heavier lifters 275s, 308s, SHW seem to be a little more loose with their diets, but that is not always the case you have some of them who eat fairly clean, if you look at guys like Konstantinovs, Stan Efferding, malinichev, etc. they are on the leaner side for the big guys and they likely eat accordingly. Anyone who has to make weight in the lower or middle classes has to watch their food a bit more. I have lifted in SHW, 308, 275, and am currently a small 242. I now eat far cleaner with less crap food.

 

[moya]

I'm a lightweight... Pre comp I watch it a bit, but really if I want it I eat it...

 

[joe9872]

i watch it now... before never... but health suffered... but its me...to me its better to build quality muscle and not just add fat and mucsle

 

[Xandoz]

The strict thing about a powerlifters diet is that they EAT, EAT, and EAT! They make sure they get in the calories and THEN some MOST of the time. When you powerlift you don't want to OVERLOAD on JUNK, but I imagine once in a while they eat food thats not so great for the calorific benefit.