If you have ever known any high level bodybuilders of the steroid-assisted variety, then you know that most of them aren’t exactly perfectionists when it comes to their diets. Sure, they’re usually pretty consistent about their protein intake. They must have their shakes each day, and a few meals of chicken or beef are always in their daily game plan. However, when their buddies go out for a few beers or somebody passes them a piece of birthday cake, they’re not exactly going to be the ones to decline it. Rather, they indulge in the many calorie-rich offerings of life, and allow their body’s internal furnace to burn off the excess calories.

Along the same lines, if you have a natural bodybuilder – one who has truly never even known the effects of even pro-hormones or ephedrine – you are probably going to be able to observe a completely different set of habits. Instead of being “that guy” who never turns down a shot or a piece of birthday cake, this bodybuilder will be the individual who always carries their own cooler filled with chicken, rice, and water bottles. This bodybuilder is never seen without a Foreman Grill or rice cooker nearby. When he competes, he is very often shredded much more than the steroid-assisted bodybuilder. In pictures, the drug-using bodybuilder looks to carry and unhealthy bloat compared with the natural who dieted for weeks or months longer.

But the size difference is notable in real life. While the steroid-assisted bodybuilder may meet his weight ceiling at 230 pounds, the natural may not be able to crack 180 pounds and stay below 15% body fat. The natural bodybuilder is always going to be much smaller than the drug-assisted bodybuilder. This is an undeniable fact which will never change. However, he can look better in photographs and achieve his body’s natural potential with a bit more time, a greater amount of cardio, and an unrivaled discipline for diet. Nutrition is probably the most important factor in bodybuilding for the natural bodybuilder, with drug being the more important factor for the competitive bodybuilder using steroids.

Natural bodybuilders actually need a lot less protein than their anabolically-assisted brethren. Granted, you’ll still be consuming much more protein than your average Joe Six Pack. However, you will need nowhere near as many grams as the over-200 pound drug user, whose body may be able to make use of up to 450 grams of protein per day. The natural bodybuilder will benefit much more from 300 to 350 grams of protein, spread between 6 and 10 small servings for easier absorption. The bulk of your remaining calories should come from healthy fats (in the form of fish oil or Omega-3 tablets) and clean-burning carbohydrates, such as beans, rice, and pasta. While many geared bodybuilders will visit McDonalds or Burger King once per day to get their high-calorie fix, the natural bodybuilder will have no such need. High-fat meals provide little benefit to the natural bodybuilder, and hinder digestion in a major way. They should be avoided at all costs for fear of disrupting other productive meals.

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