INTRODUCTION
We recently came across a video on Youtube from Bodybuilding.com, Everyone has most likely used or heard of this website. They have some great information and some shocking information. Today we are going to talk about the latter. We saw a video that they put up a few weeks ago, which was titled “12 Must have foods for gaining size”. Now if you are reading that and you know what is wrong this article isn’t for you. However, if you don’t understand what is wrong, then continue to read. If you haven’t watched the video, you can watch it here before we go through it.
WHAT IS THE VIDEO ABOUT
So what is the video about? The video is about a bodybuilder called Evan Centopani going through 12 foods you must eat to gain size. He sits and lists 12 food you NEED to eat to gain size and then explains why you need to eat each one. The words he uses are “top 12 foods I consider vital for optimal growth”.
I will say that I tried to sit through most of the video but ended up skipping some parts so there might be some issues mentioned in this blog that he did cover in the video. However, I also think the premise and the title of the video are very misleading.
WHY ARE THESE “MUST HAVE FOODS” WRONG
So what is wrong? Well, as we should all know by now is that to gain weight and size and build muscle you need to be in a calorie surplus. You need to be eating more calories than you burn. If you burn 2000 calories a day, and you consume 2100, then you will be in a 100 calories surplus and will gain size and muscle and weight.
Also, there is a lot of meat and dairy in this video, what if you are veggie or vegan? Does that mean you can’t bulk up? I just feel that he is giving the information that certain foods will get you big when it is calories. I am sure he knows this as well. I guess it will get more clicks with these titles and formats. However, new people might not know this.
The last thing I want to mention is that your body doesn’t care where those calories come from, a calorie is a calorie. All that will change from food to food is volume. Which we will talk about later. So overall there aren’t any must have foods! A certain group of foods won’t help you build size, calories will!
IS THERE ANY WORTH IN IT
It isn’t all bad mind, he does touch on a few good things. In regards to digestion and stomach issues. Eating certain food (Fast food, high processed food) can result in indigestion and stomach issues. Also, some people react differently to different foods! Pasta can play a lot of people up and cause them to bloat heavily and have stomach issues.
So when bulking you want to find foods you can eat without any issues, because you might end up eating a lot of it! You also might want to find an alternative because when you are deep in a bulk you might get fed up, bored or can’t stomach a certain food so it’s always good to chop and change.
THERE ARE GOOD FOODS AND BETTER FOODS
Saying this, it is worth noting that no foods are bad, however, there are good foods and better foods. Simon (7030 Fitness) said it perfectly in our interview with him here. There are no bad foods but you can make bad choices. For example, if you are cutting and your calories are fairly low, You wouldn’t want to waste them eating fast food as you won’t get much for your calorie buck.
Being Smarter while picking foods means you can “eat more” for your calories! 100 calories of Spinach and 100 calories of rice are the same amount of calories but vastly different amounts. He also mentions not to shy away from fats, which is always good to hear! Never ignore Fats!
CONCLUSION
I will say, what a pro bodybuilder eats and what the average Joe eats is vastly different! I wouldn’t go setting up your diet from a top pro bodybuilder! There are so many factors and issues you need to remember. The quantity will be the biggest one! Nothing he mentions is “must have foods”. Like we said at the start, calories in vs calories out! Also making smart choices and you will be fine.
The foods he recommends aren’t bad, they are solid choices and food that most people will turn to when they first start. No doubt some of you will be like “look at the size of him, he knows what he is talking about”. Remember, I said that the foods he mentions aren’t MUSTS, calories in is a must! Also, there are some other “supplements” helping him out. I have no hate towards him or bodybuilding.com, but I think this video, as informative as it might seem, is misdirecting people. We still live in a world where some people think it’s more about the food rather than the calories.
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Written by Kieran Blacker
Kieran is the CEO and Founder of Sets & Reps. He decided to make an application that helped people get a gym workout when not at the gym. He designed, Coded and built the application himself.