In the last few years, I’ve come around to the idea that bodybuilding is an extreme sport. The training is extreme, the physiques are extreme and, perhaps more than anything else, the nutritional protocols required to step on stage with barely any discernible body fat are extreme.
That typically equates to Tupperware tubs full of plain chicken and rice, boiled fish, steamed broccoli and absolutely nothing that could be mistaken for enjoyment. Eating this way is as integral to bodybuilding as gloves and gumshields are to boxing.
While we know that fat loss is driven primarily by maintaining an energy deficit – consistently consuming fewer calories than you expend – we also know that food quality is still paramount for your energy, mood, training performance and long-term health, which is why many bodybuilders eat this way.
However, in theory, you could lose body fat while eating almost anything, provided your calorie intake still adds up.
This knowledge wasn’t nearly as mainstream during bodybuilding’s golden age. But then again, the king of high-intensity training – Mike Mentzer – was rarely accused of being mainstream.
Discussing his preparation for the 1979 Mr. Olympia, the famously analytical champion claimed that during the final two weeks he was eating more than 200g of carbohydrates per day, including pancakes three times a week and ice cream ‘almost every day’.
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‘I didn’t do this recklessly,’ Mentzer added. ‘I kept my daily caloric intake below 2,000 and was very active.’
In other words, Mentzer wasn’t claiming that ice cream had some secret fat-burning effect. He simply understood that it could fit inside the calorie budget required to get lean. Even ‘champion bodybuilder’ lean.
Once again, he appeared to be several decades ahead of the fitness industry.
What You Can Learn from Mentzer’s Approach
Of course, this is an extreme example, performed by an extreme athlete. Our advice is still that your diet should be built predominantly around whole, minimally processed foods, with plenty of protein, fruit, vegetables and fibre.
But research suggests that flexible dietary control – making room for foods you enjoy rather than dividing everything into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ – is associated with better weight control, fewer cravings and greater dieting success than rigid, all-or-nothing restraint.
Hopefully, that will ease any concerns you may have around sinking the occasional pint of Häagen-Dazs.
