Month 1 Nutrition
Month 1 Nutrition
Month 1 Nutrition
1
Month To maximize your Rock-Hard
gym efforts, sticking to
the right diet is essential
By Jim Stoppani, PhD
Rock
PHOTOS BY IAN LOGAN
Hard
diet 89
Over the next three months of the Rock-Hard
Rock
1
>> Simply rotate through
Month
these sample meal plans
Hard
medium-calorie and
success as your training. A well-thought-out nutrition program low-calorie days every day
throughout the course of
helps you recover more quickly from workouts and build muscle
Challenge
the month. Keep in mind,
life, you need to be just as dedicated in the kitchen as you are in the so adjust portion sizes
accordingly for your
weight room. If you can do this, the sky’s the limit. ❡ Protein is key bodyweight.
h
at 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight
1 banana 120 2 31 1
Late-Morning Snack
per day, which helps preserve your 1
/2 can light tuna in water 95 21 0 0
muscle mass. If you follow a lower-fat 2 slices whole-wheat bread 140 6 26 2
diet (as you do here, especially in 1 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise 11 0 2 0
Month 1), that means the only source
from which you can significantly drop Lunch
calories is carbohydrates. 6 oz. chicken breast 200 40 0 2
Each month brings a reduction in 1 medium sweet potato 103 2 24 0
carb intake, from 50%–55% of your 1 cup mixed fruit (in light syrup) 145 1 37 0
before and
Late-Morning Snack
1
/2 can light tuna in water 95 21 0 0
bodyweight
2 slices whole-wheat bread 140 6 26 2
1 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise 11 0 2 0
A Great Start
1 large orange 86 2 22 0 The first month of the Challenge eases
you into the diet to a certain extent.
Lunch Many novice bodybuilders make the
6 oz. chicken breast 200 40 0 2 mistake of cutting calories too drasti-
1 medium sweet potato 103 2 24 0 cally in the early stages of a program.
Yet when calories are too low for too
Midday Snack
by ha rd ta il; t his pa ge: (on him) shir t and pants by nike; ( on her) dre s s by new balance
long (say, three months), your metab-
8 oz. fat-free fruit yogurt 213 10 43 0
olism can slow down, causing you to
a ppar el, page 89: (on him) s hir t by nike, pa nt s by adida s; (on her) t op and pants
Preworkout Snack
burn fewer calories per day and mak-
1 scoop whey protein 85 20 1 0
ing it that much harder to drop fat.
1 banana 120 2 31 1 The last thing you want when trying
to get lean is a slower metabolism.
Postworkout Snack You’ll require roughly 18 calories per
2 scoops whey protein 170 40 2 0 pound of bodyweight per day to main-
3 slices white bread 198 6 39 3 tain your current weight on the Rock-
2 Tbsp. jelly 112 0 28 0 Hard training plan. That’s just more
than 3,200 calories a day for a 180-pound
Dinner person. On high-calorie days, take in
9 oz. sole or flounder 230 48 0 3
this maintenance-level number of cal-
2 cups cooked brown rice 436 10 92 4
2 cups green salad 44 3 8 0
ories. On medium-calorie days, take
1 Tbsp. fat-free Italian dressing 10 0 2 0 in about 17 calories per pound a day,
or about 3,000 total calories for the
Nighttime Snack 180-pounder. On low-calorie days,
8 oz. 1% cottage cheese 163 28 6 2 intake drops to 16 calories per pound,
1 cup cooked oatmeal 147 6 25 2 or about 2,800 daily calories.
Regardless of the day, protein intake
Daily Totals 3,028 276 408 32 remains at 1.5 grams per pound of
bodyweight since, as mentioned ear
Note: Mix all protein shakes in water per directions on label. lier, any drop in calories comes from
a ppare l : shirt by n ik e
6 oz. chicken breast 200 40 0 2
1 medium sweet potato 103 2 24 0 change significantly, but first things
first. By the end of Month 1, you’ll be
Midday Snack well on your way to transforming your
8 oz. fat-free fruit yogurt 213 10 43 0 physique into something it has never
been before. M&F
Preworkout Snack
1 scoop whey protein 85 20 1 0
1 banana 120 2 31 1
Postworkout Snack
2 scoops whey protein 170 40 2 0
3 slices white bread 198 6 39 3
2 Tbsp. jelly 112 0 28 0
Dinner
9 oz. sole or flounder 230 48 0 3
2 cups cooked spaghetti 442 16 86 2
1 can green beans 52 3 12 0
Nighttime Snack
8 oz. 1% cottage cheese 163 28 6 2
1 cup cooked oatmeal 147 6 25 2