Nancy Arnold discusses the role of her diet coach in preparing for her April 29, 2006 bodybuilding competition.
Bodybuilding | Bodybuilding 2006 | Contest Preparation | Diet
Bodybuilders typically diet for three to five months before their competitions with the goal of gradually reducing body fat while retaining muscle. In this podcast, Nancy Arnold and I discuss the role of her diet guru, Kevin Kelsey. Nancy initially worked with Kevin in her first bodybuilding competition two years ago. In her current competition, Kevin is guiding her through a four month diet designed to lose over twenty lbs.
The role of dieting in bodybuilding is to reduce the level of subcutaneous fat, so that the muscles will show through. Typically, bodybuilders attempt to achieve at or near essential body fat levels for their gender, i.e., the minimum levels required to maintain healthy bodily function.
For men, essential body fat is 3% and for women 12%. The extra 9% in women supports reproduction and associated hormonal systems. Deviating below essential body fat for either sex can damage health. Many women bodybuilders attempt to briefly go below the 12% essential body fat figure to somewhere around 10% for their shows, putting them them in the range of athletic men.
Background Links
- Tom Venuto provides a four month road map of his diet goals as he prepares for bodybuilding competitions.
- Andrew Weil answers a female athlete's question regarding minimum body fat levels for women as well as warning signs of when body fat may become too low.
- Sports Coach provides comparative statistics for body fat levels in male and female athletes.
