Bodybuilding Guide While In School

I wrote this article about 6yrs ago, and decided I would post it here for those of you who are in high school or college since it is that time again, and i'm sure we will have people ask how they should go about it. I know we already had one person ask, so here is my guide. I'm sure there could be more, but it is a start. The main thing to remember is that you will have to find what works for YOU. You may have to sit down and chart it out, prepare meals, or what ever. The thing to remember is, if you want it, you'll do what it takes. If not, there are many people out there who already fall into this category, and you can join them.

I dont mind if you copy the article either. (this is posted as two posts cause of its length)

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Most of us here have either been in high school or college one time or another. Maybe you are attending one of them right now? As students, it is very difficult to take on a lifestyle such as bodybuilding. Some of you might think; I have no idea how I am going to take on bodybuilding while I am in school. Well, I am here to answer some of those questions, and give you tips on how to make this as easy as possible. I will talk about food, training, cost, rest, and time. After you read this article, you will have extra info to walk away with that will help you fight the battle.

Food

First off I would like to talk about food, and the cost of food. This is one of the most important ingredients in bodybuilding. If you don't get those extra 2hrs of sleep to make up 8hrs, it isn't that big of a deal. On the other hand if you skip 2 meals in the day, that is a huge problem. So, what things can you do about the food aspect you ask? Basically you can do quite a bit if you really think hard about it. If you are in a dorm, and away from home, it makes it even harder for you to eat like you normally would at home. This is one of the hardest things to deal with besides the cost of food. Some of the things that you can eat, and store that offer great nutrition, and are not very costly are as follows:

Tuna is a great product to use for every person, but especially for the college student. It can be purchased for about .49 per can, and contains about 32g of protein per small can. Tuna can be stored very easily, and can last for a while. If possible, buy tuna when there is a special. You will be able to save some extra pocket change for other stuff, or maybe an extra can of tuna. Some places have so many cans for so many dollars, and is usually cheaper on those sale days. Peanut butter is cheap too. Get the Skippy Natural for about $1.70. I use to take a jar to college with me and eat it on campus

Protein

If you don't like tuna, you are out of luck for cheap quality protein. The only thing that is better then tuna is eggs. Yes eggs. These are good especially for college students in dorms. You can buy a dozen eggs for about $1.00 depending on the size of the egg, store them in the fridge, and eat them all day long, or 6 for breakfast if you have the required stuff to scramble eggs. If not, you can boil them, and eat the whites.

For those of you in high school, you can take egg salad sandwiches to school for lunch mixed in with some ham, cheese, and a little dressing. If you have chicken, add some chicken to it. If not, don't worry. You can even take chicken breasts. I dont know how long lunch is in high school now days, but take a cooler man, and pack it and EAT, EAT, EAT. The next thing that is a good source of protein that is a little more expensive is chicken breasts. If you have the money, get yourself a George Foreman grill, some chicken breasts, and bingo, lunch. If you are on a tight budget, and can't afford it don't worry. The next item on the list is almonds. Yes, almonds. Almonds pack a punch full of nutritional content, and can be purchased in a 2.5lb bag at a Costco, or Sams. I use Diamond brand almonds. 1/ 4c of almonds provides 190cal, and contains 8g of protein, and 15g of fat. Let me point out though, that almonds are NOT a complete source of protein, meaning they lack some amino acids. Though this is the case, its not a reason to avoid them. They are healthy for you and still provide calories. Just don’t rely on them as a sole source of protein. You have to remember that EVERY protein source has its ups and downs, so getting all sorts is the best bet in my opinion because of the different amino acid profile of each. If you want to get creative with the almonds, just add some raisins or Craisins to the mix and you will have a good snack to eat.

On a side note, In a 1/4C of almonds you also get 4g of fiber. Almonds can't be beat as far as I am concerned. A 2.5lb bag will get you 38 servings. So at 1/4c per day, that's a little over 1 month. One of my favorite things to use to up my calories in a day is dry milk. Dry milk can be added to regular milk to up the calories, and protein. On top of that, you get 30% calcium per serving. Again, dry milk can be purchased at a Costco, Wal-Mart, etc. You can buy a 4lb box for no more then $9.00. A 4lb box has 80 servings, and contains 8g of protein per 1/3c. If you want a high protein milk drink, add 8oz of whole milk to a glass, and stir in 2/3c of dry milk. This gives you a total of 310cal, 24g of protein, and 90% of the RDA in calcium. All this can be put in a glass that holds 8oz with no problem. Looking for a quick high calorie meal on the go? Add the above with 2Tbsp of Canola Oil, and wham a whopping 550cal. This is equivalent to that of a gainer as far as calories. Want more protein, add your scoop of protein in there, or even a half. One thing about the milk powder is that you can take it with you unlike milk and it won’t spoil.

I will do the above if I wake up late, and can't get breakfast in. I may miss a real meal, but I do have 550cal in my body to get me going. Another cheap and effective thing to get is Canola Oil. Canola oil can be purchased for usually no more then $2.00 max. You will get 100+ servings, and It will supply you with the good fat you need during the day. You can swap back and forth between this, and the almonds, or even peanut butter. If you really use the oil like I do, buy the 1.25gallon jug. It has 360+ servings in it.

The last thing on my list of cheap, but effective items is Maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate, and can be purchased in bulk on-line. This will usually yield 190cal in 1/2c of powder. Most of the time it is neutral, so you will need to add some flavor to it. I usually go to Wal-Mart and buy the packets of flavoring powder that are clear. This way if you are at a place where they say you can only have water, no one will be able to tell the difference because there is no coloring in the flavoring. A tube of 4 or so small tubs will cost you about $1.50. You can also get more creative, and make up a container of kool-aid, and add 1/2c to 8oz of kool-aid.

There are many ways to flavor the stuff. Just choose what suits you. This is another item that can be taken around campus, or to lunch in a small drinking bottle, and will provide you with some carbs. If you want to get real creative, mix all the ingredients above minus the kool-aid, and drink it during the day. That's a whopping 740-770cal in one drink.

So, as you see, there are many things to purchase that people over-look. They might not be any where close to the best food on the earth, but it gets you the calories, and it gets you them cheap. The tuna, eggs, and dry milk are the best up above. If you live at home, and are in college, you can eat whatever you want. That's not the case for some people. For you high school kids, if you have time to drink a beverage at school, buy some Maltodextrin, flavor it, put it in a drinking bottle, and take it to school. You will have an awesome drink, and won't be chugging down 20oz of soda with tons of caffeine and sugar.

I mentioned a few things you can do as far as purchasing food, and eating, but I would like to go into a little more detail about actually using/eating the food you purchased. I already talked about the drinks, but what about other items? The almonds were one thing that you could take with you, but what else? How about a protein bar? When I was in a class for a long time, and it was time to eat, I would drink a carb drink, and eat a Promax bar. They are cheap, and actually taste good. If you are trying to stay away from sugar, this isn't a bar for you. Eating these two items gives you 500cal or more. If you’d like, you can also take some dry protein in a shaker cup and add water to it and drink in during class, after, or anytime you have a break. All schools will differ in whether or not they allow food in a class. As with high school, most the time your only chance is in between a class. In this case, you may try doing this though it may sound gross, it’s about calories, and you’ll do what you have too. Add 2Tbsp of canola oil in a shaker cup before you go to school. Once you have your break, add water, and some protein powder and shake it up real quick and drink it down.

Sometimes you just have to do what you can. If you are really brave, you can take an actual meal with you in a cooler for those that are in college, sit in the back of the class, and eat. I don't see this much in college, but hey, if you have to, you have to. There was always one building among many in my college, which contain vending machines with real food in them. The buildings that usually have them are the health buildings where all the health, and medical classes are offered.

Real Meals

One thing you don't want to do is go from 8am in the morning until almost 1pm with nothing. Do what ever it takes to get a meal of some sort in. I don’t care if that means stealing the Krispy Kreme donut off the teacher’s desk if she walks out. The WORST thing you can do is not eat at all.

If you can make a huge breakfast in the morning, do it. I usually have a lot of time in the morning, so I make a monstrous breakfast. This way I am not feeling as hungry later on. If you get only 300cal for breakfast, you better take a huge meal with you to school if you are going to be there 5hrs, or eat on campus. If you get 600-800cal in for breakfast, a protein bar, and carb drink or something similar will work later in the day. What ever you do, adjust accordingly, and don't skip a meal because you are lazy, or are scared of eating in class. I would eat in class all the time, and it's no big deal. You will realize this when the pregnant girl next to you is actually eating a full meal. As a bodybuilder, not eating is like suicide. For the average Joe, who cares; they aren't working on a world-class physique.

Now we will move on to the training part of it. Some of you have a strength conditioning class in school, or a free weights class, and can do your lifting then and there. If you don't have one of those classes, now what? For the high school students, the only time for them to usually lift is after school unless they some how manage to do it before. This can be very difficult if they are bombarded with tons of homework from boring teachers. The best thing to do here is figure out the best overall times, and days to work out. Maybe you have a schedule where you have Math, Biology, and English all in one day.
Maybe the next day you have classes more laid back. If this were the case, the obvious choice would be to work out on days that you don't have much homework. If this isn't the case, and you have 6-7 classes a day, choose the best days, and times. You may even want to make Saturday, or Sunday a day when you lift. This will make it easier on you. An example would be Mon, Wed, Fr- Tues, Thurs, Sat- Sun, Tues, Thurs. If you do four days a week, you are very limited. For you college students who can do what I do, take advantage of it. I use to schedule my classes around my workout schedule. (I know, dedication huh, but I made it, and you can too)

Class

As an example of what I use to do… I use to go to class from 8:20am to 9:15am Mon, Wed, Fri, which were workout days. I would usually hit the gym at 11am, and have no problem with school interfering with lifting. On Tues, and Thurs, I didn't get out until 12:15, but those were my non-workout days, so it didn’t matter. Of course this is only a 9hr schedule, but even with 12hrs, you can make it work. Usually college students have more options than high school students. One thing you might want to do is check out the gym at certain times of the day if your schedule is laid back. This is because you want to get in there when it is empty. I don't use the college gym, but when I did, I was there at 6:30am. The only people in there at that time were old wrinkly men using the machines. If you went at 11am, and after it was usually full. As most of you know, it is very hard, especially in high school to find the right time to lift. Do your best, and plan wisely. If you are near a YMCA and you can get there at 6am, you may have to do that.


Rest/Sleep

Now I bet you are wondering what you should do about rest, or sleep? This is one thing that most students don't get. If you are a student period, you fall into this category. For you high school kids, it won't be the same as college students. I know most of you probably go out and party all the time, and if you are away from home, you probably stay up all night.

Now I am not saying stop period, but if you get to bed at 2am, and wake up at 6am every day, and complain all the time, maybe you shouldn't stay out as late. If you don't train Sat morning, or on Sun, then it isn't as big of a deal. For me, bodybuilding is my focus, and not getting wasted 24/7. So, for those of you who complain about not getting enough sleep, maybe you should change a few things. This is even more important if you are working 30-40hrs per week. If you are dedicated 110%, then you will have to give in a little to your social life. For those of you in high school, my suggestion is to do the majority of your homework right after school, then hit the gym if you don’t go to work later that day.

If you go to work at say 4pm, and get home at 3pm, that doesn't leave much room to do anything if you work until 9 or 10pm. If you are totally bombarded with school, and work you don't have much to work with. If you are really serious about your bodybuilding goals, and don't have to work all the time, don't. Try to work 2 or 3 days on the weekdays, and do the rest on the weekends if that is what it takes. If you avoid working on the weekends so you can go out and party, that's up to you. Just don't whine if you work Mon-Fri, party on Fri, and Sat; then complain during the week. If you understand bodybuilding is a lifestyle, then you will understand you just can't do all the things you really want. You have to make a sacrifice.

I hope some of the above info helps you out a little bit more, save you some time, and will give you some ideas. If you already knew everything up above, more power to you. For those of you who have this all down, you will agree with me that it wasn't easy to figure out, and it took you a while to get it down. In the meantime, think about the quotes below.

"I'll find a way, or make one." --- Hannibal - said while crossing the Alps

Success is just a matter of attitude. -- Darcy E. Gibbons

Deus ex Pianoforte said:

Awesome, dude. I'm not in school right now, but this contains all kinds of good stuff nonetheless. Thanks.

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No problem. I'm sure some things are missed, but you cant get it all in, and at the same time you have to let people find what works for them. I always wished I had some of that info when I was in classes and what not. I never lifted in high school, but if I did, I could have used some of that to help. Even the early college days would have helped.

You learn over time that you may have to make 3 meals on a Sunday when your schedule requires, so that you dont have to prepare for the whole week every day. You learn to separate everything into tupperware, and then get it and go.

What I have learned through my many years of trial and error, and still do, is that to stay in the shape I am in and look like I do (and still improving) you have to do it. Not everyone is made out for this, just like not everyone is a football player or pro tennis player.

Some people may just want to be so so, and that is ok. BUT if you really want to be above the rest, there is no choice. People comment about how defined I am, and my physique, and people ask, and I say... The key to it all is that you have to be dedicated or you'll only get so far. WHY do I look better than most the people at the gym? Cause I take it seriously. I dont skip 2 workouts, I dont not eat, I dont stay up till 2am drinking myself stupid, I dont workout and then go to McDonlads, I dont go in the gym and just go through motions, etc etc.

Its TOUGH work, and those on here that do it, will attest to it. You cant just do a partial job and expect amazing results.

This is why I tell people... Great, its fine that you want to workout and get in shape and do this and that, but DO NOT expect to look like me, or the guy on Muscle and Fitness or Mens Health, or what ever if you only put in 50% cause it wont happen.

I personally want to enter a natural bb contest next year, so that's my goal. I may take mine one step further than others, but I enjoy it, and its what i'm good at.

And you've heard it on here before by others. They say... You better think about something else if your not dedicated. And by this we are talking about the really great physique. If you dont want to do it all, you better take up another hobby/sport, or what ever you want to term it.

bump

Nice post mate! This will help me alot! Any chance you can put a pic of yourself? i am quite keen in seeing your progress after reading this thread of yours.

Nice one Omen!

I'd like to add to the list of cheap foods for college students

-Jeano(?) ground turkey patties,4 for $3.69,that's your main course for 4 meals right there

-Chicken, the stuff is cheap and a great source of protein

as for eating during school/work? Just pack some snacks,peanuts or fruits and munch on them during the day and that will hold you off until you get to eat a meal.

blinkwatt said:

Nice one Omen!

I'd like to add to the list of cheap foods for college students

-Jeano(?) ground turkey patties,4 for $3.69,that's your main course for 4 meals right there

-Chicken, the stuff is cheap and a great source of protein

as for eating during school/work? Just pack some snacks,peanuts or fruits and munch on them during the day and that will hold you off until you get to eat a meal.

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Ah yes...I actually buy the 12 Jennie-O turkey patties that are sealed 2 to a package, and I think I only spend $6, maybe a hair more. Not a bad deal really for 12. They also make NATURAL ones now that are JUST turkey and no spices or anything. Wal-Mart usually sells them in that big white bin in the middle of the meat isle.

And what I do to make a packed meal out of it is this...

take the patty out, and let it thaw. If you want 2, use 2. I then break it up and put it in a skillet and then cook it, till it is almost brown. I then scramble 2 eggs with about 2oz milk and then dump the egg in there like you were making scrambled eggs. Let it cook, and by that time the meat will be done too. If you want to add cheese, do it. If you want carbs, you can take 1/4C of brown rice, cook it, then add it in a bowl, then dump the rest the stuff in too. You then have this rice/egg/turkey mix in a bowl I usually add some hot sauce to it as well.

Cheap really if you break it down. I had that today just minus the rice.

Another thing to do, is check around and see if you know people who HUNT. Could be deer, pheasant, or heck it may even be people who fish. See if you can get some BULK stuff from them. I have many buddies who hunt and all that jazz and even have beef they split up. Thing is, you have to have room for 200lbs of beef. lol. Dont think a college kid in a dorm has room.

But for those that do have a room, maybe you can buy less. I've even gotten Antelope for free. You just have to use your imagination. Fish can be great too if you know people who catch big catfish, or lots of salmon or trout.