Protein, Protein, Everywhere

Protein. You can't talk about fitness and nutrition without discussing it. Is it necessary? Is it a cheat code? Is it the Boogeyman? Tune in next week to find out.

Or just keep reading.

IS IT NECESSARY?

Plain and simple, our bodies need protein to build muscle. It's needed for a slew of other things, but here we're just going to focus on the fitness aspects. Trying to build muscle without protein is like trying to build a brick house without bricks. If you don't have the right building materials, your "house" is just going to be an empty plot of land, and your muscles aren't going to grow any bigger.

IS IT A CHEAT CODE?

No, it's not a cheat code, it's a necessity. Some people look at protein supplements as basically steroids, and that couldn't be more wrong. You know what's basically steroids? Steroids.

The thing is that supplements should be used to SUPPLEMENT your diet, not replace it. If you can get all of your daily protein needs from diet alone, that's awesome. Don't change a thing. Drinking a protein shake isn't like drinking Mike's Secret Stuff in Space Jam, it's just a way to help you reach your goals if you're struggling to get there on your own. Those struggles could be anything from lack of time to food preferences, or anything in between. If it helps you to have a shake along the way, go for it. Just don't expect to go Super Saiyan overnight.

IS IT THE BOOGEYMAN?

Sometimes I keep a tub of protein powder under my bed, so who's to say? A lot of people are afraid of having too much protein because they're afraid it's going to make them too "bulky." While it is a necessary building block to bulking up, the only way to achieve a bulky look is to train for that specifically and consistently for a long time. Nobody gets jacked overnight. If it were that easy to be a bodybuilder, the world would look a lot different, and Speedo sales would be through the roof.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED?

The simple is answer is probably more. Most people aren't getting enough protein through their diet. A common thing to hear in the bodybuilding community is 1g of protein per pound of body weight. That's a great goal, but can be tough to hit for a lot of people. The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for protein in sedentary individuals is 0.8g/kg Body Weight. That's basically going to be enough protein so that you don't go catabolic and lose muscle. If you train, you're gonna want more. If you can meet somewhere in the middle of those two numbers, you'll likely be happy.

FUN TRICK: Divide your weight in lbs by 2.2 to get your weight in kg if the metric system is scary.

Here's a handy chart:

Hopefully this can help with some surface level questions about protein needs. If you want more info, reach out. I'm a pretty nice guy. If you want to get fit, get your protein in, and I'll continue to update this blog with strategies and recipes to do just that.

It's pizza time.