The Importance Of Eating Clean

[Charlie]

Last Thursday I went to my school gym; the first time I've worked out since my two injuries (broken rib and dislocated/torn tendon ankle). I went with a friend, and I was confident that he wouldn't have a clue what he was doing. He was throwing all those typical alpha male questions: "How much can you bench etc." I told him that I am not that interested in benching as I find exercises such as the squat and overhead press more rewarding. But, he kept on pushing for a little benching competition. I eventually gave in and thought I would win with ease considering this person has a terrible diet and rarely goes to the gym. However, he had obviously been to the gym more than me recently given my injuries. So, we did the first weight and he remarked on how 'light' it was, but I found it rather heavy. We got to the point where he did around 7 reps of a really heavy weight. I tried to do one rep but failed, and he had to lift the bar of my chest. How embarrassing I was astounded at how he could lift that weight with such a bad diet. This person has food such as McDonald's multiple times a week, smokes, drinks a lot... You get the picture. Is eating clean food THAT important? I mean, as long as you get the correct caloric intake and the right amount of protein, won't you be able to progress in strength? I should probably add how this guy works out. When he does work out (I'm guessing around 3-6 times a month, even less maybe), he does toning exercises such as dumbell benching, dumbell curls. He was always changing exercises and I recommended that he try out Stronglifts 5x5. But: "Nah, your body just adapts to an exercise if you do it over and over again. That's why you gotta change what your doing heaps." Everything thing I said from reading this blog and forum was rebuked by my friend.

[Mehdi]

6 months after I started weight lifting, I met Nico. I saw him before at the gym, he was muscular & strong, imitated his workouts. Then one day I asked him if I could workout with him, he said, "sure join me know, I'm doing legs". So I joined. First leg press, then squats. Never had done squats before (it was in the smith machine back then btw), went up to 60kg or so, adductors ached, cold sweat, etc. Puked afterwards in the shower (I only told him that 2 years later ) Came back the next day to workout again, but my legs hurt for 4 days.
I was a student back then, and I ate shitty food. That day I ate french fries with that junk meat they serve, typical belgian junk food (tasty but unhealthy)

 
I throw it all out. Never did I eat that again before working out, teached me a lesson.
 
Now there are some freaks who indeed eat McDonalds and can workout with problems. Good for them. I know Dave Tate (power lifte), ate nothing but junk food all day, and still squatting 800lbs. So if it works continue.
 
However, I believe strength training is more than just lifting weight. Strength training is improving your health too. "A healthy mind in a healthy body" juvenal. Junk food is unhealthy, if you care about your health you need to eat veggies/fruits/etc. Clean food will prevent many other problems in the long run (cancer, allergies, liver health, etc)

[Charlie]

Interesting response Mehdi. The thing that really annoyed me is that I felt like all the hard-work I put in before I injured myself was for nothing considering I lost out to a guy who knows nothing about strength training.

[Victor]

Well if your metabolism is very high, it would be impossible to gain weight bij eating clean food. Clean food is food that is low on kcal and will fill your stomach fast. I would say if you can't gain weight eat a lot of everything, clean and junk food.

[Kyle]

Well if your metabolism is very high, it would be impossible to gain weight bij eating clean food. Clean food is food that is low on kcal and will fill your stomach fast. I would say if you can't gain weight eat a lot of everything, clean and junk food.

I think that if thats the case than you should eat more healthy, calorie dense foods like Steak, peanut butter, etc.

[Mehdi]

Interesting response Mehdi. The thing that really annoyed me is that I felt like all the hard-work I put in before I injured myself was for nothing considering I lost out to a guy who knows nothing about strength training.

Some people are just "born" strong, or became strong because they do physical jobs.
I had to train hard to get the strength stats I have now. Some people have better luck in some things, but you can get a strong (and stronger) than them by training hard.

[guni]

There's a difference between getting strong and getting lean/healthy.
You can eat like shit and still get pretty strong as long as you're getting the calories in. It'll just catch up to you someday, health-wise.

[tarun]

You can eat a lot of junk food and get fat...and you'll most likely be stronger than a random skinny guy off the street who eats clean all the time and isn't as strong as you. But when you hit your late 30s and 40s, thats when it'll take its toll on you: heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc.

[Quash]

I was just discussing this today. I half jokingly said that I'm just going to eat as much as possible this first year, since that's when a newcomer such as myself will put on the most weight. Lately, I have been eating pretty much anything I set my eyes on, healthy or not. I do eat healthy 80% of the time, and I enjoy cooking and eating healthy. But for me right now, I'd rather shove it all down now, and worry about starting cardio in six months after I put up 225# on the squat for 5x5.

[paul]

i dont think its necessary to eat healthy, but i do think it will help. ive gotten stronger at times when i eat nothing and times when i eat shitty. it also depends on genetics and all that

[OrlandoInFL]

Lifting with intensity is #1 on the list of getting stronger. All else is #2.

[Young Athlete]

I have been working out for months and although im stronger then 75% of boys in my grade some are just stronger then me naturally. One of those people who is stronger then me is going to train with me this summer.