The Bodybuilder's Nutrition Book

I bought this book before it was generally released at a seminar Dr. Columbu held in early 1985 in Seattle. I was heavily into bodybuilding at the time and it was really a revelation. It is 25 years later now and this book still is as useful now as it was then. However, most people do not understand what this book is for. It is not for pre-competition bodybuilders. It is for off competition bodybuilding. The nutritional requirements are quite different for the two types of bodybuilding. If you are interested in understanding how your body works with the various nutrients it needs, then this is the book for you. If you are looking for a book that will take you to the next level or prepare you for your next competition, then you should look elsewhere. In fact, even when I first read the book, I found Dr. Columbu's title to be limiting. The real title should be, "The Athlete's Nutrition Book". That is how useful this book is. Any athlete who is interested in a great, basic, no BS approach to good nutrition should read this book and take out of it what meets their particular needs. I have given copies of this book to friends many times and highly recommend it!

This is a must read for anyone that is serious about bodybuilding. We hear it day after day, "80% of what results we get is related to diet". Well wouldn't you go to an authority on the subject of diet and nutrition that is geared specifically for bodybuilding? Of course you would! And at this price there is no reason not to pick one up. Dr. Columbu breaks down what could be a complicated subject into completely understandable terms and methods. He is going to give you not only why you need this addition in your diet but he will tell you how to get it either through supplementation or by actual foods that you should eat to achieve this goal. I've been lifting and successfully building for 30 years now. Over this time I have learned pretty much on my own that what Dr. Columbu is telling you in this book is 100% accurate. I wish I had read this at the start of my lifting career though as I would have had major GAINS much earlier in the game. Combine this book with The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger (the Bible of lifting) and you are on your way to an epic olympic physique.

Published in 1985, The Bodybuilder's Nutrition book is written by one of the top bodybuilder's of his era, who also happens to be a chiropractor and has a PhD in Nutrition. Yes, the book is somewhat dated in that it doesn't cover every body building supplement (heavily advertised and touted as 'the supplements' in Muscle and Fitness, Flex and other similar magazines...) such as creatine, fat burners, BCAA's, etc..., but what it does cover is how the body processes proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, what you need to take in in order to either build, maintain or lose, and the vitamins and minerals essential for bodybuilding. The writer is no nonsense about 'eat real foods' and 'if you want to lose fat, don't eat things that make you fat'. He shuns dairy as he says it puts a layer of fat under your skin so that your muscles won't show. He recommends protein sources that are animal based (fish, meat) as the best protein as it's the protein most utilized by your body in the highest percentages. He talks about balancing the amount of fat in your diet with good carbohydrates (not cakes and cookies, but whole grains), and lean protein, to attain your goals. He gives basic guidelines for 3 meals a day with 1-2 snacks, for both competitive and non-competitive body builders; men and women, with breakdowns for the minimum amount of protein, carbs and fats you should take it based upon your gender and weight. I found this part to be very helpful, along with the index that lists common foods and their content in these areas. The bottom line on this book - it's helpful, but not all inclusive in today's market. That's OK for me, as I tend to shun the push for supplementation. Yes, I take a few CLA, Lysine, protein powder and Optimum Nutrition Essential Amino Energy, Fruit Fusion, 30-Count . Will I drop them as I take on this nutritional plan? Probably not. Will I add more supplements? No. But what I will do is drop dairy, try and limit my fat intake, keep drinking tons of water, and get more protein via eggs and fish, per the book to get a leaner look. I see a lot of good information and advice that has stood the test of time in bodybuilding nutrition here, and no need to reinvent the wheel with adding expensive supplements to the mix.

I’m not done with it yet, but so far it’s a great book on nutrition and worth the investment to buy.

This book by Franco Columbu, who is a retired world class bodybuilder, really isn't about nutrition for bodybuilders only. I found it to be a general nutrition book. I have numerous nutrition textbooks and they are basically summed up in this book. It is a quick guide to getting proper nutrition to help you make strong gains in muscle building. I found it to be very helpful with the chart in the back about different foods and their nutritional value. This book is a great guide to those who don't know much about nutrition. If you already have books on nutrition, there really isn't anything new here so save your money.

The book does a good job outlining how to break up calories and macros, however some of the info is subjective or outdated. It's good for people who don't really know much about macros, macro sources, or how to structure a diet for goals, but other than that, it's not really for intermediate or advanced people. It also seems like some of the diet structuring is designed for a small male, which might make you scratch your head if you are a larger individual trying to figure out how to make certain numbers work. Good if you're new to the game, interesting if you've been in it for a bit. More of interesting perspectives and nice info nuggets. A lot of this stuff is online or has newer, updated research.

I have read, and used this book for reference many times. A wealth of knowledge on nutrition, written by one of the great bodybuiilders. A real treasure.

This book breaks down a load of information. Dr Fanco Columbo even writes details on how to fully understand your body as far as cells and how nutrients help in restoring them with the foods you feed 'em. He also gives various diets depending on which situation you're at; Such as meal plan for competing, bulking, cutting, and even has vegetarian meal plans for those that are interested. I wish I had this back when I first started working out so that I would've had a better understand of dieting.

the book is too expensive in view of the content, it should be made available at cheaper rate, also the first half of the book state only basic biology relating to vitamins, minerals and there uses which is studied during school. atleast it should be made more value added considering the price of the book

Well worth the look back

Good knowledge in the book

très bien, toute une partie médecine, un tableau des calories. explication des nutriments et de leur rôle dans l'organisme. C'est mieux qu'un cours de SVT et c'est équivalent en français à :" la diététique de la musculation" qui est la même chose.

Un libro bien resumido para iniciarse, pero si se sabe algo del tema se queda en la superficie y no aporta nada nuevo.