The Calisthenics Diet Planning Guide: How To Achieve Your Dream Body

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Calisthenics Meal Plan (Video)

Do you want to devise the perfect calisthenics meal plan so you can achieve your fitness goals and get the physique you’ve always dreamed of? If so, the first thing you need to understand is that consistency and determination is everything. Although it may be difficult to find a meal plan for your bodyweight fitness goals, a positive attitude will ultimately be essential in your success.

Excuses are lame. Regardless of what your reasons may be. Time, money, family, school, age, gender, height, upbringing, and whether you are fat or skinny. You need to recognize these excuses and face them. Nothing really restrains you from sticking to the calisthenics meal plan you want, other than yourself and your attitude. 

Take action every day, and don’t forget to enjoy the journey along the way. Your journey will build your character through adversity This is part of the process. But now you know that the power is in your own hands. Use it to take control of your health and body. Let’s go over the basics of a calisthenics diet so that you can create your bodyweight fitness diet plan and get in the best shape of your life! 

Intermittent Fasting and Training Before Eating

Before getting deeper into the diet, lets talk about Intermittent Fasting and the benefits of Training Before Eating. One of the most effective strategies for shedding fat while building muscle is intermittent fasting. This is where you eat all your meals within a specific time window, say 8 or 10 hours, and fast for the remaining 14 to 16 hours. For example, you might eat between 12 PM and 8 PM and fast from 8 PM to 12 PM the next day. Why does this work? When you fast, your body runs out of glucose from food and starts burning stored fat for energy. This is called fat oxidation, and it’s a great way to shed fat while preserving muscle.

Want to know something even better? if you work out in a fasted state, your body has no choice but to burn fat for fuel. This is especially effective for calisthenics because bodyweight exercises are already great for fat loss. When you combine fasting with training, you create the perfect environment for your body to burn fat and build muscle. Of course, training on an empty stomach isn’t for everyone. Start slowly and assess how your body feels. If you feel weak or dizzy, you can have some water with electrolytes. If that doesn’t help, consider a small snack like a banana or a handful of nuts before your workout. But if you can handle it, try training in a fasted state and you surely will see the benefits over time…

However, fasting doesn’t mean starving yourself or skipping meals altogether. When you break your fast, it’s really important to break it by eating nutrient-dense, high-protein foods to start muscle repair. A post-workout meal with a mix of protein and carbs is equally important to restore your energy and help your muscles grow.

When it comes to diet for calisthenics, there are three main things to focus on: protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. These are called macronutrients, and they’re the building blocks of your diet. Let’s talk about each one and why they matter.

Dietary Basics – The Fundamentals

Now, let us first understand the absolute basics of nutrition. This will be the bare minimum and it won’t be complicated. Keep reading on and don’t be discouraged if you are uncertain about some things. Be open-minded and remember that the journey is the reward. You will learn the fundamental diet terminologies and their roles in your health:

  • Calories
  • Macronutrients
  • Protein (amino acids)
  • Carbohydrates (sugar)
  • Fats (lipids)

Calories

A calorie is a unit that can be used to measure energy in the same way that a pound/kilo is a unit that is used to measure weight, just the same way that a centimeter, meter, or foot is used to measure length. To function as a human, your body requires energy, and that is why we eat food – To gain energy. Food is energy, however, some foods contain more energy in them than others. 

Macronutrients (Macros)

The body has to acquire calories in order to obtain energy, and there are three different kinds of nutrients:

  • Carbohydrates (our main source of energy)
  • Proteins (for growth, repair, and good health)
  • Fats (contains essential fatty acids that our bodies can’t produce. It protects our organs, support cell growth, and help body absorbs vital nutrients)

For example, sweet potato is mainly made up of carbohydrates, as well as being low in fat and protein, per 100 grams. Whereas an egg has a good amount of protein and fat, but has little or no carbohydrates, per 100 grams. Each food contains a different amount of calories in them, depending on the make-up of macro the food consist of. 

Build Muscle or Lose Fat

When it comes to muscle building or fat loss, you would consume a certain amount of each component of macronutrient to achieve your goals. For example, to build muscle, you must intake a high amount of protein because it contains amino acids, which are the building blocks used for muscle growth. 

If you consume only sweet potatoes (which are made up of carbohydrates) to cover all the calories needed, you won’t be able to build muscle because you are missing vital building blocks of protein to help repair and maintain muscle tissue. 

Conversely, if you intake foods that contain high levels of fat and carbohydrate, you could get fatter than needed, even if you meet the protein requirement. While, if your diet is high in protein and carbs, but low in fat, you could “deprive your body of what it needs most”, says Vasanti Malik, a research scientist at Havard. Lack of vital hormones could cause your health to suffer. 

As you can see, you will need to consume calories from macronutrients that will help you to achieve your goal (that isn’t fizzy drinks, sugary sweets, and candy bars).

Calisthenics Diet

Much like calisthenics exercises, a calisthenics diet is pretty straightforward. It is very flexible and can be easily modified based on fitness goals. There is no cheat code for this, but rather, some basic suggestions that you should follow. If you’re eating the correct stuff, there’s no need for you to weigh your food. Below are some diet recommendations to complement your calisthenics workouts:

Prioritize Protein Intake

When you practice calisthenics you will provide high levels of tension on your body for your body to overcome movements in training. For example, executing perfect reps when doing pull ups, dips, push ups, and squats (these are the calisthenics fundamentals). This means that you should consume whole foods like lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, lean ground beef (grass-fed ideally), beans and legumes, salmon, tofu, eggs, etc. 

Protein helps repair and build lean muscle after exercise. This will increase muscle mass and strength which is essential for progressing in calisthenics. The International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests intaking a sufficient amount of protein provides your body with amino acids it requires to repair and reconstruct these proteins. A meta-analysis conducted in 2018 suggests that intaking approximately 0.73 to 1 gram per pound of body weight is optimal for muscle growth. 

Eliminate Junk Food

You should treat your body like a sports car and fuel it like one. When you go to pump your supercar at the gas station, you’d use the premium fuel to keep it in good condition for it to run optimally. Your body is like those supercars, it has the capability to do amazing things, and one of the biggest things that your body is missing is premium fuel for your engine

Eliminate junk, processed foods that are high in fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates (empty carbs). This includes candy bars, sweets, cakes, fizzy drinks, sweet juices, processed food as these can affect your exercise performance by exhausting your energy, undermining your metabolism, and inducing any unnecessary weight gain.

Fuel your body with rubbish, you are going to feel rubbish. Fuel your body with premium fuel, and you are going to feel like a million-dollar Lamborghini.

Stay Hydrated

According to the United States Geological Survey, around 60% of your body is made up of water and it plays a crucial role in your bodily function. Water is an essential substance to the life of every cell, it acts first as a building material. Your body can lose a lot of fluid when exercising through breathing and sweating.

If you don’t replenish this fluid back up, you can get dehydrated. This can affect your health and exercise performance. Going for a personal best record in diamond push ups? Well if you’re dehydrated, you’ll feel more tired quicker, and you won’t be able to manipulate your body temperature as well as normally. 

Supplements Can Be Useful 

Vitamins and minerals are crucial to helping your body advance and function as it should. While many people get all of what’s recommended (iron, calcium, vitamin D) by consuming healthy foods, others may need a little boost in nutrients and this is where supplements come in. 

Supplements can be useful in physical activities. These goods may increase your strength, enhance your performance, increase lean muscle mass, and decrease fatigue. You should be getting the nutrients that your body needs to stay healthful and strong. However, if you think that you could benefit from extra supplementation, here are some that you could include in your diet.

  • Creatine – Enhance exercise capacity and training adaptations. These adaptations enable individuals to increase training volume, which could lead to greater growth in lean mass and muscular strength and power. Intaking 2.5 to 5 grams per day can be effective. This supplement works well even for women.
  • On number two I have Shilajit. It is a natural substance found in the Himalayas. It’s rich in minerals and fulvic acid, which can boost energy, reduce fatigue, and improve overall performance. For calisthenics athletes, shilajit can be a game changer, especially during intense training sessions. Take a small amount about 300 to 500 mg daily, preferably in the morning or before your workout. It’s available in resin or powder form, so you can mix it with water or add it to your smoothie.
  • BCCAs – Known as Branched-Chain Amino Acids. This is a key component for protein synthesis. This increases muscle growth and helps decrease muscle soreness after workouts. A dose of 5g at least an hour before exercise can be effective.
  • Multivitamins – These are supplements that contain a large range of vitamins and minerals. Our body needs 13 vitamins to maintain health and wellbeing. If you are falling short for whatever reason, this could be a good option for you.

Avoid Inflammatory Foods

Equally important is avoiding foods that can harm your body and make your calisthenics journey harder. Inflammatory foods, like deep-fried items, sugary snacks, and heavily processed meats, can cause inflammation in your joints and muscles. This inflammation can make your body feel stiff and sore, slowing down your progress. For example, eating a burger and fries after a workout might seem satisfying, but the trans fats and processed ingredients in those foods can lead to joint discomfort, making it harder to perform pull-ups, push-ups, or even hold a plank. These foods not only cause inflammation but also provide empty calories that don’t fuel your workouts or help you recover. Instead, focus on whole, nutrientdense foods that reduce inflammation and support your training like fresh vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. These will help reduce inflammation and keep your body functioning at its best.

I know some of you might be thinking it’s nearly impossible to avoid processed foods completely. That’s why I suggest following the 80/20 rule. It’s an easy way to balance eating healthy while still enjoying your favorite foods. Strict food rules are hard to follow, so try to get 80% of your calories from healthy, whole foods and leave the other 20% for treats, or processed snacks.

Calisthenics Nutrition

ProteinCarbohydratesFat
Meat, poultry, and fish  (grass-fed beef, chicken, fish, pork)Quinoa, couscous, brown rice, oats, bread, pasta, lentilsNuts and seeds
Dairies such as milk and yogurtFruits and vegetablesFish such as salmon
Beans such as chickpeas, lentils Potatoes and sweet potatoesAvocados
NutsGrainsVegetable oils, olive oil, and olives
Soy and tofuCerealDark chocolate

Calisthenics Meal Plan 

If you were to follow the figures generated by your calculations using this guide, then you should have no problem with constructing the best diet for calisthenics. You will need to trust the process and be consistent. Also, you may need to make adjustments along the way. 

Changing your physical body is never linear without any adaptations. Therefore, as your body weight changes, you’ll still need to continue to modify your caloric intake to achieve your fitness goals. 

For example, if your goal is to lose weight, you could increase your energy expenditure by training at a higher intensity or by decreasing your calories intake. Whereas if you want to build muscle and increase strength, you should prioritize protein intake and decrease fat and carbs in your macronutrients. Below are meal options that you can try for a protein-rich calisthenics diet.

Breakfast Snack 1LunchSnack 2Dinner
Overnight oats Bean saladCanned tuna with boiled eggs and saladProtein shake with a banana Grilled chicken with mixed vegetables 
3-4 egg omelets with spinach Hummus with vegetablesMixed beans goulash Cup of mixed nutsSalmon with mixed vegetables
3-4 poached eggs with smoked salmon and avocadosGreek yogurt with cinnamon and nutsChicken with mixed vegetables and quinoa 3-4 Hard-boiled eggsSpinach salad with quinoa 

To determine your progress effectively, you should weigh yourself every 1-2 weeks and take progress photos. Do not weigh yourself every day as this is not healthy for your mind – It will drive you crazy and causes you to lose motivation! Your weight can fluctuate highly due to fluid changes in your body. 

The Key Takeaways

  • It will be difficult for you to achieve your goals if you don’t fuel your body with the right food
  • Intake adequate protein to get the best possible results from your workouts
  • Prioritize sleep and recovery 
  • Stay hydrated

Hopefully, this blog has given you some insight on how to manage and optimize your diet when it comes to losing fat or building muscle. A crucial factor is to incorporate a diet that is ideal for your calisthenics goals. This way, you’ll be able to stick with it in the long term and see progress during your workouts.

For those who are looking for a comprehensive step-by-step program that demonstrates to you how to properly manage your diet and train weeks on end to transform your body and achieve your goals, then book a consultation with one of our calisthenics diet coaches today!

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