1.) Meat
Irrespective of the science behind why meat increases strength, nearly 100% of the top competitors in bodybuilding, powerlifting, and strongman eat meat approximately 4-6 times per day. For this reason alone, all lifters should seriously consider this as the primary staple of their diet, and in these amounts. One huge advantage is meat is that it can be consumed in relatively high amounts without any negative effects on health. This is because protein is the main ingredient in this food, and protein is a relatively safe macronutrient to eat in high amounts.
I prefer meats that are cost effective and have a little bit of fat to maintain my fullness and consequently my sanity. For this reason, chicken and steak tend to be staples of my diet. Typically, I increase the amount of meat that I eat throughout the training cycle as I get closer to a powerlifting meet. This way, I am likely to increase my muscle mass leading up to the meet, while still building relative pound-for-pound strength in the offseason when I am not eating much.
2.) White Rice
As with meat, nearly all top competitors in bodybuilding eat rice with each meal. From my experience, rice plays a dual role as both a pre-workout food and a post-workout food. By pre-workout food I mean that it fuels your body when eaten 1-2 days before lifting. Some people refer to this as “carb loading,” and its usually done prior to athletic contests of various sorts to maximize performance. Rice also serves as a post-workout food, and by that I mean that it is a kind of food that helps build muscle once it breaks down after workouts and helps the central nervous system recover.
Also like meat, a benefit of rice is that it is relatively safe on the digestive tract when eaten in high, frequent amounts. Unlike other sources of carbohydrates, rice does not cause rapid fluctuations in mood and “crashes.” Although rice contains a lot of calories, this food can often result in healthy weight gain compared to other carbohydrate foods such as bread, pizza, bagels, and some pastas. Gaining weight alone can cause one to gain strength.
3.) Kale
I have a theory completely based on my experience that kale increases strength when eaten 1-2 days prior to lifting. I cannot explain the science behind this, but every time I plan my kale intake this way I feel an extra “boost” in my lifts. About a couple of years ago I started having kale every day, and my strength seems to be increasing higher ever, which makes me think it also has benefits of a post-workout food.
Based on what I know about kale, a correlation between kale and strength would not surprise me. Kale is perhaps the only food where you can most easily get 100% of your required daily value of vitamins A, C, and K. Vitamins C and K are known to play roles in the growth of cells used to promote muscle growth, bone growth, and strength. Kale also contains nutrients known only from plants called phytochemicals which can have subtle effects on strength.
4.) Sunflower kernels
I have seen potent effects on strength gains from my own experience consuming sunflower kernels on a regular basis. Other than getting an easy dose of vitamin E, which is rare among foods, the primary reason is that they help with strength is because they promote weight gain. Only one cup of sunflower kernels contains approximately 818 calories. Once you consume more calories than you burn within a particular time frame, this generally results in weight gain because the excess calories get stored throughout the body instead of being burnt as fuel for the body.
Another reason why sunflower seeds are a good food for weight gain is because they contain relatively high amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. This is significant because most foods in strength-based diets include large amounts of meat, which normally contain a lot of saturated fat. Saturated fat is not a bad thing, but when the body does not intake monounsaturated and polyunsaturated foods as well, this restricts blood flow which hinders strength and its counterpart, longevity. This makes it good as an extra source of calories to “boost” weight gain, which results in strength.
5.) Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt doesn’t necessarily have to be a staple of a strength-based diet for progress, but it can be nice to have a food other than meat to maintain sanity while obtaining similar strength benefits. Like meat, greek yogurt can be eaten in relatively high amounts without adverse health consequences which is largely in part due to the high protein content. The food does not spike the insulin nearly as much as typical dairy products, and in fact has a cleansing effect on the digestive tract due to its probiotics.
Another benefit of greek yogurt is the vast variety of flavors people make it with. This makes it a useful food because it can satisfy cravings that you cannot get from usual strength-based diets such as meat and rice. Although a flavored greek yogurt might contain more sugars than a non-flavored greek yogurt, I still found from my own experience that my digestive tract and health remain stable even with flavored greek yogurt.
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