Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Food Facts
  • Reviews
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Arnold Classic
      • Mr. Olympia
      • Results
      • 2022 WSM
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Fasting
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Food Facts
  • Reviews
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Arnold Classic
      • Mr. Olympia
      • Results
      • 2022 WSM
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
No Result
View All Result
Bodybuilding

Rich Gaspari on the Importance of Nutrition: “Being Successful in Bodybuilding is 80% Diet”

Gaspari offered a few pointers for gaining muscle with a steady diet plan: 'If you don't have the right macronutrients to grow, you're not going to grow.'
Doug Murray

Written by Doug Murray

Last Updated onFebruary 15, 2023

Rich Gaspari on diet

Rich Gaspari (Credit: Instagram)

Rich Gaspari retired several years ago, but still shares his knowledge of bodybuilding with fans today. In a recent Instagram post, Gaspari revealed his diet plan for gaining muscle and stressed that finding success in bodybuilding is largely determined by nutrition. 

During the 1980s and 90s, Gaspari made a name for himself as a Men’s Open bodybuilder. Known for symmetry, conditioning, and striated glutes, his influence on the sport was undeniable. While competing actively, Gaspari tested himself against some of the best, like perennial contender Lee Labrada, eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, and six-time winner Dorian Yates. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rich Gaspari (@richgaspari)

Gaspari stirred controversy after comparing the backs of Yates and Hadi Choopan recently. The 2022 Mr. Olympia took issue with the juxtaposition. While Choopan fired back, Gaspari insisted that conditioning in today’s sport is far from what it was back when he competed. He’s since elaborated on this point, mentioning that today’s pros are using excessive amounts of drugs instead of utilizing quality training and diets. 

Speaking in a recent video, Gaspari shared some common dietary measures for building muscle. He also described his “35% protein, 45% carbohydrates, and 20% fat” macronutrient plan. 

Rich Gaspari: “You’re Not Going to Grow Muscle Until You Feed The Machine” 

Gaspari spoke with a few bodybuilders and was taken aback by their diets. According to Rich, success in bodybuilding is 70-80% diet. 

“I started talking to a couple of decent bodybuilders and they’re talking about their caloric intake. These guys are eating at 185, 195, 1900 calories. That’s eating like a bird. If you really want to gain muscle, you have to try to eat higher amounts of calories and do it slowly. I tell guys this, you’re not going to grow muscle until you feed the machine. Guys are always afraid of being fat, but you can speed up the metabolism. I always tell people, being successful in bodybuilding is 70, 80% diet. Think of it this way, if you’re building a house or you’re building, if you don’t have the cement, you can’t build the wall.

Same thing with nutrition. If you don’t have the right macronutrients to grow, you’re not going to grow. How do you do this, if you guys are on a low caloric intake because you want to stay lean… a guy who’s like 185 should be taking in – shit – like 3,000 calories to really start building muscle, 3,000 to 3,500 calories. But, you have to do it slowly. How do you do that. If you’re on 1,900 calories, what you need to do is do three days of 1,900 calories, and then do a day of 2,400 calories. Do that for two weeks, then increase your caloric intake to the 2,400 calories for three days, and then go up to 2,800 calories and do that for two weeks,” says Rich Gaspari. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rich Gaspari (@richgaspari)

Gaspari’s macronutrient plan incorporates a ‘35% protein, 40% carbohydrates, 20% fat’ ratio. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rich Gaspari (@richgaspari)

“With macros, you want to stay on a 35, 45, 20, 35% protein, 40% carbohydrates, 20% fat. What you’re going to be eating with your proteins is you’re going to stay with low fat proteins. Staying with lean ground meat, chicken, salmon, eggs, try to eat more egg whites of course but have a couple of egg yolks. Whey protein of course. For complex carbohydrates, I stick to gluten free carbohydrates, sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, brown rice, oatmeal. That’s basically my carbohydrates. Some beans, some simple fruits,” Gaspari added. 

He mentioned that the fiber in his diet comes from vegetables. Gaspari said eating this way consistently will help the body acclimate to ‘accepting’ higher amounts of calories. 

“Then you want some fiber. At least a couple meals with vegetables, of course, using asparagus, broccoli, Colliflower, salads, so you have that fiber.” 

“Stay away from refined carbohydrates — white flour, white bread, white sugar, those are the enemies. If you eat this way consistently slowly increasing your caloric intake, you’ll be able to eat more and more and acclimate your body to be able to accept those higher calories and use it for building muscles.” 

Gaspari isn’t the only bodybuilder from the 80s critical of practices today. Recently, Lee Haney discussed the modern state of bodybuilding. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s viewpoint, Lee Haney argued the sport has become dangerous. He underlined that bodybuilders in his era reached a level of conditioning where they were ‘still able to walk away alive.’ 

RELATED: Rich Gaspari On Big Ramy 2022 Olympia 5th Place Outcome: ‘His Prep Coach Misguided Him’

At 59 years old, Gaspari is the picture of longevity and doesn’t mind sharing some of his anti-aging tips with fans. Looking ahead, he hopes athletes embrace better diets to reach their full potential as bodybuilders. 

Published: 15 February, 2023 | 2:34 PM EDT

Stay on top of the latest fitness news and updates by adding Fitness Volt to your Google News feed: Follow us on Google News You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for even more content.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn
Categories: Bodybuilding News Videos
Previous Post

Bodybuilder Derek Lunsford Shares 4 Key Tips for Stimulating Muscle Growth 

Next Post

Hunter Labrada Shares 2023 Off-Season Update Fasted at 280 Lbs, Reveals Diet and Training Routine

Doug Murray

Doug Murray

Doug Murray is a news writer and editor for FitnessVolt. He has built experience in various sporting fields, including MMA, and has written for a number of leading publications like MMA News, Sportskeeda, and CagesidePress.

Related

Joseph Baena

Joseph Baena Shares Killer Pull-Day Workout Routine For Mass And Strength

Joseph Baena, son of bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger, has gained a ton of momentum over the last few years. In...

Nick Walker Transformation

Nick Walker Shows Off Unreal Body Transformation: “We All Start Somewhere”

Bodybuilder Nick Walker made a name for himself with freaky muscle mass, size, and stellar conditioning in the IFBB Pro...

Dexter Jackson

Dexter Jackson Offers 2 Tips for Longevity, Says He Doesn’t Miss Sport: “I Stayed in the Game Long for a Reason”

Bodybuilding legend Dexter Jackson reached the top of the sport before stepping away from the stage in 2020. In a...

Hunter Labrada

Hunter Labrada Shares ‘The Best’ Exercise For Shoulders

Hunter Labrada takes time out of his busy schedule to share bodybuilding wisdom. This time, he shared what he considers...

Lee Haney

Lee Haney Reveals Why He Retired after 8th Olympia Win: ‘I Thought of Stopping at 7’

Bodybuilding legend Lee Haney moved on from professional competition at the top as an eight-time Mr. Olympia champion. In a...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Justin Woltering’s Workout And Diet Routine

Hollow Body Crunch Guide: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Alternatives

Joseph Baena Shares Killer Pull-Day Workout Routine For Mass And Strength

Nick Walker Shows Off Unreal Body Transformation: “We All Start Somewhere”

86-yo Powerlifter Breaks National & World Record in Deadlift: ‘Weightlifting is a Huge Part of My Life’

Hafthor Bjornsson Smashes 837.7-lb (380-kg) Squat In Prep For 970-lb (440-kg) Target

Reviews

Best Preacher Curl Benches

10 Best Preacher Curl Benches in 2023 (Review & Ranked)

Ancheer Treadmills Review

6 Best Ancheer Treadmills in 2023 (Review & Ranked)

Best Bone Broth Supplements

10 Best Bone Broth Supplements of 2023 (Reviewed & Ranked)

Fitness Volt

At FitnessVolt.com Our mission is to help our readers to achieve their fitness goals, regardless of where you’re at on your journey, we are on a mission to educate You with the latest from strength and fitness space. Read more.

Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com

Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis.

Follow Us

Trending Topics

  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • At Home Workouts
  • Bodyweight Exercises
  • Best Pre-workout
  • Best Fat Burners
  • Bodybuilding Diet
  • Bicep Workouts
  • Triceps Workouts
  • Chest Exercises
  • Back Workouts
  • Leg Workouts
  • Front Squat Guide
  • Calf Workouts & Exercises
  • Forgotten Exercises
  • Jefferson Deadlift

Calculators

  • Calorie Burning Calculators
  • IF Calculator
  • TDEE Calculator
  • Calorie Calculator
  • Keto Calculator
  • RMR Calculator
  • Macronutrient Calculator
  • Creatine Calculator
  • Wilks Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • FFMI Calculator
  • IBW Calculator
  • LBM Calculator
  • Fat Intake Calculator
  • Calories Burned Swimming
  • Calories Per Meal Calculator

  • Food Nutrition Analysis
  • Carb Cycling Calculator
  • Weight Gain Calculator
  • Weight Loss Calculator
  • Calories Burned Calculator
  • Strength Standards
  • One Rep Max Calculator
  • Body Fat Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • Weight Loss Percentage
  • Treadmill Calorie Calculator
  • Body Surface Area Calculator
  • Running Pace Calculator
  • Bench Press Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Water Intake Calculator
  • Body Type Quiz
  • Steps to Miles Calculator
  • Calorie Deficit Calculator
  • Home
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Accessibility
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Syndication
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© Copyright 2010 - 2023 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Bodybuilding
  • Arnold Classic
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
  • Training
  • Nutrition
  • Reviews
  • More
    • News
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2022 WSM
    • Diet
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • Food Facts
    • Fitness Calculator

© Copyright 2010 - 2023 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.