Mark Alvisi: Mr. USA's Diet/Nutrition Strategies
Intelligent Diet and Food Planning Were Key to Pro Success
Oct 16, 2009
In less than 10 years, national bodybuilding champion Mark Alvisi has climbed from regional natural competition to a career high as the men's class winner at the 2009 NPC USA championships in Las Vegas this past July. Much of his success has depended on his knowledge and dedication to nutrition, supplementation and dieting that has been central to transforming his physique to a world-class heavyweight and professional status this year.
The Road to the 2009 USA Championship
What were some of the main events in Mark's past and current nutritional strategies that have made his success possible? He summarizes some of the key features in his progress to his USA championship this way:
Suite101: What did you adjust in your diet or training that year that helped you move ahead so well into competition as a heavyweight from 2006 onward?
Mark Alvisi: Well, I always take advantage of my rebounds coming in off of a show. I think you do best and grow the most when you're coming off of a contest, when you're in a calorie-restricted state and all of a sudden you introduce twice the amount of calories. I'd grow very rapidly just as soon as I put the calories back into my diet, so I always take advantage of my rebounds.
Suite101:Compared to what you were doing just five or six years ago, what has changed significantly in your pre-contest preparation in either training or diet?
Mark Alvisi: Well, I really keep myself in shape year round, I really don't get out of shape. So what that means is that I don't have to diet as hard or as long to get into shape. So typically nothing has really changed, I just have started adding in more cardio during the in-season.
Ongoing Diet and Supplementation Routines
Suite101: Any supplements you regularly rely on during the in-season period?
Mark Alvisi: I will take branched chain amino acids, glutamine, creatine before and after I work out. Gaspari Nutrition has a few great products that I use; they have the SuperPump 250 which is a pre-workout compound to increase your energy, and provides you the mental focus for your training. I also take SizeOn which is a creatine drink, and they also have a great product called PlasmaJet, which is exclusively an NO product. And then they've got they've got their whey protein, which I supplement with as soon as I'm done with my workout. Then I take a multivitamin several times a day, supplement with additional vitamin D and B complex and daily multivitamin Omega-36, glucosamine.
Suite101: What is your meal plan like most recently during your contest preparations?
Mark Alvisi: I have 7 meals a day, early morning - typically my first meal is between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. in the morning, after I've done my cardio, and then I eat every two to three hours until I get them all in.
Suite101: What do you prefer to include as far as seafood?
Mark Alvisi: I start incorporating more talapia, which is much lower in fat and digests really well, and helps me get very lean and conditioned along with the cardio.
Suite101: Is your dieting period about the same amount of time as it was when you first started competing as a heavyweight back in 2006?
Mark Alvisi: No, I actually have to diet less. As I put on more mass, I'm finding it easier to stay lean, because my metabolic rate is higher, so I just keep myself in shape. Typically nowadays I only have to diet really hard during the last five weeks before an event.
Suite101: What kinds of foods do you like to allow yourself during the off-season that you would avoid during your in-season dieting?
Mark Alvisi: The only difference with my off-season diet is that maybe I'll allow myself to indulge in something on the weekends. Typically, I always eat the same things. I might have ice cream, or something like that, but once you eat clean all the time, you don't want to eat any junk anymore - it just doesn't appeal or agree with you once you eat clean foods for a long time.
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