Proper water intake for weight lifting - you getting enough?

The more research I do, the more I find that most people already know how to build the body they want. It's common knowledge. True, there are a few "hidden" tips and tricks of the trade, but not many.

On thing that's common knowledge is that you should drink plenty of water everyday. Now before you tune out on this one, hear me out.

Your muscles are 80% water. When you workout, you sweat, use a lot of energy, etc. So you lose some of that water. That inflation you see in your muscles is from blood rushing to the region. But once that goes away, your poor muscles are in a dire state. They need nutrition and water! Part of the size of in your muscles has to do with how much water they contain. You need proper water intake while weight lifting as you are losing a lot of minerals and stored energy.

Your whole body is mostly water, about 60%. Water is the main ingredient for the lubricant in your joints, and the lubricant in your muscle fibers that allow them to slide back and forth across each other. People cramp up and pull muscles when they don't get enough water. And without the right amount of water in your muscles, they won't work as efficiently as possible. And weight lifting is all about efficiency of motion.

So now you know why you should drink water, how much should you drink? The average non-lifter loses about 2 liters of water a day through urine, breathing, etc. so they should consume about 64 oz. or about 2 liters of water a day, just to keep going right.

But us lifters need a bit more than that. I generally try to shoot for 80 - 100 oz. or about 2.5-3 liters on workout days. Sometimes a little or less. If I'm doing cardio, I may shoot it up to 100-120 oz to compensate for heavy sweating.

A good indicator to see if you're getting enough water is the color of your urine. It should be clear to pale yellow, if you're healthy and getting enough water.

There are all kinds of ways to get this much fluid. Food contains water. Sports drinks contain water, etc. I like to use those small bought water bottles like Dasani and Aquafini, which are about .5 liters, so it's easy to measure. Just refill it at a water fountain and throw it away at the end of the day. Or you can a Nalgene bottle from your local Sports Authority which is about 120 mL, but just make sure you wash it out at the end of the day.

Well now you see the importance of water. Proper water intake is common knowledge, but no one does it, so it's one of those "hidden" secrets that the "pros" use, or anyone serious about building the right body. Until next time, Happy Lifting!

Mitchell