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Muscle Gain on LC Diets
I'm curious how people have fared trying to add muscle mass while on
low carb diets. I'm finally nearing my desired body fat % (around 7-8%) and now am looking to start adding muscle. My plan is to raise my calorie count to a higher level, and I'm wondering how muscle buidling on LC diets compares to a more standard diet. Anyone out there who has been sucessul with this or have advice? Thanks, Fred |
#2
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Muscle Gain on LC Diets
Bulk up slowly on a balanced diet until you get to about 14% bodyfat. Then
go low carb again until you get back down to 8%. This advice assumes that you have a somewhat effective lifting program in place. -- JC Eat less, exercise more. -- "Fred" wrote in message om... I'm curious how people have fared trying to add muscle mass while on low carb diets. I'm finally nearing my desired body fat % (around 7-8%) and now am looking to start adding muscle. My plan is to raise my calorie count to a higher level, and I'm wondering how muscle buidling on LC diets compares to a more standard diet. Anyone out there who has been sucessul with this or have advice? Thanks, Fred |
#3
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Muscle Gain on LC Diets
Fred wrote:
:: I'm curious how people have fared trying to add muscle mass while on :: low carb diets. I'm finally nearing my desired body fat % (around :: 7-8%) and now am looking to start adding muscle. My plan is to raise :: my calorie count to a higher level, and I'm wondering how muscle :: buidling on LC diets compares to a more standard diet. :: :: Anyone out there who has been sucessul with this or have advice? :: A LC diet is definitely not optimal for gaining weight, and that includes muscle, especially. You may want to check out the Ultimate Diet 2.0 at this site: www.theketogenicdiet.com This diet combines low carb with periods of very high carb intake. It is mainly used for fat loss (to very lean levels) with minimal muscle loss or even gain. However, there is a variant of it that promotes muscle gain with minimal fat gain. You want that. The UD2 is a pretty tough scheme to follow. You may find that just raising carbs to no less than 100 g per day (to stay LC) and eating slightly above maintenance levels while doing little, if any, cardio and lifting heavy (read about HST at http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html) will work. Mix in periods of dieting to lose the fat that comes along with the muscle mass. Of course, going off LC completely would probably work best, but you'd have to diet periodically to relose bodyfat. Another book, Serious Strength Training, 2ed, by Bompa, Di Pasquale, and Cornacchia, discusses the use of LC diets for muscle building. However, the emphasis there is also mainly fat loss. However, on page 212 they talk about nutrition for hypertrophy, and the basic plan is to LC during the week with increased carb periods on the weekend. It is the same as the weight loss phase but for hypertrophy you must eat above maintenance level -- they recommend 25 calories per pound of the body weight you wan to attain (a lot!) in addition to weekend carb ups. To get a more direct answer, from people who have actually gained muscle while following a strict LC diet (I've gained muscle, but I'm a slightly over 1-year newbie at weight training and have been dieting most of that time -- hence I got muscle gain anyway) you may want to post your question at misc.fitness.weights. I'm kinda doubtful you'll find anyone who claims to have done so because strict low-carbing puts you into a low insulin state that is just not optimal for muscle gain. Nor is it optimal for really intense workouts. It's good for weight loss and maintenance (where more carbs are allow) but not really great at putting on mass -- where you need to be able to eat a lot -- and you won't have much appetite if you're strictly low-carbing. Good luck. |
#4
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Muscle Gain on LC Diets
Thanks,
I recently purchased the UD2.0 book and hoping it will work for me. |
#5
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Muscle Gain on LC Diets
Good luck.....
I've been doing UD2 for the past two weeks and am into my thrid week. I'm mainly taking a break from HST...I cut my second carb up back to 24 hours from 30...and I didn't use any creatine (both, that plus carbing up really bloats you up!) Fred wrote: :: Thanks, :: :: I recently purchased the UD2.0 book and hoping it will work for me. |
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