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calorie/carb cycling

calorie/carb cycling and surplus for lean bulk in advanced trainee

FPB267
FPB267 g FoX Devos
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: December 12, 2016
Posted
Hi Scott,
Been following your very nice youtube and facebook channel for a while now. Thanks for the great info!
 
I am an 42y.o., pretty advanced (Belgian) trainee, working out over 25years, with some (pauze) intervals during studies (MD, PhD) and due to family (3 kids), but now again fully motivated to reach a "SuperHero physique" :-)

I successfully leaned down (using MyFitnessPal tracking my calories and macro's) from 86kg to 68kg (length 1m72cm) going from 15+ %BF to 11%BF now.

Since several months I am following a 3-day split (Chest/Triceps, Back/Biceps, Shoulders/Legs) (lean) Bulking program, working out 3 non-consecutive day per week, using Reverse Pyramid Training for the compound movements, Standard (pump) Pyramid training for isolation movements, weighted ab work at the end of each workout, 2 Bodyweight movements included in each workout (motivating myself to stay lean and being 'athletic'/'functional').

I have a question concerning my way of calorie/carb cycling I cannot seem to figure out or find an answer to on the different 'expert' online channels I follow.

My calorie maintenance is 2250cal. (160g protein (30%), 80g fat (30%), carbs 222g (40%) ) 

I have 1 low calorie (rest) day -300 = 1950cal each week.

The other 3 rest days I eat +200cal = 2450cal.

The 3 workout days I use intra-workout some carbohydrates and post-workout a protein+carbohydrate shake or meal, giving me an extra 500cal.

A lot of formulas say a 75to90minute intense workout burns around 500cal for my weight. 

Does this even out the peri-workout calories? In other words did my workout "earn" me these extra calories, just as walking or extra cardio would burn me extra calories, which I could eat?

So can I eat maintenance 2250 +500calories ("earned" by the workout) +200calories 'lean bulk surplus' 

OR only the 500 OR only the 200?
 
OR is this surplus too much anayway for my 'advanced' status? Some sources say an advnced trainee should eat maintainance on rest days and +200cal on lifting days.
 
What is your advice?

As you can conclude, since I am very 'experienced'/'advanced' I realize I cannot build a lot of muscle in a month or a year. My training focuses on intensity and I progressive overload and still hit PR's each week. But still I am afraid to gain too much weight = too much fat by overshooting my calories. Hence the question to you.
Thanks!
 
Fox
 
jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: FPB267
Hi Scott,
Been following your very nice youtube and facebook channel for a while now. Thanks for the great info!
 
I am an 42y.o., pretty advanced (Belgian) trainee, working out over 25years, with some (pauze) intervals during studies (MD, PhD) and due to family (3 kids), but now again fully motivated to reach a "SuperHero physique" :-)

I successfully leaned down (using MyFitnessPal tracking my calories and macro's) from 86kg to 68kg (length 1m72cm) going from 15+ %BF to 11%BF now.

Since several months I am following a 3-day split (Chest/Triceps, Back/Biceps, Shoulders/Legs) (lean) Bulking program, working out 3 non-consecutive day per week, using Reverse Pyramid Training for the compound movements, Standard (pump) Pyramid training for isolation movements, weighted ab work at the end of each workout, 2 Bodyweight movements included in each workout (motivating myself to stay lean and being 'athletic'/'functional').

I have a question concerning my way of calorie/carb cycling I cannot seem to figure out or find an answer to on the different 'expert' online channels I follow.

My calorie maintenance is 2250cal. (160g protein (30%), 80g fat (30%), carbs 222g (40%) ) 

I have 1 low calorie (rest) day -300 = 1950cal each week.

The other 3 rest days I eat +200cal = 2450cal.

The 3 workout days I use intra-workout some carbohydrates and post-workout a protein+carbohydrate shake or meal, giving me an extra 500cal.

A lot of formulas say a 75to90minute intense workout burns around 500cal for my weight. 

Does this even out the peri-workout calories? In other words did my workout "earn" me these extra calories, just as walking or extra cardio would burn me extra calories, which I could eat?

So can I eat maintenance 2250 +500calories ("earned" by the workout) +200calories 'lean bulk surplus' 

OR only the 500 OR only the 200?
 
OR is this surplus too much anayway for my 'advanced' status? Some sources say an advnced trainee should eat maintainance on rest days and +200cal on lifting days.
 
What is your advice?

As you can conclude, since I am very 'experienced'/'advanced' I realize I cannot build a lot of muscle in a month or a year. My training focuses on intensity and I progressive overload and still hit PR's each week. But still I am afraid to gain too much weight = too much fat by overshooting my calories. Hence the question to you.
Thanks!
 
Fox
 

Fox,

 

At the end of the day whether you do daily intermittent fasting like me or carb cycling like you are doing, you have to be in a constant deficit to burn bodyfat. Cycling the carbs keeps your metabolism and body from "panicking" and cannibalizing muscle tissue. I prefer intermittent fasting (IF) to carb cycling as it is easier to track and less restrictive but produces the same results thru manipulation of Growth Hormone (while fasting) and Insulin (when fed).

 

You can read more at www.leangains.com I am age 52 and I have been doing IF for almost 2 years now and it has worked fantastic for me. As and MD, you have probably read all the recent studies on how calorie restriction and fasting is great for longevity and prevention of chronic disease states like diabetes/insulin resistance, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and many others with root causes in too much insulin and too high blood sugar levels. IF is great for promoting lean muscle gain - albeit slow as expected without using exogenous hormones - but permanent with proper nutrition.

 

Doing intense workouts and any cardio (HIIT or otherwise) does increase EPOC and does burn more calories post workout but it does not "buy" additional calories to eat. If you eat extra, you will gain extra - regardless of how much energy you expend if the extra calories you eat exceeds your daily caloric budget for fat loss. The effects are cummulative so on days you burn more calories than you eat you accelerate fat burn and on days you still eat in a caloric deficit but don't burn as many calories you keep the fat burning process going. The advantage of carb cycling is you limit the days where insulin will be high to aid GH release and fat burning and then have one or two (max) "re-feed" days where you bump up the carbs to higher than normal levels to facilitate muscle gain. This is a delicate balance and you need to get it right to see results. This is why I prefer IF in that you don't really need to do carb cycling or lots of cardio to burn fat and preserve muscle. Adding those in just accelerates the process.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
muscular strength
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