Low-Carb Powerlifting

[blkbelt42]

great post as always E.

[jcloud]

Arch - are you still taking in a decent amount of calories? If I don't get plenty of fat I get pretty pissy and feel like ass. Upping the fat helps a bunch and I'm still shedding the weight. I'll still have a shorter fuse than normal, but it's not quite as bad.

[Arlecchino]

Arch - are you still taking in a decent amount of calories? If I don't get plenty of fat I get pretty pissy and feel like ass. Upping the fat helps a bunch and I'm still shedding the weight. I'll still have a shorter fuse than normal, but it's not quite as bad.

Not overdoing the low carb thing right now, but when I was on low carb days at least 50-60% of my calories were from fat. Tried to supplement a bit with healthy fats, but to get enough this did force me to eat things like cheese more than a normal diet would.

And I definitely feel like crap when I start to low-carb. Gets better for me over time.

[ArchDukeOfTops]

Arch - are you still taking in a decent amount of calories? If I don't get plenty of fat I get pretty pissy and feel like ass. Upping the fat helps a bunch and I'm still shedding the weight. I'll still have a shorter fuse than normal, but it's not quite as bad.

Yeah, I count calories, so my calorie intake was the same. I don't think I was taking in enough fat though, like 40% of my intake.

[Arlecchino]

Yeah, I count calories, so my calorie intake was the same. I don't think I was taking in enough fat though, like 40% of my intake.

Probably not high enough. Too much protein, or too much protein and carbs, will limit your ability to achieve and remain in ketosis.

[ArchDukeOfTops]

Here's another question:

I tried carb cycling, on a three day cycle, no carb day, low carb day, and a high carb day. This diet actually was easier for me because I just put my no carb days on off days.

What principle does this work on? You're obviously not going into ketosis, so what does this cycling do for you that eating under maintenance doesn't?

[Arlecchino]

Here's another question:

I tried carb cycling, on a three day cycle, no carb day, low carb day, and a high carb day. This diet actually was easier for me because I just put my no carb days on off days.

What principle does this work on? You're obviously not going into ketosis, so what does this cycling do for you that eating under maintenance doesn't?

Assuming your calories do not really change, it can still work to regulate leptin production, and important hormone in fat loss. Also, on days where you are not really active, you do not need as many carbs as other days. So when your have excess sugar that you are not using, guess where it goes?

[Patu]

Anybody tried the Anabolic Solution for powerlifters by Mauro DI pasquale?

I?m on week three and loving it!

[Arlecchino]

Anybody tried the Anabolic Solution for powerlifters by Mauro DI pasquale?

I?m on week three and loving it!

Nope. Details?

[strongman963]

I have received a couple of questions about this, and at least one thread request, so here goes.

Right from the start: Low-Carb dieting is not for everyone. The only way to know if you can successfully diet utilizing this method is by trial and error.

Various methods:

Ketogenic diet: This is the standard low-carb approach, where minimal (less than 10% of total kcal/day) are consumed. While this may work well for some, most athletes require more carbs than this.

Training would proceed as normal.

Targeted ketogenic diet (this is an older term, but the one I first used/learned for this approach, so I still use it): This method allows the athlete to consume a modest amount of carbs pre-/post-workout to either provide energy, replenish depleted muscle glycogen, or both. Amounts vary based on the individual, training intensity and volume, and sometimes even frequency of workouts.

Training would also proceed as normal.

Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: This is my personal favorite, largely because it allows me to eat at IHOP in the morning, and have pasta for lunch and dinner one day a week. How cool is that? There are various methods of accomplishing this, but I will detail the one that works best for me.

I train Westside-style:

Monday Morning: ME squat
Monday Evening: ME Bench
Tuesday: GPP Lower body
Wednesday: GPP Upper body
Thursday: off or light cardio.
Friday: Depletion workout (DE squat followed by DE bench)
Saturday: Eat and sleep. Lots.
Sunday: Off (sometimes I would do ME squat here, depending on how I felt).

Diet: Monday - Friday (pre-workout) as little carbs as possible.
Post workout: High glycemic carbs and protien for the first few meals. Goal here is to achieve glycogen supercompensation, and after a few I am actually force feeding myself, so liquid works best for me. Solid food immediately after either made me cramp or gave me trouble keeping it down. I used waxy maize starch (nice and cheap) and whey protein for the first two meals, and WMS and a protein blend (BSN Syntha-6) for the next two. During my re-carb (Late Friday through Saturday) I would, with the exception of breakfast Saturday morning (IHOP rules) I would keep my fat intake as low as possible, not only because fat delays gastric emptying, which defeats the purpose of trying to refill muscle glycogen as quickly as possible, but because the combination of carbs and fat is more likely to screw up the insulin response and cause spillover which can lead to fat storage. The goal with this approach is to get the nutrients I need to the places I want them to go. Sunday was a low-carb day as well.

There are a lot of variations with each approach. Some people would perform a TKD-style diet with a modest depletion workout, etc. Methods vary with the individual.

Good background reading:

http://www.mendosa.com/ (go to the section marked food, and read up on the glycemic index)

Other links:

Keto Forum: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=61

Great thread: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=59921

low carb is yumpie talk

[Arlecchino]

low carb is yumpie talk

And you wonder why you are in the red?

[tomahawk1984]

I'm going to start a ketogenic diet on Sunday. Looking forward to eating ham and cheese all day!

[marcusmucheck]

yeah, im a "yumpie."

[blkbelt42]

low carb is yumpie talk

why is it you even keep talking??

[db2000]

BUUUUUMMMMMMP

Are people still doing the low carb thing?

How is the strength levels?

Do you feel that low carb diets are good for gaining strength...or just losing fat without too much muscle?

[BigLarge]

I've had good success with the small amount of KETO experience i've had.

I managed to loose 18 lbs and increase my big lifts slightly using a CKD. repped

[Heavy_Beats]

BUUUUUMMMMMMP

Are people still doing the low carb thing? I am.

How is the strength levels? Not bad.

Do you feel that low carb diets are good for gaining strength...or just losing fat without too much muscle? I feel as though I have been making reasonable strength gains for a novice trainee.

On a side note I have gone from 160lbs@12.5%bf to 182lbs@14.3%bf in 9 months.

[holbee]

Ok, I'm on day 21 of a 28 day modified v-diet. Modified in that I'm getting one solid meal a day (meat, green veggies, salad, dressing) and 4 shakes. Workout days I take in an extra 12 oz 1% milk and 2 scoops whey post workout.
long and the short of it: I've dropped weight ( 237 to 217 so far) and kept strength, but I am ready to be done with this thing.

I'm dragging tail. My squats and bench are early in the week and havn't taken a hit, but my dl's are on Thursdays and I'm tired just walking down the stairs to do them. Still hitting within 80-90%, so I'm not dropping strength yet, but I feel like I've put my strength gains on hold for 4 weeks.

I'll be trying the ckd for my "transition" off of this.

Other thing to note for those still reading: my wife and her workout partner have been doing the same diet, adjusted to their size etc., and have had no where near the results. Wife has lost 10 lbs and 6% bf (I tell her it's great, but she's upset it's not more for the sacrifice involved) and her partner has only lost 4 in 2 weeks.

[SophieM]

Hate to bump this as a newb to this section but I didn't see any female responses (forgive me if I missed them) and wanted to add my experience.

I did the Anabolic Diet (5 days less than 30 g of net carbs, 2 days high carb) for 9 weeks.

Strength gains were great. My SLDL went from 155-170 lbs, averaging about an increase a week. All my other lifts were up as well.

I didn't really have many "side effects" this time. I had tried the AD back in December and was really weak and tired for the two weeks I was on it. Had a horrible headache, was dizzy, etc. The second time around, none of that happened.

Around Wednesday, I would get a HUGE energy spike which was awesome. Then, I would crash on the weekends with all the carbs, mostly pasta and milk, though I did have cookies and stuff at times.

I wasn't using it to lose weight and maintained my weight pretty well give or take 1-2 lbs.

I've been off of it for 3 weeks now and am thinking about going back on it. I felt better when I was on it. I stopped it originally for a week while I was away but then when I came back, the foods made me nauseous so I just stopped it.

I had a log in the keto section. The people over there are great. This time when I start back up, it will be to bulk, for about a month, and then to lean down a little for a cruise coming up in December. The first sign of strength loss and it's screw the leanness. Who cares what I look like if I can't lift heavy?

[PeonLover]

I prefer to take in like 400-500 grams of carbs/day. Keeps the energy for lifting up.

[DJSTARER]

this is a good post.


I have also found from experience that stacking heavy trainin days in the middle of a 2 day re-feed is the way to go. The 3-4 days following will be light days with ample aerobic activity.

[Assassin]

BUUUUUMMMMMMP

Are people still doing the low carb thing?

How is the strength levels?

Do you feel that low carb diets are good for gaining strength...or just losing fat without too much muscle?

I've been doing the low carb thing since October 2008, and am currently doing zero carbs each week with one cheat meal. I'm leaner and stronger than I have ever been at this weight, and am approaching better raw numbers at 60lbs lighter than when I used to be in the 280-290s.

The main thing is attitude. If you piss and moan about not having carbs, you're not going to make gains. If you decide drop your volume or maxes while cutting, you're going to get weaker. One must continue to train as though they're not on a caloric deficit.

There is an adjustment period for sure. Once you get past that, the cravings subside and it's actually not that bad. For myself, it's been a lifestyle change I will continue for many years to come. The off-season bodybuilder look is something many would kill to have, but don't want to put the work into achieving. I'd kill myself if I just threw away all this hard work and money (to pay for working with Shelby) just to revert to old eating habits.

Bottom line: low carb isn't terrible, you just have to keep the end goal in sight at all times.

-Ryan

[Rawngus]

ketosis is a last resort mode for the body why the hell would anyone want to live in it besides ketones are like 30% less efficient then carbs anyhow

[gbg]

Presently coming out of my coma from this weekends carb up.
I'm happy with the CKD other than the fact it effects my joints but for cutting it rocks if you can stick with it.
Personally still debating on doing a post w/o carb rather than on Friday considering my joint issues.
Presently have tendinitis in left elbow and may be starting in my L wrist.

[Arlecchino]

BSN syntha-6 is not a protein blend it is simply a 95% whey concentrate with a slight amount of egg and casein to meet label claims. If it was a true protein blend it would list the %. This is a common marketing tool to fool consumers into thinking it is a protein blend.

As for it's "amazing taste" that comes from the higher than normal artificial sweetner amount ( I do not want to even get into this as that would take about 5 more pages of text, just google artificial sweetener danger) and powdered sunflower oil that they add into it.
Lol come to think of it syntha-6 is prolly one of the worst choices out there

It is enough of a blend for me to use on a recomp. I do not wish a long digesting protein based on long experience.

Given that I really dislike to diet, I am actually concerned with taste. This actually is a factor, given how long I have been using protein supps.

My actual favorite protein is Ultra Peptide 2.0 Chocolate Peanut Butter, FWIW.

[Arlecchino]

ketosis is a last resort mode for the body why the hell would anyone want to live in it besides ketones are like 30% less efficient then carbs anyhow

Well, some people are insulin/sugar sensitive, like myself. Or others may have experimented with cutting weight for more than 25 years (again, like myself) and found the way that works best for them.

And most of the dietary strategies discussed here involve various carb refeeds, or carbs post-workout, or some other variation. The carbs from my carb up carry me through the rest of the week with no decrease in strength. Sure, the depletion workout sucks ass, but that is sort of the point.

So why would I do it? Best results I have ever had while dieting, simple as that. Other people do better with different plans.

[Tom Bro]

I think it needs to be said that the long term ramifications of low-carb dieting without actually knowing exactly how it works aren't worth it.
No, I didn't say 'don't go low-carb'. But people saying they're going zero carb for months at a time? That's ludicrous.
The biggest thing you're going to miss out on is fibre.
'Oh but I eat my veges'. Remember, you need 30-40g of fibre every day. You'd have to be eating a crap-load of veges to get that sort of fibre.

Cyclic keto diets will work, but I wouldn't recommend it for the long term.

[Arlecchino]

I think it needs to be said that the long term ramifications of low-carb dieting without actually knowing exactly how it works aren't worth it.
No, I didn't say 'don't go low-carb'. But people saying they're going zero carb for months at a time? That's ludicrous.
The biggest thing you're going to miss out on is fibre.
'Oh but I eat my veges'. Remember, you need 30-40g of fibre every day. You'd have to be eating a crap-load of veges to get that sort of fibre.

Cyclic keto diets will work, but I wouldn't recommend it for the long term.

Not too many people go zero carb for months at a time, certainly not most athletes who wish to perform well. That being said, it is fairly easy to supplement with psyllium husks or some other sort of carb-free fiber.

What sort of long-term ramifications were you talking about?

[Tom Bro]

Not too many people go zero carb for months at a time, certainly not most athletes who wish to perform well. That being said, it is fairly easy to supplement with psyllium husks or some other sort of carb-free fiber.

What sort of long-term ramifications were you talking about?

Not too many people who know what they're doing. By the sounds of it, a lot of people here don't seem to know. I agree with you whole-heartedly with being able to supplement fibre ... and technically, all fibre is carb-free. But it should be said that fibre supplements still only usually offer 4-5g of fibre per serve, and not many people would take such a thing 6 times a day.

The only long-term things I'm talking about are related to low fibre intake (IBD, colorectal cancers etc.) There hasn't been enough (if any) credible studies on 'long-term' low carb dieting. I personally think there is nothing wrong with it IF adequate fibre intake is achieved. (I myself very rarely consume more than 70g of carbs a day, but I do get at least 35g of fibre a day).

[Arlecchino]

Not too many people who know what they're doing. By the sounds of it, a lot of people here don't seem to know. I agree with you whole-heartedly with being able to supplement fibre ... and technically, all fibre is carb-free. But it should be said that fibre supplements still only usually offer 4-5g of fibre per serve, and not many people would take such a thing 6 times a day.

The only long-term things I'm talking about are related to low fibre intake (IBD, colorectal cancers etc.) There hasn't been enough (if any) credible studies on 'long-term' low carb dieting. I personally think there is nothing wrong with it IF adequate fibre intake is achieved. (I myself very rarely consume more than 70g of carbs a day, but I do get at least 35g of fibre a day).

Define long term.