Are you guys gaining muscle mass on keto

[My Own Summer]

I've been reading all about ketosis for a few days now and started actually doing it yesterday to give it a try. I have not seen an answer to my question in a thread around here.

I have put 2 inches on my arms in 8 weeks. I'm loving the progress I've had from simply just eating clean but with a surplus. I'm not anal about counting calories. I'm not new to lifting but I'm glad someone explained proper nutrition to me. Now I'm seeing the gains.

After on and off going to the gym for the last 5 years it is just great to finally see progress now that I'm equipped with nutrition knowledge. So really my question is. Will I continue to build mass on Keto? I understand I'm pumping protein in to keep my muscles fed. I'm not afraid of losing what I've gained at this point.

Or does it still boil down to caloric surplus means putting on more muscle mass?

Sorry for the NewB questions guys!

[MarkVI]

You gained 2 inches in 8 weeks?.......

[BeejGrpA]

i regularly gain mass at ridiculous defecits and get pissed off coz i see it as evidence i could hav eaten less and cut more. :P

as for gaining mass, if thats what ur trying to do, continue eating at an excess, and dont stop doing cardio because u think u'll gain more, u wont. infact the cardio in itself will help u gain mass and is indeed anabolic.

[Notts_Ben]

2 inches on your arms sounds good. Did you check your bodyfat before/after to be sure that you have gained only lean mass?

[My Own Summer]

Yep 2 inches. I credit a lot of that to the NewB gains a lot of people see. I'm coming off a purely arm workout with compounds like rows or overhead presses. My bi's were almost the same size as my forearms, thats just silly in my opinion, lol. I measured out at 12.75" pumped and now at 14.75" as long as I have a killer pump going. So I guess it actually could be a safe 1.5". Also it's probably more like the 9th week. I had started and quit because I started dancing heavy again (no stripper). Then started the workout over again.

No I didn't take a bodyfat% before I started! Oh man I wish I did though. My arms are more cut than they were. So I can't say that all of it is muscle mass. They are just more cut though from the pics that i've taken.

I'm on a load and deload. This week I'm on 5 sets of everything and then I will back down to 3 sets and lighter weight for the de-load for 2 weeks. Then I'll move away from the arms workouts.

So I thought it would be silly to start Ketosis at the start of my LOAD week and start skimping on energy when I need it most while I convert to ketosis for the first time. My goal is to hit 15" by une 16th and that is when I'll stop bulking halway clean.

Thanks for all your help thus far. Probably not a good idea to be on Ketosis I guess just yet.

[My Own Summer]

Mark VI, I noticed your signature. God bless you sir, the kingdom is near!

[MarkVI]

Originally Posted by My Own Summer

Mark VI, I noticed your signature. God bless you sir, the kingdom is near!

Well congrats on the 2 inches! and yes, it's near but not near enough lol!!!!

[wit0005]

The gains i have made, both in muscle and in strength have been pretty exciting for me. I've been on keto for a month now, NEVER cheated, and i am working hard to reamin disciplined.

One thing that annoys me is that i dont think i am losing as much weight as i should be. My cardio days are wednesday or thursday and sunday (sometimes saturday too). My cardio usually involves quick jogging but i quite enjoy going for a 2 hour ride if i can.

I dont doubt that i've lost weight (which is my main aim after all), but i'm not sure if i should be doing more cardio.

Any ideas?

[MarkVI]

well where's your bf% at?

[wit0005]

13%

[Knux]

Yes. lots.

[L1FTHVY]

for a couple weeks i kinda strayed away from my proper macros and was pretty positive i was doing a keto bulk. my chest and arms definetly feel fuller and not weith fat because i still have vascularity

its weird. sometimes i miss carbs so bad. other times, i just love smashing lots of eggs and beef

[wit0005]

But do i do the same amount of lifting that i do now, or cancel some of the workouts in favour of more cardio?

Right now i'm doing this.

Sunday: 1 to 1.5 hours of medium-intensity running
Monday: Chest, biceps.
Tuesday: Back, triceps
Wednesday: Cardio 1 hour
Thursday: legs
friday: shoulders
Saturday: 1 to 1.5 hours cardio.

[MarkVI]

that's a lot of working out....do ever take rest days? what are the carbups looking like?

[L1FTHVY]

i lift mon-fri
chest
back
legs
shoulders
arms

abs 2 times a week, and i work in smaller muscle work too.

i love pumpin

i've been getting great pumps from having a tbsp natty peeb 1hr before WO
i dont use any dextrose PWO either just 30g pro

[wit0005]

Originally Posted by MarkVI

that's a lot of working out....do ever take rest days? what are the carbups looking like?

I looooooovvvvee the carbups.

I dont go too silly on friday night and saturday.
On friday, before the workout, i usually have 2 apples (along with a can of tuna). Then after the workout, its straight onto a full-carb protein shake (approximately 30 grams carbs and 40 grams protein).
Friday dinner usually involves a vegetable/ meat rich soup or fish patties with wholegrain bread and lots of salad.

Saturday breakfast is 2 cups of oats with a mixture of dried fruits.
Mid morning i will have some yoghurt, and then for lunch i will go nuts and have a BIG noodle dish with lots of vegies and lean meat.

Dinner will usually be a lean lamb/beef steak with a tray of roast sweet potato and pumpkin.

I'm currently a full-time uni student, so if i have to take rest days, its not really by choice, but becuase i have studying to do.

[Contrastyle]

It seems that I am losing weight during the three weeks I've been on keto. However, I am still creeping around the same weight although while looking in the mirror I have shed fat.

[Atavis]

Heh.

I have averaged 2300-2500 kcals a day over the last month. I am doing Crossfit which means it's basically 25-45 minutes off high intensity workouts 5 days a week.

At my size that should be sub-caloric right and my weight should be dropping and the high intensity should be eating lean mass...right?

Nope. I'm trending up. 218 glycogen loaded 1 month ago and 224.5 friday in a depleted state and 230 sunday morning after 24 hours of carb up.

Go figure.

[Contrastyle]

Originally Posted by Atavis

Heh.

I have averaged 2300-2500 kcals a day over the last month. I am doing Crossfit which means it's basically 25-45 minutes off high intensity workouts 5 days a week.

At my size that should be sub-caloric right and my weight should be dropping and the high intensity should be eating lean mass...right?

Nope. I'm trending up. 218 glycogen loaded 1 month ago and 224.5 friday in a depleted state and 230 sunday morning after 24 hours of carb up.

Go figure.

Is this you're first time on keto?

[Atavis]

Nope, not at all. I just do very well on it.

Funny thing is that I was actually meaning to drop some scale weight over the last month.

[Contrastyle]

Just wondered because it's my first time and I can't lose "weight".

[db2012]

I have gained a bit of size on a keto diet, but if gaining muscle is your goal this shouldn't be the diet your on. Most that gain muscle don't do the diet right, for its original purpose. Most will go over there maintenance cals. Some will do the carb up incorrectly, by eating to many carbs and for too long, and many have been deprived of cals and/or fat before starting the diet, so the change alone is enough to make gains.

If you do the diet correctly with a caloric deficit, and a modest carb up, you should not expect to gain any muscle mass.

[db2012]

Originally Posted by Contrastyle

Just wondered because it's my first time and I can't lose "weight".

Too many calories, slash 4-500 from what your currently eating, and I promise you will start dropping weight/fat.

[Contrastyle]

2200 for a 235 pound guy working out 5-6 days intensely. I think that's too much of a deficit.

[Sim882]

Wouldn't strategic ketogenic diet be better for gaining LBM and losing bf?

[db2012]

Originally Posted by Sim882

Wouldn't strategic ketogenic diet be better for gaining LBM and losing bf?

For LBM yes, for BF they are about the same if done properly, both have there pro's and cons.

[Mourning Tide]

its very strange, I by no means am new to lifting and consistently eating 500 calorie deficit but my weight has stayed pretty much the same but Ive lost quite a bit of fat, with never-seen before veins, protruding hip bones etc. where my scale only records about a 1kg drop in weight (after glycogen replenished). Strength in most lifts has increased as well.

I dont even bother with the scale now, mirror is new best friend.

[stewaat]

I am without a doubt getting bigger and I'm not even trying

[My Own Summer]

Originally Posted by db2012

I have gained a bit of size on a keto diet, but if gaining muscle is your goal this shouldn't be the diet your on. Most that gain muscle don't do the diet right, for its original purpose. Most will go over there maintenance cals. Some will do the carb up incorrectly, by eating to many carbs and for too long, and many have been deprived of cals and/or fat before starting the diet, so the change alone is enough to make gains.

If you do the diet correctly with a caloric deficit, and a modest carb up, you should not expect to gain any muscle mass.

Yea, a day after I posted this I started thinking why would I try Keto and bulk. I am doing somewhat of a dirty bulk. Not bad though. I've gained 10lbs. It's fine though, my arm workouts are progressing nicely. I think I'll wait until I hit my goal of 15" arms (very clsoe), and then I'll try this Keto diet to cut down the BF%. I got checked last night and I'm at 12.8%