How much alcohol hurts your gains?

[lilmotivation32]

I've drank every weekend, both nights, for the past two months or so and I havent seen many losses. I continue to drink consistenly on the weekends but... how much do you have to drink for the alcohol to actually hurt your gains????

[grizzlyspitter]

Gains in what sense -- strength, muscle, fat, fatigue?

For the past two years in college I have pretty much drank heavily 12+ drinks every weekend minimum. Fun, but my weight shot up so fast. However I was going to the gym everyday and I added 400 lbs to my total (went from 850 to 1250), and I gained a ton of muscle.

Honestly, I'm beginning to realize if you're smart about drinking and you don't go out afterwards like I did and eat chili cheese omlettes, mozarella sticks, etc. every weekend then it really won't effect you too much unless your trying to workout the morning after drinking -- even then I've pulled some deadlift PR's absolutely hung over I pulled my first +500 deadlift after a really heavy night of +12 drinks (pulled 515 actually).

Have fun and drink, make smart choices about your food (both the night of drinking and the morning after) and stay hydrated and it really shouldn't be a problem.

[foodstamp916]

Gains in what sense -- strength, muscle, fat, fatigue?

For the past two years in college I have pretty much drank heavily 12+ drinks every weekend minimum. Fun, but my weight shot up so fast. However I was going to the gym everyday and I added 400 lbs to my total (went from 850 to 1250), and I gained a ton of

Wait....what? 

OP i was in the military and drank heavily on the weekends. drinking only messed with my gains when I didn't feel like working out the next day (or doing pt). Give me the munchies too, so fat gain was a problem. Drink up 

[mavstud3]

This is a great new article out on drinking

http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/tru...nd-muscle.html

[lilmotivation32]

Gains in what sense -- strength, muscle, fat, fatigue?

For the past two years in college I have pretty much drank heavily 12+ drinks every weekend minimum. Fun, but my weight shot up so fast. However I was going to the gym everyday and I added 400 lbs to my total (went from 850 to 1250), and I gained a ton of muscle.

Honestly, I'm beginning to realize if you're smart about drinking and you don't go out afterwards like I did and eat chili cheese omlettes, mozarella sticks, etc. every weekend then it really won't effect you too much unless your trying to workout the morning after drinking -- even then I've pulled some deadlift PR's absolutely hung over I pulled my first +500 deadlift after a really heavy night of +12 drinks (pulled 515 actually).

Have fun and drink, make smart choices about your food (both the night of drinking and the morning after) and stay hydrated and it really shouldn't be a problem.

not sure if srs bout the 850 to 1250 and deadlifting more while ur hungover... but w/e. I was just wondering about how much fat you gain and how much muscle you lose when you decide to go out drinking instead of staying home and having a protein shake instead.

Wait....what? 

OP i was in the military and drank heavily on the weekends. drinking only messed with my gains when I didn't feel like working out the next day (or doing pt). Give me the munchies too, so fat gain was a problem. Drink up 

amen to the drunk munchies. Those are more dangerous than high munchies!!! lol! anyways I pigged out last nite on chips and snack crackers so my fat consumption was out he roof last nite. cool that you were in the military though. What kinda drank did you drink in the military?

This is a great new article out on drinking

http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/tru...nd-muscle.html

thanks brah. Will be reading that later for sure

[KingCrimson]

There was a period of a few months where I was drinking 3-4 times a week while maintaining my routine/calorie levels, but replacing lots of food with lots of alcohol. I know this is a bad idea and it's not optimal but I continued to make gains even while I was drinking, but I always made sure that the workouts were good and the drinking never got in the way. I've read that alcohol increases cortisol and inhibits protein synthesis by something like 20%. Is drinking alcohol optimal for bodybuilding? Of course not, but it won't hurt your gains as much as most people would lead you to believe.

btw: I was drinking HEAVILY every time I drank, like let's say 15 oz of vodka each night and I was still making gains during these periods. I'm sure it's different for each person but I think most would have to drink more than twice a week to see a negative effect on gains. I'm not trying to promote alcohol use at all, I don't touch the stuff anymore, but I'll just say that for me I would probably have to be drinking every night before I saw a loss in gains.

As for making "gains" in other areas, that's a totally different story.

[AttackLife]

This is a great new article out on drinking

Thanks man, I'll be sure to follow this, although I've been sort of eating like that for the past month on the days I drink, ie. high protein, low dietary fat and carbs. Yesterday for instance I had three egg whites w/ one piece of dry whole wheat toast and an apple. Then I had 8 oz boneless chicken breast w/ 7 oz carrots for lunch. My afternoon snack was three slices of rolled up turkey breast deli meat and a small fruit salad consisting of an apple, blue berries, and a banana. Then for dinner I had 8 oz chicken breast /w a box of frozen spinach. I then drank 10 miller lites at a party, got "hungry" but I reached for a Cliff Builder lemon bar around 11:00 pm. According to their carb limit of 1.5 g/kg body weight I can eat 148.5 and I ate ~154 g w/ all the food and beer. So I was close. Like the guy said, it's not something that he recommends you do every day but it seems pretty decent for the one or two days I choose to drink. I still had 960extra calories but you have to accept that before hand.

Alcohol consumption and the unintended consequences of drinking ie. voracious snacking, ordering out..etc. are very hard to avoid when at college. You just have to make the right choices. I think the late night food has more of an impact than drinking one or two nights but if you start drinking heavily an additional two week days it's probably going to hurt you in more ways than one.

[foodstamp916]

amen to the drunk munchies. Those are more dangerous than high munchies!!! lol! anyways I pigged out last nite on chips and snack crackers so my fat consumption was out he roof last nite. cool that you were in the military though. What kinda drank did you drink in the military?

Jaggermeister + red bull and shots of Jack. White Russians, Japanese draft beer, jello shots, lots of wine & champagne. I'd stay away from the white Russians tho, i didn't realize the main ingredient was CALORIES! Lol.

But I was active when I drank. 20 year old stationed in Tokyo? Good times.....

[lilmotivation32]

Jaggermeister + red bull and shots of Jack. White Russians, Japanese draft beer, jello shots, lots of wine & champagne. I'd stay away from the white Russians tho, i didn't realize the main ingredient was CALORIES! Lol.

But I was active when I drank. 20 year old stationed in Tokyo? Good times.....

thats fn tite dude. youre only 20 and you wer stationed in tokyo for the military. I bet that was quite an experience!

Jaegerbombs ARE the bomb, hell yeah to jack and jello shots, and white russians are whiskey+milk rite?

[colbytim]

will def. hurt you in the long run. wait until youre 25. why not pick one night a week?

[lilmotivation32]

will def. hurt you in the long run. wait until youre 25. why not pick one night a week?

because the weekends are two nights!!! sometimes three nights!!!lol

[lilmotivation32]

This is a great new article out on drinking

http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/tru...nd-muscle.html

good read and interesting. But im not going to lie, I was lost throughout most of it. Basically I now understand that if you drink 2-3 times a week while working out consistently then the alcohol usage does not hurt gains one bit. Thats what I like to hear!

[mosdel]

This is a great new article out on drinking

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great! the boys are hounding me to come out for some patio drinks on this beautiful summer day, but i was doing so well with my diet that i was scared i was gonna take a few steps backwards.

this article has definitely eased my mind

[Wapadaigo]

No alcohol
-Good for body composition, Bad for "your" social life
Some alcohol
-OK for body comp, can still be social
Lots of alcohol
-Bad for body composion, Good(to a certain point) for social life

Moderation is key

[spoolinwrx]

Just don't eat bacon wrapped hot dogs, greasy burritos, 24 hr breakfast joints, or fast food after your drinking. And if you're planning to drink, create a calorie deficit (at least meet your protein requirements) and fill the rest in with booze.