I was just wondering what kind of strength gain others of you have experienced on keto. Or strength loss for that matter.
The first time I did keto I experienced some strength gains, but I was just getting back into the BB lifestyle after about a year spent in the most unhealthy way imaginable (beer & pizza like every day). So the moderate strength gains were to be expected.
This time however it is much more noticable! This time around (about a year after my first cut with keto) my strength is exploding. I don't have my workout log handy, but I can give you a few examples. BB Shoulder press went from about 140x5 to 185x5. Squats went up about 40lbs too. DB bench went up from 70's x 9 to 85's x 11. (All the above listed strength gains took place over about a 1.5 month period)
A friend of mine gave me a bottle of creatine ethyl ester, which I have been using, but I doubt it is any better than Creatine-mono, so I don't think that is the cause. Last time I was on Creatine-mono, but my diet wasn't as good as it is this time. So I think it's the diet.
This diet is just amazing. I feel a bit more tired on keto (as in sleepy, not physically tired), but when I go to the gym the strength is always there.
Anyone else have any experiences like this with keto? Maybe it's just coincidental that I am on keto right now and I am breaking through a plateu that I would have broken through anyway.
Input apreciated.
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Thread: Strength Gains on Keto
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07-30-2006, 12:56 PM #1
Strength Gains on Keto
Sorry to be a grammar nazi, but: You're means "You are." Y-o-u-r means your. As in your hand, your head etc.
"Then" refers to a place in time. E.g. "I went to the store, THEN I went home." It is not used for comparison.
"Than" is the one used to compare two things. E.g. I would rather eat beef THAN chicken.
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07-31-2006, 08:54 AM #2
I last did Keto 15 years ago and had good strength gains back then. This time around, I am definitely pushing more weight. But like you, I lack a control group. I am switching from a 4 day split to HST and started teh same day I started Keto. I, for instance went from 10 reps of weighted dips with 5lbs to 15 reps with 15 lbs. Was it keto, or HST? I can't tell definatively.
When I first did keto, it was because of an article in Iron Magazine 9or something liek that) that suggested that Keto provides a better hormonal environment for muscle to grow. But that seems to be contradicted by some of what I have read recently. I am still waiting to get teh final answer. I hope this thread brings out discussion on it.
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08-02-2006, 03:59 PM #3
I've been on keto for a bit now and I have had strength gains from the start.
I think it's because I'm just plain eating alot more protein more often. Normaly when I'm not doing keto I don't really have a structured diet, so some days I get alot of protein, carbs, etc. On keto I have a very strict diet going on and I know exactly what i'm taking into my body.
Great stuff, except I'm getting real sick of eggs and chicken.
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08-03-2006, 05:07 AM #4
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08-03-2006, 06:06 AM #5
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08-03-2006, 11:52 AM #6
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08-04-2006, 08:00 PM #7
Well,
It's good to have some input from others on this. I haven't been back to the gym for two weeks because I hurt my shoulder (except for leg days and cardio). Because of the injury I probably won't be lifting heavy with my upper body for a while, but I will update if leg lifts continue to increase.
Also, I have been on vacation for a week so I have been off of creatine and out of ketosis for a week. I am definately going back on keto, but I may skip the creatine for a while to see if the strength gains continue without it.Sorry to be a grammar nazi, but: You're means "You are." Y-o-u-r means your. As in your hand, your head etc.
"Then" refers to a place in time. E.g. "I went to the store, THEN I went home." It is not used for comparison.
"Than" is the one used to compare two things. E.g. I would rather eat beef THAN chicken.
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08-04-2006, 08:41 PM #8
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08-05-2006, 03:19 AM #9
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08-08-2006, 11:10 PM #10
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08-09-2006, 01:33 PM #11
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09-13-2006, 08:42 PM #12
I'm also experiencing strength gains. Perhaps it's the increase of protien and just basic calories. I had a similar diet to you (though I ate pretty healthy, fruit and yogurt in the morning, a sandwich for lunch etc but I'd have things like beer and pizza frequently as well)
Anyways, since being on keto I've gone up about roughly what it would have taken me a couple of weeks or so to achieve before. I still feel the pain on the last few reps, but unlike before, I have the drive to finish them out (at a higher weight level) even if my body is telling me to quit. I think I might add some creatine to see what happens.
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09-13-2006, 10:34 PM #13
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09-14-2006, 01:08 AM #14
My first 5 days on keto was hell, I nearly quit during those 5days. I do boxing and since starting on keto reduced my weights training from 3 to 2x a week. Boxing is hell on a keto, but yesterday I feel I'm gaining my intensity back and explosiveness, it's just that it's alot more effort to keep it up for more than 2hours straight.
I'm also interested in the outcome of this thread. I've been on keto for 10 days now and plan to carb up on saturday from lunch time to dinner time and then every saturday from then on.
As of now, Keto is becoming to feel more normal to me where as the first 5 days, I just felt heavy brain blocked and minor headeaches that only a couple of hours sleep could fix.
Now 10days down the track, no regret. I'm slowly accomplishing my goals of cutting and will hopefully fight in time for December under amatuer middleweight division.
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09-14-2006, 07:54 AM #15
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09-15-2006, 05:37 AM #16
- Join Date: Mar 2004
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Everyone gaining strength/muscle on the Keto diet; it's because it indeed supports and optimal hormonal environment for muscles to grow and strength to develop.
Dr. Mauro DiPasquale called his variation (basically the same but with more animal fats which increase testosterone further) the 'Anabolic Diet' due to this reason.You gotta go through hell to get the body made in heaven.
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us find ourselves looking up at the stars." - Oscar Wilde
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Training 4 years...165lbs @ 6.5% bodyfat
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09-15-2006, 06:03 AM #17
My strength went to total crap yesterday. Then again I haven't been eating properly the past couple of days due to some schedule conflicts and a messed up circadian sleep pattern. I'm on my second week of keto without a carb-up day so I think I will take it easy and do less cardio this week than normal. I'd never imagine I could eat half a tub of cottage cheese, a giant london broil covered in olive oil, turkey breasts, bacon, 5 egg whites and cream cheese by iteself and still not pack in enough calories for the day...
About my strength; Since I was feeling wrecked during my lifts I cheated a little and had a few raisons (perhaps 9 total) and a few walnuts halfway through my second set because I knew I wouldn't get through properly at that rate. I guess I wasn't really cheating though since most days I have only ~14 carbs total. The raisons seemed to have helped, though I'm going to invest in some creatine, dextrose and BCAA.
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09-15-2006, 12:39 PM #18
- Join Date: Feb 2006
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The theory behind the anabolic diet is different that keto even though the eating style is quite similar. The Doc says that eventually once the body is fully fat adapted ketosis is not necessary anymore since the body doesn't need ketones and can run off of FFAs. I think both diets work fine and do similar things however. Really, if we nitpick about the details were are getting into small macro differences that are probably affect others individually. The only significant difference I see is that fat is still consumed during the carbup on the AD (though a moderate level). This is done in theory to allow the body to continue to run off its adapted fuel source (fat) while the carbup does its thing. If we were to only give the body carbs it might actually force the body to switch to carbs as a fuel source faster. By no means am I preaching this as gospel. Just saying..
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09-16-2006, 05:09 AM #19
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Originally Posted by msundi83
I also believe DiPasquale mentioned waiting as long as possible until the first carb-up (even a month) so the body gets adapted to fat quicker.You gotta go through hell to get the body made in heaven.
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us find ourselves looking up at the stars." - Oscar Wilde
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Training 4 years...165lbs @ 6.5% bodyfat
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09-16-2006, 07:44 AM #20
Sorry to be of no help - I couldn't stop laughing at you're sig than I went to bed.
""Sorry to be a grammar nazi, but: You're means "You are." Y-o-u-r means your. As in your hand, your head etc.
"Then" refers to a place in time. E.g. "I went to the store, THEN I went home." It is not used for comparison.
"Than" is the one used to compare two things. E.g. I would rather eat beef THAN chicken""
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09-16-2006, 12:42 PM #21
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09-16-2006, 01:20 PM #22
well my stength has seemed to have peaked and then has started to slowly drop. I'm guessing that after my first carb up my level should go back up. I've decided no to do any cardio this week to help preserve muscle tissue. After my first carb up I will go back to doing 20 minutes high intensity cardio after lifting and 45 minutes on off days.
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09-16-2006, 05:27 PM #23
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09-17-2006, 02:46 AM #24
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09-17-2006, 06:21 AM #25
- Join Date: Mar 2004
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Originally Posted by Belloc
- Beef, lamb, pork, chicken all with the skin/fat/rind left on
- Butter, cream, cheese, mayo, salad dressing
- low carb (green) vegetables, about 2-3 cups a day
- nuts such as macadamia, almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts, not including cashews and peanuts (these are legumes and as such are higher in carbs than other nuts)
- healthy (cold-pressed where possible) oilsYou gotta go through hell to get the body made in heaven.
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us find ourselves looking up at the stars." - Oscar Wilde
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Training 4 years...165lbs @ 6.5% bodyfat
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09-17-2006, 10:16 AM #26Originally Posted by Max ProteinContest Prep Log: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=146273283&p=911273403&posted=1#post911273403
Twitter: FrigginLean
YouTube: Jaim91
Unless you faint, puke, or die....keep walking
- Jillian Michaels -
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09-18-2006, 06:29 AM #27
- Join Date: Mar 2004
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Originally Posted by jaim91
Plus let's take into account I'm English and have no idea how big an American cup measurement is. I take it to mean a large handful.You gotta go through hell to get the body made in heaven.
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us find ourselves looking up at the stars." - Oscar Wilde
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Training 4 years...165lbs @ 6.5% bodyfat
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09-18-2006, 09:28 AM #28
Thats about what a cup looks like here too. i would've thought he would encourage the consumption of veggies to help fill you up, and get more fats in (putting oil and/or salad dressing on them). oh well...
Contest Prep Log: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=146273283&p=911273403&posted=1#post911273403
Twitter: FrigginLean
YouTube: Jaim91
Unless you faint, puke, or die....keep walking
- Jillian Michaels -
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09-18-2006, 03:48 PM #29
I read the book, essentially MP wants you to find the lowest amount of carbs you need in order to function optimally. This is done by starting with an initial 12 days of no carbs (carbs< 30gs, fat 60%, protein 35-40%), followed up by 12-48hrs of carb loading where you take in a surplus of calories and basically as many carbs as you can until you begin to get bloated and smooth, at which point you switch back to virtually no carbs. After this "break in" period you cycle low carb for 5 days high carb for 2 days (12-48hrs) indefinitely. But the thing about the diet is that once you've switched to using fat as your primary fuel you'll be using ffas and won't be in ketosis (or so it says). After the first month if your energy levels are low it has you add an additional carb up meal in the middle of the week (wednesday), if that doesn't work he'll have you gradually ramp up your carbs by 20-30grams a day until you feel normal, at which point you will bring them back down to 20-30grams a day until you find the minimum amount of carbs you need in order to have stable energy levels.
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09-18-2006, 05:48 PM #30Originally Posted by dirtpool
If you add a carb up meal in the middle of the weak, and still take in around 30 g on a normal day, you're doing more atkins or carb cycling than ketoContest Prep Log: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=146273283&p=911273403&posted=1#post911273403
Twitter: FrigginLean
YouTube: Jaim91
Unless you faint, puke, or die....keep walking
- Jillian Michaels -
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