‘Charlie, can i still build muscle whilst losing fat?’
Of course you can!
Don’t listen to all the bullshit about having to be in a massive calorie surplus to be able to build muscle. Not all calories are the same, here’s my take on it:
Protein:
I typically have about 250g a day coming mainly from chicken, 1 scoop of brown rice protein and leucine.
I would suggest something lke 1.7g of protein per pound of bodyweight but literally just eat as much as you can; you do not physically ‘use’ all the protein to build muscle but the higher the protein the higher various muscle-building hormones rise, such as IGF-1[1].
You may not know that eating protein actually spikes insulin levels also!
Of course you can!
Don’t listen to all the bullshit about having to be in a massive calorie surplus to be able to build muscle. Not all calories are the same, here’s my take on it:
Protein:
I typically have about 250g a day coming mainly from chicken, 1 scoop of brown rice protein and leucine.
I would suggest something lke 1.7g of protein per pound of bodyweight but literally just eat as much as you can; you do not physically ‘use’ all the protein to build muscle but the higher the protein the higher various muscle-building hormones rise, such as IGF-1[1].
You may not know that eating protein actually spikes insulin levels also!
Carbs:
Fruit and sweet potato to give you enough glycogen for your workouts. Too many carbs and the wrong type (e.g grains, regular potatoes) can really make you gain weight by spiking your blood sugar and insulin.
Insulin + high blood sugar = Fat
I eat carbs only in the morning, pre workout or post workout. But most importantly ON THEIR OWN. You want as low insulin as possible when eating carbs so eating protein with them is a no-go.
Fruit and Sweet Potato release glucose slowly into the bloodstream due to the fibre content. In addition, fruit contains fructose which is very low glycemic and restores liver glycogen, which helps in stabilizing blood glucose (and keeping the brain functioning well) whilst going low carb.
So how much do i need?
I have found that roughly 200g of carbs a day refills glycogen enough that my workouts are sick and i do not crave junk food, however this will vary from person to person depending on weight and metabolism. I am 73kg as a reference point.
Too many carbs and you gain fat, too little and you’re workouts are not as effective.
I normally have a carb-up day once a week the day before a big workout (e.g chest and back). A lot of people do not recognize that you run on yesterday’s glycogen stores, this is why intermittent fasting works which i will talk about later.
Fruit and sweet potato to give you enough glycogen for your workouts. Too many carbs and the wrong type (e.g grains, regular potatoes) can really make you gain weight by spiking your blood sugar and insulin.
Insulin + high blood sugar = Fat
I eat carbs only in the morning, pre workout or post workout. But most importantly ON THEIR OWN. You want as low insulin as possible when eating carbs so eating protein with them is a no-go.
Fruit and Sweet Potato release glucose slowly into the bloodstream due to the fibre content. In addition, fruit contains fructose which is very low glycemic and restores liver glycogen, which helps in stabilizing blood glucose (and keeping the brain functioning well) whilst going low carb.
So how much do i need?
I have found that roughly 200g of carbs a day refills glycogen enough that my workouts are sick and i do not crave junk food, however this will vary from person to person depending on weight and metabolism. I am 73kg as a reference point.
Too many carbs and you gain fat, too little and you’re workouts are not as effective.
I normally have a carb-up day once a week the day before a big workout (e.g chest and back). A lot of people do not recognize that you run on yesterday’s glycogen stores, this is why intermittent fasting works which i will talk about later.
Fats:
Fats help to digest protein and provide constant energy for the rest of the day. I eat fats like olive oil and coconut oil with meat (generally chicken because i’m poor! Uni lyfe..). Fats keep insulin low and do not raise blood sugar levels so it is ok to combine with the high protein meat.
They also help the digestion of the meat and keep you full for longer.
I normally have a tablespoon of coconut oil and 15g of olive oil with a meal of 300g of chicken for a reference point.
Fats help to digest protein and provide constant energy for the rest of the day. I eat fats like olive oil and coconut oil with meat (generally chicken because i’m poor! Uni lyfe..). Fats keep insulin low and do not raise blood sugar levels so it is ok to combine with the high protein meat.
They also help the digestion of the meat and keep you full for longer.
I normally have a tablespoon of coconut oil and 15g of olive oil with a meal of 300g of chicken for a reference point.
Intermittent fasting!
Intermittent fasting can produce great results and worked very well for me last summer when cutting:
The general idea of it is to eat all of your meals for the day within a smaller time period, for instance 8 hours, and fast for the rest of the day. It is beneficial to have the workout towards the end of the fast to burn the most fat and then start your eating window straight afterwards to optimize recovery.
This works for a number of reasons, mainly focused around insulin which is the antagonist to glucagon. Insulin promotes fat storage, glucagon promotes fat loss. However, as one decreases the other increases. It takes a long time (6-8 hours) after eating for insulin levels to decrease and allow glucagon to take effect.
Effect of intermittent fasting:
General insulin levels are decreased, increased insulin sensitivity[2], insulin is extremely low and glucagon is high when working out after fasting for 16 hours, increased growth hormone.
If you are worried about losing muscle on intermittent fasting then bear in mind that growth hormone levels are increased after fasting which helps to preserve muscle. If you are bulking, the calorie surplus and right macronutrients that you eat after working out is more than enough to provide the anabolic effect you need for recovery. Bear in mind that the 8 hour window of eating when bulking may be a difficult, not for the faint hearted.
In conclusion, a combination of balancing the right macronutrients and intermittent fasting can make sure that you don’t put on too much fat whilst on a bulk and still make huge gains. I put on 10kg in 2 months this year using this method with very little increase in fat!
And thats what i do!
Much love,
Charlie
References:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/02/14/animal-protein-and-igf-1/
http://jap.physiology.org/content/99/6/2128.full
Intermittent fasting can produce great results and worked very well for me last summer when cutting:
The general idea of it is to eat all of your meals for the day within a smaller time period, for instance 8 hours, and fast for the rest of the day. It is beneficial to have the workout towards the end of the fast to burn the most fat and then start your eating window straight afterwards to optimize recovery.
This works for a number of reasons, mainly focused around insulin which is the antagonist to glucagon. Insulin promotes fat storage, glucagon promotes fat loss. However, as one decreases the other increases. It takes a long time (6-8 hours) after eating for insulin levels to decrease and allow glucagon to take effect.
Effect of intermittent fasting:
General insulin levels are decreased, increased insulin sensitivity[2], insulin is extremely low and glucagon is high when working out after fasting for 16 hours, increased growth hormone.
If you are worried about losing muscle on intermittent fasting then bear in mind that growth hormone levels are increased after fasting which helps to preserve muscle. If you are bulking, the calorie surplus and right macronutrients that you eat after working out is more than enough to provide the anabolic effect you need for recovery. Bear in mind that the 8 hour window of eating when bulking may be a difficult, not for the faint hearted.
In conclusion, a combination of balancing the right macronutrients and intermittent fasting can make sure that you don’t put on too much fat whilst on a bulk and still make huge gains. I put on 10kg in 2 months this year using this method with very little increase in fat!
And thats what i do!
Much love,
Charlie
References:
http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/02/14/animal-protein-and-igf-1/
http://jap.physiology.org/content/99/6/2128.full