Intentional bulking-up

"S t a c i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking up. He's
been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes eats carby foods at
lunch. I would imagine that he's still keeping his carbs under 75 a day.
Weight loss was not his first goal with LC, but he's currently below his
target weight now. (His LC goals are to eat healthier and keep me happy.)

Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.
Currently,
because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an underwear model (at
least
to me). He had a little fat around his waistline before, which is gone.
He
has been really happy with LC in the fact that he has lost some weight
without losing any muscle mass. He's also been happy with other LC side
effects like higher energy and clear skin.

He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of chicken
breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and plates of it. His
goal now is to gain a bit more muscle, especially in his pecs, but neither
of us are sure as to how he can do this while on LC.

Any advice would be appreciated -
S t a c i

It's quite simple. 🙂

Tell him to do benchpress 2-3 times a week, and just to eat more (about
200-500 calories) than his maintenance calories whilst on low carb. ie Just
eat more fat and protein. Since he is already eating 75g carb he probably
won't need to have a little carb snack before doing a workout, but if he
gets tired during the workout, 20-50g of carb 30-45mins before workout will
help him get through it.

You don't need to eat lots of pasta (ie. Carbs) to gain muscle, you just
need a lot of total calories, and to make sure you have enough protein (you
will on LC).

Also there is nothing wrong with a 40/30/30 diet (40% carbs, 30%
fat/protein), you will experience the same benefits you get whilst doing low
carb, as long as you only eat "good" carbs, no processed grains, flour,
sugar, etc. This is in my experience, don't shoot me down. 🙂

"S t a c i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking up. He's
been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes eats carby foods at
lunch. I would imagine that he's still keeping his carbs under 75 a day.
Weight loss was not his first goal with LC, but he's currently below his
target weight now. (His LC goals are to eat healthier and keep me happy.)

Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.
Currently,
because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an underwear model (at
least
to me). He had a little fat around his waistline before, which is gone.
He
has been really happy with LC in the fact that he has lost some weight
without losing any muscle mass. He's also been happy with other LC side
effects like higher energy and clear skin.

He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of chicken
breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and plates of it. His
goal now is to gain a bit more muscle, especially in his pecs, but neither
of us are sure as to how he can do this while on LC.

Any advice would be appreciated -
S t a c i

He'll have a hard time bulking up without carbs.

He's going to need to up his carbs if he wants to have a chance of adding
some muscle mass in a reasonable amount of time with minimal frustration.
That doesn't mean he needs to go nuts and start eating junk food like crazy,
mind you, but staying less than 100 g per day probably won't work well for
muscle gain. As another poster suggested, a diet with a balance of 40/30/30
or 30/40/30 (carbs/protein/fat) would likely work best for him in terms
maximizing his potential for muscle gain (another part of the equation will
be the quality of his training program - he must avoid a stupid routine, and
another part is simply genetics, with age playing still another role) while
eating an amount of calories that is above maintenance for him. Since he
will be eating carbs, he really should make sure he is eating mostly the
good fats (essential fats) and limiting sat fats (carbs and sat fats
together with above maintenance eating is not a good idea) While he is
gaining muscle mass, he will likely gain some fat too, so both of you must
be careful not to freak out over it - it comes with the game. Tracking
bodyfat % throughout would be a good idea to make sure the rate of
weight/fat gain is not too great. If it is, it should be slowed down by
eating less. Once he feels as though he as gained enough weight, he can
resume LC for weight loss to lose the regained belly fat and reveal the new
muscles better while maintaining a consistent training program. Once that
is achieved, he can decide if he wants to maintain or start a new bulking
phase.

S t a c i wrote:
:: This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking up.
:: He's been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes eats
:: carby foods at lunch. I would imagine that he's still keeping his
:: carbs under 75 a day. Weight loss was not his first goal with LC,
:: but he's currently below his target weight now. (His LC goals are
:: to eat healthier and keep me happy.)
::
:: Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.
:: Currently, because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an
:: underwear model (at least to me). He had a little fat around his
:: waistline before, which is gone. He has been really happy with LC
:: in the fact that he has lost some weight without losing any muscle
:: mass. He's also been happy with other LC side effects like higher
:: energy and clear skin.
::
:: He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of
:: chicken breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and
:: plates of it. His goal now is to gain a bit more muscle, especially
:: in his pecs, but neither of us are sure as to how he can do this
:: while on LC.
::
:: Any advice would be appreciated -
:: S t a c i

Thanks for the help, Frederick. Has this worked for you? I'm curious,
because the other replies are suggesting that he increase carbs.

S t a c i

"Frederick" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"S t a c i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking up.

He's

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes eats carby foods

at

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lunch. I would imagine that he's still keeping his carbs under 75 a

day.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Weight loss was not his first goal with LC, but he's currently below his
target weight now. (His LC goals are to eat healthier and keep me

happy.)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.
Currently,
because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an underwear model (at
least
to me). He had a little fat around his waistline before, which is gone.
He
has been really happy with LC in the fact that he has lost some weight
without losing any muscle mass. He's also been happy with other LC side
effects like higher energy and clear skin.

He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of chicken
breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and plates of it.

His

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

goal now is to gain a bit more muscle, especially in his pecs, but

neither

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of us are sure as to how he can do this while on LC.

Any advice would be appreciated -
S t a c i

It's quite simple. 🙂

Tell him to do benchpress 2-3 times a week, and just to eat more (about
200-500 calories) than his maintenance calories whilst on low carb. ie

Just

Quoted message said:

eat more fat and protein. Since he is already eating 75g carb he probably
won't need to have a little carb snack before doing a workout, but if he
gets tired during the workout, 20-50g of carb 30-45mins before workout

will

Quoted message said:

help him get through it.

You don't need to eat lots of pasta (ie. Carbs) to gain muscle, you just
need a lot of total calories, and to make sure you have enough protein

(you

Quoted message said:

will on LC).

Also there is nothing wrong with a 40/30/30 diet (40% carbs, 30%
fat/protein), you will experience the same benefits you get whilst doing

low

Quoted message said:

carb, as long as you only eat "good" carbs, no processed grains, flour,
sugar, etc. This is in my experience, don't shoot me down. 🙂

Thanks, Roger. This makes sense to me, but I don't fully understand how it
works. To summarize this "bulking phase" (I hope)...
*up his carbs a little
*up his calories a little
*continue lifting weights
*don't freak out over a possible new beer gut/track body fat
*eventually drop carbs to loose possible new beer gut
*repeat if necessary

Chris is able to gain/lose fat and muscle mass really quickly, so he can
give this a try and know if it will work for him in a short period of time.

You mentioned avoiding a "stupid routine"...I think he likes his stupid
routine. I think the routine is what keeps him working out, if that makes
sense. He has two different workouts - one at the gym and one at home, but
it is the same two weight lifting routines week after week. Are you
suggesting more variety?

I really appreciate this advice.
S t a c i

"Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

He's going to need to up his carbs if he wants to have a chance of adding
some muscle mass in a reasonable amount of time with minimal frustration.
That doesn't mean he needs to go nuts and start eating junk food like

crazy,

Quoted message said:

mind you, but staying less than 100 g per day probably won't work well for
muscle gain. As another poster suggested, a diet with a balance of

40/30/30

Quoted message said:

or 30/40/30 (carbs/protein/fat) would likely work best for him in terms
maximizing his potential for muscle gain (another part of the equation

will

Quoted message said:

be the quality of his training program - he must avoid a stupid routine,

and

Quoted message said:

another part is simply genetics, with age playing still another role)

while

Quoted message said:

eating an amount of calories that is above maintenance for him. Since he
will be eating carbs, he really should make sure he is eating mostly the
good fats (essential fats) and limiting sat fats (carbs and sat fats
together with above maintenance eating is not a good idea) While he is
gaining muscle mass, he will likely gain some fat too, so both of you must
be careful not to freak out over it - it comes with the game. Tracking
bodyfat % throughout would be a good idea to make sure the rate of
weight/fat gain is not too great. If it is, it should be slowed down by
eating less. Once he feels as though he as gained enough weight, he can
resume LC for weight loss to lose the regained belly fat and reveal the

new

Quoted message said:

muscles better while maintaining a consistent training program. Once that
is achieved, he can decide if he wants to maintain or start a new bulking
phase.

S t a c i wrote:
:: This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking up.
:: He's been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes eats
:: carby foods at lunch. I would imagine that he's still keeping his
:: carbs under 75 a day. Weight loss was not his first goal with LC,
:: but he's currently below his target weight now. (His LC goals are
:: to eat healthier and keep me happy.)
::
:: Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.
:: Currently, because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an
:: underwear model (at least to me). He had a little fat around his
:: waistline before, which is gone. He has been really happy with LC
:: in the fact that he has lost some weight without losing any muscle
:: mass. He's also been happy with other LC side effects like higher
:: energy and clear skin.
::
:: He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of
:: chicken breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and
:: plates of it. His goal now is to gain a bit more muscle, especially
:: in his pecs, but neither of us are sure as to how he can do this
:: while on LC.
::
:: Any advice would be appreciated -
:: S t a c i

"Frederick" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"S t a c i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking up. He's
been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes eats carby foods at
lunch. I would imagine that he's still keeping his carbs under 75 a day.
Weight loss was not his first goal with LC, but he's currently below his
target weight now. (His LC goals are to eat healthier and keep me happy.)

Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.
Currently,
because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an underwear model (at
least
to me). He had a little fat around his waistline before, which is gone.
He
has been really happy with LC in the fact that he has lost some weight
without losing any muscle mass. He's also been happy with other LC side
effects like higher energy and clear skin.

He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of chicken
breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and plates of it. His
goal now is to gain a bit more muscle, especially in his pecs, but neither
of us are sure as to how he can do this while on LC.

Any advice would be appreciated -
S t a c i

It's quite simple. 🙂

Tell him to do benchpress 2-3 times a week, and just to eat more (about
200-500 calories) than his maintenance calories whilst on low carb. ie Just
eat more fat and protein. Since he is already eating 75g carb he probably
won't need to have a little carb snack before doing a workout, but if he
gets tired during the workout, 20-50g of carb 30-45mins before workout will
help him get through it.

You don't need to eat lots of pasta (ie. Carbs) to gain muscle, you just
need a lot of total calories, and to make sure you have enough protein (you
will on LC).

Also there is nothing wrong with a 40/30/30 diet (40% carbs, 30%
fat/protein), you will experience the same benefits you get whilst doing low
carb, as long as you only eat "good" carbs, no processed grains, flour,
sugar, etc. This is in my experience, don't shoot me down. 🙂

As long as he has the energy to get through his workouts he can go as
low carb as he wants and gain muscle. He needs to eat a lot though. No
dieting if he wants to bulk. And for gods sake figure out how to do a
balanced routine. Too many clowns in the gym already just doing bench
press and curls. Work the rest of your muscles too or you will look
pretty strange.

S t a c i wrote:
:: Thanks, Roger. This makes sense to me, but I don't fully understand
:: how it works. To summarize this "bulking phase" (I hope)...
:: *up his carbs a little

Depending on where he is not, going ot 30 or 40 % might be more than a
little.

:: *up his calories a little

yes. 500/day = 1 lbs of weight gain a week, or 4 to 5 lbs a month. So
figure on him gaining 20 lbs or so before starting trim. But, it is very
much a YMMV kind of thing, with his goals factored in.

:: *continue lifting weights

yes.

:: *don't freak out over a possible new beer gut/track body fat

yes.

:: *eventually drop carbs to loose possible new beer gut

drop carbs to make it possible to eat less food, so you are dropping
calories too!

:: *repeat if necessary
::
:: Chris is able to gain/lose fat and muscle mass really quickly, so he
:: can give this a try and know if it will work for him in a short
:: period of time.

It will work as it has been done by many. But whether he is gaining muscle
mass or fat, or some combination of both is key. I don't have an idea of
what you mean by quickly, either. But if he already trains then I doubt he
can add significant muscle mass really quickly. I would expect several
months of consistent work. But all of this really depends on what he is
looking for and I have no way of relating to it.

::
:: You mentioned avoiding a "stupid routine"...I think he likes his
:: stupid routine. I think the routine is what keeps him working out,
:: if that makes sense. He has two different workouts - one at the gym
:: and one at home, but it is the same two weight lifting routines week
:: after week. Are you suggesting more variety?
::

No, not really. I'm suggesting a routine the promotes muscle growth....I'm
not saying that your hubby's routine is stupid either, since I know nothing
of it. But plenty of people use stupid routines thinking they'll grow
muscle as result of it. While bulking, it will be best if he sticks to
compound movements that involve several muscle groups. So a basic routine
of squats, deadlifts, bench press (flat/incline), shoulder press, lat
pulldowns (or some other back movement) is about all that is necessary. He
doesn't need to do a zillion execises or stay in the gym for 3 hours every
day, or do a [censored] of cardio. Also, he won't need to do lots and lots of
reps and/or sets if he just wants to add some muscle mass. He needs to use
weights that are very challenging and a rep range of 3 to 8 is about right.
Something like HST found here would be ideal, assuming he is a not a
complete newbie to lifting:

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html

A few cycles of this would likely be all he needs (that might take several
months to complete, btw).

:: I really appreciate this advice.
:: S t a c i
::
:: "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
:: news:[email hidden]...
::: He's going to need to up his carbs if he wants to have a chance of
::: adding some muscle mass in a reasonable amount of time with minimal
::: frustration. That doesn't mean he needs to go nuts and start eating
::: junk food like crazy, mind you, but staying less than 100 g per day
::: probably won't work well for muscle gain. As another poster
::: suggested, a diet with a balance of 40/30/30 or 30/40/30
::: (carbs/protein/fat) would likely work best for him in terms
::: maximizing his potential for muscle gain (another part of the
::: equation will be the quality of his training program - he must
::: avoid a stupid routine, and another part is simply genetics, with
::: age playing still another role) while eating an amount of calories
::: that is above maintenance for him. Since he will be eating carbs,
::: he really should make sure he is eating mostly the good fats
::: (essential fats) and limiting sat fats (carbs and sat fats together
::: with above maintenance eating is not a good idea) While he is
::: gaining muscle mass, he will likely gain some fat too, so both of
::: you must be careful not to freak out over it - it comes with the
::: game. Tracking bodyfat % throughout would be a good idea to make
::: sure the rate of weight/fat gain is not too great. If it is, it
::: should be slowed down by eating less. Once he feels as though he
::: as gained enough weight, he can resume LC for weight loss to lose
::: the regained belly fat and reveal the new muscles better while
::: maintaining a consistent training program. Once that is achieved,
::: he can decide if he wants to maintain or start a new bulking phase.
:::
:::
::: S t a c i wrote:
::::: This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking
::::: up. He's been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes
::::: eats carby foods at lunch. I would imagine that he's still
::::: keeping his carbs under 75 a day. Weight loss was not his first
::::: goal with LC, but he's currently below his target weight now.
::::: (His LC goals are to eat healthier and keep me happy.)
:::::
::::: Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.
::::: Currently, because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an
::::: underwear model (at least to me). He had a little fat around his
::::: waistline before, which is gone. He has been really happy with LC
::::: in the fact that he has lost some weight without losing any muscle
::::: mass. He's also been happy with other LC side effects like higher
::::: energy and clear skin.
:::::
::::: He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of
::::: chicken breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and
::::: plates of it. His goal now is to gain a bit more muscle,
::::: especially in his pecs, but neither of us are sure as to how he
::::: can do this while on LC.
:::::
::::: Any advice would be appreciated -
::::: S t a c i

S t a c i said:

This question is for my husband -

You have already gotten some good advice from some of the folks who
responded. I won't repeat what they have said, but instead try to add to
it.

There is a camp that believes that aiming for 1g of dietary protien per
lb of body weight is a good idea during a bulking phase.

It is usually good to gain until you are happy with your muscle gains
and then go a step or two further. The reason for this is that he will
lose some muscle during his cutting phase. It won't be a lot, especially
in comparison to the fat he will be cutting, but he will lose *some*.

If he feels like he is having trouble getting through his workouts he
could try eating two rolls of Smarties candies about twenty to thirty
minutes before his workouts. The sugars that are in this candy are quite
easily digested and used by working muscles. This should help get him
through workouts without having to reintroduce a lot of carbs back into
his daily dietary intake.

In addition to the last, it is believed that if you are going to be
taking in carbs, within 30 minutes of the end of the workout and complex
carbs are the way to go. Something to do with replenishing depleted
muscle glycogen rather then being stored as fat. I actually used to
find, when I was both seriously low carbing and seriously weight
training, that if I didn't have a bowl of oatmeal or something after a
workout my arms and legs would shake!

As always HMMV,

HTH,

Lurker

--
"I realize that you're a dipshit, but read closer,..."

Lyle McDonald on MFW

Frederick said:

Tell him to do benchpress 2-3 times a week,

And squat.

Roger Zoul said:

While bulking, it will be best if he sticks to
compound movements that involve several muscle groups. So a basic routine
of squats, deadlifts, bench press (flat/incline), shoulder press, lat
pulldowns (or some other back movement) is about all that is necessary.

Poor, neglected biceps. Poor, neglected gastrocs.

Quoted message said:

He
doesn't need to do a zillion execises or stay in the gym for 3 hours every
day, or do a [censored] of cardio. Also, he won't need to do lots and lots of
reps and/or sets if he just wants to add some muscle mass. He needs to use
weights that are very challenging and a rep range of 3 to 8 is about right.

About wrong would be better put. Even your HST "guru" uses 10 rep/sets.

Quoted message said:

Something like HST found here would be ideal, assuming he is a not a
complete newbie to lifting:

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html

A lot of pure [censored] here for instance.

Compound Exercises

HST also suggests using compound exercises to maximize the effects of
loading on as much muscle as possible per exercise.

MU COMMENT:

Want to max load a lift? Simplify the movement. Want a huge biceps? Curl.
Wand huge triceps? Extensions.

Low volume per exercise (average volume per week)

HST suggests that you limit the number of sets per exercise per workout to
1 or 2. This is based on *some* evidence that sets beyond the first
"effective" set do little more than burn calories.

MU COMMENT:

Some = he's guessing at best.

HST
It is not "specifically" designed for competitive track athletes,
Powerlifters or Olympic lifters, although I have had many athletes from
different sports apply HST to their off-season training with ground
breaking results. It is designed according to research looking specifically
at muscle hypertrophy, not muscle performance.

MU COMMENT:

Muscle performance, huh? So he admits that HST just sorta fell into the
field of athletic performance even though it is specifically designed for
something else?

Lucky guy. Pffft.

HSN/HST are the embodiment of over 20 years experience in the
health/fitness industry, combined with the latest in scientific
understanding of human physiology and metabolism. Their introduction to the
public brings long awaited consumer confidence in product quality and
training methodology, and sets a new standard for the industry to follow.

MU COMMENT:

Pffft squared. Haycock is a nutcase.

"MU" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 13:30:43 -0400, Roger Zoul wrote:

A lot of pure [censored] here for instance.
Some = he's guessing at best.

MU COMMENT:

Pffft squared. Haycock is a nutcase.

So, what is in your belief, the best exercise method for gaining muscle
mass? I'm really interested if you know of a better way. I've been training
for the last 6 months and believe I have reached close to my genetic
potential. Further gains will be slow at best. I've been reading lately
about HIT and just ordered a book through Chapter's called Beyond Brawn. I'm
sure you've heard of it. The book apparently is written for the average joe
and dispels many myths about current weight training methods. I have heard
about HIT before from articles by Mike Mentzer along with some other guys I
can't remember their names. I really am interested to hear your view point
on the best methods for gaining muscle mass drug and supplement free. Every
expert seems to have a method that works for some people, but a lot of these
guys were huge to begin with and have no problem gaining mass. You would
think it was easy. Increase weight at every workout and bingo your huge. I
and most people that I know do not find it that easy. If it was, any
dedicated young kid would spend all his time in the gym to get that way.
What is your take on all this?
Tom
210/180/180

MU wrote:
|| On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 13:30:43 -0400, Roger Zoul wrote:
||
||| While bulking, it will be best if he sticks to
||| compound movements that involve several muscle groups. So a basic
||| routine of squats, deadlifts, bench press (flat/incline), shoulder
||| press, lat pulldowns (or some other back movement) is about all
||| that is necessary.
||
|| Poor, neglected biceps. Poor, neglected gastrocs.
||

1) you should have read that I said 'about all'...I was not trying to be
comprehensive
2) surely you know that most of the pulling motions provide about all the
work needed for biceps for most with the exception of perhaps those
interested in competitive bodybuilding or those needing rehabilitation.

||| He
||| doesn't need to do a zillion execises or stay in the gym for 3
||| hours every day, or do a [censored] of cardio. Also, he won't need
||| to do lots and lots of reps and/or sets if he just wants to add
||| some muscle mass. He needs to use weights that are very
||| challenging and a rep range of 3 to 8 is about right.
||
|| About wrong would be better put. Even your HST "guru" uses 10
|| rep/sets.

HST uses 15, 10, and 5...or any variation on the scheme.

||
||| Something like HST found here would be ideal, assuming he is a not a
||| complete newbie to lifting:
|||
||| http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html
||
|| A lot of pure [censored] here for instance.

really?

||
|| Compound Exercises
||
|| HST also suggests using compound exercises to maximize the effects of
|| loading on as much muscle as possible per exercise.
||
|| MU COMMENT:
||
|| Want to max load a lift? Simplify the movement. Want a huge biceps?
|| Curl. Wand huge triceps? Extensions.
||
|| Low volume per exercise (average volume per week)

Wanna look like an out-of-porportioned freak, follow MU's advice. The fact
is, most causal lifters don't need to do more than basic movements. Calf
would should be included, BTW.

||
|| HST suggests that you limit the number of sets per exercise per
|| workout to 1 or 2. This is based on *some* evidence that sets beyond
|| the first "effective" set do little more than burn calories.
||
|| MU COMMENT:
||
|| Some = he's guessing at best.

Yeah, so are you.

||
|| HST
|| It is not "specifically" designed for competitive track athletes,
|| Powerlifters or Olympic lifters, although I have had many athletes
|| from different sports apply HST to their off-season training with
|| ground
|| breaking results. It is designed according to research looking
|| specifically at muscle hypertrophy, not muscle performance.
||
|| MU COMMENT:
||
|| Muscle performance, huh? So he admits that HST just sorta fell into
|| the
|| field of athletic performance even though it is specifically
|| designed for something else?

What? he's saying that athletes use the approach...for what? Muscle
hypertrophy....and of course, they do get some gains in strength even though
that is not the primary goal. HST does have some benefits in gaining
strenght even though there are likely better approaches. But to think that
athletes have to desire to look good is silly.

||
|| Lucky guy. Pffft.
||
||
|| HSN/HST are the embodiment of over 20 years experience in the
|| health/fitness industry, combined with the latest in scientific
|| understanding of human physiology and metabolism. Their introduction
|| to the public brings long awaited consumer confidence in product
|| quality and training methodology, and sets a new standard for the
|| industry to follow.
||
|| MU COMMENT:
||
|| Pffft squared. Haycock is a nutcase.

Okay. And you aren't?

Roger Zoul said:

He's going to need to up his carbs if he wants to have
a chance of adding some muscle mass in a reasonable amount
of time with minimal frustration.

Does it have to be in a hurry? Muscle can grow just fine on
a regular low carb plan if you don't try to push the rate.
Do the usual weight stuff to bulk and it will happen on its
own just not as fast.

To bulk work fewer reps with more weight. If you can do 15
reps at a specific weight before you increase to the next
higher weight, you're going for toning. If you can do 5
reps at a specific weight before you increase to the next
higher weight, you're going for bulking. In between and
your target is in between. Misc.fitness.weightlifting will
have more detail, but that's a simple view that should work
fine.

Switch to more weight at fewer reps, and about the same
total calories will be burned, so he won't hit the wall any
sooner. Just do sessions without hitting the wall or if he
hits the wall that's enough for the day, and he'll bulk up
gradually without needing to eat extra carbs.

Quoted message said:

That doesn't mean he needs to go nuts and start eating junk
food like crazy, mind you, but staying less than 100 g per
day probably won't work well for muscle gain.

I think "well" there actually means "quickly". If there is
no drive for maximum growth speed, I don't think the dietary
change is mandatory.

Quoted message said:

As another poster suggested, a diet with a balance of 40/30/30
or 30/40/30 (carbs/protein/fat) would likely work best for
him in terms maximizing his potential for muscle gain (another
part of the equation will be the quality of his training
program - he must avoid a stupid routine

Variety rules in cooking veggies, so it should also rule in
designing workouts!

Quoted message said:

While he is gaining muscle mass, he will likely gain some fat
too, so both of you must be careful not to freak out over it -
it comes with the game.

Or try CKD with a weekly pattern. Way more work if what he
wants to do is more work.

Doug Freyburger wrote:
|| Roger Zoul wrote:
|||
||| He's going to need to up his carbs if he wants to have
||| a chance of adding some muscle mass in a reasonable amount
||| of time with minimal frustration.
||
|| Does it have to be in a hurry?

Define "hurry". It needs to proceed at a pace where the guy will feel he is
making progress.

Muscle can grow just fine on
|| a regular low carb plan if you don't try to push the rate.
|| Do the usual weight stuff to bulk and it will happen on its
|| own just not as fast.

The problems are a couple. First, if you're really LCing, it won't be easy
to eat above maintenance. Carbs make that happen. Secondly, carbs make
working out harder (with heavier weight) easier to do. It's just a fact.

||
|| To bulk work fewer reps with more weight. If you can do 15
|| reps at a specific weight before you increase to the next
|| higher weight, you're going for toning. If you can do 5
|| reps at a specific weight before you increase to the next
|| higher weight, you're going for bulking. In between and
|| your target is in between. Misc.fitness.weightlifting will
|| have more detail, but that's a simple view that should work
|| fine.

Well....what exactly do you mean by toning? There is nothing about doing 15
reps that will achieve greater "tone" that I know of. We've been over that
ground before.

||
|| Switch to more weight at fewer reps, and about the same
|| total calories will be burned, so he won't hit the wall any
|| sooner. Just do sessions without hitting the wall or if he
|| hits the wall that's enough for the day, and he'll bulk up
|| gradually without needing to eat extra carbs.
||

If the guy doesn't have some issues with carbs, and I saw none posted, then
why should he not put himself in the best position possible to achieve his
goals?

||| That doesn't mean he needs to go nuts and start eating junk
||| food like crazy, mind you, but staying less than 100 g per
||| day probably won't work well for muscle gain.
||
|| I think "well" there actually means "quickly". If there is
|| no drive for maximum growth speed, I don't think the dietary
|| change is mandatory.

Dietary change is not mandatory, but why stretch something like this out?
The guy will still have to deal with his own genetic potential, age factors,
quality of training program, etc. Starting with a reasonable diet to
support his goals simply puts him at an advantage. If there is not motive
to remain LC for health reasons, then I don't see a good reason not to
maximize his diet to suit his goals. LCing can be resumed at a later time.

||
||| As another poster suggested, a diet with a balance of 40/30/30
||| or 30/40/30 (carbs/protein/fat) would likely work best for
||| him in terms maximizing his potential for muscle gain (another
||| part of the equation will be the quality of his training
||| program - he must avoid a stupid routine
||
|| Variety rules in cooking veggies, so it should also rule in
|| designing workouts!

Really?

||
||| While he is gaining muscle mass, he will likely gain some fat
||| too, so both of you must be careful not to freak out over it -
||| it comes with the game.
||
|| Or try CKD with a weekly pattern. Way more work if what he
|| wants to do is more work.

Doing a CKD when there is no reason to is nuts. As are any freaky diets
where you are timing carb intake to coincide with training. It's all too
damn complicated. If there are no real underlying reasons to avoid carbs
(likely trying to lose weight or being a diabetic) then the best approach is
to be more direct. The fact is a diet higher in carbs with set the stage
for mass gain.

Carbs are evil. Excessive carbs can be a problem for many. For his stated
goals, a diet at 30 to 40% carbs (not junk food) will likely not be harmful
if he is not diabetic or IR.

If I'm low carbing and want to add some muscle without the fat, I usually up
the protein by means of an extra protein shake (designer whey has only 2
carbs per shake), as well as add creatine to my arsenault of supplements.
I've gained 10 lbs of muscle in a matter of about 1 month while taking
advanced creatine supplements without adding too much extra calories to my
diet. My favorite is cell-tech by muscle tech, but this particular product
has about 70 grams of dextrose per serving - It doesnt sound like it would
be a problem for your husband though.

"S t a c i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking up. He's
been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes eats carby foods at
lunch. I would imagine that he's still keeping his carbs under 75 a day.
Weight loss was not his first goal with LC, but he's currently below his
target weight now. (His LC goals are to eat healthier and keep me happy.)

Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.

Currently,

Quoted message said:

because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an underwear model (at

least

Quoted message said:

to me). He had a little fat around his waistline before, which is gone.

He

Quoted message said:

has been really happy with LC in the fact that he has lost some weight
without losing any muscle mass. He's also been happy with other LC side
effects like higher energy and clear skin.

He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of chicken
breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and plates of it. His
goal now is to gain a bit more muscle, especially in his pecs, but neither
of us are sure as to how he can do this while on LC.

Any advice would be appreciated -
S t a c i

You gained 10 lbs of muscle in one month?

Do you know what creatine does?

DaveC wrote:
|| If I'm low carbing and want to add some muscle without the fat, I
|| usually up the protein by means of an extra protein shake (designer
|| whey has only 2 carbs per shake), as well as add creatine to my
|| arsenault of supplements. I've gained 10 lbs of muscle in a matter
|| of about 1 month while taking advanced creatine supplements without
|| adding too much extra calories to my diet. My favorite is cell-tech
|| by muscle tech, but this particular product has about 70 grams of
|| dextrose per serving - It doesnt sound like it would be a problem
|| for your husband though.
||
||
|| "S t a c i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
|| news:[email hidden]...
||| This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking
||| up. He's been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes
||| eats carby foods at lunch. I would imagine that he's still keeping
||| his carbs under 75 a day. Weight loss was not his first goal with
||| LC, but he's currently below his target weight now. (His LC goals
||| are to eat healthier and keep me happy.)
|||
||| Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.
||| Currently, because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an
||| underwear model (at least to me). He had a little fat around his
||| waistline before, which is gone. He has been really happy with LC
||| in the fact that he has lost some weight without losing any muscle
||| mass. He's also been happy with other LC side effects like higher
||| energy and clear skin.
|||
||| He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of
||| chicken breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and
||| plates of it. His goal now is to gain a bit more muscle,
||| especially in his pecs, but neither of us are sure as to how he can
||| do this while on LC.
|||
||| Any advice would be appreciated -
||| S t a c i

"S t a c i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the help, Frederick. Has this worked for you? I'm curious,
because the other replies are suggesting that he increase carbs.

S t a c i

"Frederick" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"S t a c i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This question is for my husband - I have no intention of bulking up.

He's

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

been LC with me, but not as strict, since he sometimes eats carby foods

at

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lunch. I would imagine that he's still keeping his carbs under 75 a

day.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Weight loss was not his first goal with LC, but he's currently below
his
target weight now. (His LC goals are to eat healthier and keep me

happy.)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Here's some background...he (Chris) is a naturally muscle-y guy.
Currently,
because of LC and weight lifting, he looks like an underwear model (at
least
to me). He had a little fat around his waistline before, which is
gone.
He
has been really happy with LC in the fact that he has lost some weight
without losing any muscle mass. He's also been happy with other LC
side
effects like higher energy and clear skin.

He has bulked up in the past (before we met) by eating a lot of chicken
breasts, pasta and salads. A LOT of pasta. Plates and plates of it.

His

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

goal now is to gain a bit more muscle, especially in his pecs, but

neither

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of us are sure as to how he can do this while on LC.

Any advice would be appreciated -
S t a c i

It's quite simple. 🙂

Tell him to do benchpress 2-3 times a week, and just to eat more (about
200-500 calories) than his maintenance calories whilst on low carb. ie

Just

Quoted message said:

eat more fat and protein. Since he is already eating 75g carb he probably
won't need to have a little carb snack before doing a workout, but if he
gets tired during the workout, 20-50g of carb 30-45mins before workout

will

Quoted message said:

help him get through it.

You don't need to eat lots of pasta (ie. Carbs) to gain muscle, you just
need a lot of total calories, and to make sure you have enough protein

(you

Quoted message said:

will on LC).

Also there is nothing wrong with a 40/30/30 diet (40% carbs, 30%
fat/protein), you will experience the same benefits you get whilst doing

low

Quoted message said:

carb, as long as you only eat "good" carbs, no processed grains, flour,
sugar, etc. This is in my experience, don't shoot me down. 🙂

Hi Staci, it's hard for me to say, I went through a "bulking" phase 4 months
ago eating a lot of [censored] on a normal diet and 4 weeks ago went to low carb
for losing fat (and only fat). I'd say that I am gaining muscle, but maybe
not as fast as before. It's very hard to tell these things because when you
are on a normal diet your fat goes up with the muscle, however when I've
been low-carbing I've been increasing strength and losing only fat.

You can definately gain muscle without much carbs, as I said eating some
carbs before workout probably helps to achieve muscle gains whilst on LC. I
almost think that I might be gaining more muscle on LC than ever before just
due to the amount of protein pumping through my body compared to before.

I will be switching to a 40/30/30 diet very soon once I have lost enough fat
to see my "6 pack", it is probably the best overall diet you can be on as
long as you don't eat [censored] carbs. Low carb is good for losing only fat and I
will undoubtably go back on it in the future to lose fat if need be, but for
practical terms it isn't good for me. Even though I feel a lot better on LC
compared to my previous food lifestyle, I realize now it is because of the
removal of the [censored] carbs, not the good ones which has done this for me. As
an example, when I have some pure glucose carbs for my workouts I feel fine,
however one day managed to have a few little wheat crackers with cheese, and
I could feel my stomach begin moaning "why why did you eat this flour". I'm
not "allergic" to wheat either in the traditional sense, but I realize now
all those processed carbs just make you feel not well.

So in my opinion, low carb is probably the best diet you can ever go on for
losing fat, but it isn't a lifetime diet for me.

As someone said, you should get your man to do squats/deadlifts if he wants
to really pack on the muscle all over and to help his benchpress gains.
Since you said he only wants pecs through (which I personally don't agree
with just increasing one or two muscles) doing only bench will achieve this,
along with some nice arm gains.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Frederick" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

As someone said, you should get your man to do squats/deadlifts if he

wants

Quoted message said:

to really pack on the muscle all over and to help his benchpress gains.
Since you said he only wants pecs through (which I personally don't agree
with just increasing one or two muscles) doing only bench will achieve

this,

Quoted message said:

along with some nice arm gains.

Thanks, Frederick. He actually has all-over muscles now, and he does do
full-body workouts. He wants to bulk up a little in general, but he feels
that his pecs are a little out of balance with the rest of his upper body,
so he wants to focus on those. Genetically he's already predisposed to a
naturally muscle-y body.

S t a c i

"Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

It will work as it has been done by many. But whether he is gaining

muscle

Quoted message said:

mass or fat, or some combination of both is key. I don't have an idea of
what you mean by quickly, either. But if he already trains then I doubt

he

Quoted message said:

can add significant muscle mass really quickly. I would expect several
months of consistent work. But all of this really depends on what he is
looking for and I have no way of relating to it.

I said that his body changes quickly, but I really didn't know what I was
talking about. All I have to compare him to is myself. 🙂 His weight
fluctuates and he can put on muscles more quickly than I can, but I'm
comparing a naturally heavily-muscled man to a naturally tall and lanky
woman. No comparison, really. I'm sure it will take him months to see the
results he wants.

Quoted message said:

No, not really. I'm suggesting a routine the promotes muscle

growth....I'm

Quoted message said:

not saying that your hubby's routine is stupid either, since I know

nothing

Quoted message said:

of it. But plenty of people use stupid routines thinking they'll grow
muscle as result of it. While bulking, it will be best if he sticks to
compound movements that involve several muscle groups. So a basic routine
of squats, deadlifts, bench press (flat/incline), shoulder press, lat
pulldowns (or some other back movement) is about all that is necessary.

He

Quoted message said:

doesn't need to do a zillion execises or stay in the gym for 3 hours every
day, or do a [censored] of cardio. Also, he won't need to do lots and lots

of

Quoted message said:

reps and/or sets if he just wants to add some muscle mass. He needs to

use

Quoted message said:

weights that are very challenging and a rep range of 3 to 8 is about

right.

Quoted message said:

Something like HST found here would be ideal, assuming he is a not a
complete newbie to lifting:

Thanks for this. I should probably stay out of the weight lifting
discussion part of this, because I don't know a whole lot about it, but I
know that Chris is doing a healthy, balanced workout. He's pretty educated
on the exercise half of things, it's the LC half that I couldn't help him
with.

I did, however, mention that he might want to add some variety to his
workout, and he sort of sighed and said, "Yeah, I know. I should." (This
was on the phone last night since he's out of town.) So maybe he does think
he's getting into a stupid routine. 🙂 I know that all of the traveling he
does keeps him from working out as much as he'd like to.

I'll follow up with is bulking-up progress after a while. We'll take some
measurements and really track it.

Thanks again -
S t a c i