Trying to choose between lean or bulking/muscle mass building :p
the_raptor
Posts: 24 Member
So after 2 days of a lower carb diet (30% carbs, 30%fats, 40% protein) I've discovered that cutting carbs cuts my energy levels too low, affects my lifting during workouts, affects work performance, and makes me angry if I go too long between meals.
So I'm back to more carbs as of today! Still trying to decide between training and dieting to be lean or try to put on mass/bulk.
I might just have to get a BIA body's can to help work out my BMR and EER so I can work out correctly my kilojoules/calorie targets and so on to modify my diet.
I want to get rid of this stomach fat to display a sat x-pack abs, but I want to build muscle mass and strength also. Some say you can lose fat and build muscle, others say you can't simultaneously do both.
Which way to go, lean or or go for the bulk muscle mass , or both, I don't know anymore. Any suggestions?
So I'm back to more carbs as of today! Still trying to decide between training and dieting to be lean or try to put on mass/bulk.
I might just have to get a BIA body's can to help work out my BMR and EER so I can work out correctly my kilojoules/calorie targets and so on to modify my diet.
I want to get rid of this stomach fat to display a sat x-pack abs, but I want to build muscle mass and strength also. Some say you can lose fat and build muscle, others say you can't simultaneously do both.
Which way to go, lean or or go for the bulk muscle mass , or both, I don't know anymore. Any suggestions?
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Replies
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Recomp suits me (for many reasons) but may not suit you.
But would maybe seem sensible to do that while you decide your priorities? There's pros and cons to both methods so no one size fits all.
Your current training level, your ultimate goal, BF %, training history, age, genetic gifts, all make a difference as do lifestyle choices and how patient you are.
The Maintaining weight forum is probably where you will find most examples of people doing a recomp.
The Gaining weight forum is where you will get the best advice from people who choose to cut/bulk.
Suggest you peruse a few of the threads.
Your calorie targets get honed down by trial and error over time - all the estimates in the world just give you a start point. A little bit of logging inaccuracy will undermine any estimate anyway.0 -
the_raptor wrote: »So after 2 days of a lower carb diet (30% carbs, 30%fats, 40% protein) I've discovered that cutting carbs cuts my energy levels too low, affects my lifting during workouts, affects work performance, and makes me angry if I go too long between meals.
So I'm back to more carbs as of today! Still trying to decide between training and dieting to be lean or try to put on mass/bulk.
I might just have to get a BIA body's can to help work out my BMR and EER so I can work out correctly my kilojoules/calorie targets and so on to modify my diet.
I want to get rid of this stomach fat to display a sat x-pack abs, but I want to build muscle mass and strength also. Some say you can lose fat and build muscle, others say you can't simultaneously do both.
Which way to go, lean or or go for the bulk muscle mass , or both, I don't know anymore. Any suggestions?
I would not make any decision based on two days... It likely will take your body a couple weeks to kind of settle into a change like this. The reduced energy might even be just a coincidental response of seasonal allergies, a mild cold or any number of other things.
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Recomp suits me (for many reasons) but may not suit you.
But would maybe seem sensible to do that while you decide your priorities? There's pros and cons to both methods so no one size fits all.
Your current training level, your ultimate goal, BF %, training history, age, genetic gifts, all make a difference as do lifestyle choices and how patient you are.
The Maintaining weight forum is probably where you will find most examples of people doing a recomp.
The Gaining weight forum is where you will get the best advice from people who choose to cut/bulk.
Suggest you peruse a few of the threads.
Your calorie targets get honed down by trial and error over time - all the estimates in the world just give you a start point. A little bit of logging inaccuracy will undermine any estimate anyway.
@sijomial What exactly is recomp please? I came across a calculator which claimed I should eat 3000 calories for three days and 2000 for four days a week to do this. My maintenance is about 2400 by the way.0 -
Also, is 30% considered low carb now? I eat 33% (on average) and it's still something like 250 grams of carbs... definitely not low by any means.0
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I suggest you read the book "Why We Get Fat" - Gary Taubes. Then keep carbs below 100 grams/day.
macros 15c/20p/65f.
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@Scamd83Recomp suits me (for many reasons) but may not suit you.
But would maybe seem sensible to do that while you decide your priorities? There's pros and cons to both methods so no one size fits all.
Your current training level, your ultimate goal, BF %, training history, age, genetic gifts, all make a difference as do lifestyle choices and how patient you are.
The Maintaining weight forum is probably where you will find most examples of people doing a recomp.
The Gaining weight forum is where you will get the best advice from people who choose to cut/bulk.
Suggest you peruse a few of the threads.
Your calorie targets get honed down by trial and error over time - all the estimates in the world just give you a start point. A little bit of logging inaccuracy will undermine any estimate anyway.
@sijomial What exactly is recomp please? I came across a calculator which claimed I should eat 3000 calories for three days and 2000 for four days a week to do this. My maintenance is about 2400 by the way.
Shorthand for recomposition - the simultaneous increase of muscle and loss of fat while eating at (or around) maintenance levels.
There are complex calorie (or carb) cycling protocols which even out calories over the week but that's personal preference. I don't bother - any difference likely to be insignificant IMHO.
"Recomp" is what used to be what everyone, bar a tiny niche of body builders, used to do although it didn't have a name. Over the decades cut/bulk routines have morphed into general use and people instead of "getting in shape" now "recomp".0 -
@Scamd83Recomp suits me (for many reasons) but may not suit you.
But would maybe seem sensible to do that while you decide your priorities? There's pros and cons to both methods so no one size fits all.
Your current training level, your ultimate goal, BF %, training history, age, genetic gifts, all make a difference as do lifestyle choices and how patient you are.
The Maintaining weight forum is probably where you will find most examples of people doing a recomp.
The Gaining weight forum is where you will get the best advice from people who choose to cut/bulk.
Suggest you peruse a few of the threads.
Your calorie targets get honed down by trial and error over time - all the estimates in the world just give you a start point. A little bit of logging inaccuracy will undermine any estimate anyway.
@sijomial What exactly is recomp please? I came across a calculator which claimed I should eat 3000 calories for three days and 2000 for four days a week to do this. My maintenance is about 2400 by the way.
Shorthand for recomposition - the simultaneous increase of muscle and loss of fat while eating at (or around) maintenance levels.
There are complex calorie (or carb) cycling protocols which even out calories over the week but that's personal preference. I don't bother - any difference likely to be insignificant IMHO.
"Recomp" is what used to be what everyone, bar a tiny niche of body builders, used to do although it didn't have a name. Over the decades cut/bulk routines have morphed into general use and people instead of "getting in shape" now "recomp".
@sijomial So does 2000 and 3000 calories sound right for a recomp when maintenance is 2400? Or is there a better calculator for this?0 -
@Scamd83Recomp suits me (for many reasons) but may not suit you.
But would maybe seem sensible to do that while you decide your priorities? There's pros and cons to both methods so no one size fits all.
Your current training level, your ultimate goal, BF %, training history, age, genetic gifts, all make a difference as do lifestyle choices and how patient you are.
The Maintaining weight forum is probably where you will find most examples of people doing a recomp.
The Gaining weight forum is where you will get the best advice from people who choose to cut/bulk.
Suggest you peruse a few of the threads.
Your calorie targets get honed down by trial and error over time - all the estimates in the world just give you a start point. A little bit of logging inaccuracy will undermine any estimate anyway.
@sijomial What exactly is recomp please? I came across a calculator which claimed I should eat 3000 calories for three days and 2000 for four days a week to do this. My maintenance is about 2400 by the way.
Shorthand for recomposition - the simultaneous increase of muscle and loss of fat while eating at (or around) maintenance levels.
There are complex calorie (or carb) cycling protocols which even out calories over the week but that's personal preference. I don't bother - any difference likely to be insignificant IMHO.
"Recomp" is what used to be what everyone, bar a tiny niche of body builders, used to do although it didn't have a name. Over the decades cut/bulk routines have morphed into general use and people instead of "getting in shape" now "recomp".
@sijomial So does 2000 and 3000 calories sound right for a recomp when maintenance is 2400? Or is there a better calculator for this?
It's in the ballpark if your maintenance is correct - 100 cals is really down to fine tuning.
Best calculator is your bathroom scales over an extended period of time.
One of the side benefits of recomp at maintenance is not having to be ultra precise, set a range of acceptable maintenance weight not one single number.0 -
@Scamd83Recomp suits me (for many reasons) but may not suit you.
But would maybe seem sensible to do that while you decide your priorities? There's pros and cons to both methods so no one size fits all.
Your current training level, your ultimate goal, BF %, training history, age, genetic gifts, all make a difference as do lifestyle choices and how patient you are.
The Maintaining weight forum is probably where you will find most examples of people doing a recomp.
The Gaining weight forum is where you will get the best advice from people who choose to cut/bulk.
Suggest you peruse a few of the threads.
Your calorie targets get honed down by trial and error over time - all the estimates in the world just give you a start point. A little bit of logging inaccuracy will undermine any estimate anyway.
@sijomial What exactly is recomp please? I came across a calculator which claimed I should eat 3000 calories for three days and 2000 for four days a week to do this. My maintenance is about 2400 by the way.
Shorthand for recomposition - the simultaneous increase of muscle and loss of fat while eating at (or around) maintenance levels.
There are complex calorie (or carb) cycling protocols which even out calories over the week but that's personal preference. I don't bother - any difference likely to be insignificant IMHO.
"Recomp" is what used to be what everyone, bar a tiny niche of body builders, used to do although it didn't have a name. Over the decades cut/bulk routines have morphed into general use and people instead of "getting in shape" now "recomp".
@sijomial So does 2000 and 3000 calories sound right for a recomp when maintenance is 2400? Or is there a better calculator for this?
It's in the ballpark if your maintenance is correct - 100 cals is really down to fine tuning.
Best calculator is your bathroom scales over an extended period of time.
One of the side benefits of recomp at maintenance is not having to be ultra precise, set a range of acceptable maintenance weight not one single number.
@sijomial Thanks, I always just thought recomp was eating at maintenance for some reason. I used to be a part of that Eat To Perform thing and was on 2400 and 1900 which I guess was their version of this. I think once I'm done with fat loss and have worked my way up to maintenance and stayed there for a couple of weeks I might drop rest day calories and increase training day calories gradually and see how things go. Thanks for your help, this has been very useful for me.0 -
Some useful info, thanks to all. If low carb is under 30% then I'm NEVER trying low varb, as 30% carbs dr two days made me want to kill people.
The human brain need carbs for energy, without those carbs emotions/moods become dangerous to those around you, is not worth the stress on yourself or other sin my opinion0
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