Intermittent Fasting - Building Muscles - Whats your opinion?

Requirments: Being low in bodyfat and having a clean diet.
Goal: Building some mucles, while preserving bodyfat low as possible.

Question: Have any of you guys tried bulking with IF? I wanna hear your personal experiences, or see some before and after photos.

*I think its difficult to have 2500-3000 calories in 6-8 hour window.

Replies

  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Why would you do IF if you are trying to bulk?
  • kuriakos_chris
    kuriakos_chris Posts: 48 Member
    I saw some famous youtubers doing IF, or at least saying they do, so i got curious if this "diet" helps limit the fat you gain through bulking.
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
    Bulking and fasting...
    So you sometimes eat nothing, and other times have to eat a lot of food to stay in surplus...
    What exactly would be the benefit?
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    No...you only put on fat in proportion to the amount of calories you eat over maintenance. Fat gain is inevitable during a bulk, meal timing and types of food eaten is irrelevant, really. Of course, if you're lifting, it will be helpful to make sure you get plenty of protein.
  • Pinnacle_IAO
    Pinnacle_IAO Posts: 608 Member
    edited August 2015
    Requirments: Being low in bodyfat and having a clean diet.
    Goal: Building some mucles, while preserving bodyfat low as possible.

    Question: Have any of you guys tried bulking with IF? I wanna hear your personal experiences, or see some before and after photos.

    *I think its difficult to have 2500-3000 calories in 6-8 hour window.
    I am older with different goals, but I do IF.

    After losing a ton of weight, my body fat hung off at about 23%. I wanted to preserve muscle and lose that drooling lard. I have been engaged in IF for 3 years while maintaining weight.
    My body fat is now around 15% with my weight the same.
    It works, but SO SLOWLY!

    And in all objectivity, I do other things that some claim cut fat while maintaining weight...like HIIT in a fasted state 3 times per week....and calorie cycling in conjunction with different workouts.

    Once a guy gets to a certain level, progress is again so awfully slow...

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    OP - I am confused. Are you trying to gain muscle and or lose body at. You have a similar thread going about wanting to get to 8-10% body fat.

    IF has nothing to do with bulking/cutting/etc, it is just a eating strategy.

    Eat in a surplus
    hit macros
    lift heavy
    = gain mass
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    AsISmile wrote: »
    Bulking and fasting...
    So you sometimes eat nothing, and other times have to eat a lot of food to stay in surplus...
    What exactly would be the benefit?

    you can bulk on IF..

    you just eat all your calories in a certain feeding window. Typically for guys it is 16/8 ..so you fast for 16 hours and then have an eight hour feeding window. It is possible….

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    I saw some famous youtubers doing IF, or at least saying they do, so i got curious if this "diet" helps limit the fat you gain through bulking.

    nope, you are still going to gain fat at about a 1:1 rate. So ten pound of gain equal five pounds of fat and five pound of muscle.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,451 Member
    Regardless of how one bulks, inevitably there will be fat gain to an extent. Building muscle requires a surplus and one doesn't have control of how much of that surplus directly goes to muscle.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    You might be interested in researching lean gains. If you can eat enough calories in you window, there is absolutely nothing wrong with following a 16:8 IF protocol and bulking. If I ever decided to bulk, that is what I would do, just because the 16:8 schedule fits my daily life perfectly.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
    Cals in vs cals out. There will be claims, studies, and opinions thrown at you from everyone, but the proven one is simple: whether you're in a energy surplus or a deficit to bulk, cut,more if your maintaining. Just don't fast for a week or even days and then oviousky eat 7500 cals, but the body is running on a constant cycle.....not a 24 hour one.
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    AsISmile wrote: »
    Bulking and fasting...
    So you sometimes eat nothing, and other times have to eat a lot of food to stay in surplus...
    What exactly would be the benefit?

    you can bulk on IF..

    you just eat all your calories in a certain feeding window. Typically for guys it is 16/8 ..so you fast for 16 hours and then have an eight hour feeding window. It is possible….

    But why?
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    AsISmile wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    AsISmile wrote: »
    Bulking and fasting...
    So you sometimes eat nothing, and other times have to eat a lot of food to stay in surplus...
    What exactly would be the benefit?

    you can bulk on IF..

    you just eat all your calories in a certain feeding window. Typically for guys it is 16/8 ..so you fast for 16 hours and then have an eight hour feeding window. It is possible….

    But why?

    Maybe people enjoy larger meals, or don't like eating breakfast/aren't hungry.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    AsISmile wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    AsISmile wrote: »
    Bulking and fasting...
    So you sometimes eat nothing, and other times have to eat a lot of food to stay in surplus...
    What exactly would be the benefit?

    you can bulk on IF..

    you just eat all your calories in a certain feeding window. Typically for guys it is 16/8 ..so you fast for 16 hours and then have an eight hour feeding window. It is possible….

    But why?

    supposedly, after fasting for 16 hours your body is primed for macronutrient absorption…and some people just like to eat three to four thousand calories in a six hour window …

    I did it a few years back - was cutting, not bulking - and I liked it but it was too tough for me to fit into my lifestyle..I felt like I was cooking/eating all night….so went back to just four meals a day ….

  • pbryd
    pbryd Posts: 364 Member
    AsISmile wrote: »

    But why?

    Fasting improves blood sugar levels and give a natural growth hormone release.

  • kuriakos_chris
    kuriakos_chris Posts: 48 Member
    I read all of your comments thanks for writing.Sorry for not repling seperatly.
    I know that gaining fat is absolute. Reduce it though is possible.
    My thoughts of asking:
    About IF. Rumors say since you dont eat carbs half day, you limit your insulin levels and increase growth hormone.
    If you dont eat the first half of the day for example, body will use fat for energy since glycogen will be probably burned, so its kind of a way to burn fat.

    About that calories in calories out thing. I dont think its a rule.
    If i eat high glycemic foods i will spike insulin and gain fat easier in the long term.
    That being said there are ways to trick system.

    Take another of my theory.
    example 1. You eat +300 cals from maintenance.
    example 2. You eat +400 cals from maintenance but you do 20-30 min cardio after workout.
    That time glygogen is spent so you ll use fat for energy to run. So you lose fat.
    After some months i think example 2 will have a better result. Gaining weight yes but less fat than example 1.

    I am not an expert, i know things, those are details, some dont care some think they do the difference, i am here to discuss theories and experiences.

    For now i will try IF from my deflict towards maintenance going up 50cals per week. and if it works i will try to go +300 to 500 cals
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    I read all of your comments thanks for writing.Sorry for not repling seperatly.
    I know that gaining fat is absolute. Reduce it though is possible.
    My thoughts of asking:
    About IF. Rumors say since you dont eat carbs half day, you limit your insulin levels and increase growth hormone.
    If you dont eat the first half of the day for example, body will use fat for energy since glycogen will be probably burned, so its kind of a way to burn fat.

    About that calories in calories out thing. I dont think its a rule.
    If i eat high glycemic foods i will spike insulin and gain fat easier in the long term.
    That being said there are ways to trick system.

    Take another of my theory.
    example 1. You eat +300 cals from maintenance.
    example 2. You eat +400 cals from maintenance but you do 20-30 min cardio after workout.
    That time glygogen is spent so you ll use fat for energy to run. So you lose fat.
    After some months i think example 2 will have a better result. Gaining weight yes but less fat than example 1.

    I am not an expert, i know things, those are details, some dont care some think they do the difference, i am here to discuss theories and experiences.

    For now i will try IF from my deflict towards maintenance going up 50cals per week. and if it works i will try to go +300 to 500 cals

    your thinking is seriously flawed.

    In your example, you would not gain as much fat in example two because you are doing an extra 20-30 minutes of cardio which will burn off excess calories, and in example one there is no extra cardio built in; therefore, your example is not comparing apples to apples.

    if you take two people and one does IF and one does not, and they both eat 300 calorie surplus; muscle and fat gain will be relatively the same.

  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    edited August 2015
    I read all of your comments thanks for writing.Sorry for not repling seperatly.
    I know that gaining fat is absolute. Reduce it though is possible.
    My thoughts of asking:
    About IF. Rumors say since you dont eat carbs half day, you limit your insulin levels and increase growth hormone.
    If you dont eat the first half of the day for example, body will use fat for energy since glycogen will be probably burned, so its kind of a way to burn fat.

    About that calories in calories out thing. I dont think its a rule.
    If i eat high glycemic foods i will spike insulin and gain fat easier in the long term.
    That being said there are ways to trick system.

    Take another of my theory.
    example 1. You eat +300 cals from maintenance.
    example 2. You eat +400 cals from maintenance but you do 20-30 min cardio after workout.
    That time glygogen is spent so you ll use fat for energy to run. So you lose fat.
    After some months i think example 2 will have a better result. Gaining weight yes but less fat than example 1.

    I am not an expert, i know things, those are details, some dont care some think they do the difference, i am here to discuss theories and experiences.

    For now i will try IF from my deflict towards maintenance going up 50cals per week. and if it works i will try to go +300 to 500 cals

    k