Is carb cycling legit?

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Jbarbo01
Jbarbo01 Posts: 240 Member
edited December 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
So I would like to start to get serious about lifting and my fitness. I have lost about 40 lbs just counting calories/points and did no exercise for that. This caused me to lose a fairly large amount of muscle mass and I am now very weak. I have about 25 more lbs to lose and have read that you cannot gain muscle mass while eating on a deficit but the only work around to this is carb cycling. Is this accurate? Have some of you found that you can actually gain muscle while losing fat with carb cycling or maybe even without?

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  • LaurenGetsFit2
    LaurenGetsFit2 Posts: 35 Member
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    If you go to bodybuilding.com and look up topics about carb cycling on their forum, you're likely to find all the info you need. It's kind of a lot to explain, and it's already been nicely laid out there. :)
  • adriennemarieb
    adriennemarieb Posts: 38 Member
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    This book is awesome: http://www.amazon.com/Thinner-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate/dp/1938895290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449167923&sr=8-1&keywords=thinner+leaner+stronger

    I had no idea what I was doing before reading that. I always thought low carb was the best choice. I've lost 10 lbs following that plan (before getting on MFP). It tells you exactly what you need to do to build muscle and lose fat.
  • dhimaan
    dhimaan Posts: 774 Member
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    Yes it is. It is for people who are lean looking to get leaner. Very few people fit into this category.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Jbarbo01 wrote: »
    So I would like to start to get serious about lifting and my fitness. I have lost about 40 lbs just counting calories/points and did no exercise for that. This caused me to lose a fairly large amount of muscle mass and I am now very weak. I have about 25 more lbs to lose and have read that you cannot gain muscle mass while eating on a deficit but the only work around to this is carb cycling. Is this accurate? Have some of you found that you can actually gain muscle while losing fat with carb cycling or maybe even without?

    What?
    No you don't need carb cycling

    Set your protein at 0.64g per lb bodyweight

    Follow a decent progressive resistance programme

    Preserve as much muscle as possible...if you're new to lifting then you may gain some mass, either way you will definitely gain strength

    Do you want some beginner's programmes ?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    (I'm not disputing carb cycling...but as a noob it's not necessary)

    Also you can recomp without carb cycling too
  • Jbarbo01
    Jbarbo01 Posts: 240 Member
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    Yes! If you have any suggested websites or links to beginners programs that would be awesome.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Just choose one... They are all pretty good

    Books
    Strong Curves
    New Rules of Lifting for Women

    Structured online programmes
    http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
    https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout
    http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/4-week-guide-starting-strength

    Staci is a pretty good role model:
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    If you can't bring yourself to do free weights yet then do a decent bodyweight programme
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

    If you're nervous of heading to the gym this is a worthwhile read: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/10/26/how-to-not-suck-at-working-out/

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    PS protein up there is a minimum...you can eat more (the range is usually 0.64-0.8g as a minimum) but protein is important for cell repair
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Is carb cycling legit? Yes and no, not really.

    I'll explain. Yes, for a seasoned lifter that is used to the cut/bulk cycles and is pretty lean already, it can be a great technique. This is the type of person that has been training for some time and has dialed in their diet and is very comfortable lifting. In other words, fitness is a lifestyle for this person. In this case, the individual can be very effective choosing carb cycling to meet a specific goal - and they have identified this goal and chosen to carb cycle because it gets them there the most efficiently. Still, I wouldn't go as far as to say that you are really going to net much of a muscle gain if you are on a caloric deficit. It might help you maintain more muscle though.

    However, for beginners and more casual dieters/lifters, carb cycling is a lot of hassle and probably will not yield better results than just sticking to a good, basic plan. Yes it will still work OK (the leaner you are the better it seems to work), but there are a lot of easier, simpler things to get similar results. One thing to think about though is that if you are carb cycling, after you carb up, you need to do a really good, HEAVY workout to take advantage. If you are new to lifting, you are going to hurt yourself.

    With all that said, it really just boils down to preference for most people. At the end of the day, no matter how you do it, if you eat less calories than you burn, you lose fat and muscle. If you eat more than you burn, you gain fat and/or muscle. If it is something that you like doing and comes easy to you, then go for it. Just be careful with your lifting technique.

  • trojan_bb
    trojan_bb Posts: 699 Member
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    like others said, it's more of an advanced technique that helps optimize insulin sensitivity while keeping strength, muscle fullness, and motivation high. helpful for people that are already lean and have everything else in check.
  • arb037
    arb037 Posts: 203 Member
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    Agree with Gaucho for the most part..but something that is always touted on just about any weight loss furum is " you cant gain muscle while in a deficit".. this is simply false.. yes you can.. no mention of how large a deficit or how much muscle gain but it is very much possible.
    Now will you pack on Mr Olympia style muscle, of course not. I have/am been doing just that for the past 6 months (fat loss, increase LBM) verified by monthly Bod Pod...
    As far as topic, like others have said, its not necessary to lose, but can work..
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Generally, in a deficit, the best you can do is to preserve existing muscle, while continuing to burn fat. This in itself will lower your body fat percentage. To preserve the muscle you need to be consuming adequate amounts of protein.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    arb037 wrote: »
    Agree with Gaucho for the most part..but something that is always touted on just about any weight loss furum is " you cant gain muscle while in a deficit".. this is simply false.. yes you can.. no mention of how large a deficit or how much muscle gain but it is very much possible.
    Now will you pack on Mr Olympia style muscle, of course not. I have/am been doing just that for the past 6 months (fat loss, increase LBM) verified by monthly Bod Pod...
    As far as topic, like others have said, its not necessary to lose, but can work..

    So, how much has your LBM increased in the last 6 months while in a deficit? Also, how lean are you?

    There are a few exceptions to the "rule" where people increase LBM, but I think most people agree that gaining muscle in a caloric deficit is not optimal - typically to the point of not worth even mentioning.
  • Red13
    Red13 Posts: 287 Member
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    Carb cycling doesn't have to be extreme, check out the program by Chris Powell, he has a couple books. I've followed it and being a woman with PCOS I find it works better for me to carb cycle since I am insulin resistant.

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