Muscle gain on Keto?

ActionxCat
ActionxCat Posts: 4 Member
Hi all!

I'm super new to keto. I've done low carb (like around 75g/day) before, which I felt like made me lose the most weight and made me just generally feel the best, and so here I am! So far I'm feeling awesome and excited to be here with you all!

The only thing I'm concerned about is working out while on Keto. One of my biggest goals is to lose weight, yes, but also to tone and gain muscle. I know that a lot of people say it's hard to do both, but I was wondering how people have faired with weight training and losing weight while on Keto? I want to start adding a weight training routine once I've been on the diet for a few weeks and I get comfortable in it.

Thanks, guys, for any advice or insight you can give!

Replies

  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    Join the Ketogains Facebook page and check out their website.
    You can absolutely gain muscle on Keto.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I would say, go ahead and start strength training now, don't bother waiting unless you really need the adjustment time for you mentally. The physical approximately three week adaptation phase will pass and there's no real reason to wait to be adapted because you will likely need to adapt again when you start working out anyway. Working out on keto is similar to fasted training due to the low insulin levels. You can adapt to both at the same time just as easily.

    Yes, you can totally lose fat and gain muscle on keto. I wouldn't say it's easy, but I wouldn't say that's something easy under any eating plan, but it can totally be done.

    For me personally I tend to do well with carb cycling (higher carbs on strength days) and eating those carbs post-workout. But everyone is different. Some people find better performance getting their carbs 45 min before strength training. Some people are able to build muscle even eating zero carb. So, try something that fits easily in your lifestyle, see if it works, and don't be afraid to change things up and experiment a bit if you don't get the results you want.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    edited March 2019
    I lift and run. My running has not improved much over the years, I have endurance but the speed never changes. Could totally be a training thing or could be chronically low iron or a variety of things. My lifts continue to improve, muscle growth in my biceps is the most notable to measure as I carry the least body fat there, so I assume if biceps/triceps show growth I am getting it elsewhere as well since all lifts keep moving up. And my body shape looks better even though weight stays the same within 5lbs. My carbs are below 50gm/day 6 days a week on average. Some super low days thrown in there and typically a “free” day 3-4 times a month where I let myself eat whatever starchy veg I want, a piece or two of fruit that I would not normally have(bananas), and a big bowl of oatmeal. Ymmv, but this works for me. I could stand to lose 20lbs but am currently not willing to cut calories much lower.
  • ActionxCat
    ActionxCat Posts: 4 Member
    I would say, go ahead and start strength training now, don't bother waiting unless you really need the adjustment time for you mentally. The physical approximately three week adaptation phase will pass and there's no real reason to wait to be adapted because you will likely need to adapt again when you start working out anyway. Working out on keto is similar to fasted training due to the low insulin levels. You can adapt to both at the same time just as easily.

    Yes, you can totally lose fat and gain muscle on keto. I wouldn't say it's easy, but I wouldn't say that's something easy under any eating plan, but it can totally be done.

    For me personally I tend to do well with carb cycling (higher carbs on strength days) and eating those carbs post-workout. But everyone is different. Some people find better performance getting their carbs 45 min before strength training. Some people are able to build muscle even eating zero carb. So, try something that fits easily in your lifestyle, see if it works, and don't be afraid to change things up and experiment a bit if you don't get the results you want.

    I never thought of carb cycling. Wouldn't that kick you out of ketosis? How many carbs do you eat on a weight training day?
  • Tubbytucka
    Tubbytucka Posts: 83 Member
    Lots of good info here too:
    https://www.reddit.com/r/ketogains/
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    In a healthy metabolism glucose and ketones are both burned, pretty much all the time in varying ratios...sometimes more glucose, sometimes more ketones, just based on what and when you have eaten. When you are active your body can burn through a great deal of glucose in a fairly short time depending on the intensity of the exercise. Strength training will also trigger additional storage of glucose (and water) within the muscle fiber, so again, lots of glucose can be shuttled away pretty quickly given a high level of muscle stimulation. Ketosis is high levels of ketones in the blood, which doesn't happen instantly, and also doesn't vanish instantly.

    I use keto to control my migraines, I have had no recurrence of symptoms even with carbs as high as 100g on strength training days.

    Specifically, I add between 35 and 50 g of carbs on strength days...I tend to add less for short routines (like 30 min of weights) and more for longer routines (like 60-90 min of weights), and I do adjust my workouts every month and those adjustments drive changes to my eating (both calories and carbs) so for me, it's kind of a constantly adapting process in my universe.

    Because when it comes to exercise I have the attention span of a toddler...and I won't do it if it's boring, so I keep changing things to keep it interesting.
  • RAC56
    RAC56 Posts: 433 Member
    Check out Keto Savage. He's awesome! Btw, I'm 62 years old, keto 2.5 years and have lost weight AND gained muscle from lifting weights. I don't add carbs, I just do plain old keto and it works. Hubby has also lost weight and gained muscle lifting weights doing keto. It can be hard at first when waiting for one's body to become fat adapted so give your body time to adjust. :)