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Question: How do I know if I'm eating enough (or the right macro-nutrient balance) to maximize muscle tissue hypertrophy?Background:I've been doing CNS and weight training now a few months. My primary goal is to cut fat. I am starting to see my abs now decently well but still am working on cutting down to the level of lean I want. I'm 5'8" and my weight right now is about 149. I'm not sure my fat % but probably still over 10%. I estimate I have at least another 10 lbs to lose to get where I want.In the past couple months I've been definitely getting stronger and my arms shoulders and chest getting bigger (especially arms). My primary goal initially was simply to maintain strength as I cut fat but as am I approaching my desired leanness, I'm starting to think about how to maximize hypertrophy.So with that in mind, how important is it to eat more than I really feel I need? Will my rate of hypertrophy increase simply by eating more? Or should I just continue to eat to satisfaction and that will tell me how much I need to eat to support the "triggered" (from training) amount of growth?My main concern right now is how to use food to maximize muscle growth within the constraints of the low-carb CNS protocol. Basically I'm trying to get a grasp, to a more precise degree, on what role food plays and how to gauge what I should be eating and how much.Current diet:Basically, CNS. I skip breakfast (black coffee all morning). Eat lunch around 12:30. Main portion is protein left over from dinner, some examples: Pork chops, chicken, steak, catfish, eggs/sausage/cheese. I might have a small helping of fiberous veggie like asparagus. For dinner it's usually something similar with more veggies. Once in a while something a little higher in carbs (had butternut squash last night). Sometimes late at night I break the CNS routine, usually with peanut butter and honey. I don't consider that a "good" part of following CNS but since it happens and my question is concerning muscle growth, I thought I should add it. At night sometimes I also eat some meat and cheese (ham or whatever we have) and often coffee.Including any late night snacking, I would say my calorie count varies from 1200-1800 per day. Usually probably right around 1500.Currently I'm taking creatine. 20g shortly before my workout. I believe my workout routine is pretty decent (I'll post the details below) as I have been gaining strength pretty much weekly.Thanks in advance.Current workout routine below. These are targets, usually my highest lifts for the day I hit 2-4 reps before failure. When I can get everything (or everything except 1 lift on the highest set) I'll move up the weights on the next day I work that muscle group.Sun - Leg day:Squat: 45x20; 105x10; 125x5; 145x5; 165x5; 175x5; 185x5; 165x5;Legpress: 180x10; 230x5; 270x5; 320x5; 230x5;Hamstring Curl: 55x10; 55x10; 60x10; 55x10;Glutes/hams: I just started using a machine at the gym that hits the glutes and hams, dont have numbers for it since I don't have a good routine defined yet.Mon - Upper Body:Bench: 45x20; 95x10; 155x5; 165x5; 175x5; 185x5; 165x5;Incline: 95x10; 125x5; 135x5; 145x5; 125x5;Military Press: 65x10; 85x5; 95x5; 85x5;Triceps: 60x10; 65x5; 70x5; 65x5;Chins: 25x5; 25x5; 25x5; 25x5;Tues - Back:Dead: 65x20; 155x10; 205x5; 225x5; 255x5; 270x5; 225x5;Lat Pulldown (close grip): 125x10; 155x5; 170x5; 125x5;Lat Pulldown (wide grip): 125x10; 155x5; 170x5; 125x5;DB Rows: 45x10; 55x8; 65x8; 45x8;Seated Rows: 95x10; 125x5; 155x5; 125x5;Weds - Upper body (same as above)Thurs - Legs (same as above)
Unless you're eating like really small portions, I find it somehow hard to believe that your calories are at 1200-1800. I'm on 1500 cals for some time now, also skipping breakfast, barely snacking and not “cheating” at night....just saying 🙂
I spent two weeks tracking every bite I ate. I was hitting around 1000-1200/day excluding carb nights then (followed the diet very strictly) and have made an effort to eat more since. At the time, I was losing weight quickly but also got weaker. Since then I increased my food (e.g. two pork chops at lunch instead of 1, occasional snacking at night or even a whole meal if I'm really hungry). I don't snack during the day at all, just lunch and dinner, all snacks come after 9pm. My weight loss has slowed but is still happening and I'm def getting stronger.I'm pretty confident my avg intake is under 2k excluding carb nights. On good days I probably hit 1200-1400 on a late-night snacking day probably closer to 1800 occasionally I'm sure I get over 2k but that would be rare I think. I admit I probably need to spend another couple weeks tracking food again.
Muscle gain is rare on CNS, unless your a complete training newb… then almost anything goes! Bottom line, if you aren't growing you aren't eating enough of something, or in general. I would at least be eating 2000 calories...
Why is muscle gain rare on CNS? Is it the lack of carbs?Irrespective of CNS, at some point I anticipate moving to a CBL diet but even then I don't want to gain fat. My expectation would be only or primarily lean muscle weight gains. Is that unreasonable?
Why is muscle gain rare on CNS? Is it the lack of carbs?Irrespective of CNS, at some point I anticipate moving to a CBL diet but even then I don't want to gain fat. My expectation would be only or primarily lean muscle weight gains. Is that unreasonable?
Yeah, it's just a lot harder and rare to gain muscle on a ketogenic diet due to the facts it's not really a anabolic envirment where as with CBL we make the most of the out of anabolic hormones and timing.Anyway, it's not unreasonable to gain little to no fat while on CBL when done right, but you will need more then that. I would say a minimum of 2300 calories for gaining going off your stats, but you would likely even do more.If I missed it somewhere I apologize, but are you male or female?
Gaining on CNS isn't a problem but you have to eat a shit load of cals everyday. With my ULC cals and my CarbNite cals added up and divided I'm right around if not over 4300 cals a day. That's eating 3k a day ULC, and 10k on my CarbNite. Both those numbers go up but not down. Lol
If I missed it somewhere I apologize, but are you male or female?
male.
Gaining on CNS isn't a problem but you have to eat a shit load of cals everyday. With my ULC cals and my CarbNite cals added up and divided I'm right around if not over 4300 cals a day. That's eating 3k a day ULC, and 10k on my CarbNite. Both those numbers go up but not down. Lol
Are you also cutting fat? Gaining any fat?
Gaining on CNS isn't a problem but you have to eat a shit load of cals everyday. With my ULC cals and my CarbNite cals added up and divided I'm right around if not over 4300 cals a day. That's eating 3k a day ULC, and 10k on my CarbNite. Both those numbers go up but not down. Lol
Are you also cutting fat? Gaining any fat?
Dropping BF slowly while gaining mass quickly. LolI started CNS at a depleted 202 and I'm 216 depleted or 233 carbed up and water loaded now. Been on CNS for 10 weeks.
Gaining on CNS isn't a problem but you have to eat a shit load of cals everyday. With my ULC cals and my CarbNite cals added up and divided I'm right around if not over 4300 cals a day. That's eating 3k a day ULC, and 10k on my CarbNite. Both those numbers go up but not down. Lol
Are you also cutting fat? Gaining any fat?
Dropping BF slowly while gaining mass quickly. LolI started CNS at a depleted 202 and I'm 216 depleted or 233 carbed up and water loaded now. Been on CNS for 10 weeks.
So how do you know how much is appropriate to eat? Is hunger a factor? Do you eat late at all? I don't mind trying to take in more cals. Also are you doing that at <30 carbs a day?
Gaining on CNS isn't a problem but you have to eat a shit load of cals everyday. With my ULC cals and my CarbNite cals added up and divided I'm right around if not over 4300 cals a day. That's eating 3k a day ULC, and 10k on my CarbNite. Both those numbers go up but not down. Lol
Are you also cutting fat? Gaining any fat?
Dropping BF slowly while gaining mass quickly. LolI started CNS at a depleted 202 and I'm 216 depleted or 233 carbed up and water loaded now. Been on CNS for 10 weeks.
So how do you know how much is appropriate to eat? Is hunger a factor? Do you eat late at all? I don't mind trying to take in more cals. Also are you doing that at <30 carbs a day?
I ate until I spilled over then dialed it back. Hunger isn't a factor because I fucking love to eat and could eat so much more everyday. Way less than 30 carbs and some days 0 carbs because all I ate was meat and fats.
Eating more is going to eat into your fat loss, but you shouldn't be eating 1000 kCal per day. Just follow the standard macro guidelines. Strength gains may come, but your primary goal is fat loss, so hold out for muscular gains later.Notwithstanding the above, I think you should be on CBL at your size/strength. You could see some solid recomp.
Eating more is going to eat into your fat loss, but you shouldn't be eating 1000 kCal per day. Just follow the standard macro guidelines. Strength gains may come, but your primary goal is fat loss, so hold out for muscular gains later.Notwithstanding the above, I think you should be on CBL at your size/strength. You could see some solid recomp.
I'm tempted to switch to CBL but I really want to be lean. I'm absolutely sick of being a fucking fat ass and can start to see my abs again. Plus the wife and I have a pool, friends come over and to be honest I want to try and look really good for once in my life standing around the pool.Plus I'm worried I'll fuck up CBL and get fat again...that's holding me back too. Also lot of nights I have a certain um...hobby that usually makes me want to eat afterward. So it's better a lot of nights if I just don't eat at all rather than trying to moderate. Eating "a little bit" is pretty hard. 🙂
Eating more is going to eat into your fat loss, but you shouldn't be eating 1000 kCal per day. Just follow the standard macro guidelines. Strength gains may come, but your primary goal is fat loss, so hold out for muscular gains later.Notwithstanding the above, I think you should be on CBL at your size/strength. You could see some solid recomp.
I'm tempted to switch to CBL but I really want to be lean. I'm absolutely sick of being a fucking fat ass and can start to see my abs again. Plus the wife and I have a pool, friends come over and to be honest I want to try and look really good for once in my life standing around the pool.Plus I'm worried I'll fuck up CBL and get fat again...that's holding me back too. Also lot of nights I have a certain um...hobby that usually makes me want to eat afterward. So it's better a lot of nights if I just don't eat at all rather than trying to moderate. Eating "a little bit" is pretty hard. 🙂
That's fair. I wouldn't sweat gains on CNS, they're just not going to come easily like Big R said. Just keep lifting heavy and dialing in the diet.
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