Adding Muscle - Raise Carbs or Raise Fats page

[abc123]

I'm trying to put on muscle & gain weight.. Do you raise fat to super high levels or add some carbs? Being insulin sensitive makes it a little tough for me as I appear to be allergic to quite a few carbs & grains.. What carbs should be added? I'm thinking fruit & potatoes.. AND olive oil shots..

[critta]

I would think it would be more fat + protein, the carbs are more for glycogen stores/workout recovery but might help to get the calories up. You might also want to look into making some coconut milk smoothies or something. I know you can make those that are 800 -> 1k calories per drink and it's mostly good fat from the coconut milk. If your going to add carbs in I know most of what I have read suggest Yams/Sweet potatoes since they pack some decent nutrients on top of the carbs.

[rphlslv]

Carbs

When you are low carb your body uses protein to make carbs to satisfy your glycogen needs

Pointless isn't it?

So eat carbs, and plenty

[john_e_turner_ii]

I tried doing low carb(50g or less) for several months, and I feel that you can gain muscle on it, but it's very slow. Now that I have switched to moderate carbs(100-150g per day) I am not only seeing improved strength and muscle mass, but fat loss as well.

[Abu Reena]

I would do the following: Low carb/high protein/moderate or high fat on your rest days and higher carb/high protein/lower fat on lifting days. And the higher carb should preferably be starch (rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes).

And if you want to add mass, you need to eat more calories than you otherwise need.

[IcarianVX]

I would do the following: Low carb/high protein/moderate or high fat on your rest days and higher carb/high protein/lower fat on lifting days. And the higher carb should preferably be starch (rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes).

And if you want to add mass, you need to eat more calories than you otherwise need.

QFT.

Contrary to what rphlslv said, you don't have to stuff your face full of carbs (starchy or otherwise) to gain muscle. Does stuffing your face full of carbs work to add muscle? Yes, but it's not necessary.

Your body will grow if it has the nutrients to grow. Whether you spike your insulin on a constant basis to do it or not is irrelevant. To replace muscle glycogen, just eat most of your carbs right after you work out. The rest of the time you don't "have to" eat carbs.

You will probably gain muscle faster (but not a whole lot) by eating a lot of carbohydrates on a regular basis. But, you will also fatten your ass at the same time. Trust me, I know hundreds of men and women who do this (both in powerlifting and bodybuilding) and whenever they jack up their carbohydrate on a daily basis intake they get fatter. The endless cycle of bulking and cutting is rampant among the bodybuilders that haven't figure it out yet.

Take in the olive oil. It will help immensely.

[lssanjose]

QFT.

Contrary to what rphlslv said, you don't have to stuff your face full of carbs (starchy or otherwise) to gain muscle. Does stuffing your face full of carbs work to add muscle? Yes, but it's not necessary.

Your body will grow if it has the nutrients to grow. Whether you spike your insulin on a constant basis to do it or not is irrelevant. To replace muscle glycogen, just eat most of your carbs right after you work out. The rest of the time you don't "have to" eat carbs.

You will probably gain muscle faster (but not a whole lot) by eating a lot of carbohydrates on a regular basis. But, you will also fatten your ass at the same time. Trust me, I know hundreds of men and women who do this (both in powerlifting and bodybuilding) and whenever they jack up their carbohydrate on a daily basis intake they get fatter. The endless cycle of bulking and cutting is rampant among the bodybuilders that haven't figure it out yet.

Take in the olive oil. It will help immensely.

Stuff I'll keep in mind, thanks.

[NDF]

Cyclical dieting. Add extra carbs after workouts on training days, keep them more moderate on rest days.

[gordo]

You didn't mention lifting heavy. Without that, nothing you eat will make you gain muscle. With that, you can pretty much eat anything you want and gain muscle as long as there is enough protein and a calorie surplus. I find that I do really well with around 125g carbs, 125g protein, and 300g fat. I weigh 73kg and I can easily add half a kilo of muscle a week with those ratios.

Edited to add: I'm in my 50s and refuse to give up regular aerobic exercise. A young buck full of hormones and serious about gaining should be easily able to double or triple my weight gain rate.

Gordo

[Bolivar]

I went from 1x heavy lifting back to 2x (as opposed to 3x weekly on super carb diet)

I've found you DO need a bit more carbs.

I went low carb, and it just beat the shit out of me really, drained all the time and not wanting to do it. A 100kg squat isn't that fun when you're jonesing for carbs....