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Calories, especially carbs, day before or if heavy day?

1,165 Views | 5 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by 2girlsdad
2girlsdad
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I've been on a calorie deficit for about 3 months (~500/day deficit) with Saturday being a non-calorie counting day. The results have been great, down 20 lbs and in the 12-14% bf range with legs getting stronger (although bench has taken a dive but it's always been a WEAK lift for me).

I want to change it up a little and try the zigzag diet. Do y'all think a higher calorie day with extra carbs is more useful the day before or day of a heavy lifting day? I lift at 430 am so perhaps cap the night before off with a bowl of kids cereal?

I will keep an overall weekly deficit. I plan on once I get down to 210, currently 214.6 at the end of the week, I will up the calories a couple hundred to try to keep bf stable and focus on gaining good mass.
harge57
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AG
Unless you are eating almost no carbs on your normal days then I would say eat heavier on the day you lift. IMO you want those extra calories for recovery during the night after you lift.
2girlsdad
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I'm on 40% protein, 35% carb, 25% fat regimen. My carbs are from whole grains/oats/vegetables EXCEPT for the 20g of sugar I put in my workout protein shake (which had helped greatly). I'd do maltodextrin or dextrose but table sugar has a high enough GI.
ttha_aggie_09
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AG
This. Load up on your heavy lift day(s). If I don't load up my heavy lift days I can usually feel it.
2girlsdad
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I'll give it a shot. I feel like since I lift so early, the day before may be more crucial, but the it makes sense to have calories for recovery. I track my weight and calories every day in excel (except for Saturday) so I can Find trends. I'll do it for a couple months and perhaps then try loading up the day before.

Doing this strict diet and 5 days/week lifting (and 2 days bjj) has made me realize why guys take steroids. Trying to get/stay lean and gain mass/strength is so challenging, especially at almost 40. If I took just a little something something with my discipline, man I'd be in much better shape! But I won't because it's not worth the risk. I'll of course keep getting my T tested yearly and may try something like tongkat ali to naturally boost T if necessary.
harge57
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AG
2girlsdad said:

I'll give it a shot. I feel like since I lift so early, the day before may be more crucial, but the it makes sense to have calories for recovery. I track my weight and calories every day in excel (except for Saturday) so I can Find trends. I'll do it for a couple months and perhaps then try loading up the day before.

Doing this strict diet and 5 days/week lifting (and 2 days bjj) has made me realize why guys take steroids. Trying to get/stay lean and gain mass/strength is so challenging, especially at almost 40. If I took just a little something something with my discipline, man I'd be in much better shape! But I won't because it's not worth the risk. I'll of course keep getting my T tested yearly and may try something like tongkat ali to naturally boost T if necessary.
I am 34 and have come to the realization I can either lift heavy or stay lean. I can't do both.

I can't seem to lift super heavy without eating the extra calories or I never recover. My squats and deadlifts were climbing past the mid to high-400s until I decided to lean out a bit for the summer and I immediately saw a 15% drop in top end reps and struggled to get through my workouts.
2girlsdad
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Unless you're a genetic freak, you have to be resigned to the fact that being lean will sacrifice strength. I'm going to see how long I can keep up with the strict diet and w/o plan and make incremental increases in strength.
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