Strength Training Question
 

Hi Everyone, I am new to the site, figure this would be a good place to ask for some help.

I am plagued with an issue of Atkins and Strength training. Everywhere I look, it says that I can't do it, but else where says go for it, the protein in the diet will build muscle.

Just to be clear, I am not looking to bulk up but to tone up and have definition. Yea show a 6 pack down the road but not have a 12 pack :)

Advice?
Thanks

Hi. I'm pretty new too, but I know the answer. You can do it, but might need a few days to a week to adjust. After that, you will probably have an easier time at it.

You can absolutely do it. Lots of very successful athletes are and I have, too. In the first few weeks of the diet you may find you're not at your best, actually many experts recommend not starting an exercise program for a week or two after starting the diet. According to Volek and Phinney, full keto-adaptation (getting to where you can train more vigorously again) can take about three weeks, and you have to stay strict with the diet. You should read their book "The Art and Science of Low Carb Performance".

I'd start real slow (I follow Mark Rippetoe's training instructions in "Starting Strength", another great book), and expect a boost in strength and performance after about week three/four. Make sure you eat/drink enough salt, by the way, this diet has a diuretic effect and low salt can make you feel weak!

Endurance athletes are doing it too, by the way, Chris Froome of Tour de France fame, for instance! I saw that in the news today.

I didn't know that after watching him win again.http://www.dietdoctor.com/chris-fro...won-tour-france

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blog/2016...-france-titles/

I was wondering if/when a racer or team would try low-carb for that grueling race. Past studies have shown it helps cycling endurance better than carb-loading.

They can call it "Fat Doping" and test for ketones as it gives bike racers an unfair advantage :lol:

I started doing strength training three days per week after three months of nailing my low carb healthy fat regime. On days I lift, I do eat more protein/fat, whether it's larger meals or hemp hearts, couple tablespoons real peanut butter and MCT oil. Works like a charm.

I just starting working out the last few weeks (been low carb for 5 months now), mostly strength training. I like to fast on those days, and I seem to have a lot of energy in a fasted state -- bonus is that I don't get sore muscles the next day.

Jeff Volek did some studies years ago showing that low carbers are not immune to the effects of weight training. :lol:

On bodybuilding keto boards, I see people talking about Atkins like it's just for overweight people, not for building muscle--and then advocating a macronutrient ratio (usually around a third protein, two thirds fat) that's right smack in the range that many people are likely to fall into following Atkins by the book. I feel this is just plain anti-Atkins snobbery combined with fitness professional writers/trainers feeling the need to rebrand an old approach in their own image.

If you google Jacob Wilson on Youtube you'll get some reasonable talks about the ins and outs of a ketogenic diet with bodybuilding, he's been involved in some studies looking at the subject. In particular, the idea that periodic carb ups are necessary or even desirable for weight lifters on a low carb diet has been thrown into doubt. There are plenty of anecdotes going the other way--but anecdotes in agreement are just as easy to come by.

Earlier studies showed greater lean mass gains on higher carb than lower carb--but again, more recent studies that include a post-diet carb up wipe out this difference--the slight advantage to higher carb in those earlier studies was likely due to differences in glycogen storage between the two groups.

Here's another article that deals with keto adapted atheletes:

http://www.mensjournal.com/health-f...nverts-20130618

My post where I mentioned Chris Froome is apparently too old for me to edit, so I'm putting the article link here instead:

http://www.businessinsider.com/chri...?r=US&IR=T&IR=T

Hi everyone, thank you for your responses. This truly does give me a lot to go on and I will definitely do my research on the provided links.

Thanks again.

At any rate, don't ever think you can't exercize, or even win, on low carb. You can.