# Carb Cycling For Growth



## immy (Apr 18, 2010)

Carb Cycling Seems to be a way to get lean but has anyone used this method to bulk up and if so how did you go about working out your macros ect.


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## braxbro (Aug 6, 2013)

Sounds like it would have a negative impact. Carb cycling is cutting carbs and then boosting them up to keep the metabolism guessing for fat loss. On a bulk you are eating at a surplus so your metabolism will be firing and you wont be preventing your body from having enough nutrients to build muscle. For fat loss your body is tapping into stored energy sources to shed, for bulking it should always have enough energy to be growing 24/7.


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

Mate, carb cycling is a great way to bulk whilst minimising fat gain.

Principles are the same as cutting really. On workout days eat more carbs, on non workout days eat less. Ensure that by the end of the week you are in a kcal surplus and you will grow.


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## braxbro (Aug 6, 2013)

TommyFire said:


> Mate, carb cycling is a great way to bulk whilst minimising fat gain.
> 
> Principles are the same as cutting really. On workout days eat more carbs, on non workout days eat less. Ensure that by the end of the week you are in a kcal surplus and you will grow.


Thats intermittent fasting, not so much traditional carb cycling great for re-comping but how many top bodybuilders would do this? They always eat at a surplus for maximum gains.


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

braxbro said:


> Thats intermittent fasting, not so much traditional carb cycling great for re-comping but how many top bodybuilders would do this? They always eat at a surplus for maximum gains.


Are you drunk??? How is that IF????


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

braxbro said:


> Thats intermittent fasting, not so much traditional carb cycling great for re-comping but how many top bodybuilders would do this? They always eat at a surplus for maximum gains.


http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_carb_cycling_codex

Read this.....


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## braxbro (Aug 6, 2013)

Similar principles as IF I should have said, not as extreme as the windows in which you eat in which is also a lot of IF, poor choice of wording.

Will read that after legs tonight, I can definitely see the benefits of minimizing fat gain but if you are in a deficit at all you become catabolic, even if you make it up at the end of the week you'd still have missed out on some portion of gains. Im willing to be educated on that but for straight bulking I just don't see enough top BBers using this approach for that fact they always want to be be building, then they'll just cut the fat when necessary.


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## immy (Apr 18, 2010)

Chris Aceto does this with many clients who are top level bodybuilders off season and pre contest.


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

braxbro said:


> Similar principles as IF I should have said, not as extreme as the windows in which you eat in which is also a lot of IF, poor choice of wording.
> 
> Will read that after legs tonight, I can definitely see the benefits of minimizing fat gain but if you are in a deficit at all you become catabolic, even if you make it up at the end of the week you'd still have missed out on some portion of gains. Im willing to be educated on that but for straight bulking I just don't see enough top BBers using this approach for that fact they always want to be be building, then they'll just cut the fat when necessary.


Mate it's nothing like IF.

Carb cycling makes a lot of sense, I'd probably do it if I didn't train 6 days a week. Also think it would only work if you trained later in the day. If you trained first thing in the morning you'd end up training without carbs when you train after your no carb day.


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## andyhuggins (Nov 21, 2008)

Carb cycling and IF are different as far as I know.


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

braxbro said:


> Similar principles as IF I should have said, not as extreme as the windows in which you eat in which is also a lot of IF, poor choice of wording.
> 
> Will read that after legs tonight, I can definitely see the benefits of minimizing fat gain but if you are in a deficit at all you become catabolic, even if you make it up at the end of the week you'd still have missed out on some portion of gains. Im willing to be educated on that but for straight bulking I just don't see enough top BBers using this approach for that fact they always want to be be building, then they'll just cut the fat when necessary.


I didn't realise the OP wanted to be a top BB??

Keep reading up mate, you have a lot to learn. Any questions feel free to ask.


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

braxbro said:


> if you are in a deficit at all you become catabolic, .


No you don't...


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## immy (Apr 18, 2010)

L11 said:


> Mate it's nothing like IF.
> 
> Carb cycling makes a lot of sense, I'd probably do it if I didn't train 6 days a week. Also think it would only work if you trained later in the day. If you trained first thing in the morning you'd end up training without carbs when you train after your no carb day.


Yeah on a six day training week it would be quite hard but it does not matter when you train when carb cycling as you will still on the specific day eat the required amount of carbs if you train later or early.


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## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

Allot of pros do it this way too. Think George Farah does with his guys. Carbs don't need to be really high on non workout days. And it's great for a recomp.


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2013)

killah said:


> Allot of pros do it this way too. Think George Farah does with his guys. Carbs don't need to be really high on non workout days. And it's great for a recomp.


I'm thinking about doing 200g's non training days and 300g training days actually.

Gonna use IF as well


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

immy said:


> Yeah on a six day training week it would be quite hard but it does not matter when you train when carb cycling as you will still on the specific day eat the required amount of carbs if you train later or early.


Would kinda defeat the point though wouldnt it? I thought the idea was to have high carbs on workout days to fuel your workout.. If I don't train on Monday, then Train on Tuesday first thing, that training session isn't fueled by carbs. Then I have a day off on Wednesday sitting on the carbs from the night before! For example


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

L11 said:


> Would kinda defeat the point though wouldnt it? I thought the idea was to have high carbs on workout days to fuel your workout.. If I don't train on Monday, then Train on Tuesday first thing, that training session isn't fueled by carbs. Then I have a day off on Wednesday sitting on the carbs from the night before! For example


You could have a small carb snack pre workout on the tues.

If I trained 6 days a week I would divide my weekly carbs to give priority to the body parts I needed most help on.

For example if my 6 day split was:

Mon- Shoulders-med carbs

Tues- Back-High carbs

Weds-Chest-med carbs

Thurs-Legs-High carbs

Fri- arms-low carbs

Sat -whatever?-med carbs

Sun-rest day-No carbs

This is just an example of how it could work. The basic rule is eat for what you need. Keep fats and protein constant.


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

braxbro said:


> Similar principles as IF I should have said, not as extreme as the windows in which you eat in which is also a lot of IF, poor choice of wording.
> 
> Will read that after legs tonight, I can definitely see the benefits of minimizing fat gain but if you are in a deficit at all you become catabolic, even if you make it up at the end of the week you'd still have missed out on some portion of gains. Im willing to be educated on that but for straight bulking I just don't see enough top BBers using this approach for that fact they always want to be be building, then they'll just cut the fat when necessary.


Just out of interest mate are you a PT?


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## paul xe (Sep 24, 2011)

I'm using carb cycling to lean bulk at the mo and it's working pretty well.

I'm a typical endomorph so have to really really careful otherwise I'll pile on the fat in no time!

My programme looks like this:

Monday - Push - High carb

Tuesday -Rest - Low carb (> 50g)

Wednesday - Pull - High carb

Thursday - Rest - Low carb

Friday - Legs - High carb

Saturday - Rest - Med carb (>150g)

Sunday - Rest - Low carb

I train after work so I eat three meals with decent amount of carbs in so I've got something in the tank for energy, then have three high carb meals PWO.


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## braxbro (Aug 6, 2013)

TommyFire said:


> Just out of interest mate are you a PT?


No mate not at all. Tbh I've put across my points pretty rushed and poorly in this thread I'm man enough to say.


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

TommyFire said:


> You could have a small carb snack pre workout on the tues.
> 
> If I trained 6 days a week I would divide my weekly carbs to give priority to the body parts I needed most help on.
> 
> ...


If I train first thing, i'm in the gym 10 minutes after waking up. Eating a snack will have no effect on my performance, in my experience my body will not use the energy that quickly. I do PPL twice a week, every session is as strenuous as the last, carb cycling just wont work for me.

Good idea in principle though.


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

L11 said:


> If I train first thing, i'm in the gym 10 minutes after waking up. Eating a snack will have no effect on my performance, in my experience my body will not use the energy that quickly. I do PPL twice a week, every session is as strenuous as the last, carb cycling just wont work for me.
> 
> Good idea in principle though.


Horses for courses bud.


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## immy (Apr 18, 2010)

How would you guys go about working out your macros for such a diet would you have a set total of calories for the week and then on the high carb days make up the calories lost on the low carb days ??


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## Proteincarb (Oct 12, 2010)

Jd123 said:


> I'm thinking about doing 200g's non training days and 300g training days actually.
> 
> Gonna use IF as well


I do that but not with IF. Also added some eca for non workout days. Burn this bitch off.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2013)

killah said:


> I do that but not with IF. Also added some eca for non workout days. Burn this bitch off.


Only way to find out is to try it!


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

immy said:


> How would you guys go about working out your macros for such a diet would you have a set total of calories for the week and then on the high carb days make up the calories lost on the low carb days ??


Read the link I posted on page 1 mate.


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## tomo8 (May 29, 2010)

Theres a member called contest on here who uses carb cycling to bulk an he was in good nick an had written out a diet for people to see.


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## Kickboxer.Stu (Feb 24, 2013)

TommyFire said:


> Read the link I posted on page 1 mate.


Read the link you posted mate. Was a really good read and really informative.have you used the suggested methods?


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## A_L (Feb 17, 2012)

I asked about this a while ago, but unfortunately didn't get any replies. I also used the T Nation Carb Cycling Codex to read up and work out what I need to do.

I need around 3200 cals to bulk. With carb cycling does this number stay the same throughout all high/low/medium days? Does fat intake stay the same throughout all days?

With working everything out I got myself in a muddle. Any help will be appreciated.

Sorry for the hijack.


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## jkearns21 (Nov 3, 2012)

Iv been using carb cycling to clean bulk on ripped 58, Working very well. I train 4 days and eat 3500 cals these days (300g pro, 350g carb, 100g fat) then on rest days i eat around 2300 cals (250g pro, 120g fat, <50g carbs) honestly dont think il ever go back to an all out bulk, over 3kg of pure muscle on this diet in 4 weeks. I like to keep my abs and I have heard a lower bf will actually help pit on muscle rather than fat.

just my 2 cents


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## johnyboy (Jan 15, 2010)

I'm carb sensitive so if I fire a load down with every meal I go very watery ect.this created the problem of how to bulk.i don't cycle as such but time my carbs throughout the day.i eat them first thing at breaky then in my meal straight after training when you have your window and your body sucks everything in.with each meal throughout the rest of the day I have no carbs but protein and fat, a lot of fat(peanut butter).it seemed that I put on a good amount of lean bulk.i don't claim to know a load about nutrition,maybe the amount of calls I was getting from the fats helped.

It might be worth a try?

I'm actually following this protocol at the min and tbf I'm firing it on!


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## Kickboxer.Stu (Feb 24, 2013)

johnyboy said:


> I'm carb sensitive so if I fire a load down with every meal I go very watery ect.this created the problem of how to bulk.i don't cycle as such but time my carbs throughout the day.i eat them first thing at breaky then in my meal straight after training when you have your window and your body sucks everything in.with each meal throughout the rest of the day I have no carbs but protein and fat, a lot of fat(peanut butter).it seemed that I put on a good amount of lean bulk.i don't claim to know a load about nutrition,maybe the amount of calls I was getting from the fats helped.
> 
> It might be worth a try?
> 
> I'm actually following this protocol at the min and tbf I'm firing it on!


If that's you in your avi it seems to be working. What's your workout like when doing this? Any cardio during lean bulk?


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