Intermittent fasting (leangains style) and cycling

[Benoit23]

So just wanted to get some discussion started. I've recently started the leangains IF style diet and am loving it. It been something different and I'm enjoying the big meals as well as maintaining strength while cutting fat.

My my question I had is if anyone has had any success running it while on gear during a cycle? Could it be used during a bulk cycle or do you think it would only be beneficial on a cut cycle.

Everywhere I attempted to research there are all the people that love the diet then also all the people that hate it and the opinions vary so much.

Just lookin ahead to my next cycle in a few months and wondering whether I will need to change back to the typical meals every 2-3 hours approach in order to fuel the body properly on cycle when protein synthesis is higher or whether you guys still believe the "calories in vs calories out" style is all that matters even on cycle. I know diet is the KEY even when on cycle so I wouldn't wanna screw that part up...

appreciate any feedback

 

[RoadstarPete]

I'd stick to using that method on a cutting type cycle for now. Maybe once you have had some success dialing it in and finding out what works for you then perhaps you could be successful by adjusting macros for a bulking phase.
Steroids are great for preserving lbm while at a caloric deficit but unless you FEED the muscle an abundance while on cycle(every 2-3 hours), I don't see you gaining any sizable amount of lbm. Dont be so against raising you bf by a few % while bulking. You will see way better lbm gains when its all said and done and it will be evident when you run your cut after the "lean bulk".
This is all just personal opinion and preference so take it as just that.
Good luck!

 

[ebfitness]

I'd stick to using that method on a cutting type cycle for now. Maybe once you have had some success dialing it in and finding out what works for you then perhaps you could be successful by adjusting macros for a bulking phase.
Steroids are great for preserving lbm while at a caloric deficit but unless you FEED the muscle an abundance while on cycle(every 2-3 hours), I don't see you gaining any sizable amount of lbm. Dont be so against raising you bf by a few % while bulking. You will see way better lbm gains when its all said and done and it will be evident when you run your cut after the "lean bulk".
This is all just personal opinion and preference so take it as just that.
Good luck!

Completely agree!

 

[Benoit23]

Thanks for the responses guys. Kinda along the lines as what I was thinking. I think I would basically just take how I've been running the IF and break it all down into multiple meals throughout the day then. I like the idea of how it has higher cals on training days and lower on rest, it makes carb cycling really easy because that's all you're changing basically. Never done the carb cycling before, always just eaten steady same exact each day. Then again, never really took rest days either. I liking how it's goin.

 

[Benoit23]

Question that kinda goes along with this... Let's build a scenario to make this easier ... person whose maintenance cals is 2500 and is doing a lean bulk, so going to run at 400 cals over maintenance (2900). That would make total cals for the week 20,300. My question is if one were to train 4 days a week... do you guys increase the calories on training days and keep them lower on rest days (would be due to carbs ... keeping protein and fats the same regardless). So an example could be keeping them right at maintenance on rest days, which would be 2500*3 = 7500, that would leave 12,800 left (20,300-7,500) for the training days. So divide that by 4 and youd have 3200 cals youd eat each training day.

Do you guys think that is best to fuel your body more on training days, while still taking in enough cals on rest days to maintain? Or do you guys just continue to eat the same amounts (in our case 2900 each day) regardless if it is training or rest?

 

[Benoit23]

Too late to edit but i guess it would make more sense to just eat the 400 over on training days and stay at maintenance on rest ... so replace that in my question haha ... probably not necessary to add the extra calories even more on top for training days.

 

[ebfitness]

I say, if you're on a bulk, you're on a bulk...surplus everyday.