This question might push the boundaries of obsessive behavior ...
In my previous mass gaining diets, I would cycle the caloric surplus over a week to match my weight workouts. I would eat a 10-15% caloric surplus on the days I was lifting (M,W,F) and only a 5% caloric surplus on the days I was not lifting, even if I was performing some sort of low-intensity cardio (Tu,Th,Sa,Su). I cycle the calories like this to try and maximise lean muscle gain while minimizing fat gain.
In Maximum Muscle, Matt states that the long-term adaptive remodeling process peaks at around 24 hours post-stimulus. This makes me wonder if maybe it makes more sense to reverse what I described above so that I do consume a caloric surplus on lifting days, but it would only be 5%. The day after a lifting stimulus I would consume a 10% or 15% surplus to coincide with the peaking of the remodeling. Does this make sense to anyone?
Funny enough I tend to eat like that already. I've noticed that lots of food makes me lethargic in general, so I don't always eat very much on lifting days.
After the fact, I get pretty hungry, and I'm almost always very hungry the day after a session.
I also work out in the evening and only three days/week though, so that's more compatible with this. You'd have to do some jiggering to make it work with 4 days/week or more.
Thanks for the quick feedback! When I get on my next weight gain cycle, I will try it and see if it makes any appreciable difference in how I feel, etc.
I should really think more before I post, since I have a related question about this: I am considering using a caloric deficit on my deloading weeks (another fat gain minimizing strategy), but I am wondering if I am just sort of defeating the purpose of a deload week doing something like that. I only wonder because I see the deload week as a necessary time to reduce the stress of training, but will it really serve its purpose if I just replace the stress of intensive training with the stress of a moderate calorie deficit? Even if there isn't a problem recovering, could I potentially be stopping any potential rebound gains in their tracks using a strategy like this?
Has anyone used this strategy?
(02-20-2010 02:15 PM)juarez Wrote: [ -> ]I should really think more before I post, since I have a related question about this: I am considering using a caloric deficit on my deloading weeks (another fat gain minimizing strategy), but I am wondering if I am just sort of defeating the purpose of a deload week doing something like that. I only wonder because I see the deload week as a necessary time to reduce the stress of training, but will it really serve its purpose if I just replace the stress of intensive training with the stress of a moderate calorie deficit? Even if there isn't a problem recovering, could I potentially be stopping any potential rebound gains in their tracks using a strategy like this?
Has anyone used this strategy?
I haven't tried it myself, but I doubt you need to worry about that. The stress of heavy training and the "stress" - if there really is any for staying on a slight deficit for only a week - are different.
If all stressors were "common" in the way you're describing, then for example cycling different exercises each week for your heavy workout wouldn't produce any better results than just doing the same exercise every week. But it does.
(02-20-2010 01:51 PM)juarez Wrote: [ -> ]This question might push the boundaries of obsessive behavior ...
In my previous mass gaining diets, I would cycle the caloric surplus over a week to match my weight workouts. I would eat a 10-15% caloric surplus on the days I was lifting (M,W,F) and only a 5% caloric surplus on the days I was not lifting, even if I was performing some sort of low-intensity cardio (Tu,Th,Sa,Su). I cycle the calories like this to try and maximise lean muscle gain while minimizing fat gain.
In Maximum Muscle, Matt states that the long-term adaptive remodeling process peaks at around 24 hours post-stimulus. This makes me wonder if maybe it makes more sense to reverse what I described above so that I do consume a caloric surplus on lifting days, but it would only be 5%. The day after a lifting stimulus I would consume a 10% or 15% surplus to coincide with the peaking of the remodeling. Does this make sense to anyone?
One thing to keep in mind is the time lag between eating and full digestion. Some foods will take quite a while to digest.