I was struggling with a bench press rep and this one trainer (I think he was in need of new clients) came over to me to ask what my goals were, like any other trainer would. So I proceed to tell him lean bulk and that I was a fat ass 1 year ago and cut to a good size and am bulking cautiously… so he then goes on to mention fasting until about 1 hour before your workout where you will have a pretty big meal to fuel your workout. And then you can have so much room for calories post workout aka dinner time and dessert time(I’m guessing is what he implied)
Any suggestions?
I guess you could say I was an endomorph and do not have that “super duper” fast metabolism
I have read articles saying IF isnt for teens but he mentioned it because of CICO.
I think IF is pointless for bulking, you’d prolly get better results recomping/lean bulking just by eating when you’re hungry, and you’re full, and actually enjoying your food and dining experience.
All sorts of trainers will try to drop knowledge to impress you, especially if they can tell you don’t know better. I personally can’t even hit maintenance calories if I skipped a meal.
If that helps you not overeat while still eating enough to gain weight slow sounds perfect. In the end works on how much you eat overall and calorie balance anyway. IF isn’t magic but if it helps you then use it
I see… but how will IF affect my gym performance? If he said to eat 1 hour before my workout would that be enough time for the body to convert food to energy or would I basically be training fasted because the food wouldnt be digested or turned to glucose yet
It can go either way depending on what you’ve eaten, but if you’re bulking why would you want to give up a headstart on your macros by skipping a meal? You shouldn’t entertain this trainer’s thought process AT ALL.
Not sure when you’re going to the gym, but why not eat your breakfast, lunch, a snack before the gym, and then dinner?
I’m bulking and doing IF now. My window is roughly noon-8, and in that window I’m averaging about 4K calories. I’m only about a week in, so we’ll see my results in a few months.
it’s funny that IF is both recommended for losing weight and gaining weight. Like, in the fitness community at large, it’s mostly a weight loss strategy. Which makes some sense, you limit the timeframe you can eat, the less you’ll probably end up eating. On the other hand, IF is essentially how sumo wrestlers eat. 1-2 large meals a day, along with fasted training. That’s their strategy for getting enormous.
Anyway. I actually pretty much do IF, but just out of bad habits, not because it’s a good eating strategy. I’m terrible at making time for breakfast, so basically I don’t eat until I have time at work to get lunch. Which is sometimes as late as 2 or 3 pm. And then I’ll eat as much as I have time for the rest of the day.
@samul I feel that there is enough research out there to support the claims of positive benefits, such as better insulin sensitivity, cellular repair and longevity. I’m hoping it’ll translate to a little less sloppy of a weight gain process and improve my health markers. Plus my wife is doing it too, so I’m trying to support her efforts as well.
@thelostbreed I workout after work, so I have several hours of dense caloric consumption before anything really physical.
If you’re not literally starving you will pretty much have enough glycogen or fat to use for energy, regardless if you haven’t eaten in hours. I usually work out fasted in the morning these days and I’m fine.
Love it or loathe it, there are plenty of folks who have got jacked on 16/8. The idea that you cannot lean bulk on IF is absurd. Anyone with any knowledge of muscle protein synthesis should understand this.
You’re right, that would be absurd. Fortunately, nobody said you can’t. So I’m not sure what your point is here. I mentioned that I pretty much do IF by happenstance, and I stay lean all the time.
I think the bigger picture idea that should be conveyed is that nutrient timing throughout the day is not a very big deal. If you intermittently fast, you can do a lean bulk. Or, you can intermittently fast and become a sumo wrestler. Both are possible using the IF diet strategy, so clearly there are more important variables at play here.
Wow, two posts in a row you have recognised my genius!!!
Actually, folks in this thread did say, e.g. “IF is pointless for bulking” (sorry Soul Fighter). And he’s not the only one, the late Charles Poliquin was particularly outspoken regarding IF. That was the reason I made the point. Hope that clarifies things, mate.
Maybe I should correct myself that “IF isn’t pointless for bulking”. Maybe it can be a good tool for Lean Bulking as long as the said person can stomach the necessary calories in that small window, or go through a training session with less calories in their system. I def don’t think it’s optimal.
As somebody who has trouble meeting maintenance calories in a 16-hour window, I doubt I could even do that in a 8 hour window. And then a caloric surplus in a 16/8 schedule? I’d need every hour I can have to meet the caloric needs of bulking.
I don’t think I’m unique in this either. I’d assume most people, especially beginners and teens, would need a big feeding window to gain size.
