23/04/2015
OK Everybody knows that protein is awesome. And as you become familiar with my work and the science behind it, you’ll learn that dietary fat is pretty cool too.
As for carbs? That’s where things get tricky.
On the one hand carbs are a necessity to get big and strong.
Carbs stimulate the release of the hormone insulin. Which is the most powerful mass burning hormone in the body. And the only hormone that you have 100% control over.
But insulin is the body’s version of good cop / bad cop. Cause while insulin can certainly help you get big and strong, too much of it can make you fat, sick, weak and SMALL.
So if you want to get huge without getting fat… figure out your carbs.
Listen. It’s not just he amount of carbs. You really have to nail the the timing. There are two times that you absolutely should NEVER eat carbs.
And both may be the exact opposite of what you’ve heard...
#1 On The No Carb List: Breakfast...
I was quoted recently that “I will not eat carbs for breakfast ever again for as long as I want to build muscle.”
That’s right, “the most important meal of the day” should consist of negligible carbs.
Why?
I want my body to run off fat for energy, as in adipose tissue or bodyfat. I do not want it running off sugar and amino acids as these nutrients could be better used for muscle recovery and brain function.
By eating a low carb, higher fat breakfast you keep insulin levels low, which “channels” the body towards burning body fat. A high carb breakfast, on the other hand, shifts you more towards being a “sugar burner.”
#2 On The No Carb List: Pre Workout
This one may surprise a lot of guys...
Yet here’s why I recommend removing carbs is from the pre-workout meal.
With any high carb meal the subsequent insulin release results in a “serotonin-dominant” brain.
And serotonin is associated with sleep, relaxation, and satiety -- not exactly what you want leading up to a grueling “take no prisoners” weight training workout.
High insulin also effectively shuts off using bodyfat as fuel. Which is exactly what you don’t want during a workout, when you’re trying to mobilize fat.
Granted, you still “need” carbs for maximum pumps and to restore glycogen, but this can easily be accomplished through high carb meals in the evening and postworkout.
These are times when “all things serotonin” (relaxation, sleep) are your friend, as they’re conducive to sleep.
So carbs are still allowed, just not at the wrong times, which are mornings and pre-workout.
Listen: This is just a very general summary of a highly complex subject but remember, muscle building nutrition isn’t just about knowing WHAT foods to eat. It’s also knowing WHEN to eat the right foods.
The simple carb timing tricks you learned today are an example of micro-cycling your nutrients on a day to day level. Whereas the Incredible Bulk goes deeper into something called macro-cycling where you are dealing with periods of 2 to 6 week cycles, depending on how your body reacts to your training and diet.
Both are important. But only if you’re busting your ass in the gym!
So get to it… :-)
Grow time!
