Weight training on keto!

(Aaron) #1

There is so much theory online, but I really want to hear from real people who actually do keto and weight training. How has it gone for you? Is it possible to weight training and build strength on a ketogenic diet? Do you have to sacrifice some strength or intensity, or even muscle mass, or can you adapt pretty well given enough time?

I’ve been keto for about 5 weeks now, and there was quite a sharp initial decline in strength and volume. It didn’t completely stop until maybe this last week or so where it’s plateaued. I have read from Volek and Phinney that true keto adaptation may take months, so I’m trying to maintain Faith here and see what happens. I don’t expect to be able to perform higher volume, higher intensity, but I was kind of hoping that I might get back to where I was before I started keto. Now I’m thinking this is possibly I’m realistic and I’m faced with the choice of strategically implying carbohydrate feedings, or surrendering myself to the idea of having to change my work out which would be a shame because I love weight training. I’m also thinking it would be good to build muscle at times because I think I’m looking a bit scrawny now false I don’t believe this would be very successful on a ketogenic diet because you can’t really increase protein or carbs, and I don’t think that is very anabolic at all, so I really don’t know how to build significant muscle mass on a ketogenic diet. But then again I don’t know everything or really even anything, which is why I’m asking for your experiences here. I love keto but I really don’t want to be limited in the gym. Any ideas?

Thanks

(bulkbiker) #2

see other thread…

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #3

Give it time. There are high performance athletes doing keto. It will work for you. You body needs to fully adapt at burning fat and ketones. It took me almost 3 months.

(Aaron) #4

Thank you people! I’m a convert already.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #5

I would say that my results speak for themselves.
Photo 1 - Beginning of Keto
Photo 2 - Mid Keto, right before I started weight training
Photo 3 - a few weeks into training!
Photo 5 - Taken yesterday

6 months Keto
Didn’t start working out til Month 5.

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(Aaron) #6

That’s so amazing, it’s almost comical! There was a study (I think Volek & Phinney) showing amazing fat burning when you combine keto with resistance training. I’m not sure why this is such a magic combination, but we see it in your photos. Thanks!

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #7

I did not mention in my post but I do weight training. Resistance upper 2x week, lower 2x week. at 65yo I’m not going to so very high weights but not days I get my volume in and then push to failure. I’m not ready to share photos because I started keto off very fat. But I am getting rid of my man boobs and replacing them with pecs.

(Ken) #8

Katie,

Your results are wonderful. Congratulations. Great kudos to you for taking pictures, now they can be used to inspire other women.

(charlie3) #9

I’ve been exercising, including lifting, and doing keto for 6 months. I was a dedicated hobby lifter for about 10 years, 30 years ago.

I too am frustrated by a prolonged stall in both size and strength that has persisted for months. If I’m gaining it’s super slow. My situation may not be the same as yours. I’m 69 years old, I do a lot of brisk walking and cardio which may be interfering. My weight loss phase ended months ago. I’m 11-12% body fat. May be that’s too low. I eat maintenance calories. May be that’s too low. I’m doing 65 net carbs instead of 20 to see if that makes a difference. So far it doesn’t or the benefit is very small.

There are people who insist low carb is a problem for lifting and others who say the reverse.

Recently I’m trying creatine to see if that makes a difference.

I care about health and fitness, in that order. I’ll be patient with lifting.

#10

Look phenomenal

(Doug) #11

Not sure if I was reading the same thing or not, but there definitely are benefits to high-intensity exercise; something about the liver really going into overdrive afterwards (as far as burning fat) to replenish muscle energy/blood glucose as needed…

(Justin Jordan) #12

I’ve never noticed any difference, and I work out pretty hard, although my reps rarely go over five except for warm ups.

But the Ketogains group is FULL of people who’ve made great gains on keto. So it’s certainly possible. Although some survivor bias maybe at work - it’s possible the people posting are just the ones who did succeed, and there are lots who didn’t.

That said, they’ve studied how our expectation shape performance - basically, if you expect keto (or anything else) to help your or hurt your performance, it usually will to some extent.

(Aaron) #13

Thank you people - what I take from this is that keto plus lifting is great for fat burning, and in that sense body composition, but it is questionable weather it is good for hypertrophy comma strength or high intensity (i.e. anaerobic, glycolitic) endurance. Like Charlie3 said, I’m concerned with health and fitness, in that order; but then again I think it’s important we all try and build a good amount of lean mass in order to withstand the effects of sarcopenia (age related muscle decline).

A couple of guys here over 60 are doing the right thing lifting, which will certainly help maintain lean mass, but what about growing? I think that’s the question we need to find the right answer to. I’m sure there is a way but it would probably involve at least strategically placed carbs somewhere, and possibly even carbs that would take us out of ketosis (at least below the 0.5 mmol/l official threshold); but what about if we were at 0. 3 or 0.4? Would that be such a bad deal considering it’s 2 to 4 times normal?

I think we need the answers to these questions and they’re not to be found in the research yet, but I’m sure it won’t be too long before we start seeing something in the literature soon.

In the meantime, thank you for your experiences!