In the past I've read about how fasting can destroy muscle gains unless you are careful to take amino acids while you fast. Well, I've been doing fasting and weight training for over 6 years and I have to say I've not found that it holds back my gains at all, and I don't take amino acids.
In a previous article here:
https://steemit.com/health/@unclehermit/build-strength-with-progressive-overload
I wrote about how to use progressive overload to ensure you are making gains during your workouts. Indeed, progressive overload provides enough evidence to prove that you are making gains. Over the years I've actually found that my gains have been better since I've started fasting, which means that I am building more muscle with a fasting regime than if I wasn't fasting.
This approach aims to provide sufficient rest periods in between my fairly intensive weights workouts to allow the muscles to grow, while allowing a bit of light cardio mixed with intensive cardio on fast days to help reduce body fat. As I usually take a few weeks off in the winter I've always found this approach very effective at both building muscle and burning fat at the same time.
This is a very unscientific but logical view of how I think my body is burning fat and building muscle.
On fast days I will be burning through all of the glycogen stores in my body and starting to eat into the fat stores. Gradually this will cause the fat stores in my stomach and abdomen (the more problematic fat stores in a mans body) to break down thus making me look slimmer and leaner.
The muscle also grows slowly however because I am breaking them down during weight training sessions and eating plenty of lean protein and nutrients to make sure my body can regrow muscle where it has been broken down. Muscle takes a while to build as it is effectively regrowing flesh where you have broken it down.
A 24 hour fast is therefore hardly likely to break down muscle which has taken weeks to build up and grow. Provided you are eating plenty of healthy protein, carbs and fat when you aren't on a fasting day this should be sufficient to feed your muscle.
The only potential problem with fasting and weight training is perhaps where you choose to weight train and fast on the same day. The problem here is that you might not have the glycogen stored in the muscle to allow you to move as much volume of weight than if you were not fasted. This will lead to a less effective workout and slower gains.
In my experience you can fast fully without any amino acids on a regular basis and still continue to make muscle and strength gains from weight training. The added benefit is that muscle and strength is gained at the same time that body fat is reduced which creates a leaner more cut look.
I've done this reliably for some years and it works.
I'd consider myself an intermediate body builder. I bench press a bit more than my body weight and I look pretty lean and fit, often receiving complements from men and girls who want to know my secret, bearing in mind I'm in my 40's. If you are at the top of your game in body building your approach will probably be a lot more refined than mine. I enjoy a few beers on a weekend so I'm never likely to be at the top of the game in body building. I am however pleased with the way I look and the strength gains that I'm able to achieve.
Image source: pixabay
