diet advice

mr_eddy

I am looking at becoming more toned and muscular however I have a few questions that hopefully someone can answer. For reference I am 30yo male / 5'10" / 173lbs / 14% bf

I currently cycle 1 hour a day at about 16mph average on my road bike. In addition I weight train 3 days a week (1.chest/tri 2.back/bi 3.shoulders) I am having a VERY strict diet at the mo consisting of 1800 cal a day with around 130g protein 80g carbs 20g fat

Given the above is it still possible to see increased muscle size by having a high protein level alone or do I need to increase the calories?

To be clear I don't want to gain too much weight just add a inch to my arms and chest whilst stripping fat at my mid section. I know that a high protein diet aids muscle development however I am not sure if high protein diet only works with high calorie diet?

Finally at what percentage bf do abdominal muscles become evident some people have said sub 10% but not sure, I know this seems a bit self indulgant but I have never had abs and it would be great to see them before I get really old.

Thanks

Tom Dean

It's time 'Training' was renamed: "the weight lifting forum"

Bhandylegs

Try the anabolic diet it's really good for muscle building and fat loss!
http://stronglifts.com/anabolic-diet-10 ... iet-guide/

rob.m

mr_eddy wrote:

I am looking at becoming more toned and muscular however I have a few questions that hopefully someone can answer. For reference I am 30yo male / 5'10" / 173lbs / 14% bf

I currently cycle 1 hour a day at about 16mph average on my road bike. In addition I weight train 3 days a week (1.chest/tri 2.back/bi 3.shoulders) I am having a VERY strict diet at the mo consisting of 1800 cal a day with around 130g protein 80g carbs 20g fat

Given the above is it still possible to see increased muscle size by having a high protein level alone or do I need to increase the calories?

To be clear I don't want to gain too much weight just add a inch to my arms and chest whilst stripping fat at my mid section. I know that a high protein diet aids muscle development however I am not sure if high protein diet only works with high calorie diet?

Finally at what percentage bf do abdominal muscles become evident some people have said sub 10% but not sure, I know this seems a bit self indulgant but I have never had abs and it would be great to see them before I get really old.

Thanks

I don't agree with sub 10% for the ab muscles to show, mine show but i'm not sub 10%. Please don't lose sight of the fact that genetics play a massive role in how we look.

Zoomer37

Not sure a 16mph average is enough for a 1 inch gain on your biceps.

t.m.h.n.e.t

mr_eddy wrote:

I am looking at becoming more toned and muscular however I have a few questions that hopefully someone can answer. For reference I am 30yo male / 5'10" / 173lbs / 14% bf

If only more people would post this info

I currently cycle 1 hour a day at about 16mph average on my road bike. In addition I weight train 3 days a week (1.chest/tri 2.back/bi 3.shoulders) I am having a VERY strict diet at the mo consisting of 1800 cal a day with around 130g protein 80g carbs 20g fat

No leg work besides cycling? 1800 cals a day to bulk + recover + cardio is counterproductive. You need to eat more to fuel gains + fuel cardio.

Given the above is it still possible to see increased muscle size by having a high protein level alone or do I need to increase the calories?

I would increase cals first.

Finally at what percentage bf do abdominal muscles become evident some people have said sub 10% but not sure, I know this seems a bit self indulgant but I have never had abs and it would be great to see them before I get really old.

Thanks

Everyone is different there but most would probably be sub 10%

ut_och_cykla

you don't need a high protein diet - just plenty of it spread out through the day - and some serious hard core weight training. If you increase calories too much you'll just get fat again....
Cycling won't help much - certainly not with muscle build -perhaps with fat loss, and weight training won't help much with endurance cycling if at all (assuming you are fully fit & flexible otherwise)

rob.m

Steer clear of sit up's etc for the six pack (doing these will most probably give you a bad back), core exercizes are far better.

Matchstick Man

Try as many compound moves as possible:
squats / deadlifts / overhead presses / bent over rows / benchpresses etc and instead of a 3 day split try for 4 days in the gym:

Day 1 - arms / chest
Day 2 - back/shoulders
Day 3 - arms / chest
Day 4 - back / shoulders

which will work the main muscle groups twice a week. Lift in the 4-8 rep range for 4 sets and lift as heavy as possible to promote muscle growth. Aerobically, keep it all for the bike.
I doubt you'll need to go into single figures to see your abs, I'm almost 40 and I can see mine with definition