Smaller guy back with a follow up question (previous question on weight targets). I’ve been keeping up my training (4 days a week with a 5th occasionally, push + squat, pull + deadlifts, 30m HIIT and 1-2h LISS/moderate cardio) while adjusting my diet, tracking waist diameter and body composition via DEXA and BIA (yeah, let’s just ignore the data from that last one…). My weight’s been hovering around 144 lbs. I stalled out for a couple of months and recently adjusted macros. For the last month or so, I upped carbs from about 200g to 250g per day (total, fiber’s been stable around 45g), about half concentrated around my workouts, and dropped fats to keep calories stable around 2800, with protein steady around 250g.
The results seem pretty poor so far. I’m seeing waist diameter up a little bit, body fat up, muscle mass down a bit with weight steady. I’ve noticed similar body composition changes when increasing carbs in the past. However, from TBAB and a bunch of other references, it seems like I’m still running relatively low on carbs and high on fats (and protein). Body fat’s still in the 14-16% range, so not crazy high. I’m curious what you’ve seen in practice and the literature on individual differences in response to diet composition; am I way off track, or do some people actually respond much better to a lower carb approach, ever for hypertrophy? I’m also wondering whether you’ve seen evidence for (or against) hysteresis of response with respect to body composition; maybe my history of being up to 180 with 35% body fat within the last 3-4 years has implications for insulin resistance etc.?
Thanks for your nuance and looking forward to plenty more of it in Sacramento next month.
What are you trying to do with your body comp and what training template are you following?
A few thoughts:
Your protein is unnecessarily high. It’s not dangerous, but also unnecessary and may be affecting adherence and energy intake.
Your carbs aren’t “low”, but I would not expect a a deleterious change in body composition while resistance training and weight maintenance. I don’t think short term changes in DEXA or short-term, small changes in waist are reliable for tracking this btw.
The data nearly universally shows reduced hypertrophy on an actual low carb diet, but you’re not on one of these anyway.
It is unlikely you still have insulin resistance given your current weight, waist circumference, and activity level.
Thanks for the detailed reply. I’m trying to increase weight to 150 lbs while maintaining around 15% body fat. My longer term goal is strength, focusing on hypertrophy for the near term (next 6-12 months).
My programming comes from a trainer I’ve been working with for a couple of years, closest to the at home with equipment template. My typical routines involve deadlift and row movements on pull days (2x per week), 3-4 movement 3x8-12@RPE 6-7 followed by accessories. Same deal for push days (2x per week) with DB floor press, squats, and overhead presses plus accessories.
Noted about short term changes in DEXA and waist diameter, as well as protein intake. I think diet adherence has been good so far (macro tracking for about 2 years), but point taken on lack of necessity and potential energy intake effects.
The insulin thing was a total shot in the dark. It feels like I’ve hit a plateau pretty hard over the last 6 months or so, trying to figure out how break out from it and progress. Nutrition has been a focus, but maybe I need to change up my training too.