Calorie cycling - balance on w/o and off days

leonardopm

leonardopm

Member
Hello,

For my 5th cycle (bulk) I found that my average caloric intake for bulk should be around 3500 kcal (37yr old, 6' tall and currently 213lb). I have a desk job and train 3 times a week. I took 3000 kcal as being my maintenance.

I'd been cycling calories in the earlier cycles, going on 3600kcal on w/o days and 3200 on off days (I train early in the morning).

I've been reading a lot about fasting protocols and so but honestly I don't think I can handle such procedures, I have stomach issues and spreading my meals helps in the problem. Anyway I thought that it'd be beneficial to concentrate my intake a little more around my training.

So I was thinking of going around 4000 kcal on training days and 3000 on off, trying to reach at least 1000 kcal following the workout. I believe this would help although the idea of eating at maintenance on off days bothers me.

Want to hear opinions on this approach. Thanks.

Leonardo
 
Cutting through the details of homeostasis here, but you build muscle AFTER you've trained it. I would prefer you work on a 24-hr period of post-training and pre-training, instead of focusing on when you sleep and wake up.

4,000kcal after training and 3,000kcal before will suit you much better than eating a bunch of calories on the day of your workout, even though your workout might be at 6pm (for instance).
 
Jester,

Your advise is sound. In my case I believe that I don't need adjustments. I train 8am and except for the breakfast (that's before training) all other meals are post training, so if I eat 800kcal for breakfast (usual) I target to eat 3200kcal during the rest of day (post training!) and plus the 800kcal from the breakfast the day after I reach my 4k in a 24 hour Window after training.

In fact I use a daily frame only for control since I found an excellent app for iPhone that will function by day and not by time frames.
 
Training in the morning is fine for 'on day calories' and 'off day calories', obviously the 24hr window works in conjunction.
 
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