Cutting

[Bulking Up]

When cutting, are you supposed to eat at your daily basal caloric rate, or below it? Thanks.
Bulking Up

[DKing]

You can eat below it, or eat right at it and use exercise to get below. Either way you need to burn more calories you consume.

Danny

[Bo]

I thought it was proteins and carbs that make muscles grow. So why must you have an abundance of calories to make them grow? Wouldn't just having lots of healthy protein and carbs but still at your calorie requirement be enough to build muscle and she fat? (by doing HIIT on the off days)

Hmm I just need that book that Johnka's got. The holy grail.

[DKing]

Calories make muscle grow. Lets say your basic metabolic rate was 2000 calories. This means that your body needs 2000 calories a day to support its regular functions, things like thinking, moving, digesting, feeding muscle, etc...If you are only eating 1800 calories regardless of where they are coming from the body won't have anything to build the muscle out of. On the other side you could eat 3000 calories of jello, butter, and skittles and still put on muscle because the body has the energy(calories) necessary to support growth.

The right amount of protein, carbs, and fat (don't forget fat, its very important) comes into play when you want a better ratio of muscle to fat gain or fat loss to muscle loss. High protein and good quality carbs and fats will help promote muscle gains.

This is just at the very basic level. It is possible to gain muscle on a diet, its just hard, doesn't happen often, and isn't something I would plan for.

Danny

[Bo]

Thanks [img]smile.gif[/img]