Comments on: 6 Diet Rules For Optimal Muscle Gains

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 09:08:38 +0000

@Phil Ness. It just depends on the total calories he put you on. Use my calculator here
https://www.freebodybuildingworkoutprogram.com/calorieproteincalc/
Also, if you need to lose fat, do consider my TSPA program as it’s the best way to go about it, but in short, 50g net carbs is a good start, but there are other issues to consider.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 09:04:12 +0000

@Travis. In that case, use the web version here, buddy: https://www.freebodybuildingworkoutprogram.com/calorieproteincalc/

By: Travis

Travis — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 01:46:22 +0000

I am 180 lbs and can’t find out exactly how many cals. I need per day. I tried down loading ur calorie calculator but for some reason can’t.

By: Phil Ness

Phil Ness — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 19:44:19 +0000

Hi Mark, with regards the point about eating carbs, after years of getting nowhere, I’ve recently started with a personal trainer who’s got me on 230g of Carbohydrate a day. In four weeks my body fat has gone up nearly 2% and I’ve put on 2kg, very little of which to my eye is lean mass. I really didn’t want to go down the bulking / cutting route as I’m already unhappy with how I’m looking so am now trying to keep to less than 50g of carbs per day. Is that enough do you think?

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 18:45:46 +0000

@Dan. It’s all about progressive overload. If I can do more reps or use more weight with good form over the weeks, then I can be sure that positive changes are taking place in my body.
Additionally, you can take body weight but it must be in conjunction with a body fat reading so you know what your lean and fat mass are. You should only take these once every week or 2 and always at the same time of day eg. Every other Saturday morning before breakfast.

By: muhammad

muhammad — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 13:05:02 +0000

@Jason when I find myself in that situation I just move on to the next available exercise without rest. Maybe it’s less than optimal, and it can really drain you, but my numbers keep going up and I have experienced what I believe to be an improvement in cardiovascular health DUE to intense gym workouts,

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 12:57:35 +0000

Mark, how do you measure the effectiveness of a workout cycle, and how do you compare one workout/diet cycle to another? With so many variables (diet, routine, supplements, rest, stress, life,etc) taking place over a lengthy period of time, along with the body’s natural cycling, how do you know which combination is giving the best results? I know it could be different for everyone, but I’m just wondering what metric you use to measure. Personally, I don’t take many tape measurements because they’re so easily influenced by water. I track my numbers as I should to make sure I’m going in the right direction. And of course I spend plenty of time checking in the mirror, but that’s a tough gauge and also influenced by many things. In the big picture its easy to see the positive results, but it’s a lot harder to sort out the results of the finer variations/manipulations of each element of any given combination.

By: stickupkid

stickupkid — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:56:43 +0000

Thanks mark I have that bit of cheese too 🙂

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:05:21 +0000

It’s ok, bud. A slice of cheese would sort out that 68 cals for you too 😉

By: stickupkid

stickupkid — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:32:47 +0000

Mark I’m actually about 68 calories short of my daily diet. My protein levels are higher is that going cause me problems or if I keep within my calorie target will that be ok?

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:26:42 +0000

Well it depends on whether or not it’s pushing you over your total cals for the day too. If so, those 47g = 188 cal surplus every day. It’ll soon add to be fat gain. You don’t need any more protein than you need, but that’s kinda stating the obvious.

By: stickupkid

stickupkid — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:52:15 +0000

Mark I am on the glads diet at the moment and my protein needs are 190 grams but my diet consists of around 237 grams thant,s around 47 grams over my Lean Body Mass requierment?

Question is how much protein can one go over his or her,s Lean Body Mass requierment

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:35:16 +0000

@Mr Lowe. Wouldn’t hurt growth but it will make you fat as it will just be converted to sugar. But you need about 220g anyway.
@Jason. I couldn’t recommend that, buddy. Tough it out, man 🙂
@George. Nothing wrong with that.
@Wouter. Not a chapter but I do recommend a good all-round multi-vitamin, and additional vitamin D. 10,000 IU per day for average adult.

By: Wouter

Wouter — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:43:47 +0000

Mark, regarding the upcoming Chow! book, will there be a chapter on vitamins? I’m getting more and more convinced that not being deficient in certain vitamins is another BB diet fundamental, especially since your vitamin D post.

By: george

george — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:13:50 +0000

Mark,

I work out the THT routine from 12:15 to 12:45am because of my work timing; So I am having a whey protein shaker around 11:30 or 11:45 and my lunch around 1:10 Do u believe it’s a good way to grow muscles?

By: jason

jason — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 06:49:06 +0000

hi Mark, sorry, off the topic here but my HIT routine mon-wed is taking me an hour and a half to complete as i have to wait for people to finish their sets and im completey and utterly knackerd by the time im half way through and its only 10 sets. i have 5 weeks left of this cycle is it possible and would i benefit from doing half the routine on monday and then the rest on wed and keeping the consolidation the same on friday. if i keep it as is and take longer breaks to re-charge i could be there for 2 hours and thats outside the 1hour time line? does anyone else have this problem? thanx mark!!

By: Mr. Lowe

Mr. Lowe — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:38:38 +0000

OH, I weight about 200lbs. with about 177lbs lean muscle (key info i forgot to mention).

By: Mr. Lowe

Mr. Lowe — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:37:41 +0000

Mark, can consuming TOO much protein hinder results? I average about 200-250g per day (i eat a lot of chicken per day, with 30g or Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex in the morning, and 60g at night right after my workouts). I wasn’t sure if this was working against me. Plus, I do cardio or HIIT 3x a week (mentioning that because I assumed that higher protein intake would offset any muscle metabolism from the cardio/HIIT).

By: John A Davis

John A Davis — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:11:51 +0000

@Mark
10-4
I’m hoping to be eating this stuff all day long!!!

Your shipments for Order #xxxxxx
Ordered on October 01, 2011
Shipment 1 – Delivery Estimate: October 07, 2011
Hamilton Beach 68330R 4-Quart Automatic Ice-Cream Maker
Shipped

Shipment 2 – Delivery Estimate: October 11, 2011
Rival 5-Pound Bag of Rock Salt
Shipped

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:07:45 +0000

@Dan. @Mike. Thanks!
@john. You gotta let us all know how that turns out. I want all the details on taste, texture, the lot!

By: John A Davis

John A Davis — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:00:56 +0000

@Mike Huber
Hey Mike,
I love ice cream too.
I just ordered an ice cream maker and I’m going to make non-fat frozen yogurt using Splenda!! And on my carb day I’m going to use dextrose instead of Splenda. And probably load both versions with protein powder.

Not interested in discussion about how ice cream tastes better whatever.

By: Mike Huber

Mike Huber — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:30:09 +0000

A good read Mark. Just gotta start watching my carbs again. Should be easier with summer over, i’m an ice cream junkie!! Can’t wait for MuscleHack Chow either. I Know It’s Gonna Be Good!! Thanks Mark!!

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:21:57 +0000

6 out of 6! Can’t wait for the book. Keep up the good work Mark

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:43:48 +0000

@John. Yes there’s no problem with that. It’s all about those macro targets at the end of the day.

By: John A Davis

John A Davis — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:51:59 +0000

Mark,
I’m finding out that all the veggies and beans I eat aren’t adding up to the 60-100 grs for my TSPA diet. I was thinking—and I believe you when you say one doesn’t need carbs in the workout shake—that maybe I could put the extra carbs I need into my workout shake, just so I get above 60 or so.

Other reason(s) for this are that I’m doing my workout at 4:30-5:30am in the morning, as opposed to afternoon/evening like most Musclehackers including you. So I didn’t have any carbs in my meals like you sometime before my workout.
Another reason is that it might reduce the coritisol in my system, which is the enemy of testosterone. And people that have lousy sleep (ME!!!) have more cortisol.