Keto Bulking Workout

We all know what a keto lifestyle is, the properties of ketosis, how it regulates the appetite and how it helps us lose weight… but, could we do a bulking workout during a keto diet?

Keto Bulking

Any bulking phase whose objective is gaining muscle involves a calorie surplus. In other words, we have to eat more calories than what we use.

This is a must and traditional diets tend to include a lot of carbohydrates. Actually, sometimes the amount of calories from the diet equals a 40% of this macronutrient.

However, we cannot eat carbs when we are trying to reach ketosis. In fact, if we eat more than 50g we will break this ketosis. Therefore, we need to eat more fat while taking the minimum protein requirements (around 2 grams per kilo of weight) as well as the minimum carb intake.

Keto bulking

Carbohydrates are not essential for our body since it knows how to produce glucose without them

The studies have proven that eating carbohydrates is necessary for a successful hypertrophy. But that does not mean that you cannot gain muscle following a keto lifestyle. It may not be the most efficient way, but you can still do it.

Why Keto Bulking?

If you have ever read something about me, you will probably know that I like to try out everything I read. But this time, it is due to the fact that I suffer a autoimmune disease: type 1 diabetes

I control glucose with a keto diet and high intensity exercise. As always, I check my glycemia and ketones to avoid ketoacidosis. If my glucose increases over 140 on an empty stomach I take 2 units of insulin to avoid any risk.

Actually, I already tried the keto diet a long time ago, before the disease. However, I always used it for cutting phase combined with other techniques like intermittent fasting. This strategy helped deal with hunger and now it has become my lifestyle. If you know how to control it, there is no risk of ketoacidosis, which is why it has become my lifestyle.

Ketoacidosis People who suffer diabetes can experience ketoacidosis, which is a problem that occurs when the glucose levels are high for several days. Consequently, this changes the blood PH.

It is called ketoacidosis because the blood ketones are high too. However, the main problem is that it increases the osmosis and we lose electrolytes (sodium and potassium). Then, the blood PH becomes acid, to the point that we can fall into a diabetic coma.

Objective of my Keto Bulking

The purpose of this workout is to gain muscle with a keto diet for 7 months. It will be following for a keto cutting phase for 3 months. Then, we will see the final results of this experiment.

My objective is to surpass my best state during hypertrophy. This happened when I became 40 and I applied for the Men’s Health Magazine for the second time. I came in in second place, weighing 78kg and with an 8% of fat.

Men's Health Magazine Cover

Now, I am 46 and I still weigh 78kg but I have between an 11-12% of fat. My objective is to end these 7 bulking months weighing 83-85kg with a 15-16% of fat. Then, I will follow a cutting phase for 3 months.

I tend to do fasting in order to control my glucose levels and improve my health. Specially intermittent fasting from 16 to 23 hours as well as 72 hours in a row monthly.

But now that I have to gain muscle, it does make much sense to do fasting. Concentrating all my calories in a short period of time would be quite complicated. That is why I will stop fasting these 7 months, but I will do them again during the keto cutting phase.

Keto planning

Complete planning

Even if the last studies conclude that it is not necessary to follow a periodization, I like being methodical and having different macro-cycles planned beforehand.

Afterwards, I can change them and adapt them depending on the circumstances: injuries, fat excess, emphasis on different groups, cardiovascular improvements, loss of strength…

This would be the starting periodization:

Keto workout plan