Keto Bodybuilding: How Long Should You Maintain The Diet?

The ketogenic diet is a nutritional approach that restricts carbohydrates, replacing most of the reduced energy with fat, while maintaining an adequate quantity of protein. While it is typically associated with weight loss, it is possible to build muscle on a keto diet. Bodybuilders have been combining the two for decades, and there is research to support the goal of building muscle on keto.

However, it is important to be careful and intentional with every choice. For instance, while getting adequate protein is crucial when it comes to building and maintaining muscle mass, eating more protein will not always lead to more muscle growth, especially on a ketogenic diet. This is because when you're on a keto diet, eating excessive amounts of protein can kick you out of ketosis. Therefore, it is recommended that an effective ketogenic diet should include 15-20% of total calories from protein.

Additionally, it is important to eat enough calories to support muscle growth. Most people use a keto diet to lose weight, but if your goal is to build muscle, a calorie deficit will not help you achieve it.

Finally, it is important to be consistent with your nutrition and workout routine. This includes targeting each muscle group in your body and making sure to rest and recover, as new muscle is built during your rest and recovery periods.

Eat enough protein and calories

When it comes to keto bodybuilding, it's not just about what you eat but also about how much you eat. Here are some tips to ensure you're eating enough protein and calories to support muscle growth:

• Calculate your protein needs: Aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 25% of your calories from protein. Use a macro calculator to determine your specific needs.
• Prioritize protein sources: Include a variety of high-quality protein sources in your diet, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, and supplements like protein powder.
• Don't fear the fat: Keto is a high-fat diet, so don't be afraid to add healthy fats to your meals to increase your calorie intake while staying within your macronutrient goals.
• Consistency is key: Maintain a consistent macro plan daily, even on rest days. Your body still needs fuel for metabolic processes and tissue repair, so don't deprive yourself of essential nutrients.
• Surplus for growth: Eat at a maintenance level or a slight calorie surplus to promote muscle growth. Remember, as long as you're working out, a reasonable calorie surplus won't result in excessive fat gain.
• Progressive overload: Challenge your muscles by progressively increasing the weight, reps, or sets in your workouts. This principle of progressive overload will stimulate muscle growth.
• Target all muscle groups: Ensure your workouts target all major muscle groups—upper body, lower body, core, and back. This can be done through full-body routines or by targeting specific muscle groups on different days.
• Rest and recover: Allow your body to rest and recover between workouts. Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night, reduce stress, and engage in active recovery exercises like walking or yoga.

By following these guidelines, you'll ensure you're providing your body with the fuel it needs to support muscle growth and repair while on a keto diet.

Do intense workouts with progressive overload

Progressive Overload Training

Progressive overload training is a strength-training approach that makes workouts more challenging over time. It involves continually increasing the demands on the musculoskeletal system to make gains in muscle size, strength, and endurance. In other words, to get bigger and stronger, you must continually make your muscles work harder than they're used to.

How to Implement Progressive Overload

• Increase the resistance: Increase the load or weight. If 75 pounds is too easy when curling, try putting 5 pounds on each side of the bar. Remember, there's an inverse relationship between load and reps, so when you increase the weight, your reps will decrease to some degree.
• Increase the reps: You can simply do more repetitions, which is considered another means of increasing the overload. Never stop a movement when you reach an arbitrary rep count; keep going until you can't complete any more with good form.
• Increase the volume: Volume is calculated by multiplying sets by reps by resistance. By adding more sets, you're making progressively greater demands on your muscle tissue.
• Increase training frequency: Increasing the frequency with which you train a muscle group can increase the overload. However, it's important not to overdo it, as this technique works best when used as a short-term strategy.
• Decrease rest time between sets: Reducing the rest interval between sets allows you to do the same amount of work in less time, requiring your body to become more metabolically efficient.

Remember, you should only focus on changing one variable at a time to maintain safety and effectively track what works best for your body.

Prioritise rest and recovery with sleep, low stress, and good nutrition

Sleep, stress management, and nutrition are essential components of a successful bodybuilding regimen. They are the pillars of your workout routine, enabling your body to recover and adapt to stress. Here are some ways to prioritise rest and recovery:

Sleep

Sleep is a non-negotiable aspect of your bodybuilding journey. It is the time when your body recovers from the stresses of training and prepares for the next challenge. Here are some tips to optimise your sleep:

• Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.
• Establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine to wind down and signal to your body that it's time to rest.
• Ensure your bedroom is dark, cool, and free from distractions like electronics.
• Avoid stimulants like caffeine close to bedtime.

Stress Management

Chronic stress can hinder your body's ability to recover from intense workouts. It's important to manage your stress levels to support optimal recovery. Here are some strategies to reduce stress:

• Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.
• Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing, such as reading, listening to music, or spending time in nature.
• Prioritise self-care and schedule downtime in your routine.
• Learn to say no and set healthy boundaries to avoid overloading yourself with commitments.
• Delegate tasks or ask for help when needed to reduce your workload.

Nutrition

Nutrition plays a crucial role in supporting your body's recovery process. Eating a well-balanced diet ensures that your body has the necessary fuel to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. Here are some nutritional guidelines to enhance your recovery:

• Consume adequate protein, which is essential for muscle repair and growth. Aim for 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
• Include healthy proteins such as eggs, lean poultry, fish, dairy, and plant-based sources like beans, pulses, and tofu.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to provide your body with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
• Incorporate healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds into your diet.
• Stay hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day. Aim for 2–3 litres, depending on your activity level and climate.
• Consider supplements like creatine monohydrate, branch chain amino acids (BCAA), and whey protein to support your nutritional needs.

Remember, recovery is just as important as your training regimen. By prioritising rest, managing stress, and fuelling your body with nutritious foods, you'll optimise your recovery and set yourself up for success in your bodybuilding journey.

Be mindful of hydration and electrolyte status

On a keto diet, your body doesn't hold as much water as it does when you're not on keto. This means that staying on top of your fluid intake is crucial. Aim for around seven to nine hours of sleep each night, and be sure to generously salt your food. You should also be intentional about including potassium- and magnesium-rich foods in your diet.

Keto-friendly potassium-rich foods include:

• Avocados
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Tuna

Keto-friendly magnesium-rich foods include:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Chia seeds
• Almonds
• Spinach
• Peanuts
• Salmon

You can also use an electrolyte supplement to help you stay on top of your hydration.

Supplements are optional

While supplements are not necessary, there are a few that can help you build muscle on a keto diet. These include:

• Electrolytes, which can help you stay hydrated and keep your electrolyte levels in check.
• Protein powder, which can help you meet your protein goals.
• Exogenous ketones, which may provide an extra boost of keto-friendly energy for your workouts.

However, it's important to remember that you don't need to take supplements to see muscle gains. Sticking to the basics of keto bodybuilding is what will help you achieve your goals. This includes:

• Eating enough protein and calories.
• Doing intense workouts with progressive overload.
• Prioritising rest and recovery with sleep, low stress, and good nutrition.
• Being mindful of your hydration and electrolyte status.

By following these guiding principles, you can successfully build muscle on a keto diet, whether you're looking to tone up or compete in bodybuilding competitions.

Frequently asked questions