Calories on rest days

[Brain5ick]

So I planned on going to the gym today but I’m ridiculously tired mainly from lack of sleep. I want to take an off day but I think I’ve eaten a little too much to not lift lol. I don’t grow if I’ve not eaten about 3,500 calories per day but how much of that should I cut back on rest days? I’m ridiculously sore in my upper back and it’s a pull day so maybe I should rest today. Some say I should eat the 3,500 or maybe 500 less since I’m so sore but I digress. What’s your advice?

 

[swimfan65]

This is a bulking question? What do you think? Eat...then eat some more

 

[tyga tyga]

If your expenditure is less, then Id drop calories some. Being sore doesn’t equate to being underfed or lack of nutrition, means your training stimulus was different.

IMO, if you’re “bulking” without wanting to gain excess fat (some are ok with that) I would eat only 300 kcal more on rest days and 500-700 kcal more on training days (depending on intensity/volume).

 

[swimfan65]

If your expenditure is less, then Id drop calories some. Being sore doesn’t equate to being underfed or lack of nutrition, means your training stimulus was different.

IMO, if you’re “bulking” without wanting to gain excess fat (some are ok with that) I would eat only 300 kcal more on rest days and 500-700 kcal more on training days (depending on intensity/volume).

I guess it depends on goals. As a powerlifter, bulk for me...means eat. 8k in a day isnt unusual. However, for the past few weeks ive been at around 4k everyday..clean..and have been maintaining weight and burning fat. Strength has been climbing as well. Not as fast as it does on a true bulk...but its improving.

 

[tyga tyga]

I’m a power lifter as well. “Bulk” for me means eat without hindering my leverages.

However, I’ve used designer steroids in the past (8yrs ago) and I could eat 700-1k kcal surplus and increase frequency of training and not really put on any fat (2-3lb max). If I were to have that massive of a swing in kcal now, I would get fat.

AAS - increases MPS, recovery from training

 

[swimfan65]

I’m a power lifter as well. “Bulk” for me means eat without hindering my leverages.

However, I’ve used designer steroids in the past (8yrs ago) and I could eat 700-1k kcal surplus and increase frequency of training and not really put on any fat (2-3lb max). If I were to have that massive of a swing in kcal now, I would get fat.

AAS - increases MPS, recovery from training

Not really a pro hormone guy. But in the past, 750 Test E and 100mg of Anadrol a day i was good for a pound a day. However, at 45yrs old, Im not trying to weigh 370 anymore. Im shooting for a lean 300ish..maybe 290. Keep in mind Im fairly tall. Im down to about 320ish now.

 

[AntM1564]

I calorie cycle. I get it from the article I follow on carb cycling. I eat 500 less on off days, but I only have one per week. I still gain weight when bulking. Don't think on a micro level, but rather a macro level. Ask yourself, are you in a surplus for the entire week? If yes, you will gain weight. Some will argue you should eat a little less on off days because you are not active, but on the other hand, some people will say you should eat the same because your body is recovery from other workouts. All I can say is it comes down to personal preference. Try it for yourself and see how it works. On my lower cal do, I do eat more protein, just to throw that out there.

 

[tyga tyga]

Not really a pro hormone guy. But in the past, 750 Test E and 100mg of Anadrol a day i was good for a pound a day. However, at 45yrs old, Im not trying to weigh 370 anymore. Im shooting for a lean 300ish..maybe 290. Keep in mind Im fairly tall. Im down to about 320ish now.

Yeah I used DS until I was 24 (so six years ago not eight, sorry) but haven’t since then.

As long as my lifts are incrementally changing and I’m not gaining an outrageous amount of fat I’m fine with being natty. Hope no one takes this the wrong way because it’s not my intention but I don’t get paid to compete, look a certain way or am I endorsed in any capacity so I don’t see the reason to use AAS. Now, I don’t care if anyone used them either, their choice their goals but this is just a hobby and a passion of mine and I don’t see the need in elevated risks associated with steroid use.

*fully aware you can mitigate a lot of “sides” with extra ancillary supplements*

 

[swimfan65]

Yeah I used DS until I was 24 (so six years ago not eight, sorry) but haven’t since then.

As long as my lifts are incrementally changing and I’m not gaining an outrageous amount of fat I’m fine with being natty. Hope no one takes this the wrong way because it’s not my intention but I don’t get paid to compete, look a certain way or am I endorsed in any capacity so I don’t see the reason to use AAS. Now, I don’t care if anyone used them either, their choice their goals but this is just a hobby and a passion of mine and I don’t see the need in elevated risks associated with steroid use.

*fully aware you can mitigate a lot of “sides” with extra ancillary supplements*

My advice to anyone is dont use them. The only thing i support is guys over 40 doing TRT..thats actually healthy. It is a personal decision. Natty or Enhanced...i dont care. You earn my respect by busting your ass in the gym...i dont care what you do or dont take.

 

[tyga tyga]

My advice to anyone is dont use them. The only thing i support is guys over 40 doing TRT..thats actually healthy. It is a personal decision. Natty or Enhanced...i dont care. You earn my respect by busting your ass in the gym...i dont care what you do or dont take.

Absolutely. Work hard in the gym, stay in your lane and you’ll get anyone’s respect really!

 

[Whisky]

I used to think that calories should be lower on rest days (think that’s natural really).....then I read this article......makes a lot of sense.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/turn-rest-days-into-growth-days

 

[Brain5ick]

I figured being in a surplus on rest days makes sense because of all the recovery that needs to be done. I go balls to the wall when I train, so I eat a lot already but around 3,000-3,300 cal is where I have been on my rest days lately.

 

[Whisky]

I figured being in a surplus on rest days makes sense because of all the recovery that needs to be done. I go balls to the wall when I train, so I eat a lot already but around 3,000-3,300 cal is where I have been on my rest days lately.

Yeah I keep mine at the same every day now to be honest. The lower expenditure on rest days means extra for growth and mentally I think I hit the next day harder knowing I’ve fuelled up properly. Been doing it around a year and seems to have worked, granted I’ve also only started taking aas in the last year so they might have also helped haha

 

[john.patterson]

I think both strategies can work, there's no "right" answer. For me personally, I lower calories on rest days to maintenance or slightly below, even while bulking. Since I gain weight easily I've found that this is a better strategy for me personally.

If you're a hardgainer or need to eat a lot of calories to put on weight, I would keep the same surplus on rest days and see how it goes.

 

[Resolve10]

I scale my carb intake based on volume of my workouts.

For most people it’s probably not going to be the biggest issue and looking at it over the course of a week rather than each individual day would be fine.