Kelsey_ZenithRising's Journal, 13 December 2023

Looking great! 🤙 

May I ask how long you've been training & about how many calories you're eating? 

inspiring 

What's a "refeed"? 

Great job!👍💪 

You look so lean! I would never have guessed you weigh 191lbs! 

good 

Fantastic! 

Refeed have not heard about that but just looked it up. Interesting. 

Great!! 

This is a good article on refeeds. Basically when you’re in a cut for bodybuilding high carb days like this can actually cause a weight drop and can also give you extra strength to push super hard. The thing is that refeeds are not junk - I’m still eating the same foods just a higher volume. https://proprepcoaching.com/science-of-bodybuilding/unlocking-the-power-of-refeed-days/#:~:text=Refeed%20days%2C%20also%20known%20as,outcomes%20for%20physique%2Doriented%20individuals. 

I’ve been lifting for probably 10 years but consistently for 3 years. I did a lifestyle weight loss 2-3 ago (lost 75lbs after getting diagnosed with celiac) and have been bulking for 2 years. I got my coach over the fall to kick it into high gear for bodybuilding and she basically tells me what to do. My macros are different on my lifting vs. cardio only days but my protein is always around 205g per day and less than 60g of fat. Maintenance for me is about 2800 calories & my cut right now is about 2400 calories but I’m more worried about the exact macros and food timing (I eat 6 meals a day). Where I’m at with my protocol won’t necessarily work for everyone  

💪💪💪💪 🏅  

How many days a week do you train leg days and glutes ? How many exercises per muscle? You look amazing 👏🏻👏🏻 

Wow!!!! Holy amazing legs batman 😍  

I train legs once a week right now on my current protocol but for a while it was three times a week. I’m eating a lot more & my recovery is a lot better right now so I’m able to lift heavier and get better hypertrophy so I’ve seen more growth. I also have genetics working for me too (I’m natty) - I’m very quad dominant so they grow quickly (I gain muscle quickly in general) and I have to try very hard to not have them engaged in all my leg exercises because they tend to take over. I also have two different leg days that have been programmed by my coach that gets alternated weekly. It’s not really the number of exercises but how heavy you lift, the mind muscle connection (sometimes incorporating a drop set or dropping weight can really help you feel the muscles you want to work), and training to failure. 

Thanks for all of the info, Kelsey! I've been on a combination of keto/carnivore/low carb for about 6 months. I've had decent gains according to the composition scale (+7.7 lbs of muscle) since August & -5% BF. My PRs have steadily increased also, even though many workouts were about 16-18 hr fasted. BUTTTT ANYWAYYYY... I had a really aggravating morning last weekend that led to me just needing to get away for a minute in a screw it mindset. I stopped by Hardee's and got a pork chop biscuit. That was the first time I'd had bread in 6 months. I went to the gym a few hours later & set 11 records! Some of my 1RMs increased by 15 lbs! Granted, it was also earlier in the day than I had been in a while. Then, a couple of days ago, I had over 200g of carbs (mostly rice)😱😆. I actually had lost weight the next day. The day after that (yesterday), I went to the gym with no carbs as normal & couldn't even make it through my workout. The point is, I feel like I'm at a crossroad & am I'm over here rethinking my entire life. 🥴😆 

Yes it’s crazy how some carbs can make you feel super human! ❤️  

@Kelsey Don't get me wrong, I have sustained energy on keto & fasted workouts haven't been a problem, no brick walls even after a complete 43 hour fast. t's just the PRs...lol. I think it was necessary for me to cycle through keto to get my metabolism back on track, because I would normally have to take a nap after carbs. Now, I'm wondering if it's not time for a different cycle. 🤷‍♀️ I'm always up for a good self experiment. 😌  

I'm pretty sure I hit that wall after the carb frenzy because I was low on carbs for fuel, but still too many stored to be efficiently burning fat for fuel.