Gaining Muscle Mass on Crossfit

Ross Hunt · 05-31-2004, 07:43 AM

How do you all eat when you want to put on lean body mass? The metabolic cost of the WODs has taken its toll and I'm losing bodyweight; I'd like to see the scale swing back in the other direction.

I don't like the idea of gaining muscle mass by spiking insulin, so I'm planning on trying to create a calorie surplus by adding lots of monounsaturated fat to my normal meals rather than by adding more high-Insulin-Index carbs to my post-workout meal. Here's the plan:

Post-workout meal (first meal of the day):
High Insulin-Index carbs, high biologic value protein. Enough calories to fully recover, but not enough to send me into a stupor for hours. I would skip this meal on rest days.
4-6 more meals:
Lots and lots of protein and monounsaturated fat, only extremely low-Insulin-Index carbs.

Does anyone have a better idea, or have any instructive experience they're willing to share?

Thanks,

Ross Hunt

Jay Edvardz · 05-31-2004, 07:59 AM

Ross,

Use the mirror and your clothes more than the scale. I took the same path when I was looking to add on some LBM. I would add olive oil to all of my salads and veggies and I would eat a handful or two of nuts (walnuts, almonds, macadamia) at each meal. I had great success using the aforementioned techniques.

-Jay

Roy Taylor · 05-31-2004, 07:51 PM

Emphasis on what Jay said. As far as nuts go, Id say stick with ONLY(or 90%) almonds and walnuts. Make sure the Olive oil is extra virgin, since light olive oil has been modified.

Cod liver oil seems to be a key factor. I put a tablespoon in with my daily can of tuna. Go figure?

baby spinach is your friend.

Post workout, I blend a scoop of Optimum nutrition's vanilla whey protein with almond oil and half n' half. Works wonders

Eat those almonds!!!

Cheers

Roy

Larry Lindenman · 06-01-2004, 03:50 AM

You may want to look at adding some cal. via pro and fat in a PRE-workout meal. Whey with flax should do the trick. You may spare some muscle mass during the WOD. Sounds like your doing the wod in a semi-fasted state. If you don't like that idea, how about a late night snack, prior to bed? Or even slamming a PRO drink if you wake up in the middle of the night? Just my 2 cents. May prevent catabolism.

Matt Toupalik · 06-01-2004, 05:37 AM

To reinforce what Larry said, the protein drink in the middle of the night may be what you are looking for.I did the same thing when I was desperately attempting to add bodymass by drinking a protein shake or eating a few spoonfuls of peanut butter after getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.As I was always drinking a ton of water throughout the day, I always got up at least once in the night to relieve myself so it was never a problem for me to "miss" my middle of the night snack.I was able to add quite a bit of muscle weight over a period of several months doing this though I did gain a bit of fat as well.
Just something to consider if it fits your schedule.

Parth Shah · 06-01-2004, 08:38 AM

haven't been able to find almond butter. Hey, is it possible to crush almonds into a pulp. I don't know what the point of that would be though.

Ross Hunt · 06-01-2004, 11:05 AM

Thanks for the suggestions, gentlemen. I'm going to try squeezing six meals into the day rather than eating in the middle of the night (I'm giving it a try today) but if it doesn't work out I'll try the fat-and-protein sleepwalker snack. I've had great success with taking BCAAs before training (ICE); maybe I'll see if pre-workout protein in the form of plain, unsugared whey will do the same anti-catabolic trick.

Thanks,

Ross

P.S.: Parth - Almond butter is available at Whole Foods, along with Farmer's cheese, omega eggs, and other good foodstuffs.

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05-31-2004, 07:43 AM	#1
Ross Hunt Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Annapolis MD Posts: 914	How do you all eat when you want to put on lean body mass? The metabolic cost of the WODs has taken its toll and I'm losing bodyweight; I'd like to see the scale swing back in the other direction. I don't like the idea of gaining muscle mass by spiking insulin, so I'm planning on trying to create a calorie surplus by adding lots of monounsaturated fat to my normal meals rather than by adding more high-Insulin-Index carbs to my post-workout meal. Here's the plan: Post-workout meal (first meal of the day): High Insulin-Index carbs, high biologic value protein. Enough calories to fully recover, but not enough to send me into a stupor for hours. I would skip this meal on rest days. 4-6 more meals: Lots and lots of protein and monounsaturated fat, only extremely low-Insulin-Index carbs. Does anyone have a better idea, or have any instructive experience they're willing to share? Thanks, Ross Hunt

05-31-2004, 07:59 AM	#2
Jay Edvardz Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 445	Ross, Use the mirror and your clothes more than the scale. I took the same path when I was looking to add on some LBM. I would add olive oil to all of my salads and veggies and I would eat a handful or two of nuts (walnuts, almonds, macadamia) at each meal. I had great success using the aforementioned techniques. -Jay

05-31-2004, 07:51 PM	#3
Roy Taylor Member Profile: Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Rowlett TX Posts: 146	Emphasis on what Jay said. As far as nuts go, Id say stick with ONLY(or 90%) almonds and walnuts. Make sure the Olive oil is extra virgin, since light olive oil has been modified. Cod liver oil seems to be a key factor. I put a tablespoon in with my daily can of tuna. Go figure? baby spinach is your friend. Post workout, I blend a scoop of Optimum nutrition's vanilla whey protein with almond oil and half n' half. Works wonders Eat those almonds!!! Cheers Roy

06-01-2004, 03:50 AM	#4
Larry Lindenman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 2,769	You may want to look at adding some cal. via pro and fat in a PRE-workout meal. Whey with flax should do the trick. You may spare some muscle mass during the WOD. Sounds like your doing the wod in a semi-fasted state. If you don't like that idea, how about a late night snack, prior to bed? Or even slamming a PRO drink if you wake up in the middle of the night? Just my 2 cents. May prevent catabolism.

06-01-2004, 05:37 AM	#5
Matt Toupalik Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Scottsdale Arizona Posts: 174	To reinforce what Larry said, the protein drink in the middle of the night may be what you are looking for.I did the same thing when I was desperately attempting to add bodymass by drinking a protein shake or eating a few spoonfuls of peanut butter after getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.As I was always drinking a ton of water throughout the day, I always got up at least once in the night to relieve myself so it was never a problem for me to "miss" my middle of the night snack.I was able to add quite a bit of muscle weight over a period of several months doing this though I did gain a bit of fat as well. Just something to consider if it fits your schedule.

06-01-2004, 08:38 AM	#6
Parth Shah Member Profile: Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Hyde Park New York Posts: 190	haven't been able to find almond butter. Hey, is it possible to crush almonds into a pulp. I don't know what the point of that would be though.

06-01-2004, 11:05 AM	#7
Ross Hunt Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Annapolis MD Posts: 914	Thanks for the suggestions, gentlemen. I'm going to try squeezing six meals into the day rather than eating in the middle of the night (I'm giving it a try today) but if it doesn't work out I'll try the fat-and-protein sleepwalker snack. I've had great success with taking BCAAs before training (ICE); maybe I'll see if pre-workout protein in the form of plain, unsugared whey will do the same anti-catabolic trick. Thanks, Ross P.S.: Parth - Almond butter is available at Whole Foods, along with Farmer's cheese, omega eggs, and other good foodstuffs.