Building Muscle on Keto | How to Bulk Up on Low-Carb Diet [Tips]

The keto diet plan supports different fitness goals, but can it help you bulk up muscle too? 

This article covers the ins and outs of how to build muscle with Keto diet. 

keto requires you to fluctuate your carbs consumption on a daily basis. It is so frequent that you can’t go ahead without planning your diet beforehand.

The Keto diet involves different techniques, though. It pushes your body into ketosis mode by reducing your carbs consumption. Your body switches to fat reserves to supply energy.

The nutrition the healthy diet plan offers is immense.

Thus, the Keto diet is in its prime popularity. Still, how to gain muscle on a Keto diet? Does it even have any muscle gaining effect?

The restriction of carbs triggers insulin secretion. This can trigger specific conditions positively improving your muscle growth processes.

But is that enough? No! You need to have more clear in-depth info on the diet plan and muscle growth. 

In this blog, you’ll find out every info needed on how to build muscle on Keto diet. So, let’s roll out the discussion…

Can You Gain Muscle on Keto Diet? Reality Check

Diet plans come and go. They have the most superficial claims as well. 

But the Keto diet, with its unique principle around carb consumption, grabs attention. People are wondering how to build muscle with keto diet, and is it even possible!

Can you build muscle on a low-carb high protein diet?

According to available facts, the keto diet, in fact, can promote muscle gain.

You can find real-life transformations around you. As a result, everyone is taking a shot at the diet plan.

This is the story. Let’s grab some real-time facts!

A study depicts how muscle gaining and losing fat reserve simultaneously is possible if you follow the keto diet. 

A study in 2020 on 25 young men utilizes the diet plan for significant outcomes. All men were involved in a strength-training program while following a keto or conventional western diet.

The study went on for a duration of 12 weeks. In the end, both groups had greater lean body mass. Surprisingly, the fat reserves of the keto group reduced significantly too.

This is the discussion of a single study on a single forum. In any circumstance, it doesn’t decide the whole situation. For instance, many long-term studies can conclude a stronger outcome.

As a matter of fact, not all studies are on the positive side.

Another review isn’t impressive about keto and muscle gain. Reading the outcome, you may even begin to question if it is even possible to build muscle on a low-carb diet.

A review declared the keto diet for muscle gains helpful in maintaining lean mass while striving for weight loss goals. 

At the same time, researchers found muscle hypertrophy highly complicated to achieve. 

Meanwhile, other studies review how working in the gym might feel the same, but gaining muscle gets tough during keto.

However, irrespective of the difficulty level, muscle gain on the keto diet is possible. 

It’s also possible that some studies have unfavorable outcomes due to the lack of carbs. However, other nutrients are also necessary for bulking.

You need to focus on relative factors to ensure you maintain breakthrough gains and bulking transition. Let’s get going with our guide on how to lose fat and gain muscle on keto.

How to Build Muscle with Keto Diet? [6 Best Ways]

Everything is possible when you have the will.

However, bodybuilding is a completely different arena. You need more than a positive quote of inspiration to jack up some real gains.

Mostly the right technique, skills, efforts, and nutrition does the task. Ketogenic diets for bodybuilding and cutting require a similar application.

Here’s how to bulk up on Keto…

#1. Lessen Carbs

Carbs aren’t necessary for bodybuilding. Instead, they affect your muscle mass. 

You should measure up your diet, nutrition, and carb intake. You can use the keto calculator for muscle building for further help.

If more than 15-20% of your diet involves carbs, ketosis isn’t activated. It won’t even benefit your muscle mass.

Thus, swap your carbs with healthy fat options. You can use MCT oil, avocado, and even nut butter. Also, add sufficient healthy proteins.  

#2: Add More Proteins

Muscle building is impossible with insufficient protein in your diet. Moreover, a high-quality protein is a basic need for a breakthrough bulking journey. 

It encompasses all nine essential amino acids. This is necessary for the optimal muscle gaining process.

Meanwhile, low-quality proteins aren’t for the keto diet. So, avoid grains and legumes as the main protein source for your diet.

Instead, add the best protein sources including whole-fat milk, turkey, beef, fish, chicken, Greek yogurt, cheese, pork, lamb, and seafood. Have them as much as possible to get lean muscles.

#3: Get Surplus From Keto Diet

Yes, you are following a keto diet. 

However, you shouldn’t forget the key to bulking is surplus calorie consumption. If you follow the keto diet for muscle building, your calorie consumption should go up.

A study suggests moderate protein consumption is sufficient to increase muscle gain. 

Given that, distribute the amount of protein over different meals, while your diet gets calorie surplus.

To ensure your nutrition count is in the right direction, you can use a keto calculator or other online tools. Also, use a diary and pen to note down your dietary choice for calculation.

#4:  Protein Timing Is Crucial

The amount of protein consumed isn’t the only thing that’s important. You need to have protein at the right time as well. 

In other words, your protein meals should be spaced out throughout your diet thoroughly.

To get max results, your protein consumption is as crucial as the quality of protein.

Higher quality protein is necessary to reach the leucine threshold, every few hours. Once you achieve the threshold, there isn’t a muscle-building benefit. It is applicable, particularly in the case of ketosis.

You should munch on foods 3-4 times a day. Meanwhile, the amount of high-quality protein should be consistent to achieve the leucine threshold. 

This would result in mega muscle gains by natural stimulation. It’s the most voted tip on how to build muscle with keto diet guide.

#5: Strength Training is a Must for Bulking

To achieve muscle-building goals with the keto diet, you need to go the extra mile. 

Indeed, without strength training, it is impossible to pump up good muscle growth. Resistance workouts have a significantly impressive effect on your whole physique.

Here are some other muscle-building exercises to build muscle on the keto diet:

• Rowing.
• Yoga or pilates.
• Sprinting, to accelerate anabolic hormones like testosterone.
• Heavy compound lifts like bench press, squats, pull-ups, and deadlifts.
• Bodyweight movements like bodyweight squats, planks, and push-ups.

This list of the best muscle-building workouts for keto is long. You must also follow a workout program along with your diet plan.

#6: Creatine Supplementation

Glycogen is stored in your muscle cell. It is important for the muscle gaining procedure. 

However, a low-carb keto diet doesn’t benefit the glycogen store.

If your muscle glycogen drops down with an intense workout, you need to switch your lane. 

In other words, it’s time to try out supplementation. 

Creatine is great for bulking. It synthesizes and upholds glycogen. 

For people on the keto diet for bulking, creatine is a boon. It is natural and is also safe for regular ingestion.

Here are some benefits of creatine supplementation:

• Creatine elevates muscular strength and workout performance
• Averts age-related muscle loss
• Upsurges explosive power
• Improves cognitive performance

If you’re wondering how can you gain muscle on keto without exercise, creatine supplements may help marginally. 

But you should choose a formula with creatine monohydrate. The researched back formula is available at a cheap price.

When it comes to bulking, doubts are immense. 

However, if you have opted for the keto diet, the tips are helpful. The industry-leading experts have provided the expertise in mentioning the tips.

In general, keto and weight training go hand in hand. Also, other tips are equally important to spike your gains.

However, the guide on how to build muscle with keto diet doesn’t end here. You need to know what to skip to grow bigger.

What Not to Do When Gaining Muscle on Keto?

Misconceptions are everywhere. 

When people don’t know the impact of the low-carb diet on their workout and performance, things can go wrong.

Here are the things to avoid on Keto Diet for Muscle Gaining.

#1. The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet

Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) is a popular trend. You have to load yourself with carbs once or twice a week. It may aid muscle gaining efforts. 

However, experienced ones should try out CKD to avoid complications.

For beginners, your body is used to the old process. Burning carbs to keep you flowing. CKD requires a weekly carbs load. Your body will slow down with the stimulation. 

It requires enough time to maintain ketones effectively. Your body can take a week or more to operate fat reserves for energy.

Beginners should be on a low-carb, high-fat diet for an initial one month before switching to CKD. 

After that duration, you can go ahead with carb backloading every 15 days to a month then weekly. 

In general, people follow the wrong approach to follow CKD. As a result, it ruins all of their big bulking gains.

Some folks think they can eat anything from pizza to burgers without worrying about calories.

This is a common misconception. 

A proper carb consumption for muscle building requires a low fat intake with high carb consumption once or twice weekly. Junk food can’t be substituted. 

In short, a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet isn’t a gateway to unhealthy food on your plate. In contrast, the standard keto diet is a better solution. 

Ketosis does benefit your muscle mass. First, your body would have some lean muscle reserve and require glucose. 

To switch to ketones, your body takes time.

In terms of CKD, the number of amino acids from your muscle mass is less. It goes in and out of ketosis. 

Thus, skip CKD, junk food, and carb-loading, for the first month. 

In one sentence, try a standard keto diet instead to build muscle with keto diet.

#2. Avoid Continuous Cheat Days

Cheat meals don’t mean you can eat whatever you desire daily.

Instead, it is a once in a while option. Don’t change the perception in your head. 

Most use cheat days to go unconventional from their regular diet.

Nonetheless, many overindulge in unhealthy food on cheat days. They pile up the most unhealthy foods on their plate. This does work for their tongue. But for their fitness program, it doesn’t.

Contrarily, you should go for cheat meals once in a while. In particular, when your fitness goals are on the track. 

#3. Poor Workouts

Working out while fasting empties more fat reserves. This should get the “misconception of the gen z award”. 

This misconception is the reason why some people may go for intermittent fasting while following the keto diet for muscle building.

However, your body requires energy flow. It doesn’t need to burn fat all the time. 

Working out while fasting helps you lose body fat, but it even eliminates your lean muscle mass.

If you want to build muscle on the keto diet, this fallacy isn’t for you. 

For an intense workout, you need the right nutrition. It helps preserve the lean muscle mass while targeting your fat deposits. 

When jotting down tips on how to build muscle while on keto, keep this in mind.

#4. Ketones Aren’t the Only Thing

Ketones don’t mean weight loss. If you overeat, it will affect your workouts as well as your fitness goal. 

In this case, not only fat loss but bulking becomes impossible.

You should focus on lean muscle growth rather than relying on ketones. Focus on muscle growth efforts and have a high protein diet with calorie surplus consumption. 

Meanwhile, follow your training session to ensure everything goes in a straight line.

Also, to achieve your bulking goals, you need more than ketones. 

You need to focus on tips mentioned about how to gain muscle in keto. Your focus should be on eliminating body fat to improve your overall physique. So, don’t just focus on scaling down.

Hopefully, now you’ve got some basic idea about how to build muscle with a keto diet. On top of that, this section shares what not to do when on the keto diet to gain lean muscle. 

Both sections share strong aspects necessary for a strong bulking journey. Let’s consider some other tips now.

Tips for Building Muscle on a Keto Diet

The Keto diet for muscle building requires more than just the right nutrition. 

It is the right technique, skill, and information. 

The following tips would help to building muscle on keto for females and males:

1. Check ketones level. Are you in ketosis? Take a test for help.
2. Adequate sleep. For any fitness goal to work, adequate sleep is necessary.
3. Warning: Hidden carbs. Some beverages and packed food have additional empty carbs. Skip them.
4. Patience is the key. Weight loss or muscle gain isn’t a thing of a single day. Stay patient and focus on long-term outcomes.
5. Track your carbohydrate consumption. Keep track of your carb consumption. It should be less than 50 g of carbs per day to maintain ketosis.

The guide on how to gain muscle in Keto ends here. At last, let’s wrap up the whole argument on the keto diet and muscle gain.

The Final Words

The Keto diet is the finest way to achieve your fitness goals. 

The logic is simple…

The diet switches your body to ketosis mode, and your body begins to rely on fat reserves for energy. Thus, you begin to lose weight more quickly than earlier.

Recently, studies have declared the keto diet for muscle building to be effective. All you need to do is stick to the tips and techniques mentioned above. 

Also, you need to avoid some actions when following the keto diet for muscle gaining.

Well, this was all for today. For more help, you can reach out to us through the comments section.

And don’t forget to forward this blog to your keto-lover buddies!

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