The keto diet. This new dieting trend has continuously gained popularity throughout the past several years. Is it all hype? Or could it potentially be your next guideline for cutting season? Let’s dissect this new technique to cut fat and separate the facts from myth. The standard diet practices usually call for a moderate to high protein and carbohydrate intake, while keeping fats low. The keto diet aims to keep fats high, moderate protein, and low carbs. The idea behind this diet is to limit carbohydrate intake and force your body to burn fat for fuel. Sounds too good to be true right? The keto diet isn’t for everyone. Removing one of the three macronutrient groups from your diet nearly in its entirety can pose a challenge for most for an extended period of time. The science behind the keto diet is unique and fascinating in a number of ways. Typically, the body relies on carbohydrates to be ingested and broken down into glucose. From here, the glucose is converted into energy and utilized by the body. This process is known as glycolysis. When following a ketogenic diet, this process will no longer apply as the primary source of energy for your body to utilize. When carbohydrate intake is limited, the body must make an adjustment in order to stay energized. The process of ketosis begins inside the liver. When sufficient carbohydrates are not present, the liver will begin to break down fats into ketones that are pushed into the blood stream.The body will adapt to the new situation and become reliant on fat for energy.Since all of our bodies are unique in many ways, there are no numbers set in stone when it comes to target macronutrient intake. One body may require more or less proteins, carbs, and fats than another. The typical carb intake while following a keto diet is between 30-50g a day. This is the first step to adapting to the diet. Dropping your carbs won’t cut it though. You may be accustomed to a higher protein diet, your next step will be to drop that intake to consist of about 25% of your diet. The reasoning behind this is because high amounts of protein can be converted into glucose, therefore preventing the body from entering ketosis. This leaves us with our new key source of energy...Fats. These will make up about 70% of our diet. So who can benefit from the keto diet? Those who are focused on shredding body fat down have potential to benefit greatly from adopting this dieting technique when they’re able to stick with it in the long run. This isn’t a quick fix by any means. Those who struggle with portion control have been known to reap the most benefits from keto. Typically carbs and overeating have gone hand in hand since the beginning of junk foods. Eliminating the intake of these empty calories alone can be a tremendous step in the right direction of a weight loss journey. There’s several reasons why someone on a journey to gain more muscle may want to hold off on adopting the ketogenic diet. Fats slow digestion, therefore such a high intake of fats can help keep you satiated for longer. This is not ideal for someone striving to gain weight, as hunger will need to be your friend in order to pack in calories. A higher protein intake consisting of 40% of your diet is the ideal range for those looking to pack on size.The ketogenic diet can be a powerful tool for those aiming to shred down body fat for aesthetic, health, or other reasons. The restrictive aspects of this eating plan are the biggest obstacle to overcome for those who choose to try it. Being accustomed to eating carbohydrates our entire lives, it’s not easy to cut them down to minimal trace amounts. The shift from burning carbohydrates to fats for fuel can be taxing on the body and mind. If you can adapt, the rewards can be well worth the sacrifice.

So you want to pack on some weight. Eat more and lift heavy weight...simple as that, right? Wrong. There’s an art to this. With no plan in place you can do more damage than good with your bulk. Increasing your caloric intake is the game plan, but at what rate is the question. Let's talk strategy to pack on size at the proper pace to avoid unwanted body fat. You’ve probably heard the term “lean bulk” before, let’s dissect what the term truly means and how it can save you time and effort throughout your journey.  Slow and steady wins the race. You’ve heard the saying before, and it couldn’t apply better to a bulking phase. Packing on pounds at a rapid rate is unhealthy in many ways. It’s taxing on your system to process an enormous surplus of food when it’s unprepared. Multiplying your intake by 1.5 or even 2x the amount of food compared to what you have eaten the day prior is a common approach for those who lack proper guidance. More calories equals more muscle is not always true when your system is overloaded. This will quickly result in lethargy, high blood sugar levels, increased blood pressure, and digestive issues. In the long run you will pack on weight at an accelerated weight, but it won’t be desirable weight. Excess calories will be stored as fat and when you transition into a cutting phase, it will be more work for you to get the weight off. To avoid the compilations, let’s take things one step at a time.Let’s start with your caloric intake and how to properly calculate this precise number with proven formulas backed by research. This particular formula is known as the Mifflin St Jeor Equation will help us determine your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). This is the amount of calories your body burns when at rest throughout the day. Men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) - 161 Women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (7) - 161 Next we’ll calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). This is the amount of calories you burn throughout the day including all activity from exercise and lifestyle. Using the guideline below, you’ll select which Activity Level best suits you.  Sedentary = BMR x 1.2 (Little or no exercise/ desk job) Lightly active = BMR x 1.375 (Light exercise 1-3 days/week) Moderately active = BMR x 1.55 (Moderate exercise 6-7 days/week) Very Active = BMR x 1.725 (Intense exercise every day, or exercising 2 xs/day) Extra Active = BMR x 1.9 (Vigorous exercise 2 or more times per day) BMR x Activity Level  = TDEE Now that you have an accurate count of your total calories burned throughout the day, we can calculate your goal intake to ensure lean muscle is built with minimal excess body fat. Multiplying your TDEE by 1.1 will give us a 10% caloric surplus. This minor bump in calories will ensure you are gaining weight at a safe rate, but the results will be very gradual. Patience will be your biggest asset when attacking a lean bulk protocol.Your macronutrient breakdown is important when it comes to packing on mass. Each gram of protein and carbohydrates is 4 calories. Every gram of fat is 9. Aiming for 1-1.5g of protein per pound of bodyweight will be the target on this program. This leaves you with a carb/fat ratio to determine to dedicate your remaining calories to. Carbs are an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to muscle growth. Providing energy for inside & outside the gym. Committing 50% of your total calorie intake a day to carbs will ensure you have the energy necessary to power through your training and push the limits to achieve new muscle growth. The remaining calories will be taken in as fats. This is your foundation for a lean bulking program. Supplements, cardio, and training styles are all other factors that will need to be weighed in. MuscleMeds Stemtropin is a powerful recomposition tool that goes hand in hand with a lean bulk protocol. Stemtropin naturally boosts Growth Hormone levels by 20% in as quickly as 2 hours. Elevated growth hormone levels result in lean muscle tissue growth, lipolysis, and elevated natural energy levels. The other powerful function of Stemtropin is boosting stem cell count.