Caloric Requirements for Strength Training

[Tom Treutlein]

Okay, now I know you need insane amounts of food for bodybuilding. Adding mass always takes a ton. What about to increase strength? I mean, obviously you'd need at least maintenance, but couldn't you eat basically around that, maybe a bit more, and gain strength just fine? After all, strength is more leverage and neural adaptions, right?

20xBW is a common recommendation for calories for bodybuilding. How about strength training? Assuming one isn't looking to add any extra size at all.

 

[Illuminati]

Okay, now I know you need insane amounts of food for bodybuilding. Adding mass always takes a ton. What about to increase strength? I mean, obviously you'd need at least maintenance, but couldn't you eat basically around that, maybe a bit more, and gain strength just fine? After all, strength is more leverage and neural adaptions, right?

20xBW is a common recommendation for calories for bodybuilding. How about strength training? Assuming one isn't looking to add any extra size at all.

by strength training, do you mean Power Lifting? if so, then there is no recommended amout of food to eat. ask a power lifter what he eats for calories, and carbs, and shit like that, and most of them will look at you like you are speaking a foreign language. there really is no science behind eating. strength is about training, and putting in your work. some eat less to get into a lower weight class; some eat more to because there seems to be a correlation between weight and strength. to eat is there own. the but key to strength is proper training (i.e. not following a BB style of training.)

 

[Illuminati]

strength is more leverage and neural adaptions, right?

also, what is this spanish that you are speaking? sure, leverage comes in to play, as far as getting yourself into position to do the lift. but after that, it's all about explosion, and exerting force on the bar.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Awesome! Just what I wanted to hear! K your way...if it let's me.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

I meant powerlifting and/or olympic lifting. Does the same apply for olympic lifting, too?

Basically anything not concerning size. Just being more powerful. Exerting more force. In the end, to be a stronger fighter pound for pound.

 

[Illuminati]

Awesome! Just what I wanted to hear! K your way...if it let's me.

also, please dont take my last post the wrong way. i see you ask a lot of questions, and i understand that you are just trying to learn as much as possible, but you tend to throw in terms into your posts that i dont think you understand. what i mean by that is, can you explain the whole neural adaptations thing, without cutting and pasting something that you read on the internet, and then tell me what it means to you as far as making strength gains? probably not. i've come across these same terms, and they mean nothing to me. all that i am interested in is how to train, and what style of lifting will give the best strength gains. the whole eating thing, and cals, and carbs...that's spanish to me, and i dont understand it, and i dont think that 90% of the people fully understand it.
my advice is let someone else worry about the whole science thing behind it. decide what your goals are for lifting, and then go with it. train hard, party hard, eat what you want, get some rest, and most of all, enjoy life.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Sound advice.

By neural adaptions I was talking about the CNS learning how to better coordinate the muscles, recruit fibers, and get the motor units working in unison. Something along those lines. Mainly I see neural components being a big part of WSB (changing the ME exercise every 1-3 weeks). I don't know what else to call it since you're not getting bigger, so it's not more muscle doing it. It's simply your body adapting to the load by increasing strength, and since the muscles aren't growing, I figure the CNS is partly responsible for this.

Or is that all a myth?

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

If you eat only maintenance calories while aiming to build strength you CAN continue to increase strength and power, but will find it difficult to gain size.

If you eat a caloric surplus while training for strength you will gain size and strength.

I figured you'd know this.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Yep, I did. Still, it's much appreciated.

 

[harhar]

Hmmm so I dont NEED to eat TONS for strength.. But I was thinking a healthy diet would help strength training (lots of good fats, complex carbohydrates, and good quality protein). Would eating LOTS of protein help for strength training or is that just for size?

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Probably just for size. CCJ and B Fold supposedly got by on 1g/lb. of protein or less at times. Just eat a balanced diet without so many excess cals.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

i think you would be surprised at how many PL pay attention to diet..sure there are afew in the SHW that are pudgy but look at the 240's Goggins vogelpohl cass very lean guys that are thick..Im a mod at another site and theres a comp PL there and he does recommend super high protein..how many times have you seen NS say that he has eaten his way through a plateau??many..the same can be said even if your strength training..your body needs those cals to recoup..personally i think if you took a well rounded BB'ing diet and used a PL'ing routine you could create a physique that is thick and strong..

 

[WalkingBeast]

If you eat only maintenance calories while aiming to build strength you CAN continue to increase strength and power, but will find it difficult to gain size.

If you eat a caloric surplus while training for strength you will gain size and strength.

I figured you'd know this.

Makes alot of sense to me. I believe this is what I did for many years. Not eating near enough, yet continuing to grow stronger and stronger. Another reason Ive been training nearly 10 years, and my strength still well exceeds my size. Im not sure if I wouldve been much larger with more calories, since my growth is very slow, but I think it wouldve made some difference. I cant really afford to be on a 6000 calories a day diet at the moment. Aslong as I see steady progress it gives me motivation.