Ketogenic – or zero-carbohydrate diets – have been very popular with people trying to lose weight for the last few years. The reasons for their popularity are many. First off, they work. Eliminating carbs has the immediate effect of a lot of water dropped from the system. This, in turn, leads to a very sudden weight loss as well. Trainers often lose 5 to 10 pounds in their first week of low-carb dieting. Second, Ketogenic diets allow you to eat some seriously fun foods! Imagine being able to eat as much eggs, bacon, and other meat as you’d like! Imagine not being concerned with counting fat grams anymore. This makes the diet a very popular draw. Finally, this diet is extremely simple to understand. Users don’t have to count too many calories. The rule is simple: Avoid eating too many carbohydrates. If you are able to look at any food and decide if it’s on your “yes” or “no” list, you take a lot of guessing out of the dieting process.

Ketogenic diets have become very popular with bodybuilders during the pre-contest phases in recent years. Bodybuilders, particularly those who use anabolic steroids, are able to make great use of very high protein loads. Athletes on AAS can often consume – and utilize – well over 400 grams of protein per day. They can also burn a tremendous amount of fat. This leaves carbohydrates as the cursed food which tends to limit the fat-loss abilities. Ketogenic diets solve this problem. They also take away the urges that many bodybuilders suffer from, to consume fat-laden foods. They are encouraged on the Ketogenic diet!

There is one caveat, however. Bodybuilders should NEVER attempt to live on a Ketogenic diet in the off-season, where the goal is to gain muscular weight. Ketogenic diets often leave bodybuilders flat and depleted, with no muscle glycogen stores. Unfortunately, these starch stores are required to build new muscle. Aside from that, bodybuilders need to be strong and energetic in the off-season. We’re asking our bodies to lift new amounts of weight, amounts which we’ve never moved before. Carbohydrates provide a great deal more energy than fats. In the off-season, put Ketogenic thoughts away and focus upon ingesting plenty of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to make the most possible muscle gains. You can always drop the unnecessary fat and water that you’ll add, at any time, by simply starting up a low-carbohydrate diet when the pre-contest season rolls around!

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