Most people know the ketogenic diet can help with weight loss, but did you know you can actually build muscle too?  Is keto bodybuilding legit? Let us introduce you to Robert Sikes, AKA Keto Savage, a lifetime natural competitive keto bodybuilder. Using the ketogenic diet, he has seen consistent gains in building lean muscle mass, finding it to be much less stressful on the body than bulking and cutting the traditional way with carbs.

Robert Sikes went from a 115-pound kid in high school to 230 pounds in college and started competing in 2010.  A few years ago he began transitioning to a keto bodybuilding approach and found that his body recovered faster after competitions and that the ketogenic diet provided a much more sustainable and healthier way to building lean muscle.

When not training, you can find Robert providing online coaching through his company Keto Savage. He and the love of his life, also a phenomenal keto competitive bodybuilder, Crystal Love (and also a keto coach), founded Keto Brick, a 1,000-calorie meal replacement bar that meets all the keto macros for anyone actively training, running, hunting, mountain biking, backpacking, and more. (Be sure to sign up on their list as these keto bars sell out like hot cakes!) Robert believes that anyone can achieve the same physical success that he has if they are willing to invest the time, effort, and dedication in their diet and fitness.  

Take the next step and learn more about his new 90-day comprehensive program with KetoConnect’s Matt and Megha: Deeper State Keto. You can also catch the awesome Keto Savage podcasts here

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In this podcast you’ll learn:

  • Robert Sikes’ (AKA Keto Savage) history of keto bodybuilding [3:40]
  • Why there is not one perfect approach to the ketogenic diet, and how tracking can help you decide what is working for you based on trackable measurements [4:45]
  • How you can apply keto with bodybuilding for mass building [5:45]
  • About the bulking/cutting phase, and how that affects body composition with carbs vs. fat [6:50]
  • Why keto is more sustainable for putting on mass at a steady pace without taxing the body during “cutting” [8:15]
  • How you can increase calories without gaining a lot of fat [9:00]
  • How keto can be used for endurance performance like long-distance running or adapted for building muscle [10:20]
  • Why you can you put on the same amount of lean mass with the ketogenic diet  [11:20]
  • How building muscle with keto is more sustainable because you don’t lose as much in the cutting season [11:35]
  • Why building with keto is more enjoyable than cutting on carbs [12:00]
  • How to do the cutting phase with the ketogenic diet [12:20]
  • How Robert gets down to 65g of protein in cutting and doesn’t lose muscle because he’s using a ketogenic diet [13:30]
  • How to set up macros for someone wanting to lose fat vs. someone wanting to put on muscle [14:15]
  • Why the one area you have 100% control over is your macros and how to work with them for muscle building vs. fat loss [14:40]
  • Why women usually have to increase their calories when building muscle [16:15]
  • How adjusting inputs (macros, training, HRV, etc.) can be like a game and tracking is the only way to see how what you’re doing is affecting your goals [16:55]
  • Which biomarkers Keto Savage tracks for optimal performance [19:20]
  • How his performance was better on higher fat than higher protein [21:50]
  • More about Robert Sike’s Deeper State 90-day comprehensive program with Matt and Megha of Keto Connect and how Matt lost 20lbs and Megha lost fat and gained muscle tracking metrics for meeting their goals [23:20]
  • About the details of the Deeper State Program and its practical application to anyone who wants to build muscle [26:25]

References

The Art and Science of Low Carb Performance by Jeff S. Volek, and Stephen D. Phinney

Deeper States Program with Robert Sikes, Matt, and Megha

InBody Test Body composition test analyzer

Skulpt to measure body fat percentage and measure muscle quality

Our Partners:

Learn more about LEVL, a clinical-grade ketone breath meter, which measures your level of fat-burning and ketosis through a simple breath. Find out more at HeadsUpHealth.com/LEVL.

You can learn more about the Oura ring, a state of the art ring that can track sleep cycle analysis, activity, and recovery at HeadsUpHealth.com/Oura.

Learn more about Keto-Mojo, a highly accurate and affordable device for testing blood sugar and blood ketones. Check it out at HeadsUpHealth.com/Ketomojo.

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About Heads Up Health

Heads Up Health is a website designed to empower individuals who want to take a self-directed approach to managing their health. Instantly centralize your medical records, connect your favorite devices and apps (e.g., Oura, MyFitnessPal, Keto-Mojo, FitBit, Apple Health, MyMacros+, Withings and many more) and use your data to optimize your health.

Click on the button below to start your free 30-day trial now!

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