Insulin for Bodybuilders: Complete Guide By Skip Hill, Andrew Berry, and Scott McNally (Video)

[bbxtreme]

You would think that would solve the problem… but people don’t change the part that implants in their arms, and then it’s off by 40-50. Or they run out of batteries. Or they run out of implants. Or they just don’t care.

So true. My wife is a type 1 diabetic so wears them and she is very OCD about her sensor as it’s a life changing tool for her to NOT have to prick her finger every time she eats.

Her biggest issue is them tearing off from clothes or hitting something by accident as the pharmacy is ridiculous on giving more outside your “prescription”. Lol

But I know she’s not the norm as most people just get lazy and don’t use it or wait for the alarm to go off. I would venture to say more of these people are Type 2 diabetics though which adds up considering many of them created their own problem.

 

[Neuro1234]

I would venture to say more of these people are Type 2 diabetics though which adds up considering many of them created their own problem.

I would agree with this. Most type ones that I see in DKA or HHS got sick and couldn’t keep up. Or something happened to their pump. OR as you said, it gets torn off and the pharmacy acts like they are trying to buy narcotics with how strict they are.

I can’t imagine having to stick my fingers multiple times a day starting in childhood with type I. I bet the CGM was wildly life changing.

 

[bbxtreme]

I would agree with this. Most type ones that I see in DKA or HHS got sick and couldn’t keep up. Or something happened to their pump. OR as you said, it gets torn off and the pharmacy acts like they are trying to buy narcotics with how strict they are.

I can’t imagine having to stick my fingers multiple times a day starting in childhood with type I. I bet the CGM was wildly life changing.

My wife was 8 when she was diagnosed. It was a rough transition. What is crazier is back then the doctor told her to keep Coca Cola and candy on her in case she had lows. So guess what her parents did.. just that. Wild.

But the sensor has been life changing for her as her goal is to use as little insulin as possible. She came off the pump using the sensor and has drastically cut her usage down. I’m the biggest fan of the sensors.

 

[Neuro1234]

My wife was 8 when she was diagnosed. It was a rough transition. What is crazier is back then the doctor told her to keep Coca Cola and candy on her in case she had lows. So guess what her parents did.. just that. Wild.

But the sensor has been life changing for her as her goal is to use as little insulin as possible. She came off the pump using the sensor and has drastically cut her usage down. I’m the biggest fan of the sensors.

… but why tho? Hahaha that’s crazy. Thank goodness nowadays there’s pediatric diabetes educators so physicians no longer are responsible for the in depth teaching.

Same. I always let my patients keep theirs on and I’ll compare mine sugar check to theirs. I wish they were more accessible to more folks. But that’s a healthcare discussion that leads down a dark rabbit hole haha

 

[massephase]

I have just been ignoring the guys on here checking BG after meals or thinking that only pro bodybuilders do that.

Truth is when you are doing this at a high level you are fully in tune with your body. When your BG, BP, RHR are high you know it. You are checking simply to confirm what you already know and to see the extent it’s off.

I’m all about doing this responsibly so if guys want to check BG before and after every meal I am not going to oppose it, but it’s not necessary IMO once you know your body. I personally monitor mine weekly at different times or as warranted to ensure it’s what I believe it is.

Anything else and you might as well just wear a CGM. Lol

I agree with the "once you know your body". As a way of getting to know your body, measurements are a great tool though.

I would say it is good to do the measurements for a while to get a sense for how you feel at different levels (how does high/low bp feel, how does "moderate zone" cardio feel, how does hypo/hyperglycemia feel).

From personal experience with running, it was very worthwhile wearing a Garmin and checking my heart rate zones for a while. After a month of doing that, I was able to estimate my HR with sufficient accuracy so the monitor was no longer needed.

And then like you say, you feel a certain way, go check it and find that you are right most of the time.

I am often irritated by high bp being called the "silent killer" because I could always tell whenever mine was above 140.

 

[aHarness]

After a month of doing that, I was able to estimate my HR with sufficient accuracy so the monitor was no longer needed.

I feel this is where many go wrong. They end up being married to data and constantly anxious and making things worse.

 

[Sectør]

I feel like data is a good tool to help you make informed decisions

But yeah if data makes you spazz out and over react then you’re probably better off with periodic checks

 

[Poppapump49]

The insulin thread @bbxtreme posted has all the info you need.From begginer to advanced it basically covers everything.

can you link it i can't find it

 

[bbxtreme]

can you link it i can't find it

All things insulin- my take, opinion and experience.

My take and experience on insulin What the hell do I know and why do I know it? I have been bodybuilding since I was 15 years old, a member here learning since 2007 and as my username implies am extreme and passionate about the sport. As a teenager I got 3 training/nutrition certifications to...

www.professionalmuscle.com

 

[Skip]

There's no reason to check blood sugar so consistently.

Everyone likes to say the 1990s era bodybuilders were so much better than the guys today. You know what they virtually never did? Check blood sugar. You think a guy like Makus Ruhl got to his size always making sure his BS was 90 before he eat? I guarantee he never checked BS once during his career.

Even today Matt Jansen tells his guys to not to check their BS multiple times a day. And I can tell you when I put on my most size I was never checking BS, I just went by the roughly 10g cabs to 1IU insulin rule.

I just found this thread! Yay!

There is a reason to check your BG levels consistently. You just don't agree with me. That's ok. I gave the reasons and explained my position on it.

Talking about 90s BBing is a bit of a red herring. Markus Ruhl being larger than any other human on the planet is probably not the best example, in my opinion. The people who listen to us for advice are not typically the genetically gifted. There is a big difference these days vs the 90s: there are a LOT of great physiques now, and I believe it's because of the advancement in hormone use and nutrition, primarily. Part of that advancement is due to so many people using so much more gear, using GH regularly (GH use was not as "mainstream in the 90s) and arguably insulin use, as well. I was in my 20s in the 90s, and I never saw anywhere near the amount of great physiques in gyms that I do these days—even people who have never competed or you have no idea who they are.

When I give information or advice, I give it with the understanding that the person on the receiving end wants their situation to be as optimal as possible. I believe it is far more optimal to monitor BG levels so that you don't continue to feed yourself when BG levels are still high.

A lot of my peers feel the same way I do. I know Andrew feels the same way. Apparently, Matt does not, though. *shrug*

Discussions like these are fun, though, because we don't all have to agree, and we might have different ideology and opinions. This would be one of those times.

Skip

 

[luki7788]

I just found this thread! Yay!

There is a reason to check your BG levels consistently. You just don't agree with me. That's ok. I gave the reasons and explained my position on it.

Talking about 90s BBing is a bit of a red herring. Markus Ruhl being larger than any other human on the planet is probably not the best example, in my opinion. The people who listen to us for advice are not typically the genetically gifted. There is a big difference these days vs the 90s: there are a LOT of great physiques now, and I believe it's because of the advancement in hormone use and nutrition, primarily. Part of that advancement is due to so many people using so much more gear, using GH regularly (GH use was not as "mainstream in the 90s) and arguably insulin use, as well. I was in my 20s in the 90s, and I never saw anywhere near the amount of great physiques in gyms that I do these days—even people who have never competed or you have no idea who they are.

When I give information or advice, I give it with the understanding that the person on the receiving end wants their situation to be as optimal as possible. I believe it is far more optimal to monitor BG levels so that you don't continue to feed yourself when BG levels are still high.

A lot of my peers feel the same way I do. I know Andrew feels the same way. Apparently, Matt does not, though. *shrug*

Discussions like these are fun, though, because we don't all have to agree, and we might have different ideology and opinions. This would be one of those times.

Skip

Great that you wrote this - I see that even though we are in the 21st century and we know much more than in the 90s, some people still live in those times and the myths that were created in them. It used to be common that you ate 8000 kcal without doing cardio, and tomorrow you go on a diet for a competition and immediately cut it to 3000 kcal and start doing an hour of cardio from the first day - today we know very well that this is total idiocy, like pushing the weight by force and thinking that you will gain more muscle this way. Now we see that the best progress is made by those who maintain a shape very close to the competition one all year long and slowly add pure tissue while maintaining health and well-being. The old school approach was short-term and you really knew that you would crash and you only have a few years to do it before the body says enough.

 

[Skip]

Listening to them talk about slin for fatloss was pretty painful

What specifically was painful about that part of the discussion?

Skip

 

[3BILLS]

What specifically was painful about that part of the discussion?

Skip

I can’t remember what i did yesterday let alone something I mentioned a year ago

But for me personally probably the idea of dieting with insulin and having to monitor your blood sugar and worry about going hypo for such a small advantage.

Again im only speaking for myself. For cardio i usually do the rogue assault bike and im smoked after im done. I wouldn’t want to be second guessing myself if i needed a pop or checking my blood sugar because of taking slin before

 

[luki7788]

I can’t remember what i did yesterday let alone something I mentioned a year ago

But for me personally probably the idea of dieting with insulin and having to monitor your blood sugar and worry about going hypo for such a small advantage.

Again im only speaking for myself. For cardio i usually do the rogue assault bike and im smoked after im done. I wouldn’t want to be second guessing myself if i needed a pop or checking my blood sugar because of taking slin before

most advanced people who use insulin and everything else do not even need to check to know what their sugar level is - when you have experience, you can feel it with great accuracy, just as many people are able to recognize with great accuracy, after years of using gear, what their e2 level is just by feeling and observing their body

 

[Skip]

I can’t remember what i did yesterday let alone something I mentioned a year ago

But for me personally probably the idea of dieting with insulin and having to monitor your blood sugar and worry about going hypo for such a small advantage.

Again im only speaking for myself. For cardio i usually do the rogue assault bike and im smoked after im done. I wouldn’t want to be second guessing myself if i needed a pop or checking my blood sugar because of taking slin before

I can relate to not remembering what I ate for breakfast; I feel ya.

I get your point about not wanting to monitor BG levels, etc. I think you also responded (originally) to the idea of insulin prior to cardio. I'm not as excited about that, other than specific and infrequent situations, but I am a big proponent of using insulin with skipload/refeed meals/high-carb meals while in a prep phase. I am also big on pre-workout insulin almost the entire time during a prep (or until it just isn't effective or beneficial given specific variables).

I posit that you can get leaner using insulin correctly during a prep phase vs not using it.

Now, in fairness, you did say the discussion was "painful." Don't be shy; give it to me if you don't agree. Oh, and you said something about us sounding like the Gilmore Girls. No need to backpeddle just because I'm responding now and haven't been around for a while. lol I have a few years of message boards under my belt. I'm good for it.

What say you?

Skip

 

[3BILLS]

I can relate to not remembering what I ate for breakfast; I feel ya.

I get your point about not wanting to monitor BG levels, etc. I think you also responded (originally) to the idea of insulin prior to cardio. I'm not as excited about that, other than specific and infrequent situations, but I am a big proponent of using insulin with skipload/refeed meals/high-carb meals while in a prep phase. I am also big on pre-workout insulin almost the entire time during a prep (or until it just isn't effective or beneficial given specific variables).

I posit that you can get leaner using insulin correctly during a prep phase vs not using it.

Now, in fairness, you did say the discussion was "painful." Don't be shy; give it to me if you don't agree. Oh, and you said something about us sounding like the Gilmore Girls. No need to backpeddle just because I'm responding now and haven't been around for a while. lol I have a few years of message boards under my belt. I'm good for it.

What say you?

Skip

Gilmore girl’s reference is just for yapping back and forth over something
This is starting to get painful now to

 

[Skip]

Gilmore girl’s reference is just for yapping back and forth over something
This is starting to get painful now to

My point was that I assume you took issue with us saying that you can get lean AF using insulin. If I'm wrong (and I've been wrong many times before), I will stand corrected.

Skip

 

[3BILLS]

My point was that I assume you took issue with us saying that you can get lean AF using insulin. If I'm wrong (and I've been wrong many times before), I will stand corrected.

Skip

Definitely not. Just i wouldn’t use it for that.

 

[KingOfSushi]

Definitely not. Just i wouldn’t use it for that.

@Skip I assume he was referring back when he wrote that to the use of insulin before cardio, as that’s a bit more of a controversial topic

 

[3BILLS]

@Skip I assume he was referring back when he wrote that to the use of insulin before cardio, as that’s a bit more of a controversial topic

Yes