A look at stripping away unwanted body fat while building and keeping your hard earned muscle just in time for beach season!
By Brad Borland, M.A., CSCS
A ripped, muscular physique is the goal of most, if not all bodybuilders and fitness buffs alike. As summer approaches we all start thinking about getting lean after a long fall and winter of bulking and packing on real muscular bodyweight. But in the process of all that bulking we seemed to have let our abs fade in the place of strength and mass gains. So it is time once gain to shred up, lean down and turn into a ripped piece of art we all envision ourselves to be – but for you, this time will be different.
Do you often find yourself at a crossroads regarding keeping your hard-earned mass that you so tirelessly worked towards only to see it dwindle away as you diet down? Are you a “hardgainer” that has to fight for every ounce of muscle scared to death of reducing calories to get a more muscular midsection? More calories in equals more mass and fewer calories in equals less body fat – and it’s one or the other – right?
The age-old question if is it possible to gain muscle and burn fat simultaneously has been debated for many years. There are so many opinions from experts to people in the trenches that it is very difficult to sift through to the facts. Most will tell you that you must choose between the two in order to reach optimum success and that attempting both at the same time is futile. So why not just give up, reduce calories and sacrifice the muscle for better abs and more muscular arms. Because you are better than that! You will find a way and put into practice a concise plan of action to reach your ultimate potential. The guidelines and plan included here are designed to help you not only keep, but build muscle while simultaneously burn body fat. It can be done with a little planning, discipline and hard work.
The Right Amounts
One of the single, most imperative principles in this plan is to eat the right amounts of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats). By manipulating these foods and staying strict with the guidelines your goals will soon be in range. Diet is so important that without adhering to these principles you will surely never reach your physique goals.
Protein: As the main source for building muscle, protein is absolutely necessary for your muscle-building strategy. Take in around 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (this equates to 180-270 grams for a 180 pound individual). This will guarantee that your muscles will be getting the correct dose of amino acids for maintaining and building muscle tissue. Some prime sources are chicken, lean steak, fish, turkey, ground meat, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and protein powders.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrate is a great muscle-sparing energy source. This particular macronutrient will be drastically manipulated as the diet plan goes along and will play a major roll in its success so be extremely mindful of your intake on a daily basis. Be sure to have an intake mainly of complex carbohydrates and fiber. Sources include brown rice, wild rice, sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread, wheat pasta, vegetables, some fruits and Ezekiel products.
Fats: Never count out a healthy fat. Certain fats are essential regarding maintaining hormones such as testosterone, increasing fat burning and aiding energy levels. Healthy fats will be utilized to replace carbohydrate on certain days to keep blood sugar levels steady and help with satiety. Good sources include avocado, walnuts, almonds, olive oil, natural peanut butter, some egg yolks and sunflower seeds.
Light the Furnace!
Now let’s look at how we can implement these macronutrients and manipulate them in such a way as to build more strength and mass while torching our fat stores. Protein levels will stay somewhat the same throughout the plan. You need that steady stream of amino acids to feed to the muscles for recuperation and repair to take place. Try out one gram per pound of bodyweight and assess your progress. If you find yourself stalling, try to up it to 1.25 or 1.5 grams per pound and then reassess. That is about as high as you will want to go with protein – the rest is up to carbohydrate and fat manipulation. Give each change in protein amount about four weeks before reassessing.
Here is the tricky part. Now you will start to manipulate carbohydrate in such a way as to trick the body into delving into its fat stores for fuel. You will have high, medium and low consumption days. You will eat low carbs for two to four days followed by medium and high days. On the low days your body will burn fat for fuel and save muscle so as long as your protein intake is high enough. Before you starve your body of energy after so many days of low carbs (which if prolonged could lead to lower testosterone levels and metabolism) you will have a day of moderate carbs and another day of high carbs. This will shuttle in fuel to the muscle, rev back up your metabolism and be burned without storing body fat. Carbohydrate intake will be approximately .5 grams per pound of bodyweight for low days (90 grams for a 180 pounder), 1.5 grams per pound on medium days (270 grams) and 2.25 grams per pound on high days (405 grams).
Fat intake should hover around .25 grams per pound of bodyweight or 20-30% of total calories. However, on low carbohydrate days it would be wise to increase your healthy fat intake slightly. This will ensure your hormone levels will stay steady and will supply you with ample energy for your grueling workouts. On the low carb days simply increase your fat intake by 50%. Remember that one gram of fat has over twice the amount of calories of carbs, so a little goes a long way. For example, if you had half of an avocado on a salad, now on low carb days you will eat ¾ of an avocado.
The Muscle-Building Fat-Torching Sample Diet
Low Carbohydrate Days
Meal 1
3 eggs and 4 egg whites
½ cup oatmeal (dry measure)
Cinnamon for taste
1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter
Meal 2
2 scoops of whey protein powder mixed in water or 1 cup Greek yogurt
1.5 ounces of almonds
Meal 3
6-8 ounces of meat, fish or chicken
Green salad with 3 tablespoons of olive oil dressing
Meal 4 (preworkout)
½ of an apple or banana
1 scoop of whey protein powder mixed in water
Meal 5 (postworkout)
2 scoops of whey protein powder mixed in water
Meal 6
6-8 ounces of meat, fish or chicken
Broccoli, green beans or peas or green salad with ½ avocado
Medium Carbohydrate Days
Meal 1
3 eggs and 4 egg whites
1 cup oatmeal (dry measure)
Cinnamon for taste
1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter
Meal 2
2 scoops of whey protein powder mixed in water or 1 cup Greek yogurt
1 ounce of almonds
1 apple
Meal 3
6-8 ounces of turkey with two slices of wheat bread and 1 tablespoon of light mayonase
Green salad with 2 tablespoons of olive oil dressing
Meal 4 (preworkout)
1 banana
1 scoop of whey protein powder mixed in water
Meal 5 (postworkout)
2 scoops of whey protein powder mixed in water
12 ounces of Gatorade
Meal 6
6-8 ounces of meat, fish or chicken
Broccoli, green beans or peas or green salad with ¼ avocado
1 cup of wild rice cooked
High Carbohydrate Days
Meal 1
3 eggs and 4 egg whites
1 ½ cup oatmeal (dry measure)
Cinnamon for taste
½ tablespoon of natural peanut butter
Meal 2
2 scoops of whey protein powder mixed in water or 1 cup Greek yogurt
1 ounce of almonds
1 apple
Meal 3
6-8 ounces of fish
Green salad with 2 tablespoons of olive oil dressing
1 ½ cup of wild rice cooked
Meal 4 (preworkout)
1 banana
1 scoop of whey protein powder mixed in water
Meal 5 (postworkout)
2 scoops of whey protein powder mixed in water
12 ounces of Gatorade
Meal 6
6-8 ounces of meat, fish or chicken
Broccoli, green beans or peas or green salad with ¼ avocado
1 medium sweet potato
Hi!
Im going to start cutting and going to use this article as a guide! Heres what my schedule will look like!:
i Counted my carbohydrates and they look like this: low carb day = 85gr, medium carb day = 235gr high carb day = 375g
Protein: 200gr=40gr per meal Fats: 80gr = 16gr per meal
Is protein intake high enough? I weight 170lb
oh and btw, I eat 5 times per day:P
Monday (Low Carb day) Workout (Chest, Biceps) (40gr carbs morning, 40gr carbs PW)
Tuesday (Low carb day) Workout (Back, ABS,) (40gr carbs morning, 40gr carbs PW)
Wednesday (low carb day) 30mins running (40gr carbs morning, 40gr carbs PW)
Thursday(Low carb day) Workout(Should, Tricep) (40gr carbs morning, 40gr carbs PW)
Friday(Moderate carb day)Workout(Legs) (47gr carbs every meal)
Saturday(Moderate carb day)30mins running (47gr carbs every meal)
Sunday (High carb day) 30mins running (76gr carbs every meal)
Is this good Schedule? Will i make any gains, and lose fat?
Thank You!
Hi Samuli,
The trick is to stick with a plan (like the one you have outlined) for 4-6 weeks and see how your body responds. After that you can make appropriate adjustments.
The plan you have is solid. Go for it!
-Brad
I am contemplating incorporating this cycling method as well. I was doing a low carb diet with one cheat meal a week, but seem to be losing more muscle than fat. What if I were to cycle the carbs according to which muscles are lagging for me?
Here’s what I was thinking based on my height and weight (5’5″@162lbs):
High carb days (P-180g, C-320g, F-80g)
Med carb days (P-210g, C-210g, F-60g)
Low carb days (P240g, C-80g, F-40g)
With my schedule as follows:
Sun: Back&Traps (HIGH CARB)
Mon: Chest&Shoulders (MED CARB)
Tues: OFF (LOW CARB)
Wed: Legs (LOW CARB)
Thurs: Arms (MED CARB)
Fri: LISS Cardio (LOW CARB)
Sat: OFF (LOW CARB)
This way the carb refeed(or)high carb day is focused on my tiny lats and mid-way though the week my arms get a little carb blast.
What do you think?
Whoops! My bad. I meant 40g of fat on high carb day and 80g on low.
That sounds great. It looks like your plan is a solid one.
Let me know how it works for you in a few weeks.
-Brad
Hey brad,
Would it be more or less effective if I followed the series of low carb days with the high carb day and THEN the medium carb days?
For example:
mon-low
tues-low
wed-low
thurs-low
fri-high
sat-med
sun-med
Also, for the medium carb days, should the fat still remain at .25/lbs or can it be increase? Say by 25%?
And also, the current protein powder I’m using has 5g of carbs per serving. Should these carbs be factored in to my daily totals?
Hi emeraldarcher,
The plan you have outlined looks great. That is the key: to formulate this plan to fit your needs and unique schedule.
Also, I would factor in the carbs from the protein powder – every gram counts, especially on low carb days.
Good luck,
Brad
Hey Brad,
Would you suggest anything diff for women on this diet? Also, in your opinion is it best to have a High Carb feed the day OF, or the day BEFORE a heavy lift day?
Thank you!
Hi Feedme,
Yes, just lower the portion sizes according to your body weight. You only want to have about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
You can have a high carb day the day of a heavy lift day such as legs.
-Brad
Hey, Brad. Just want to let you know that the carb cycling is going great! I’m maintaining my weight, but am getting leaner. Muscular definition is increasing, and the abs are starting to show. I hold water on the high and medium days, but I quickly lose it after 2 days of low carbs.
I’ve decided to do 4 days of low carbs followed by a medium, high, medium so my body adjusts to the carb increases. And since I’m positing the high carb days on my weaker body parts, my strength is keeping steady. I was losing too much strength on a strictly low carb diet.
All in all, you’re a genius, man. This article has saved all my hard earned work during my winter bulk.
ps. Any tips if I being to stall?
Wow! That is great news. I am glad things are going well for you. It is always great to get feedback such as yours.
If you stall, just play around with the low, med, high days a bit. You may find if you stall for a significant amount of time your body may need a breather and need a few high carb days thrown in back to back. After that you can get back on the original schedule you were on and drop body fat once again.
-Brad
Hi Brad
I just wanted to say thanks for your awesome site and info.
I am female ht = 165cm and wt = 68kgs and was looking for info on what to do and how to start. Should i mention 20kgs of my wt is fat ? I know , pretty scarey.
Anyway i have found your site really easy to understand and will apply (modified to my size) the above diet ASAP.
I will now endeavour to find do a wts/cardio workout schedule to match the food load days.
Any tips on the wts program would be great.
Cheers, Jac.
Hi jac,
Thanks!
Please refer to other articles right here on this site. What are your specific goals?
-Brad
I wanted to know what is a good workout plan to follow for the week, like the muscle split and exercises for gains in getting shredded and also gaining muscle. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Look at the series of body part training articles under the category of Training here at the site.
-Brad
Thanks! Which one would you recommend though? I am pretty lean at 175lbs at 5’10 and Im 21yrs old have been training for a good 2 years. I am just trying to get shredded and looking muscular, do you think Muscle Size, Shape & Definition Workout fits well?
Honestly, I would rotate each one in your program. Eventually you will find a few to stick with. But I do recommend that you change it up every 4-6 weeks.
-Brad
I have a question for example my BMR is 2800, for 73 kilos and 177 cm ,so I need to cycle my carbs to eat 2800-3000 kcal every day ??? OR on the low carbs days I should ear less carbs . I want to gain muscle without too much fat,if I eat 2000 calories I won’t grow ever , I also need to mention I’m a hardgainer. Thank you
Alex,
Try the diet out for 4-6 weeks, see how you do and monitor your progress. Once that “trial” period is over, adjust calories accordingly.
Thanks!
-Brad
I should ear less carbs = I should eat less kcal ,sorry
Superb website from Kelsie Moxham
Thanks a ton!
-Brad
Hi Brad, this is a great article. i am starting back to gym training again with the beginner workout for 2-4wks then progressing to a heavy 4-6wk strength+fatburn back to a 2-4 power/endurnace workout. my question is i really want to get my diet right and i have had a go at calculating it..some of the calories seem high..can u give me some advise please:
LOW MED HI
PROTEIN PER DAY 1210 1210 1210
CARBS PER DAY 968 1936 2904
FAT PER DAY 544.5 544.5 544.5
CALORIES PER DAY 2722.5 3690.5 4658.5
wieght 110 KG 242 LBS
hieght 180cm Age 25 male
CALORIES/DAY 3570 TRAINING
3570
daily protien 302.5 GRAMS
daily carbs 1G/LBS 242 GRAMS LOW
2G/LBS 484 GRAMS MEDIUM
3G/LBS 726 GRAMS HIGH
daily fat 60.5 GRAMS
Mike.
Mike,
Thanks!
It looks as though you have a great understanding of your caloric totals and breakdown. I would honestly go with what you have outlined and go from there. Adjust up or down according to your needs and reaction to the current diet plan.
Let me know how you do and maybe I can help once you are on a roll with things.
-Brad
Hello
Thank you for posting all this information. However I do have a question.
If my aim is to increase lean muscle mass. How many days of each carb cycle should I go through each week? ( 3 high, 2 med and 2 low?)
Then when I want to cut I can just change the number of carb cycles ( as in increase low carb days and decrease high carb days right?)
Hi Daniel,
You can definitely do it that way. That plan sounds good. Eventhough the plan was designed for fat loss and muscle gain, you can definitely tweak it for more muscle mass while keeping fat levels at bay.
Try that out and let me know how it goes.
-Brad
Hi
Sorry just one more thing im uncertain of.
During my off days what should I eat for meals 4 and 5 ( pre and post workout)?
Atm I am on a 3 day split trying to bulk.
Simply take in one meal for that time period (whey or whey with a piece of fruit – depending on your carb requirements).
-Brad
When you say 3 eggs and 4 egg whites for breakfast, do you mean 7 total eggs? Or do you mean 4 total eggs with only 1 egg yoke?
Also, I workout around lunch time, so can I move pre and post workout meals to before meal 3 (lunch)? If so how long after my post workout meal should I eat lunch (meal 3)?
Hi Chris,
What I meant was 3 whole eggs and 4 separate egg whites.
Yes, it is best to move the pre and post meals around your training. You can wait anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour after your post training meal to get in that solid protein and complex carb meal.
-Brad
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Hey great stuff here bro! This is exactly what I was looking for, I’m training for the Coast Guard, gotta get lean, and I wanted to know if i could eat tuna for all the meat intake? I’ts much easier to make and get, plus im trying to stay away from red meat.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Abdul,
Tuna is a great option. However, I would try to get at least a little variety of protein if you could. For easy to prepare options try canned chicken, grill up some meat or fresh deli turkey meat.
Good luck!
Brad
Yea i figured as much, as for the almonds, is it ok to replace it with plantain peanuts or cashews, etc? I know almonds are an excellent choice nut-wise, and some nuts are very bad for you, but isn’t there like a next best thing in case almonds can’t be found, something an average joe like me can get at a local store.
Yet again thanks in advance!
Yes, those are excellent substitutes.
-Brad
Hi
Great article, thank you so much in advance.
I currently train weights on Monday Wednesday & Friday.
I am 13.7 which is around 185 body fat is still high about 20%.
What days would you recommend last meal if I train 6-7
Is rice / jacket potato around 8:00 ok?
Also what day best for low carbs n do I do low carbs on days off too?
Thanks
This is day one on this program , I wiegh about 195 5’8″ and most of it is on my belly. I wieght train and do cardio almost everyday, its been about two weeks and barely any results so im trying this to see if this diet helps (gotta lose 20lbs in 3 months). I go to the gym around 11 am or noon so i skip meal 2. I just wanna know if i should be following this diet as is for my body type
Give it a try and keep a close eye on your results.
-Brad
Question for anyone who can help:
What diet would you use when u have a week off the gym??
Thanks
Try the low carb days for days away from the gym.
-Brad
How would you do this if you worked out at 4:30 a.m. Is there any special thing that would need to be done.
Nothing special really, just adjust your eating time accordingly and bookend your training with the pre and post workout meals.
-Brad
Hey i was just wondering what type of protein to use, bearing in mind im not looking to get the look of a bouncer if you get me haha, more big but cut in the mid region aswell. Im going to use whey protein but im not sure whether to go with lean or muscle mass, many thanks in advance!
Hi Nathan,
Whey protein is still the best choice for gaining lean muscle mass without the bouncer look. Try to pick a product with little or no sugar.
All the best,
B
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what about calories should i still stay at 20-22 calories per pound of body weight so i can gain? or what should i do?
Hi Marcus,
You could, but the trick is to fluctuate your carbs for fat loss. If 20-22 kcal per lb of bodyweight is your baseline, then work form there.
B
ALSO ARE WE GOING WITH TOATL BODY WEIGHT OR LEAN BODY MASS? CAUSE I AM 231LBS BUT I AM 20% body fat so do i use 179lbs or do i use 231?
Total body weight. Just be sure to adjust the macros as you lose weight.
thanks
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Is there a good substitue for the eggs that will still make this plan effective?
Absolutely! You can have Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, lean turkey or ham or whey protein powder. All of these are great substitutes.
-Brad
I have a question I’m 5’9 and weight 175 pds and I’m trying to get rid of my stomach. I workout 5 days a wk, 3 days of weight training and 2 days of cardio. I started working out twice a day which consist of cardio in the evening regardless if its my weight training day or cardio day. Since I’m trying to keep the muscle that I have gained I m I doing to much as far as the cardio in the evenings and is so should I just do two days of interval training on the treadmill.
Hi Eric,
High iintesity interval training (HIIT) is a great way to implement cardio into your training all the while burning fat and keeping your hard-earned muscle. Try including it with your program but don’t overdo the cardio. Too much will sap you of your gains. The diet is the real key to getting the fat off.
Brad
hey there
Just wondered my training time for weights is 5:30am in the mornings upon waking
I dont normally intake any meals but just:
5grams of BCAA’s
2.5 Grams of Arginine
2.5 Grams of Beta Alanine
mixed in zero Gatorade and a 1000mg Vitamin C chewable.
After working out i have 35grams of protien with 15grams of waxy maize on low carb days on high i go for about 60grams of waxy.
Meals thereafter are as you outlined.
Is this ok?? Can you guide me
Oh i do also, 2 low carbs then 1 high 2 low again then 1 high and 1 moderate right after.
Can you give me some guidance??
Hi Sean,
It looks like you know what you are talking about.
A couple of things though:
I would take in about 20 grams of whey protein in addition to those other supps you mentioned and cut my C down to 500mg.
But everything else looks great!
Good luck!
Hi Brad
Thanks for your prompt reply.
Just one more thing If i am incorporating HITT cardio for 30mins on evenings lets say 3 days per week Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, can I also do light 30 min cardio on the other days while still preserving muscle??
What do you recommend here??
and Also too, I normally take in a protien shake and some waxy maize as well about 25/15 ratio respectively. Can you give me some guidance so that i do not waste my muscle
Thanks again
I would try HIIT for a few weeks. Monitor your bodyweight, appearance and energy levels. If everything is going well and you feel you are stripping away the fat slowly, then don’t change anything. However, if not, steadily enter in some steady state cardio – but only 15 minutes to start. You can go up to 30 minutes, but anything over that is a waste for fat loss.
Your diet should be adjusted more – not adding in more cardio. The protein and waxy maze sounds good. Just be sure to increase the protein intake to about 0.2 grams per pound of bodyweight.
Hey Brad
Thanks again for this information.
Just to be sure what you said in the last setence you quoted 0.2 grams per lb of body weight?
or do you mean 2grams per kilo of body weight??
Thanks
SEan
Yes, that was specifically referring to the post workout protein shake.
hey Brad,
Just wanted to let you know that its about almost 3 weeks now and i am noticing that I am still at the same weight daily when i weigh. However, I do notice that I am getting leaner all round a bit.
My Goal is to attain an extremely low body fat level like around 6%., and keeping my muscle that I currently have, even making more if possible.
Is this normal what I am experiencing??
Also too, I am currently on Oxy Elite Pro now for almost 3 weeks.
Kindly let me know your thoughts.
Thanks
Sean
Sean, yes this is normal. It takes a few weeks to get the body to start changing. Give it time (about 6-8 weeks) and then adjust from there.
I am not a huge supporter of fatburners like that. I like to let diet and training do the work.
I work from 7am to 7pm mostly 7 days a week. Not a desk job. I go to the gym around 8am. Mon. Chest,shoulders,triceps. Tues. Back,biceps. Wens. Legs,abs. I am 40 years old, 5’10, 200 lbs. Easy to gain or loose weight. And also do not dislike any food. I like salmon,chicken,almonds,cottage cheese. The rite things but don’t know how to quiet put them together. I drink a protein shake, and grapejuice with creatine post workout. I take nitric oxide booster also. Help me with a plan to gain muscle, and a plan to cut. Thanks.
Hi Shawn, have you checked out the plan in the above article? Let me know what you think and we can adjust from there.
-Brad
Hey Brad,
I got a question when carb cycling to cut I do 3 low carb days, 1 med carb day, and 1 high carb day right? What do I do for the 2 remaining days, which is Saturday and Sunday for me?? Thanks
Hi Will. It just keeps cycling the very next day. So, you would do 3 low, 1 med, and 1 high and then go straight into 3 low again and so on.
Hi, my work schedule means my best bet is to work out first thing in the morning. I’m aiming to do a 5 day split mon to fri, can you suggest any good pre work out food/ supplement? Ideally i’d like it to be immediately prior to working out rather than getting up, eating and sitting about for an hour beforehand, but is that a really bad idea? Also, how much cardio is likely to counteract the weights I’m doing? would 20-30 minutes rowing everyday with a couple days HIIT be too much?
I’m 175cm, 72kg eating 3000 kcal a day on a 30-50-20 ratio.
Thanks in advance
Hi Ronnie. I know how you feel regarding getting in a quick digesting meal prior to morning training – no time to sit around on a tight schedule.
One that is easy, fast (time) and fast digesting is to take in a moderate amount of protein and minimal carbs such as a whey protein shake and a piece of whole-wheat toast with low sugar jelly – nothing big or fancy.
The protein will stop catabolism form sleeping and the small carbs will give you a burst of energy without bloating your stomach and digesting a massive amount of food.
All the while you will actually be primed to burn some fat during your workout.
Good luck!
Hi Brad, I just found your blog and it is great!
Regarding your above posted Diet I would like to ask you something. I’ve been working out for 2 years, I have good gains on muscle and dropped lot of fat. Now I can see my abs and for the most I’m very happy so far. Nonetheless I have a bit of remaining fat on the lower part of my belly…
Now I wondering something, let’s say I just want to keep my body weight (muscle) and keep fat as low as possible or even drop it down a bit more, the amount of calories I must eat to keep my weight are 2500 training 4-5 days a week.
Knowing that, it would make sense to build the Low – Med – High Carb days to fit this 2500 Calories? Or is drop carbs = drop calories? Hope you have the time to drop me a line!
Thank you very much in advance!
Hi Arturo. Yes the diet is definitely worth a try regarding your situation. Give it around 6 weeks and then make any necessary adjustements. Let me know how it goes.
Thanks!
how soon before the workout should preworkout meal be eaten? im doing crossfit for workout three days a week and they are usually high intensity. is it a good idea to increase preworkout carbs for energy during those days?
Hi Seth. If it is a solid meal of let’s say oatmeal and a whole protein then one hour prior to an intense session should do the trick. If it is a smaller meal with whey protein and a peice of fruit, then 30 minutes would be best.
Brad
I just found this website through fitoverfat.com and I am so excited to try this new diet! I have been looking for something like this for a while, and It felt great to finally find it! I have already started the diet and will continue to do so for the next 4-6 weeks!
Hi Stefan. Thanks! Let me know how you do! Brad
Hi Brad, is this menu based on a 180 pounder?
Sean, yes, exactly.
Hi Brad:
Can you revise this menu based on a 108 lb female? I’m trying to minimize body fat & retain muscle definition. Many thanks
Brad,
I have been on this diet for approx 12 weeks and have lost about 6-7 pounds. The other day I thought I had hurt my foot working out only to find out from a doctor that I had gout. I have never had gout before and am wondering if you have heard of anyone being on this type of diet having that problem.
Hi Matt. Sorry to hear that. No, I have not heard of anyone getting gout from this type of diet. I do know that gout is often one’s own inability to process a higher than normal protein consumption.
Those that I do know that have gout actually take in very little protein normally and it is an individual thing.
But please take your doctor’s advice.
So during the low carb intake days what should I do for a source of carbs pre and post workout? The diet doesn’t have anything but just protein powder.
Yes, that is by design. That is to get your carbs low, dip into those fat stores – then they will be ready for a high carb day and fill right back up.
Hi Brad,
Don’t you think 5 scoops of whey protein a day is too much for the liver ?
beside, as far as I know nothing beats the solid foods.
Many thx.
Hi Hisham,
No, not really. If you feel like it is then cut back to one scoop servings.
Yes, I agree that nothing beats solid food, but supplements such as whey are convenient and easily degestible.
Brad
Hi Brad,
Is it possible to incorporate mass building into this diet?
Maybe increasing carb intake and replacing protein shake with mass gainers.
But I’m not sure how it will affect the low carb days since mass gainers contain high carbs
Thanks
Hi Sean,
Yes, just keep an eye on total calories and changes in your physique. I would increase the carbs of the healthy kind. Weightgainers tend to be high sugar.
Brad
I know somebody who has low self eseetm due to several factors. I feel most of it is related to her weight and how she feels about her health compared to the demanding standards our society imposes on women. I have been pondering a incentive based program for her to lose weight and get healthy, which I feel will help boost her confidence tremendously. My hesitation is mostly about how ethical my plan is. The plan:I know this individual would like to do the following,Get healthyLose weightHave sexAs of today she has been unable to achieve any of these goals. My plan is to help encourage her to lose weight/ get healthier is by providing a sexual incentive for reaching minni goals that (we mutually agree upon) bring her closer to her overall goals. These goals will be specific to make it easy to determine to if the goal has been achieved, the minni goals will also encourage healthy weight loss and not crash diets or dehydration. And example of a weight lose goal would be a sexual favor of your choice (including sex) for every 10lb you lose in 5 weeks. (This is set as not to go against the doctor recommended 2lb per week) (Currently needs to lose 70-100lb)An example of a health goal would be cut 1:00 minutes off your mile time, (currently above 15 min)By creating a network of goals to meet this allows her to pursue other goals if say she has trouble with the weight loss from time to time. (I feel this will help prevent desperate measures) The reason I’m asking this question is I feel that this person could benefit tremendously from a program like this but would like to know if you guys feel this is an ethical approach to helping motivate an individual to achieve their goals. Thanks
Hi Brad,
Great article, lots of great information here and in other places across your website..
Just one question though I am already at 10% body fat and need to lower it to around 7%. Is this program okay to follow for someone with low amount of fat in the first place? Would I lose muscle? I am around 158lbs and 5ft 10inches.
This is the protein/carbs/fat ratio I am following
Low Carbs (P-240g, C-080g, F-80g)
Moderate Carbs (P-210g, C-210g, F-60g)
High Carbs (P-180g, C-320g, F-40g)
I am doing 4 day low carb followed by a medium and high carb day? Is that okay or should I do 3 low carbs and then re feed with medium and high.
Awaiting your reply.
Thank You.
Waqar.
Hello. That sounds good. Yes, this type of diet is perfect for those wanting to lose that last bit of fat. Just stick with your number for 4-6 weeks and monitor your progress. Let me know how you do.
Hi Brad…is there anyway to revise this diet for a 200lb male? I’m not sure where to make the slight increases in calories as this is for someone that weighs 180 lbs. Thank you!
Hi Todd,
Just increase the protein slightly to another 20 grams or so. Try that for a few weeks and then slightly increase the carbs if you hit another rut.
Thanks for the response Brad. So that is 20 total grams, not 20 grams per meal obviously. How about if I added a protein shake or some lean protein before bed as a meal or snack #7? cuz meal 6 for me is around 8pm and i go to bed around 11pm.
That is excellent. Let me know how things go.
will do…thanks!
One more question…on the medium carb day you say for meal 5 one cup rice…is that dry or cooked weight? Whats the carb value ?
Cooked, It yields about 30 grams.
hi brad….sorry to keep bugging you but on meal number 3 it says 3tbsp of olive oil dressing with the salad. just olive oil or an over the counter dressing? because just olive oil would be prob what 30 grams of fat by my calculations…
oops I meant 2 tbsps which would be It hink about 20 grams of fat
Yeah, you can get an olive oil-based dressing as long as the macros are about the same.
Thanks Brad. So would the macros be approx 20 grams of fat for that while obviously striving to have no additional calories like carbs/sugar?
It may have a gram or two of carbs, but nothing too drastic.
Brad sorry for another question but how many grams of fat are we shooting for on low carb days meal 3? 3 tbsp of just olive oil would be about 30 grams of fat but 3 tbsp of a packaged olive oil dressing I have is approx 10 grams of fat. thanks!
How do I go about cycling the low, medium, and high carb days. My nutrition is fairly similar to what you’ve laid out. This is week 4 of my current workout and while I’ve seen changes, I think they could be more drastic in the next 4 weeks. What is the best, and healthiest, way to implement your meal plans?
?*
You can cycle them like this: Low, low, medium, high and then repeat. Or you can cycle high and medium days on training days and do low carb on non training days.
thanks!!!
Hi Brad,
To begin, I really like this article; good stuff. Just had a quick question. I’ve been using the diet for almost 4-5 months now and when I began I weighed about 152 (lbs). Today (6/18/2012) I weigh 165lbs and I can tell the body parts I’ve been focusing my training around have been toned — possibly bigger? It’s hard to judge. My question is, are you supposed to gain weight on this diet? I’m 5’8″ so I’m not sure if I’m gaining fat or building muscle…from the looks of things it looks like muscle, but I could be wrong.
Mike
Hi Mike, thanks for your kind words. To answer, yes, you can gain muscle on the diet. If your training is on par and intense it is possible to gain muscular bodyweight. Have a fitness professional take your body fat and start with that baseline. In a month or two, take it again and see for sure that you are on the right track. Also, take measurements yourself of your arms legs, waist and chest.
Thanks for the article Brad. Quick question- Do I need to keep in mind my BMR on this meal plan? For example, my BMR is around 1950 calories a day. As a 215 male, on my low carb days I’ll be consuming around 2250 calories. My cardio alone usually burns around 450-600 calories per my HR monitor. Obviously this would drop me below my BMR. Do I need to up The calories? If so, do I do it in the form of carbs, protein, or fat?
Thanks!
Hi Anthony,
If you feel you need to up calories you can experiment with carbs abd fat. Some are a little carb sensitive so it would be best to increase healthy fats. Others can tolerate more carbs. Bump up one for a few weeks and monitor your progress. If everything is good, don’t change anything and proceed on that path.
The key is to adjust one thing at a time for at least four weeks and see if it points you in the right direction. Changing too many things to quickly will only lead you to more frustration.
Also, the body is not a machine. It will adapt to a lot you throw at it, so don’t get TOO wrapped-up in the numbers game.
If i work at 4 p.m until 1 am, what would be a good way of spacing out my meals? what do you think are the best appropriate times? Need help!!! Im 22 yrs old with a 2 yr old daughter so im always on the go but ill still prep my meals in advance, without the prep, theres no good outcome right?:) thanks again!
Here is the program i was going to start. Let me know if you think it is good or not!
MEAL 1: 8:00 AM
1 cup egg whites
½ cup oatmeal
4 oz spinach
MEAL 2: 10:00 AM
50 gram whey protein
1 banana
MEAL 3: 1:00 PM
5 oz chicken
1 cup asparagus
1/3 cup white rice
MEAL 4: 4:00 PM
4 oz ground turkey
1 cup broccoli
4 oz white potato
MEAL 5: 7:00 PM
5 oz chicken
1 cup asparagus
MEAL 6: 10:00 PM
4 oz lean steak
1 cup asparagus
MEAL 7: 12:00 AM
50 grams whey protein
Also my training and cardio for 45 minutes twice a day
DAY 1
CHEST
INCLINE DB PRESS: 12, 12, 20, 20, 20
DB PRESS: 15, 15, 20, 20
INCLINE DB FLYES: 12, 12, 15, 15, 15
TRICEPS
DIAMOND PUSHUPS: 12, 12, 20, 20
OVER HEAD DB EXTENSIONS: 12, 15, 15, 20
DAY 2
QUADS
JUMP SQUATS WITH DB: 20, 20, 20, 20
ABS 2 X PER WEEK
AB CRUNCHES: 25, 25, 25, 25
V UPS 20, 20, 20, 20
DAY 3
DELTS
DB PRESS: 15, 15, 20, 20
FRONT DB RAISE: 12, 12, 20, 20
SIDE LATERALS: 15, 15, 20, 20
UPRIGHT DB ROW: 12, 15, 15, 15, 15
REAR DB FLYES: 15, 15, 20, 20
TRAPS
DB SHRUGS: 12, 12, 15, 15, 20
DAY 4
BACK
PULLUPS: 15, 20, 20, 20
BENT OVER DB ROW: 20, 20, 20, 20
BICEPS
DB STRAIGHT CURLS: 20, 20, 20
HAMMER CURLS: 20, 20, 20
DAY 5
HAMSTRINGS
STIFF DEAD LIFTS: 12, 15, 15, 15
CALVES 2X PER WEEK
STANDING RAISES: 20, 20, 20, 20, 40
mr.brad
i am new to body building and i don’t have a proper diet to eat.i am just eating some foods which contain protein and some whey protein powder before going to gym but there isn’t a proper time table.
my workout days are,
monday-upper
tuesday-lower
wednesday-rest
thursday-upper
friday-lower
saturday and sunday again rest.
so can you please arrange me a diet series and tell it to me according to my workout days.
Have you tried any of the diets here on the site?
Hi
Im currently training using the insane bane training program and its going fantastic however i think i need to change my diet up, im putting on a bit too much fat for my liking.
This diet plan has really opened my eyes and i inted to test it out asap, however i have one question. When trying to bulk how will this affect my muscle gains, the training program im using is quite intense and i don’t want to lose any muscle mass. Should i substitute one of the low carb days for a moderate or high one in order to give more energy during my workouts? And what amount of cardio would you recommend?
Thanks, i love your site!
Hi Pete,
Thanks! Yes, you can try having a moderate carb day in place of a low day. For cardio, I would go with 3 days per week of HIIT for around 15 to 20 minutes each. That is so you will get the benefits without losing muscle.
-Brad
Hello Brad,
Just a quick question. While on this diet and working out five days a week, how much water should be consumed a day?
Thank you very much.
Hi Chris,
I would make sure you get in at least one gallon per day. Some larger individuals may need more but that is a good start.
Brad
Hey Brad,
I’m 17 and finished football a couple months ago. I was a 250 pound offensive lineman but over the past two months on the p90x system and running, i’ve dropped 45 pounds. I want to cut off more fat, but also build muscle. I’ve found some great workouts on there that I have started to use and this diet sounds great. I had a question about catabolism and if that will take effect with me? I follow the diet strictly with High carb days, med, and low but some days I feel hungry between meals. Is the hunger ok? I don’t want to not be eating enough and losing muscle. Thanks!
Hi Michael,
No you won’t lose muscle from being hungry a little between meals. As long as you are taking in adequate amounts of protein and drinking enough water you should be fine. If it still bothers you be sure you are eating good, quality complex carbs and plenty of vegetables. The green leafy stuff fills you up without packing on the fat.
Brad
Hi Brad,
Congratualtions on all your accomplishments including this site which is valuable to so many people. Fantastic. In another article (I think it was “Diet Math”),you were specific about the macronutrient grams being per lb of “desired” body weight. In this article, it’s for your current body weight, is this correct?
Hi Laura,
Yes, depending on what works best for you it can be accomplished either way. For this diet it is current weight, but for the other (which is more of a system that is a little more individual-based) it is desired body weight.
Best,
Brad
Hi Brad,
I understand the program and the nutrition and I am going to give the plan a go for 4-6 weeks to try and gain the benefits. I am an athlete who works hard in the gym and eats VERY clean, perhaps to clean, and the only real fat sources I will intake is Almonds/ Fat in meats, so the grams of Fat needed surprised me in a way.
I have recently being cutting (past 10 weeks) seen good progress but I currently feel as my progress has come to a stand still and feel I am now beginning to cut into muscle mass, I know a small % of muscle loss is inevitable but I am not willing to sacrifice anymore.
I am going for the Fitness model look and weigh 180 LBS @ around 10% BF give or take a % either way depending on hydration.
Is it possible from this plan for me to reduce BF% and remain 180 LBS?
I current intake around 2200 Kcal
200g protein
the rest of my remain calories will be carbs.
maybe 10% of calories coming from Fat.
Feed every 3 hours.
Please note I am aiming to have my competition look by the end of April/ early may.
Questions:
How many Calories should I be in taking daily at 180 LBS?
Which days should I be doing Cardio on high/med/low carb days? And how often? How long?
Should I still be taking in 2.5 – 3.5 Litres of water daily?
Thanks Brad.
Regards, JJ
Hi JJ,
Yes, please give the program a try for a while. The program is designed for a 180 pounder so you fit the bill just fine. Cardio can be done on any of the days as long as you start at about 3 days per week at around 20 minutes per session after your weight training. It can be steady-state or HIIT style (although I normally recommend HIIT). Also, be sure to get in at least 3-4 liters of water per day.
Best,
Best