Carbohydrate Cycling

by Twin Peak

INTRODUCTION

What I am about to present is not a new paradigm, or revolutionary approach to diet.
Nor is it the end-all, be-all to dieting; there are many viable approaches.

This diet is, on the other hand, an easy (relatively speaking) approach to diet that is
physiologically and psychologically rewarding. Moreover, it is rather malleable and
also forgiving, yet effective. For these reasons, I am astounded that it has not caught
on to a greater extent (in some form or another), and played a bigger role in the
dieting revolution.

This is the first installment of a multi-part article. Here, we will briefly discuss my
background (as it relates to this diet), its genesis (in the form I present), the basic
tenets of the diet, as well as the basic diet structure. We will also discuss, briefly, its
psychological benefits, as well as its physiological strengths and underpinnings.
Psychology and physiology, as you will see (and as Par Deus has propounded) are
inextricably intertwined, in the world of diet and food. Or, food and mood, as Par is
so fond of saying.

However, this installment will address theory and science only minimally, out of
necessity. Not only would this article be way too long, but more importantly, I'd be
going well beyond my strengths, and I know my limits. For those seeking a deeper
understanding (and I know you are out therein droves since you are reading Mind
and Muscle), Dawza, who is far more apt than I in these regards, will provide a more
in depth analysis in the final article in this series.

Also in future installments we will discuss synergistic supplementation, variations
based on ones phenotype, tweaks for continued fat loss (should they prove
necessary), variations for bulking or a steady recomposition, and other variations for
those losing too quickly (we should all have that problem shouldn't we?), those not
losing quickly enough, and for those looking for a more manageable lifestyle
approach. Actually, in its most basic form, as presented here, Carbohydrate Cycling
will be a rather quick fat loss plan for most.

BASIC DEFINITIONS

First, let's get some definitions out of the way. This is not a glossary but rather an
explanation of a few terms that are often used in a variety of manners. If the
definition of a word or term used can be found objectively, I expect that you know it,
or you'll look it up, or you don't give a rat's ass.

"Diet." A way of eating. Period. Unlike in common usage, it does not refer to the
goal of "weight loss."

"Cut" or "Cutting." A hypo-caloric diet where the goal is to decrease overall body fat,
while concomitantly maintaining or even gaining muscle mass. Often, a small
amount of muscle loss is expected and acceptable.

"Mass Phase, Bulk" or Bulking. A hyper-caloric diet where the goal is to
increase overall muscle mass, while concomitantly maintaining or even losing body
fat. Some such diets indeed allow for, or even plan on, fat gain, albeit minimal
(hopefully).

Recomposition. Coining a new phrase, Avant Labs style, the concept of a
recomposition was previously unheard of. But essentially, it is a slow, yet steady
body transformation whereby you seek to both lose body fat and gain lean body mass,
concomitantly. Beyond newbie gains, rapid changes in the extremely obese or with
the use of androgens, it is widely believed that a recomposition is highly inefficient,
or even impossible. It is not. Utilizing numerous nutrient-partitioning techniques
related to training style, and proper supplementation, recomposition can be
accomplished rather effectively.

IN THE BEGINNING

Carbohydrate cycling is something I stumbled on when I trained for my first
bodybuilding contest in 1996. It was not something I heard or read about,
specifically. While I am certain I did not invent this concept, and others probably had
used it in some shape or form, I devised it of my own accord based on the "little" that
I knew back then.

How? Why? Well, I had struggled my whole life with being over-fat. Indeed prior
to cutting for the show I was probably at around 20% body fat, and this was thin for
me. I doubt I had ever been below 15%, and yet I committed to being on stage in
posing trunks--in 16 weeks. Why? I had finally accumulated a decent amount of
muscle mass, and well, why not.

I knew then that I "needed" to keep my fat content low, and protein high (the quotes
reflect that I have a generally different view now, though this certainly is not a high-
fat diet). I also "knew" that I needed some carbs, but that my calorie reduction must
come from this macronutrient (as I always kept fat low, and wasn't about to reduce
protein intake), and I knew I needed (as a genetic endomorph) to keep insulin under
control.

I also knew that I hated calorie restriction, that I never stuck to a diet long term, and
that I hated dieting monotony. I also hated (and still hate) counting calories -- I admit
it, I am lazy. And despite this, and poor genetics with a high body fat setpoint, I
needed to get to sub 5% body fat.

Oh, for some context, back then I thought Hot Stuff was the bomb -- so except for
protein, I didn't use any supplements; the point being, with the exception of a protein
powder, no supplements are necessary to make this diet work. On the other hand,
supplements have come a long way since the mid to late 90s, and so has my
knowledge on this topic. Today, there are many effective products that will
contribute to the success of the diet (or the speed at which you will achieve it),
depending on your goals, your phenotype, and your wallet, of course. Again, we'll get
to this in future installments, but for now, the diet beckons.

So how could I, with my knowledge, genes, and personality traits, devise a plan that
would be effective, and so user-friendly that even I would stick to it long enough that
I could stand on stage, practically naked? Oh, and while 16 weeks may seem like a
long cut, this time-frame did not allow any weeks to pass where I could simply
maintain body fat. There was no margin for error. Nope, I needed to lose a steady 1
to 2 pounds of fat per week to attain my goal.

The answer at least the one I came up with was Carbohydrate Cycling. My plan
was that if I cycled my carb intake, I would have some days that were unusually
strict. This was not a problem for me (being super-strict for short period of times),
especially if I had a reward. Enter, the high carb day, where I allowed myself to eat
as much as I wanted. What's the catch? Well, we will get to that soon enough.

But in the end, I would average out to a low carb intake level sufficient to remain
hypocaloric, for the week. Or, at least, that was the plan. So yes, basically this was
designed, originally, to meet my psychological needs. Oh, I also thought it a good
idea to keep the body guessing. Though I really didnt know what this meant. I
had never heard of a refeed, and especially not of leptin. Hell, leptin was just being
discovered back then. So many of the positive physiological benefits of cycling
carbohydrates were unknown to me then, except that it kept the body guessing.
You see, while knowing very little about biochemistry and physiology, I had the
general sense that we bodybuilders were always battling homeostasis. Other than this
general belief, I had no idea why in 16 weeks I never got stuck or hit a wall.

THE CONCEPT: CYCLING 101

There are three types of days while on this diet -- high carb, low carb, and no carb
days. Generally, the three days are rotated, or cycled, equally. Again, I will stress
that this can, and should, be tweaked, based on the individual's goals, geno and
pheno-types, and dieting history. Indeed, much of this will be discussed in future
installments. Here, we will lay out the basic plan, which is designed for relatively
rapid fat loss for most individuals and the one that got me into contest ready
condition, twice.

Carbohydrate manipulation is the key here, but we will back into this by discussing
our protein and fat intake, which each remain constant. Bear in mind the multitude of
goals and assumptions this diet balances.

NUTS AND BOLTS: THE BASIC PLAN

Generally
This plan is based on eating six times per day. An acceptable alternative is five meals
daily, and if you so choose, be sure to keep the daily ratios consistent, as each meal
will require more food.


Protein Consumption
Protein: the easy part. Actually, protein is the foundation of this diet. It is not to be
skipped, skimped upon, taken lightly, or otherwise reduced simply because the diet
does not focus on it. The significance of protein cannot be overstated, though such
details are beyond the scope of this article. We shall not get into the minimum
requirements for a bodybuilder, which types of proteins are superior to others, and the
numerous other issues that have perplexed the scholars and been debated ad nauseam.
Suffice it to say, that one gram per pound of bodyweight is the absolute minimum,
and there is no maximum on this diet. In other words, at each and every meal, of each
and every day, you can feel free to dig in to as much protein as you wish. Though
there are some rules. Beyond these rules, and for simplicitys sake, I will assume you
are eating a sufficient quantity at each and every meal and leave it at that.

Assuming you are eating six meals each day, regardless of which type of day, you
will eat a minimum of 1/6 of your total daily minimum requirement for protein at
each meal. Thus, a 200-pound individual should eat at least 33 grams of protein at
each and every meal. If five meals is the necessary course, the same individual should
eat a minimum of 40 grams of protein per meal.

You can eat more, but to overindulge at one meal, does not excuse a deficient amount
at another. In other words, do not shortchange your protein consumption at any meal.

Again, this is the minimum, so if you are still hungry eat up. Of course, like any other
macronutrient, too much protein can hinder fat loss or even promote fat gain. This is
another instance where I am putting some faith in the bodys sense of self-regulation.
For the few of you who eat too much protein and fat loss stalls, you will want to limit
total daily consumption to no more than 1.5 grams of protein per pound of
bodyweight.

Most of your protein requirements must be satisfied from very lean protein sources.
Indeed, four of your meals must use lean protein sources, while the remaining one or
two may come from a higher-fat source. For our purposes, a lean source is one that
has no more than 10% of its calories from fat. It is important that you look at the
calorie breakdown here, as a product may say 10% Fat but refer to the fact that 10%
of its macronutrients are fat. And because fat is more than twice as calorically dense
as carbs or protein, it will derive more than 10% of its calories from fat. Now, as I
have stated, this is a simple diet, so if you dont want to figure out what you can and
cannot eat, I have provided a list of generally acceptable lean protein choices.

In addition, one or two meals should contain a higher-fat protein choice. Again, I have
provided a list for easy reference, but for those of you with peculiar tastes, you can
choose any protein that derives about 20-25% of its calories from fat. If, however,
youd rather eat a lean protein, then for that meal you should add about 10-15 grams
of fat from the Fat List below, in the fat consumption section. For example, if you
have six meals, and four have protein sources from list A and two from list B, you are
fine. You cannot have more than two from list B. And if you have none from list B,
and all six from list A, then two meals must have an added fat source from the list
below.


Approved Lean Protein Sources (A)
Chicken (white meat)
Turkey (white meat)
Tuna Fish (can)
Fish (flounder, tuna (fatty or not), salmon, shark, etc.)
Shellfish (all types)
Protein (preferably whey post workout, and casein before bed; MRPs must be low-
carb)
Lean beef (including lean cuts of steak)
Cottage Cheese (0 or 1% fat)
Egg whites (egg beaters)

Approved Higher-Fat Protein Sources (B)
Chicken (dark meat)
Turkey (dark meat)
Eggs (half whites, half whole eggs)
Steak and other meats (not exceptionally high fat cuts)
Cottage Cheese (Whole Milk)

Fat Consumption
As for fats, this diet does not worry too much about them. Nor will we discuss them
much, save for this brief discussion here. While this is not a high fat (or Ketogenic)
diet, it certainly is not a low fat diet. When I first started cycling carbs, I kept fats to
probably less than twenty grams a day. Here, I recommend keeping dietary fats on the
low side, with the majority of fats coming from supplemented EFAs (essential fatty
acids)specifically fish oil (high in long chain omega 3 fatty acids -- EPA/DHA).

Why fish oil? There are so many good reasons that a detailed discussion can be an
article unto itself. For our purposes, it is sufficient to know that it has all the benefits
of other EFA sources (such as flax and hemp oil) and in addition, has been shown to
increase leptin sensitivity and exert positive effects on body composition much more
efficiently than other EFAs (this is one of the important nutrient partitioning tricks
one must employ for a successful recomposition).

Now, on to the practicality of it. First, you will be getting some fats in your lean
protein sources (probably between 10 and 20 grams of fat) and a few grams from the
carb sources (another 10 to 20 grams on high carb day). Second, at least two meals
per day will include protein of the higher-fat variety. And if not, then you should add
a fat source from the list below.


Fat Sources (an amount equal to 10 to 15 grams of fat).
(Natural) Peanut Butter
Flax Oil
Heavy Whipping Cream
Mayonnaise
Hemp Seed Oil
Olive Oil
Third, you will be supplementing with fish oil at 10 to 20 grams a day -- the more the
better. This assumes you are using a standard fish oil supplement which, on average,
contains one gram of oil and is 30% EPA/DHA. Should you choose the superior
version, you may consume a bit less. I recommend you either split it up equally across
all meals, or split it in half, and consume it with two meals. If you absolutely refuse to
take fish oil, despite my pleas that you should (and the evidence that will be provided
in the third installment), add in one to two servings of flaxseed or hempseed oil daily.


Carbohydrate Consumption and the Cycling Process
Ah, the carbohydrate. By now (if you havent skipped ahead, and I know some of you
have shame on you) you are saying, its about time! Well, the protein and fat
portions of this diet are relatively easy to follow, but that does not mean they are
unimportant. To the contrary, they are critical. This diet is one, however, that focuses
on daily manipulation of carbohydrate consumption. First, we will discuss how we do
this; then we will discuss additional concerns important to this diet. As previously
mentioned, in a future installment, we will discuss in greater depth the theoretical and
scientific underpinnings of the carbohydrate manipulation.

As mentioned, we have three types of days in the diet, and they vary only by the
amount of carbohydrate that is consumed. They are the high carbohydrate day (high
carb), the low carbohydrate day (low carb), and the no (approaching zero)
carbohydrate day (no carb). Again, we are assuming six meals per day, so you will
need to adjust if you follow a five-meal plan.

HIGH CARB DAY

On your high carb day, four of the meals (three if you are only eating five meals) can
have as much carbohydrates (yes, they must also be from the approved list we love
lists) as you like. But remember, you must eat the minimum amount of protein at
each meal as discussed above. So for you carb gluttons out there, you might want to
make sure you eat your protein source before truly loading up on those carbs first.
Also, each one of those meals must include a small piece of fruit (again, a
requirement before downing enough other carbs to the point of no return). Almost
any fruit will do (save bananas, kiwis, avocado, and other very high calorie or high fat
fruits). We are looking for a small serving of fresh fruit, say between 50 and 100
calories worth. The fructose from fruit will help keep liver glycogen stores full and
keep your body in the fed state as opposed to starvation-mode. And, if only
consumed in small amounts, is not likely to spill over into adipose.

Also --and this is important-- you can choose which meals (3 of 5 or 4 of 6) will have
carbs and which don't, but the meal preceding and following your workouts must be a
carbohydrate meal Obviously, make sure you leave sufficient time between your pre-
workout meal and your workout, or limit the quantity of carbs at this meal, lest your
body succumb to reverse peristalsis. Other than that, its up to you, as I dont want to
bog you down with too many rules (we have plenty already). The other two meals
will be made up of protein only, and, while there is a minimum amount, as always,
there is no maximum.

So to sum up, all but two of your meals will have a small piece of fruit, and as much
carbohydrate from the approved list as you like. The goal is to eat until complete
physical, emotional, and thus, physiological satiety. You are not expected to gorge
yourself, nor are you expected to exercise the usual strict self-restraint.

As I said previously, I am a big believer in self-regulation by the mind and body. You
are not to worry or stress about whether you are eating too much, or too little. If you
eat too many carbs one meal, you will probably eat less the next, as youll still be full
(just make sure you get the protein in). The beauty of this plan is its simplicityyou
are not "aiming" for any number. Rather, you are aiming for the subjective feelings
that I just discussed, a satisfied stomach and mental state. You should not "want"
more. Nor should you eat more than you want. Relax and go with the flow; it is quite
hard to fuck up the high carb day, if you stick to the right carbs. And you will learn
your bodys response as you go on. Increase your carbohydrate consumption if you
are not "satisfied." You want a constant feeling of fullness, all day, such that you
don't want to eat further. You need to be in tune to your body, and this comes with
practice.

Most people find themselves looking forward to, if not salivating at the thought of, the
upcoming high carb day. This is no surprise. Indeed, it is by design, and how I came
up with the plan for myself. It is a psychological reward, satisfying your emotional
need to eat. It makes the very strict part of the diet (which we will get to) bearable. It
is a small but frequent reward to hang on to that also has these profound
psychological and, equally as important, physiological benefits.

However, some of you will have a difficult time with the high carb day. Stress and
concerns of eating too much will plague you. Not counting every gram of carb, and
every calorie consumed, will haunt you. For those of you with such concerns I
remind you that first, you are supposed to eat a lot of food on this day, to make sure
that your weekly caloric deficit is not too low, and second, that no one should ever
dread high carb day. The point is to eat as much as you want; not stuff yourself like a
Thanksgiving turkey.

LOW CARB DAY

The low carb day is a bit trickier. Actually, its the most difficult of the bunch. The
anal group out there will love it though, as there are specific macronutrient goals. For
those of you who, like me, deplore counting, fret not. There is a way around it (well
discuss this privately later my lazy brethren).

Here, three meals (two if you are only eating five meals) may contain carbs. Again,
one rule is that at least the meal following your workout must be a carb meal. The
others you can schedule as you see fit. Here, carb amounts are limited, however. We
are seeking to eat approximately one gram of carbohydrate (from the list) per pound
of bodyweight each low carb day. So our hypothetical 200 pound dieter would eat
about 66 grams of carbs in each of three meals of the day, and the others would be
just protein. Oh, and dont forget your small piece of fruit, at these carb meals, as
well.

Now, recall that this plan is designed for simplicity. So it is best if you simply learn
general portions of the carbohydrates you choose to eat. Id prefer that you don't
measure out your carbs strictly; but for the exceptionally anal, this is your chance to
shine. For those like me, the goal is a satisfied, but not full stomach. The subjective
feeling to strive for is where youd like to have more, but know you dont need it.

NO CARB DAY

The no carb day is the simplest, yet most physically challenging day. For most, the
cyclical nature of the diet will make this day a relatively easy emotional challenge,
however. It also, I am willing to bet, will be the most controversial day, among the
dieting community. Yes, I am prepared to be tarred and feathered. Hell, I may enjoy
it. Regardless, it is the key to this diet. And it involves, quite literally, no
carbohydrates. Okay I lied: a few sneak in with your green veggies; as with any good
rule, there is an exception. Here, you will stick to your six (or five) meals, and only
consume protein (and some fats); again from the list, and again, at least meeting the
prescribed minimum. Unless masticatory boredom sets in, however, I doubt you
will have any trouble eating your minimums, and you likely will eat far more.
However, do not be surprised if you eat less than you expect, since eating protein
alone can cause one to feel satiated more rapidly. This may seem like a painful or
difficult day, but in practice its not that bad. Trust me. And remember, a high carb
day is just around the corner.

VEGGIES

No, I did not forget. You wont find veggies (except the truly calorically dense ones)
on the carb list. And here, I am referring to green leafy, low calorie, fibrous
vegetables. Things like salad (no dressing), cabbages, escarole, broccoli, spinach,
zucchini, squash, and kale are appropriate. Generally, any vegetable that contains less
than 50 calories per cup will suffice.

Each and every day, whether it be a high, low, or no carb day, at least three meals,
each and every day should include one cup of green veggies. It can be with or
without your carb meals. I dont care, though you may find it more pleasing to the
palate to consume your vegetables with your no carb meals.

*****

Now, on to the good stuff: the lists. Don't get overly excited because you aren't going
to see most of your favorite goodies on here. Indeed, it is a relatively sparse list,
given the plethora of carb sources found in grocery stores.

Approved Carbohydrates:
Brown rice
Oats (Slow Cooked Preferred)
Sweet potatoes or Yams
Fiber One (All Bran) Cereal
Starchy Veggies (corn, peas, etc.)
Beans/Legumes
Approved Yet Limited Carbohydrates**
Whole-wheat pasta
Whole grain breads, pitas, etc.
**These may only be consumed on high carb days, and only for one meal per high
carb day

ADDITIONAL YET IMPORTANT CONCERNS

Measuring Success.
The old dieting adage that one should not weigh (or take measurements) oneself daily
is perhaps never truer than on this diet. This is especially important for those of you
fixated on the scale. Wild weight fluctuations will occur, as you deplete, and replete,
glycogen stores daily. And remember that for every gram of glycogen stored (or lost),
three grams of water are also retained (or lost). As well, you are likely to look and feel
bloated at the end of, and the day after, your high carbohydrate days. This is normal
and not an indication of lack of progress (as many an individual who were skeptical,
yet tried the diet can attest to). To the contrary, it is an indication that things are
moving along swimmingly. As well, if you try to measure progress in this manner,
you will become frustrated after your high carb day. You may then come to the
epiphany that the no carb days are doing wonders, and you will start adding in extra
no carb days. Next, you will skimp on your high carb days, and all this will speed
progress correct? Wrong. Rather, you will speed up your inevitable metabolic crash,
as well as emotional and physiological discomfort and you will spiral into a pattern
thats end is failure. Melodramatic? Perhaps, but I think I made my point.

So, we resolve this by always taking measurements, and charting weight after the
same type of day. Whether it is the morning after a high carb day, or the end of a no
carb day, or whatever, consistency is key. Personally, for psychological reasons, I
prefer the morning after a high carb day, but the choice is yours. Moreover, you
should not be weighing in after a single three-day cycle. Weighing yourself once
every other cycle is more than sufficient; so you are tracking progress every six to
eight days, depending on your cycle length.


Cooking and Food Preparation
Ah, cooking. Before I get a zillion questions on this, let me try to head this off at the
pass. This diet does not allow for calories (whether they be fat, sugar, or what-have-
you) added at the preparation or cooking stage. Thus, you cannot fry, add butter, or
oil. You cannot add salad dressing or breadcrumbs. You cannot add sauces or glazes.
You cannot, well, you get the point, I hope.

You can use no-cal or very low-cal substitutes. So vinegar, soy sauce, and mustard are
fine. No calorie dressing works if you can stand it. You can get away with some keto
breadcrumbs (from www.lifeservices.com), or even a small amount of balsamic
vinegar. Pam is your friend, as are most spices, grilling, broiling, boiling, and baking.

While I don't necessarily recommend them, I don't shun things like sugarless gum,
diet soda, coffee or tea (black or with an artificial sweetener only), sugar free jello,
and crystal light, and other things containing artificial sweeteners while on this diet.
With that said, one must be careful that an excessive amount of calories is not
consumed regularly with such "low calorie" items. Likewise, one should be
particularly careful on No Carb day with these items.


Post-workout Nutrition
While bodybuilders and non-bodybuilders can use this diet, most of us reading this
perform some form of resistance training. For those that do, I assume you have a
typical post-workout protocol, so I'll just give some basics. In conjunction with the
Basic Plan (with fat loss being the goal), I recommend, at a minimum, between 30 and
50 grams of whey protein. This can be a protein only meal, and then followed by a
carb meal on carb days, or can be taken with oatmeal (or another carb from the list) on
carb days. On no carb days, obviously you'd just be having the whey. When using this
diet to cut, we are not looking to create a post-workout insulin spike. However, a pure
ectomorph looking to cut should probably consider it (by adding 30-50 grams of
dextrose and/or maltodextrin).


Water Consumption
In short, you can never have enough. The ten 8-ounce glasses per day
recommendation is easily a minimum. I recommend at least a gallon per day.


A word on cardio
Briefly: cardio sucks. Or, and perhaps more accurately, cardio is overrated. And,
hence, it is over-utilized, to the detriment of the dieterespecially the muscular
dieter. I expect this will be the second most controversial aspect of this article.
Perhaps Ill add a section on religion, to take some heat of my views here.

So for most people, unless skinny (as opposed to lean) is the look you are going for,
or you just love your cardio, Id suggest dropping it. Period. Resistance training can
provide most, if not all, of the physical benefits of cardio, and can do so more
efficiently. Benefits such as improved heart rate, reduced blood pressure and
cholesterol levels, increased metabolism, and nutrient partitioning are generally more
efficiently achieved with resistance training, and of course, resistance training carries
the added benefit of muscle growth.

With that out of the way, cardio does have its use. If you have been dieting for an
extraordinarily long period of time, it may be beneficial. If you are already very lean,
and still seeking to get freaky lean, that would be a good situation to add controlled
amounts.

A thorough discussion of different types of cardiovascular activity is well beyond the
scope of this article. Generally, however, adding in a weekly session or two of high
intensity interval training at the appropriate time is a good idea.


Tweaking, Generally
As alluded to above, this diet is rather malleable. It can be tailored to the individuals
goals, genetics, preferences, lifestyle, or all of the above. We have already taken up
much of your time today, so the next installment will discuss in greater detail how to
apply the basic plan to a bulk, how to optimize it in relation to ones training, how to
optimize it in relation to ones supplementation regimen, and how to arrange it to fit
ones lifestyle (if you have a specific idea in mind, be sure to email me, and perhaps
Ill include it).

Here, I will state briefly, that the three-day basic plan will (or should) provide for
rapid, steady fat loss. You can easily self regulate this. Should fat loss prove too rapid
make no adjustments until at least three weeks or approximately 7 mini-cycles to
attain a baseline (and know that you are losing weight as opposed to water). Then
simply add in an additional high carb day. So the rotation can be, High, Low, High,
No, and it is a four-day rotation. Conversely, if you are still not shedding fat quickly
enough, you should add an extra no carb day, as such: Low, No, High, No. And, of
course, this is not the only way to do this.


Who can use this diet?
Well, frankly, anyone. With any goals. With any genetics. As I said, the diet is
malleable such is its nature, by design. Who has used the diet successfully?
Me (a meso/endomorph by nature) for two pre-contest preparations. I
successfully got down to around 5% body fat each time, retained a substantial
amount of muscle, and needed no tweaking of the basic plan, and no
supplements, though I did do cardio. This was also the low-fat variety, which I
no longer condone. I also did a lifestyle version just over a year ago simply
to get "beach ready." I got down to about 10% body fat, retained all of my
muscle, and did zero cardio. This time the diet was of the current moderate fat
variety.
In 1998, my training partner (a pure mesomorph, the bastard) used my
original, low-fat variety of cycling to prepare for his first bodybuilding show.
He won. My training program helped immensely, as he gained 15 pounds of
muscle, Id wager, drug and supplement free, in the six months he trained with
me prior to cutting. He retained nearly all of it, while cycling carbs.
In 2002, a new training partner (an endomorph with slight mesomorph
tendencies) used a lifestyle variety of the diet, and went from a bodyweight of
228 pounds to 192 in ten weeks, without losing any significant muscle-mass;
indeed, his strength increased in that time.
Several females, in 2002, on-line, successfully used a third generation of the
Basic Plan to drop a few pounds for summer. There progress has helped me
tweak the Cycle to what it is today.
A male personal trainer, who I coached on-line, used this diet both to cut and
bulk. He was so pleased with his progress that he has spawned off many other
on-line cutters to do the same.
Most recently, a female figure competitor, who I trained on-line, used the
Basic Plan Plus (we tweaked it regularly as she progressed, mostly for her
psychological comfort) to prepare for her second show ever. She was more
muscular this time around before the diet, and she successfully retained that
size, while simultaneously coming in leaner. Of course, I am referring to
Avants very own, Leslie. That show was a springboard into another, where
she seeks to maintain her leanness, and improve her lagging body-parts. While
not technically using the cycle as a bulk, and with the most advanced
supplements at her disposal, she is maintaining and improving her leanness,
while simultaneously increasing strength, and improving her physique.
Finally, as this article is being written, another female bodybuilder turned
fitness competitor (and long time cutter who has never achieved the elusive
"six-pack") has embraced Carb Cycling whole-heartedly. Because she is
venturing into the competition foray for her first ever figure competition in a
short preparation time (and we dont know exactly how her body will respond,
though early reports show that the term favorable would be an
understatement) she is on an aggressive version of the Basic Plan. Despite this,
though again using a variety of synergistic supplements, she has been
increasing strength during the cut.
I also have two more tests Ill be running soon, on myself. The first is a cut. It
will be a lifestyle variety, which I will discuss in detail next time. The goal is
to lean out, while retaining muscle, while I am rehabbing. Once I am fully
rehabbed, I will be using it to bulk, for the very first time. I will be pulling out
all the stops, and we will see how she goes.

The point is, with the proper guidance almost anyone can use this diet successfully.
Indeed, I do believe almost anyone can use the Basic Plan successfully (for cutting),
just perhaps not optimally, which of course is our goal. As an exception, I'd not
recommend that a pure ectomorph (and perhaps even a pure meso) use this diet, or
any variation thereof, while in a pure mass phase.

Next time we will explore variations of the diet for different goals and body types, as
well as discuss supplementation and advanced versions of the diet that can be
achieved with supplementation.



Carbohydrate Cycling, Take 2
by Twin Peak
Cycle Manipulation


Many people find a random three-day cycle as outlined in my first installment to be
difficult, lifestyle-wise. If this is you, we can resolve this problem relatively easily.
Here is one way:
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday -- no carb days
Tuesday and Saturday -- high carb days
Thursday and Sunday -- low carb days
This schedule assumes a normal life. Should your schedule vary, and for the
gravediggers and college kids out there, you may want a different plan, but my hope
is that this will appeal to the masses, while simultaneous teaching the rest of you how
to properly manipulate the diet to match your lifestyle.

Just keep the following concepts in mind:
Try not to put two no carb days back-to-back
Certainly do not put two high carb days back-to-back
Maintain what amounts to (roughly) a weekly ratio of 1:1:1 of the three types
of days; and error towards the lower calorie side rather than the high calorie
side

The Life-Style Cycle

The Lifestyle Cycle is aptly named. It is designed for those who wish to "live life",
enjoy the pleasures of food (and drink), friends, and social gatherings. It is a plan
designed for maintenance, not body-fat loss, so you need to be "satisfied" with you
current level of fitness. It can be used to get through an extended vacation or a long
stretch of holidays (say from Thanksgiving until New Year) while you are otherwise
cutting, or a period in your life when improvement is not a priority.

Yes, unlike most authors on the topic of diet I am conceding that (1) there are times
when it is acceptable (hell even desirable) to eat for the sake of enjoyment alone, and
(2) it is okay to be satisfied and not always seeking to achieve an improved physical
state (which is obviously doomed to failure and self-loathing). This Lifestyle Cycle is
based on the "ordinary" lifestyle of an "average" individual.

If you have a peculiar way of life or just specific plans on specific days of a specific
week, feel free to adjust accordingly so long as you understand the principles at work,
and keep the weekly ratios the same. Likewise, if you gain fat easily you may need to
cut back some on the gluttony, and the converse is true if you don't.

Here is a weekly cycle that should work nicely for most:
Monday =No Carb
Tuesday =Low Carb
Wednesday =High Carb
Thursday =No Carb
Friday =Low carb
Saturday =High Carb+
Sunday =Low Carb
Now, if you are paying attention, you are saying to yourself "WTF is high carb+?
And you are probably also thinking, "sounds interesting, as you lick your lips.

Well, it is interesting, and I think you'll like it. It is like a regular high carb day
except:
Any carbs are acceptable for your carb meals
You may drink alcohol during one of your carb meals
You must keep fats as low as possible (except continue with fish oil
supplementation)
In addition, once every other week, your middle of the week high carb day can have
one "high carb+" meal. Implicit in this statement is the fact that this middle of the
week high carb day can also be moved.

Wednesday is optimal, but if the big dinner you have planned, or the office party, or
hot date, falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, fell free to swap days. I would only warn
that if you moved it to Thursday, Friday should become a no carb day, as you'd want
to buffer two high carb days with a small period of depletion. So, for example, let's
say the hot date fell on a Thursday. I'd recommend switching it up as follows:
Monday =Low Carb
Tuesday =No Carb
Wednesday =Low Carb
Thursday =High Carb
Friday =No carb
Saturday =High Carb+
Sunday =Low Carb

The Bulk Cycle

Can one bulk while cycling carbs? Of course. Why would one want to? Now that is
a more complex question. Essentially, it is a method of bulking while keeping fat
gain minimal. The diet is designed to keep your body in a Fed State much of the
week, thereby keeping you (mostly) anabolic. Can anyone bulk while cycling
carbohydrates? Yes, albeit differently depending on body-type.

First, I am going to discuss how one would bulk if he or she has any endomorphic
tendencies. For such an individual, which I expect will be most of us, I recommend
three high carb days, three low carb days, and one no carb day.

For a pure endomorph, or someone with extreme endomorphic tendencies (i.e. you
add body-fat easier than a hypothyroid hippo) you'll want to add an extra no carb day,
and eliminate a low carb day, at the very least.

Tweaking for body-type, a pure mesomorph would (typically) be better served doing
three high carb days and four low carb days, whereas a pure ectomorph would be best
off with the converse: four high carb days and three low carb days. Understand that
these are general guidelines and recommended starting places. Few of us are purely
any one body-type but rather a blend of the two. So you are best off if you monitor,
and tweak, as you go along.

When setting up such a plan for any body type, keep in mind the following
principles:
Try not to stack more than two high carb days back-to-back (save for the
endomorph)
Do not put no carb days back-to-back
Put your high carb days on days with your most difficult, highest volume
workouts
Put your no carb days on your off days, to the extent possible
Allow one cheat meal weekly, where you can eat and drink what you like
after all, this is a bulk

Cyclical Diet and Training

Most readers are not just dieting, thankfully. So its high time we discussed
optimizing your cycle with your training. One can tailor a cycle to training, or vice
versa. Assuming that time constraints are not an issue, I recommend tailoring the diet
cycle to your training when you are bulking, and your training to your diet when
cutting. Why? Which takes precedent should vary depending on your (current) goal.
When additional muscle is the driving force, training is of paramount importance.
But when fat loss is the primary goal, diet drives the cart.

Because of the numerous factors that must be considered when optimizing the two
and the innumerable permutations that could result, I am not going to give specific
programs. Instead, I will give general guidelines, and offer a single example, based
on the standard three-day cutting cycle. When setting up your total program, use the
following guideposts:
Put your heaviest, hardest, and highest volume workouts on your high carb
days.
Where possible, put your heaviest, hardest, and highest volume workouts after
a low carb day. This works well on a maintenance or bulk program, but not so
much on a cut (where high carb days generally follow no carb days)
Put your off days on your no carb days. Or, use these days for cardio work (if
you insist on cardio) or you lightest low volume days. For example, active
recovery workouts would be ideal here
When cutting, keep the frequency of workouts, and/or the total volume lower
than you would when bulking
Now, let's put this to practice. Assume one is cutting, and using the standard
three-day cycle: no carb, high carb, low carb, repeat.
I would recommend setting up a four-day or six-day split that is spread out over six
days. So, for example, you could do the following:
A: Chest and Triceps
B: Back and Biceps
C: Quads, Hams, and Calves
D: Shoulders, Traps, and Forearms
You'd then play this routine as follows:
No: Off
High: A
Low: B
No: Off
High: C
Low: D
Good luck, and have fun. And remember, variation and experimentation are the keys
to winning the long-term battle of health and self-improvement.

Supplementation

Yes ladies and gentlemen, this is the point where I pimp some products. However, it
is not pimping for the sake of pimping, but rather a discussion on products that can
help optimize one variation of this diet or another. So, I will not outline the virtues of
Avant products generally, or even discuss, for example, Lipoderm-Y or Ab-Solved
(despite the fact that they can be used with this diet effectively). Rather, I will
mention but very few products.
1) LeptiGen. I am sure all the readers of this article are quite familiar with
LeptiGenits benefits use. Carb cycling will generally allow you to maintain
a more aggressive cycle without killing your leptin levels as a Ketogenic diet
might, for instance. So, even with moderate LeptiGen dosing one could
increase the speed of fat-loss by doing a four day cycle such as: high carb, no
carb, low carb, no carb. A higher dose would be necessary to offset anything
more extreme. I would not even recommend a cycle akin to the one previously
listed unless you are consuming at least two servings of LeptiGen per day.
2) LeptiGen Mass. This will be hitting the market in the next few months, and
will be beneficial to the bulker. You will be able to alter your cycle by
performing less high carb days while still remaining as (or more) anabolic as
you would had you kept them in your schedule. LeptiGen Mass will be
particularly excellent for the endomorph on no carb days, and for all users on
the low carb days.
3) ICE. This premier BCAA formula by Xtreme Formulations gets top
reviews and is an excellent addition to any carb cycle. I would highly
recommend its use before or during training on no carb and low carb days.
4) Now Foods Super EPA. This is a terrific product that allows a lower
dosing of fish oil given its high EPA/DHA content.
Again, many products can work nicely with this program, but it is beyond the scope
of this article to address each and every one of them.

Conclusion

What is the point of all of this? Basically, it is what I initially stated in my first
installment. This is a malleable diet than can be tailored to meet specific goals and
specific body types. Do I know exactly how you the reader can optimize a cycle?
No. But hopefully the above guidelines have empowered you to experiment based on
past diet experience. I hope that this has empowered you to explore and understand
what is working for you, and what is not, and how to adapt and optimize along the
way.


And as a bonus for reading this article, I am offering not one but two orange-juice
juicers, as well as a handy-dandy convenient list of fibrous Veggies for your
consumption. Corny pun intended.

FIBROUS VEGETABLES

Alfalfa Sprouts Artichoke Hearts Arugula Asparagus Avocado Bamboo Shoots Bean
Sprouts Beet Greens Bock Choy Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Celery Celery Root Chard Chicory Chives
Collard Greens Cucumber Dandelion Greens Eggplant Endive Escarole Fennel Hearts
of Palm J icama Kale Kohlrabi Leeks Lettuce Mache Millie lettuce Mushrooms Okra
Olives Onion Parsley Peppers Pumpkin Radicchio Radishes Rhubarb Sauerkraut
Scallions Snow Pea Pods Sorrel Spaghetti Squash Spinach String beans Summer
Squash Tomato Turnips Water Chestnuts Wax beans Zucchini