I started carb cycling the other week but im just unsure to how to arrange my carbs through out the day. Im currently using the “war room strategies for max fat loss” article as my basis for training. I want to get down to 6% bf before i think about bulking. i dont like to use the word ‘hard gainer’ but i am a natural ectomorph. Ive eaten my fair share of calories and it just contributes to massive fat gains and alot of water retention with minimum muscle gain.
Im 21, 6’2 at 178lbs with 14.7% bf. i used to be 192 with 12% bf in march of last year but injured my shoulder which kept me out of the gym for a while.
My current plan looks like this,
High - 2750 cals
265g protein
310g carbs - (limited to breakfast, para workout and 2 meals after that)
50g fat
Mod - 2230 cals
265g protein
180g carbs (limited to breakfast & paraworkout)
50g fat
I’m not Thib but personally I’d go for one high day a week, if at all. 4xlow, 2xmod, 1xhigh or so. Or even 5 low days a week (for max fat loss, as I said). Since in that case training days colapse with low days, I’d limit my carb intake to peri-workout carbs and go as loe as possible for the rest of the day.
Cheers,
Para
I’m also following the war room strategies principles. Here’s my plan if you’re interested.
I’m currently reading up on higher carb days and am unsure whether to include them in my program - leaning towards no, as i’m dieting only for 4 weeks.
typical
breakfast is normally…
1/2 cup oats
1 banana
1 cup egg whites
30g protein powder
5g leucine
5g creatine
5g glutamine
5g fish oil
blended.
100c 50p 5f
train 90 mins later.
during workout…30g protein & (high day 60g dex/malto / mod day 40g dex/malto / low day are off days so no training)
immediately after workout 30g protein & (high day 40g dex/malto / mod day 40g dextrose/maltodextrin)
5g leucine
5g creatine
5g glutamine
100c high days / 80c mod days / 60p / 0f
high days i have two more meals consisting of 50/60g of carbs/protein then the remaining two are a protein/vege/fat meal and pre bed meal cottage cheese and protein powder.
mod days i replace the two carb meals from the high days after post workout with protein/vege/fat meals
protein/vege meals consist of 200-250g of red meat/fish or chicken - 200g of veges - 10-15g of fat
fat sources come mostly from fish oil and olive oil
I like the numbers with respect to your weight, height and bodyfat percentage.
IMO, you just have to decide what your one goal for the next few month’ will be. If you are about maximum fat loss, as I worte in my 1st response, you’re probably better off not doing high carb days at all. Or limit carb intake to the carbs peri-workout.
You can start with one high carb day, see how this goes, and then increase or reduce. Personally I measure my bodyfat once every two weeks. This gives me a good picture of where a diet is leading me to.
Personally, when after max fat loss, I don’t do cheat/free meals/days. There are too many occasions in life where you are forced to make less than optimal food choices (like having lunch with you boss in the local pizzeria…). So I limit my binges to these occasions and don’t plan additional ones.
The other thing is to make sure your training routine is in order. I am tall and what ou would call an ectomorph myself and don’t need too much cardio/energy system work to get rid of bdf. But I feel that 2-3 sessions a week (2xHIIT, 1xcomplexes) help me a lot.
Your diet and numbers look good to me to start with.
in regards to energy expenditure im following Thibs program to a T.
two strength based superset workouts (alactic sessions in the evening)
+
two circuit based workouts (5 exercises 3 sets no rest + 2 more ciruits in the same fashion)
the rest are off days
i know for a fact that i have major digestion issues and ive not been recieving the full benefit of bulking or cutting in that manner. i started taking digestive tablets (chinese herbal) and they are working wonders for my appetite and digestion. i swear my abs look so much clearer this morning than they ever have.
i am a fat-ecto by definition but im curious to see where this takes me.
