Questions About Fat Loss

Training
162

[quote]AtleticoMadrid wrote:
Coach,

What are your thoughts regarding the dietary ideas promoted by John Parrillo, especially for fat loss? While I certainly think that people have become a bit more carb-phobic these days, he seems to go far toward the other direction recommending high carbs and very low fat. He is a big proponent of starchy carbs like brown rice and potatoes and almost seems to treat dietary fat as a bogeyman, as opposed to those trying to make people realize that eating fat does not automatically equate to gaining fat or having difficulty losing fat.

[/quote]

I am really curious to hear the answer to this as well!

163

[quote]missmg1976 wrote:
AtleticoMadrid wrote:
Coach,

What are your thoughts regarding the dietary ideas promoted by John Parrillo, especially for fat loss? While I certainly think that people have become a bit more carb-phobic these days, he seems to go far toward the other direction recommending high carbs and very low fat. He is a big proponent of starchy carbs like brown rice and potatoes and almost seems to treat dietary fat as a bogeyman, as opposed to those trying to make people realize that eating fat does not automatically equate to gaining fat or having difficulty losing fat.

I am really curious to hear the answer to this as well!
[/quote]

I used to be carb-phobic and lived on low carbs (less than 50g/day) for 18 months straight. Get lean, didnā€™t make rapid muscle gains even with perfect training and supplementation.

I now believe in the proper use of carbs to maximize recovery and muscle growth. This means having the right types of carbs at the proper time.

Heck, I train one bodybuilder who is competing in 2 weeks and he looks amazing (218 on 5ā€™8ā€™', striated glutes) and twice a week he eats over 500g of carbs and has around 200-250g on the other days. These amounts would certainly not favor someone getting contest lean, but if the right types are consumed at the right time it can work magic!

164

[quote]dphillips wrote:
Coach Thibs,

I know in the past you have had body comp. clients do two full workouts in a week of only metabolic pairings. Do you still think that is an effective method?

THANKS IN ADVANCE! YOUR LOCKER ROOM KICKS ASS![/quote]

I use a somewhat similar tactic with females who want to drop down fat fastā€¦

We do only metabolic work (a circuit really) for the lower body, 3 times a week, and end the workout with upper body work performed normally.

E.g.

DAY 1 - Squat pattern
A1. Back squat 4-6 reps
A2. Power clean 4-6 reps
A3. Jump squat (30% bodyweight) 10-12 reps
A4. Vertical jumps or box jumps 15-20 reps
A5. Bodyweight only squat max in 30 seconds

Performed 3-4 times

Then a Chest/Back pairing is done for 3-4 sets of regular lifting

DAY 2 - Bend over pattern
A1. Romanian deadlift 4-6 reps
A2. Power snatch 4-6 reps
A3. Jump goodmorning(30% bodyweight) 10-12 reps
A4. Broad jumps 15-20 reps
A5. Reverse hyper max in 30 sec

Performed 3-4 times

Than two shoulders exercises are performed

DAY 3 - Split pattern
A1. Split squat 4-6 reps/leg
A2. Split power clean 4-6 reps/side
A3. Jump lunges (15% bodyweight) 10-12 reps total
A4. Step-up jumps 15-20 reps total
A5. Mountain climber or high knees running max in 30 seconds

Performed 3-4 times

Than a biceps/triceps pairing is performed of 3-4 sets

The fourth day is an energy system day:

10 minutes low-intensity
Abs
10 minutes intervals
Abs
20 minutes low-intensity

165

[quote]holguint123 wrote:
Coach, about how much weight does someone gain back after a carb up on a CKD if done correctly(from glycogen replenishment, water retention, fat gain, etc.)? Or is it something that varies greatly from person to person?[/quote]

It varies greatly, mostly because of the amount of extracellular water retention. Heck, I once gained 22lbs in 6 hours!!!

166

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
missmg1976 wrote:
AtleticoMadrid wrote:
Coach,

What are your thoughts regarding the dietary ideas promoted by John Parrillo, especially for fat loss? While I certainly think that people have become a bit more carb-phobic these days, he seems to go far toward the other direction recommending high carbs and very low fat. He is a big proponent of starchy carbs like brown rice and potatoes and almost seems to treat dietary fat as a bogeyman, as opposed to those trying to make people realize that eating fat does not automatically equate to gaining fat or having difficulty losing fat.

I am really curious to hear the answer to this as well!

I used to be carb-phobic and lived on low carbs (less than 50g/day) for 18 months straight. Get lean, didnā€™t make rapid muscle gains even with perfect training and supplementation.

I now believe in the proper use of carbs to maximize recovery and muscle growth. This means having the right types of carbs at the proper time.

Heck, I train one bodybuilder who is competing in 2 weeks and he looks amazing (218 on 5ā€™8ā€™', striated glutes) and twice a week he eats over 500g of carbs and has around 200-250g on the other days. These amounts would certainly not favor someone getting contest lean, but if the right types are consumed at the right time it can work magic![/quote]

Sweet! I agree, Iā€™ve increased my carbs around my workout this yearā€¦and have seen amazing progress in contrast from when I too stayed around fifty a day. Thank you for sharing yoour knowledge, I have learned so much reading through your threads. Great stuff!

167

Coach, what is your opinion on completely fasted low intensity morning cardio vs. just having a whey shake ahead of time? How do those compare to just doing it later in the day?

Thanks

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

I used to be carb-phobic and lived on low carbs (less than 50g/day) for 18 months straight. Get lean, didnā€™t make rapid muscle gains even with perfect training and supplementation.

I now believe in the proper use of carbs to maximize recovery and muscle growth. This means having the right types of carbs at the proper time.

Heck, I train one bodybuilder who is competing in 2 weeks and he looks amazing (218 on 5ā€™8ā€™', striated glutes) and twice a week he eats over 500g of carbs and has around 200-250g on the other days. These amounts would certainly not favor someone getting contest lean, but if the right types are consumed at the right time it can work magic![/quote]

I find reading things like this really interesting, watching as a coach evolves not only with his training beliefs but also with his nutritional advice. Definitely a lot different than the answer we would have gotten from you 2 years ago! Not that itā€™s a bad thing at all (if anything itā€™s obviously better to continuously progress in thinking), itā€™s just interesting to note.

168

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
dphillips wrote:
Coach Thibs,

I know in the past you have had body comp. clients do two full workouts in a week of only metabolic pairings. Do you still think that is an effective method?

THANKS IN ADVANCE! YOUR LOCKER ROOM KICKS ASS!

I use a somewhat similar tactic with females who want to drop down fat fastā€¦

[/quote]

Is this also optimal for males or is this specifically tailored for females?

169

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
holguint123 wrote:
Coach, about how much weight does someone gain back after a carb up on a CKD if done correctly(from glycogen replenishment, water retention, fat gain, etc.)? Or is it something that varies greatly from person to person?

It varies greatly, mostly because of the amount of extracellular water retention. Heck, I once gained 22lbs in 6 hours!!![/quote]

Holy crap that is insaneā€¦not gonna lieā€¦

170

[quote]holguint123 wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
holguint123 wrote:
Coach, about how much weight does someone gain back after a carb up on a CKD if done correctly(from glycogen replenishment, water retention, fat gain, etc.)? Or is it something that varies greatly from person to person?

It varies greatly, mostly because of the amount of extracellular water retention. Heck, I once gained 22lbs in 6 hours!!!

Holy crap that is insaneā€¦not gonna lieā€¦[/quote]

Tell me about it!

It was about 3 weeks prior to a bodbuilding contest and I looked flat as hell. My coach at the time told me to go to the grocery store and buy everything I could eat.

I cost me over 170$ in crappy food. My kitchen table was filled with donuts, cake, candy, you name it. At 6pm I was 191, at midnight I was 223ā€¦ drank at least 3 gallons of diet coke in the processā€¦ I did NOT feel good.

171

[quote]PB Andy wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
dphillips wrote:
Coach Thibs,

I know in the past you have had body comp. clients do two full workouts in a week of only metabolic pairings. Do you still think that is an effective method?

THANKS IN ADVANCE! YOUR LOCKER ROOM KICKS ASS!

I use a somewhat similar tactic with females who want to drop down fat fastā€¦

Is this also optimal for males or is this specifically tailored for females?[/quote]

Strictly for fat loss purposes it will be as effective for both sexes. However most guy do not like it because of the low amount of upper body work.

172

Hey Coach, just a small question about Fish Oil.

I take in 10g a day as thereā€™s so many good benefits (so iā€™ve been told)

But as every one has different levels of the 2 sub-types (?) EPA and DFA is there a certain amount of each to aim for instead of ingesting Xg of fish oil which is wildly variant in both sub-types or whatever they are.

173

[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Coach, what is your opinion on completely fasted low intensity morning cardio vs. just having a whey shake ahead of time? How do those compare to just doing it later in the day?

Thanks

Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

I used to be carb-phobic and lived on low carbs (less than 50g/day) for 18 months straight. Get lean, didnā€™t make rapid muscle gains even with perfect training and supplementation.

I now believe in the proper use of carbs to maximize recovery and muscle growth. This means having the right types of carbs at the proper time.

Heck, I train one bodybuilder who is competing in 2 weeks and he looks amazing (218 on 5ā€™8ā€™', striated glutes) and twice a week he eats over 500g of carbs and has around 200-250g on the other days. These amounts would certainly not favor someone getting contest lean, but if the right types are consumed at the right time it can work magic!

I find reading things like this really interesting, watching as a coach evolves not only with his training beliefs but also with his nutritional advice. Definitely a lot different than the answer we would have gotten from you 2 years ago! Not that itā€™s a bad thing at all (if anything itā€™s obviously better to continuously progress in thinking), itā€™s just interesting to note. [/quote]

Thatā€™s before being a coach Iā€™m a training freak!

While I do like training people, I LOVE training. I just cannot see myself stopping experimenting.

174

Any opinion on the above part of the quote?

"Coach, what is your opinion on completely fasted low intensity morning cardio vs. just having a whey shake ahead of time? How do those compare to just doing it later in the day? "

175

[quote]pumped340 wrote:
Any opinion on the above part of the quote?

"Coach, what is your opinion on completely fasted low intensity morning cardio vs. just having a whey shake ahead of time? How do those compare to just doing it later in the day? "[/quote]

When it all boils down to it, at equal intensity & duration there will be little difference in the amount of fat lost regardless of the actual time of day you do your cardio.

Eating a full meal 2 hours or less before a session WILL reduce the effect, especially if the meal was high in either carbs or fat.

Fasted cardio carries the risk of leading catabolism.

Taking a small amount of protein beforehand is better.

176

Coach,

Just out of curiosity, what would be the difference between doing a standard carb cycle in which both carbs and calories varie from day to day and taking an approach were you eat the same amount of calories everyday and only vary carb intake (asuming avarege calories and average calories and carbohydrates are equal for both scenarios)?

For example,

STANDARD CYCLE

Moderate Day (done 3 times per week)

Calories 2400
Protein 250 g
Carbs 250g
Fat 44,5 g

High Day (done 2 times per week)

Calories 2650
Protein 250 g
Carbs 312,5g
Fat 44,5 g

Low day (done 2 times per week)

Calories 2150
Protein 250 g
Carbs 187,5g
Fat 44,5 g

Average calories 2400, Avg. carbs 250 g

ISOCALORIC CYCLE

Moderate Day

Calories 2400
Protein 250 g
Carbs 250g
Fat 44,5 g

High Day

Calories 2400
Protein 250 g
Carbs 312,5g
Fat 17 g

Low day

Calories 2400
Protein 250 g
Carbs 187,5g
Fat 72 g

Avg. calories 2400, Avg. carbs 250 g

Would there be a significant difference in the end result of these two scenarios when losing fat or building muscle due to a suboptimal energy intake management in the second scenario or is the first strategy used for more simplicity, since one only has to modify carb intake instead of having to change both fat and carbs on a daily basis?

Thanks for your time coach. Love the new forum format by the way

177

Thib,
Would you say that your current view on maximizing muscle mass while minimizing fat is basically:

  • 6 days per week of eating about 1.25g/lb protein for meals and standard pulses
  • 6 days per week of eating about 60-80g smart fats mostly in the second half of the day
  • consuming up to 200-250g CHO before your workouts for just the training days
  • consuming minimal (say below 50g) on the off training days
  • taking a low protein day once a week and loading up on fruits and veggies for somewhat of a ā€œcarbloadā€

Please fill in the blanks as it pertains to your approach for max muscle and fat control/loss.

Best,
DH

178

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
holguint123 wrote:
Christian Thibaudeau wrote:
holguint123 wrote:
Coach, about how much weight does someone gain back after a carb up on a CKD if done correctly(from glycogen replenishment, water retention, fat gain, etc.)? Or is it something that varies greatly from person to person?

It varies greatly, mostly because of the amount of extracellular water retention. Heck, I once gained 22lbs in 6 hours!!!

Holy crap that is insaneā€¦not gonna lieā€¦

Tell me about it!

It was about 3 weeks prior to a bodbuilding contest and I looked flat as hell. My coach at the time told me to go to the grocery store and buy everything I could eat.

I cost me over 170$ in crappy food. My kitchen table was filled with donuts, cake, candy, you name it. At 6pm I was 191, at midnight I was 223ā€¦ drank at least 3 gallons of diet coke in the processā€¦ I did NOT feel good.[/quote]

Haha, I bet you could literally see yourself inflate as the 6hrs went by. That seems counter intuitive to eat all of that junk though. Did it end up working for you in the end?

179

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

I used to be carb-phobic and lived on low carbs (less than 50g/day) for 18 months straight. Get lean, didnā€™t make rapid muscle gains even with perfect training and supplementation.

I now believe in the proper use of carbs to maximize recovery and muscle growth. This means having the right types of carbs at the proper time.

Heck, I train one bodybuilder who is competing in 2 weeks and he looks amazing (218 on 5ā€™8ā€™', striated glutes) and twice a week he eats over 500g of carbs and has around 200-250g on the other days. These amounts would certainly not favor someone getting contest lean, but if the right types are consumed at the right time it can work magic![/quote]

Coach,

When you refer to the "right types of carbs, are you specifically referring to the specialized ones included in Biotestā€™s ā€œsuperā€ supplements? e.g. the precise blend of palatinose and rice oligodextrin?

Unless extremely carb tolerant and insulin sensitive, do you feel that the bulk of the day (outside of para-training) should still consist of mostly fibrous vegetables with the possible inclusion of some fruit and/or legumes?

Are there times when rice, yams, various ā€œancientā€ grains, and things along those lines are the optimal choice?

180

Coach, when someone goes on a fat loss program, does the body prefer to lose fat viscerally or subcutaneously? Are there ways to influence the body to burn one or the other?

181

CT,

I know that you like intervals for fat loss. Would you recommend doing steady state in addition?

Is it true that low intensity cardio primarily uses fat as energy and high intensity uses carbs?

Is one type of cardio really better at preserving muscle?