Sample carb cycling diet with 4-day BGB lifting split, and cardio

[Built]

Okay, I've put together the training (Baby Got Back with HIIT) and wave loading, and the diet plan (carb cycling) I've been using.

Have a look, let me know if the links are wrong ...

Does this help anyone put this together? Anything I should add to the posts to make it clearer?

[l-jo]

I guess I'm not sure how the wave loading fits with the lifting in BGB? Am I just dense? 

[Built]

It's something I use to increase strength on some of the lifts.

[l-jo]

So you have never paid anyone to help you with diet, etc. Just did it all yourself? Very impressive!

[Built]

Thanks!

I put this together from reading a LOT of stuff.

Ledin was where I first heard about horizontal and vertical planes, a concept I believe was introduced by Ian King some time ago.  Joel Marion's Ripped Rugged and Dense explained to me the importance of low-rep training for a cut, and fitday made micromanaging my diet a snap.

Twin Peaks carb cycling I simplified from "high", "medium" and "low" carb days to just "high" and "low" (in my world, "high carb" is over a gram of carb per pound LBM, low is under) … I use standard bodybuilding guidelines for protein (at least a gram per pound LBM), and my baseline of half a gram of fat per pound LBM is based on a peer reviewed study.

Into this mix, I've added in different modalities for cardio (steady state, HIIT) based on various things I've read about caloric deficit, conversion of fast twitch fibres to slow twitch analogues, and EPOC.

Anything else that's been useful that I've happened along (loaded passive stretching, wave loading) I toss into the mix.

Because I didn't pay for any of this information - it's all been freely available on the Internet - I'm able to share it in the open.

So I do.

[Miker]

Marianne... I saw that you have a testimonial on Ledin's site?  Yet.. I was pretty sure that you never hired anyone for your training or nutrition...   Why did you put up a testimonial? Your stuff seems similar to alot of the stuff that I have read from Erik on the various sites he has worked for/posted on.  Did you get it from him or put it together yourself?  Some of it seems familiar re Ian King and Eric Cressey's material.. I've been looking for a 'conglomeration' of this material in one place.  Perhaps something that should be put into special forum on various training and nutrition principles.. much like you are doing here?

[Built]

Miker, you are quite correct - I've not paid Erik (or anyone else for that matter) to direct my training or my diet. I've bought a few books, and I've spent a LOT of time on the boards.

School of hard knocks at it's finest.

I've followed Erik's online postings for a long time - going back to the now-defunct femininemuscle and Rugged sites.

Something about ME that I'm very grateful for - I credit (blame?) my formal education in math - I'm really good at figuring out patterns. 

In scouring the boards, I noticed Erik's strength lies in putting the right combinations together, and I've gleaned that from reading his posts and articles over the years. As I've researched the methodologies he uses, I've been able to employ the sound recomposition strategies he advocates - Ian King's horizontal and vertical planes, Berardi and Twin Peaks' dietary strategies, Lyle McDonald's stubborn fat loss protocols, undulating periodization from Alwyn Cosgrove; various articles by Marion, Cressey, Robertson … I basically read Erik's stuff alongside his reference material. He and I are both logical people - I could see how Erik put together these various strategies, and so, I did the same thing. And it worked!

When I got to the end of my cut last fall, as a courtesy, I sent Erik my pix and DEXA results. He asked me if I'd write him a testimonial because I had so much success following the principals he espouses.

I was happy to oblige.

In reference to your other comment - I'm actually working on a little project that puts more of this kind of information together. Heh, I've always got some project going…  more on that one soon.

Anyway, I thought I'd save a lot of re-typing and searching through a bazillion gym log journals if I just put together a sample week - it's one thing to read the background material, it's quite another to put it together in a meaningful way - I've already done that part, so I thought I'd share it up.

[Dane]

I could see how Erik put together these various strategies, and so, I did the same thing. And it worked!

You did a similar thing, but not the same......Baby Got Back is a unique little split.  While I don't know all the variations of his programs, I remember from the old O2 journals that he does alot of stuff similar to what you and he talked about here waaaaaay back at the birth of this board.  Specifically, using the A1:A2, B1:B2 protocol (like the UP program posted here at BLC).

Anyway, I think it's helpful to see you post HOW you do it, not just WHAT you do.  I think for most people, that's the tricky part.  Trying to put a plan together, and have confidence that it will work, is difficult, and I think that is where online trainers like Erik have the edge--they take all the accountability/responsibility out of it--all you have to do is show up, lol.

Nothing wrong with that! Especially if one can see he's getting good results.  I've seen the results of another popular online trainer, and I was not impressed, 

However, me personally--I'm glad and grateful for the 'net, and for people like you, Erik, Lyle, etc. sharing info so I can do my OWN program, and put the $$ saved towards something special.

[Built]

There IS something rather satisfying about reading something that makes sense, trying it, and having it work. The division of upper body work into horizontal and vertical planes and of the lower body workouts into quad dominant and hamstring dominant days has been one of the biggest keys to my success. It allows for frequent hits in different rep ranges through the week, and an end to those silly "arm day" workouts so many endure <shudders>. I've been happy to be able to post that up to share.

I really need to revisit the UP spreadsheet. I have a better way of structuring a diet now, and I'd like to put more of the antagonistic pairs back into my split. I do this on many of my lifting days, and build periodization informally into my splits, but I've gotten to the point where I train somewhat instinctually, which doesn't always translate well for someone to follow. And to be perfectly honest, it may be too casual an approach - this back injury has really put me in a holding pattern with my training. Thanks for the reminder.

I was hoping this sample week would be helpful to people trying to set up their diet and training strategies. Many here are beyond this point already, but we get new members all the time.

and if anyone has any further suggestions, please post 'em up and I'll include them in the appropriate sticky.

[Built]

Thanks Dane, for moving this.

[Dane]

I needed the practice, 

and if anyone has any further suggestions, please post 'em up and I'll include them in the appropriate sticky.

Maybe include somewhere in thar about your feelings towards refeeds/cheats, and when you do them, if you do?

[Margo]

Fake GHRs??

[JackieLeigh]

I needed the practice, 

and if anyone has any further suggestions, please post 'em up and I'll include them in the appropriate sticky.

Maybe include somewhere in thar about your feelings towards refeeds/cheats, and when you do them, if you do?

Good idea...and perhaps about how you cut/bulk. I know you dont "diet" 365 days a year, which I think some people (especially newbees) need to hear. I defanitly was in full diet mode for far too long without realizing I was actually hindering progress, not helping it

[Ecala]

Good idea...and perhaps about how you cut/bulk.

http://www.beyondlowcarb.net/index.php?topic=3664.0

[Built]

Thanks Ecala.

I should go on a bit about how to figure out how much and how long to bulk and cut.

I'll post that up shortly, along with how to survive the weirdness of gaining weight on purpose.