HOW TO DO IT Depending on who you talk to carb cycling has a few different, but similar, methods of attack. It all comes down to how much you can tolerate. If you are a beginner or just starting a dieting cycle I d go with my approach, not because it s mine but because there is less of a swing in calories and carb intake (read: less time being hangry). I like the minimal amount of work for the most benefit. Let s break out the calculators - it s time for some math. The first thing we are going to account for is protein aka the backbone of the program (I ll explain that more later on). To ensure you don t lose gainz and actually put on muscle - protein should be at least 1 gram (g) per pound of bodyweight. I usually go higher than that like 1.2 g per pound. For me, that would look like 195 (bodyweight) x 1.2 g=234 g of protein. Seems like a lot doesn t it? Take into consideration that I eat six meals a day. So if you divide that over the course of the day, you re looking at about 40 g per meal. That s six ounces of chicken or two scoops of protein per meal not a huge amount. After we get the protein down, let s figure out the fats. Fats should make up 20-30% of your diet to keep your hormones function as they should. This equates to about 0.4 g per pound of bodyweight. Again for me, this would be 78 g. On to the star of the show, carbs. This involves some complex math so be ready to work some brain cells. The high carb day will use the same calculation as protein, 1 g per pound of bodyweight. Medium carb day will be 0.75 of high carb day and low carb day will be 0.5 of high carb day. It would look like so: High carb: 1 g x 195 (bodyweight) = 195 g = 200 g for simplicity Medium carb: 200 g x 0.75 = 150 g Low carb: 200 g x 0.5 = 100 g The calorie difference between high and low carb (~400 calories) gives you just enough for your body to start using fat for energy. Too much of a calorie decline can lead to a slower metabolism. At the end of the day here is how the calories break down, keeping in mind that Protein and Carbs are 4 calories per gram and Fats are 9 calories per gram: High: 2438 (C: 200 x 4, P: 234 x 4, F: 78 x 9) Medium: 2238 (C:150 x 4, P: 234 x 4, F: 78 x 9) Low: 2038 (C: 100 x 4, P: 234 x 4, F: 78 x 9)
This all equates to roughly 10-12 calories per pound of bodyweight which is right in the sweet spot for fat loss without having to eat lettuce and a glass of water for 3 meals a day. THE AESTHETIC PHYSIQUES CARB CYCLING PROTOCOL (Yes I m going to rebrand everything to Aesthetic Physiques) I m going to hit this from a few different angles depending on where you start. Follow the one that comes as close to your situation and feel free to progress down the ladder based on your results. 15-20% Body fat or a Carb Cycling Beginner Tuesday: Medium Wednesday: Low Thursday: High Friday: Medium Saturday: Low 10-15% Body fat Tuesday: Low Wednesday: Medium Thursday: Low Friday: Low Saturday: Medium <10% Body Fat Tuesday: Low Wednesday: Medium Thursday: Low Friday: High Saturday: Medium Once you hit sub 10% body fat your abs will be popping. This is when you should be slowly bumping up calories 1) to increase muscle and 2) to protect your metabolism for the future. TIP FOLLOWED BY A
The first time you try it, like anything else, it s going to feel awkward and time consuming. Here are some tips I picked up doing this a few times. Schedule Manipulation If the schedules above don t jive with your work/workout/social life schedule then feel free to switch it up. The only pieces of advice I would give are to 1) Don t put 2 high carb days back- to- back 2) Don t put too many high carb days on rest days. Once in a while is fine. Water Weight If you are eating low carb before you start be prepared to see the scale shoot up in the days following a high carb day. That is just water weight due to the increase in carbs. It will go away in a few days. I ll admit it s a little disheartening but the benefits the following week are well worth it. Stick it out. High Carb Days High carb days are not a free reign food fest of eating shit. Throw in some cookies, bread or whatever else you re craving but don t go crazy. Keep calories in check. The poison is in the dose with carbs, keep it in check and you ll do fine. Keep it simple Don t get bogged down with counting calories and macros. It s time consuming and sucks. Plan one day, the medium carb day to count macros and just adjust from there. I keep my protein consistent everyday so it s once less thing to think about. Next, I add veggies (which don t count towards carbs) to lunch and dinner every day. I keep a few meals of things I enjoy like breakfast (2 pieces of wheat toast with peanut butter and a banana) and after dinner snack (two ounces of pistachios). These are the backbone of my program. Odds are you have something in your current eating situation you eat daily. From there all I have to do is add or remove servings of carbs to the other meals. I ll add oatmeal after a workout, sweet potato or rice to lunch or a Chobani Greek yogurt to my 3 pm snack depending on which day it is. Word of caution about sweet potatoes, 1 sweet potato, at least where I get them, are freakin monstrous. I can usually get 2 sometimes 3 meals out of 1. Make sure to weigh it out and figure out the macros before you go blowing your progress over a sweet potato with elephantiasis. Don t get bogged down in the details; you still have a life to live. The key to carb cycling is the varying calories throughout the week. As long as you keep things in check you ll see results. WHAT MY WEEK LOOKS LIKE As a point of reference, here is my week in all its gloriousness. High Carb Day
2 scoops of protein ½ cup oatmeal 2 1 cup of brown rice 3pm Medium Carb Day 2 Scoops of protein ½ cup oatmeal 2 3pm (aka the lactose intolerant hell)
Low Carb Day 2 Scoops of protein 2 3pm Simple, boring but most importantly effective.