Excited for this.
In our last post on gaining muscle and losing fat we discussed that while these goals do indeed require different training and nutrition strategies, these strategies are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Meaning: You CAN lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously provided you use a strategic, timed approach.
Also in that post, I loosely gave mention to several different methods to achieve both goals simultaneously, and in these next few posts I want to take a deeper, more specific look at each.
Today’s method: MEGA Carbohydrate Loading
With this type of carb loading, you will consume 50% of your total daily caloric intake and 95% of your daily carbohydrate intake within 3 hours of beginning your muscle building workout.
By doing this, you provide your body with a massive surge of carbs and calories at the exact time that it is most responsive to suck up all those nutrients and use them for muscle repair and recovery.
NOTE: In order for this to work, you’ve got to be doing INTENSE, high volume workouts.
Go with a macronutrient breakdown of 30% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 30% fat.
Assuming a 45-minute workout, the Mega Carbohydrate Load starts with your pre/during workout beverage, followed by your post workout beverage, followed by a carbohydrate containing protein shake 1/2 hour later, followed by two whole food meals.
The first whole food meal should be consumed 45 minutes after the carb containing protein shake, and then the second whole food meal another 45 minutes later.
The rest of the meals of the day should be protein + fat + veggies (with minimal carbs).
Also, by doing this the bulk of your calorie and carb intake comes at the most anabolic time of the day, and the rest of the time you are actually in a caloric deficit while limiting insulin and carbohydrate.
Here’s an example:
8:00 am: Low-carb protein shake with added fiber; 2 tablespoons of olive oil
10:30 am: 3 eggs plus 4 whites scrambled with 2 slices of cheese; 4 strips of bacon; 1/2 package of spinach
1:00 pm: Low-carb protein bar; 2 oz of dry roasted nuts
3:00 pm: 8 oz Cheeseburger (no bun, wrapped in lettuce); large salad with very low-calorie dressing
5:00 pm (immediately pre-workout): Quickly digested protein/carb beverage
5:45 pm (immediately post-workout): quickly digested protein/carb beverage
6:15 pm: Protein/Carb shake with Skim Milk
7:00 pm: 2 oz of pasta (dry weight); 4 oz of chicken breast; 2 slices of 12-grain bread; package of broccoli
7:45 pm: 2 oz of pasta (dry weight); 4 oz of chicken breast; 2 slices of 12-grain bread; package of asparagus
10:00 pm: Low-carb protein shake with added fiber; 1 tablespoon of olive oil; 2 cups of green beans; 20 grams of fish oil
NOTE: Do not directly copy my diet as it likely calls for far too many calories for your size and build. Instead, copy the structure and the overlying principles based on your own calorie needs. Also, it is fundamentally important to consume just as many green veggies throughout the day in non-workout meals, as is apparent in my example above.
How’s THAT for free content?
Want Method #2? At least 250 comments and I’ll post the “Anabolic Burst Cycling method” tomorrow!
Talk to you in the comments section!
Joel
P.S. Want to know ANOTHER brand new technique for simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain right now?
Check out the below video from my buddy Kyle explaining one of the NEWEST methods we’re using:
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271 comments - add yours
Nice post Joel. I normally like to do a week of dieting with training to match. Then a week of overeating with training to match.
Never done it like this before (apart from a bit of post workout drinks), might give it a shot, cheers.
don’t listen to them Joel, keep doing your thing, you’re awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha
great post hope u post more ways.i have been looking for a way to lose fat and gain musles for a long time but i didn’t find useful information.
See, this is what I’ve been doing wrong lol I put on muscle but its a hard slog, I’m constantly cheating myself out of gains by simply not eating enough. MUST EAT MOAR! Thanks Joel!
What about the diet for the strictly vegetarians? no eggs and fish also!!
Joel, how about eggs for the last meal? Does that work like chicken?
sounds a little ridiculous. how is someone actually supposed to follow that scheme while maintaining a life?
Oh dear. Your mega carb loading sounds more like my “caloric deprivation day”. he he he. My carb loading is more like 20-40 scoops of haagen dazs ice cream 6 hours before density training. It’s an ice cream buffet hehehe
Ice cream being liquid in the tummy allows me to work out right away unlike having the same amount of calories in high glycemic solid food. hehe. now that’s hedonism :)
But I’ve never tried that, introducing the carbs during and post work out. I’ve always been trying to introduce the carbs before so I can burn it out right away and blast my leptin and insulin. It will give me something to think about.
Hi Joel,
I cannot consume so much food. Ofcourse this is way above my calorie needs. I’ll try to maintain the ratio according to my needs.
Joel – thanx for the gr8 info, much appreciated! ;-) keep it up! thanx Syd
OMG I have had enough of hypocritical studies.
Stop studying and start doing…if it doesn’t work then try something different.
hi joel
what happen if a train at night? may i eat that amount of carbs near my bed time?
Thanks for giving an example of a meal plan – it does help. However, you said that we need to be doing intense workouts for this to work. Does this mean that I need to do heavy, intense exercise every day?
It seems to be a great method, but I do think it would be beneficial to absorb a some carbs instead of the bunless cheeseburger so as to make sure the muscles are loaded with glycogen for the workout.
a very interesting meal and exercise plan, look forward to the next one :)
Unrelated QUESTION!
So if turbulence training (I am doing the TT for fat loss program) doesn’t count as an intense program, can healthy pregnant women still follow it and lose weight?
Also one trick to weight loss that has recently worked with me…eating eggs with plenty of arugula (around 2.5 -3 cupe) in the morning…it just does crazy things to my progress…not sure why!
Very Interesting! A lot to think about when you are in the workplace and trying to do the best for your body. Keep the info coming!
Great info Joel,
Keep it coming! I noticed you increase your fat intake 1st thing in the morning and again at night, supplementing with olive oil. Is the reason that you do that to support the production of anabolic hormones?
Very interesting information I can add to the vault. Thanks Joel.
So we’re supposed to spend the whole day eating? Makes no sense. Personally, I work in a boutique and have no lunch hour per say, because if a customer walks in, I have to take care of her/him and forget about eating. So how could I have a cheeseburger at 3 pm if I can’t have my salad in peace at noon?
This is an awesome idea I used to follow earlier, and wish to follow now but I have to find out something to keep my “life” (meaning the carb junkies at my workplace who are constantly nagging to go down and have a cookie or whatever) from interfering all the time. Community life is such a burden! :D
I definitely give this a try but more info please for someone who’s working
On cardio/rest days should you follow a low carb or maybe just a “low gi” type of diet? More curious than anything, this eating schedule is a bit too intense for me! Looking forward to reading about the next method.
I have your Cheat to Lose book, I’m in week 2 of the priming phase, so far so good, thanks!
I have a question. In this program when would you work out ? In the evening ?
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...