first time starting carb cycling, advice/critique on my plan appreciated

[smeeto]

Hey, so as the title says i started carb cycling to cut for the first time after gaining too much weight on a 'cycle' of horribly under dosed gear, causing me to gain a significant amount of fat because of how much i was eating over maintenance. My base metabolic rate is about 2400, i'm not sure exactly as I have always gone by the general philosophy of always eating clean and however much my body tells me i need, while not worrying too much about exact numbers. So for my cut this is what I've been doing for the past two weeks (I have been down 2-5 pounds so far since I started, my weight fluctuates alot)
Stats at start:
Age-24
Height-5'10
Weight-197 lbs
BF: ~15%

Day 1: (Very low/0 carbs) I don't eat the exact same thing every day, but i always keep the carbs the same and fat/protien similar
breakfast: 2 eggs (scambled) cheddar cheese, 1 slice bacon [400 cal]
lunch: one chicken breast, one hamburger patty w/ cheddar [700 cal]
dinner: Turkey, roast beef, and chicken salad [700 cal]
plus a 150 cal whey shake post workout, whenever that it.
Total: 2000 cal, ~60% protien ~40% fat, negligible carbs

Days 2-5: (low carbs) Again, i don't eat the exact same thing every day but the macros and timing are always very similar.
Breakfast: 2 eggs (scrambled), cheddar cheese, 1 slice bacon, and coffee w/soy milk. [500 cal] 25g carbs
Lunch: salad w/ olives, feta, hefty amounts of chicken, and some ranch [600 cal] 25g carbs
Dinner: cup of shredded chicken, ground beef, cheese and tomatoes [600 cal] 5g carbs
plus a 150 cal whey shake and apple or banana post-workout
Total: 2000 cal, 15% carbs, 50% protien, 35% fat

Days 6-7: (high carb) I don't really have any eating plan on these days other than eat clean and reach my macros
Total: 2600 cal, 40% carbs, 30% protien, 30% fat

I lift 6 days a week with 30-40 minute high intensity sessions where i only focus on one or two muscle groups and am doing 25 minutes of HIIT cardio 4 days a week.

Any critique from those more knowledgeable would be appreciated.

[gbrice75]

Hey, so as the title says i started carb cycling to cut for the first time after gaining too much weight on a 'cycle' of horribly under dosed gear, causing me to gain a significant amount of fat because of how much i was eating over maintenance. My base metabolic rate is about 2400, i'm not sure exactly as I have always gone by the general philosophy of always eating clean and however much my body tells me i need, while not worrying too much about exact numbers. So for my cut this is what I've been doing for the past two weeks (I have been down 2-5 pounds so far since I started, my weight fluctuates alot)
Stats at start:
Age-24
Height-5'10
Weight-197 lbs
BF: ~15%

IMO, a carb cycle is only as good as the training regimen it compliments. My carb cycles are specifically engineered to go hand in hand with workouts to maximize fat loss... and even potential gains on higher carb days. It wouldn't hurt to have a look at your complete training plan as well...

Day 1: (Very low/0 carbs) I don't eat the exact same thing every day, but i always keep the carbs the same and fat/protien similar
breakfast: 2 eggs (scambled) cheddar cheese, 1 slice bacon [400 cal]
lunch: one chicken breast, one hamburger patty w/ cheddar [700 cal]
dinner: Turkey, roast beef, and chicken salad [700 cal]
plus a 150 cal whey shake post workout, whenever that it.
Total: 2000 cal, ~60% protien ~40% fat, negligible carbs

While this is probably fine as you're supposedly in a caloric deficit already, i'm giving you my approach. My fat and protein macros always stay the same (protein high, fat low), with carbs being the only macro I manipulate. Personally, 40% of total calories coming from fat is a bit much for me. I'd keep this number at a max of 20% and simply have a larger deficit on these days.

Days 2-5: (low carbs) Again, i don't eat the exact same thing every day but the macros and timing are always very similar.
Breakfast: 2 eggs (scrambled), cheddar cheese, 1 slice bacon, and coffee w/soy milk. [500 cal] 25g carbs
Lunch: salad w/ olives, feta, hefty amounts of chicken, and some ranch [600 cal] 25g carbs
Dinner: cup of shredded chicken, ground beef, cheese and tomatoes [600 cal] 5g carbs
plus a 150 cal whey shake and apple or banana post-workout
Total: 2000 cal, 15% carbs, 50% protien, 35% fat

Same as before... I'd bring protein back up to 60% and drop fats down to 20%.

Days 6-7: (high carb) I don't really have any eating plan on these days other than eat clean and reach my macros
Total: 2600 cal, 40% carbs, 30% protien, 30% fat

Why 2 high carb days? I'd only do 1. You can completely restore glycogen stores in a single high carb day... no need to extend over the course of 2 days IMO. Also, this is where you REALLY want fats low - I'd bump carbs and protein and drop fats to as low as 10-15%

I lift 6 days a week with 30-40 minute high intensity sessions where i only focus on one or two muscle groups and am doing 25 minutes of HIIT cardio 4 days a week.

Any critique from those more knowledgeable would be appreciated.

I have to run out for a few mins but can offer more insight when I get back if you're interested. Also, I can post my last carb cycle (which i'll be running again in just under 4 weeks) which I had great success with if you'd like to see it.

[smeeto]

IMO, a carb cycle is only as good as the training regimen it compliments. My carb cycles are specifically engineered to go hand in hand with workouts to maximize fat loss... and even potential gains on higher carb days. It wouldn't hurt to have a look at your complete training plan as well...

day 1:
Barbell squats: 4 sets x 4-6 reps
Leg extention: 2 sets x 4-6 reps
Leg Curls: 2 sets x 4-6 reps
calf raises: 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Sitting calf raises: 2 sets x 4-6 reps

day 2:
Barbell curls: 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Hammer curls: 2 sets x 4-6 reps
Preacher curls: 1 sets x 4-6 reps
barbell forearm curl: 2 sets to failure
Palms-Up Dumbbell wrist curl: 2 sets to failure

day 3
Shoulder press 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Upright rows 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Bent over lateral raises 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Dumbbell shrugs 4 sets x failure
Lateral Raises 3 sets x 8-10

day 4
Incline Barbell Press 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Flat Barbell Press 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Guillotine Press 3 sets x 8-10 reps
Reverse Grip Bench: 3 sets x 4-6
Weighted Dips: 2 sets x 8-10
Skull Crushers: 2 sets x 4-6

day 5
Weighted Chin ups 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Bent-Over Barbell Rows 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Behind the Back Pulldowns 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Smith machine Shoulder Press: 2 sets x 8-10


While this is probably fine as you're supposedly in a caloric deficit already, i'm giving you my approach. My fat and protein macros always stay the same (protein high, fat low), with carbs being the only macro I manipulate. Personally, 40% of total calories coming from fat is a bit much for me. I'd keep this number at a max of 20% and simply have a larger deficit on these days.

Will do, how much larger of a deficit do you think that i should have? Would 600 be too much?


Why 2 high carb days? I'd only do 1. You can completely restore glycogen stores in a single high carb day... no need to extend over the course of 2 days IMO. Also, this is where you REALLY want fats low - I'd bump carbs and protein and drop fats to as low as 10-15%

I do 2 high carb days just to keep my sanity, i know that one is enough but I don't think i would have the will to only do 1 high carb day a week. Again, will do on the fats.

I have to run out for a few mins but can offer more insight when I get back if you're interested. Also, I can post my last carb cycle (which i'll be running again in just under 4 weeks) which I had great success with if you'd like to see it.
that would he hugely appreciated

not too familiar with the formatting thing yet... all my responses are inside the quote

[gbrice75]

day 1:
Barbell squats: 4 sets x 4-6 reps
Leg extention: 2 sets x 4-6 reps
Leg Curls: 2 sets x 4-6 reps
calf raises: 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Sitting calf raises: 2 sets x 4-6 reps

Good to see that your leg workout (probably your most intense workout) follows a high carb day. However, I think it's a mistake to have this as a no carb day. You're working on half your body in a single workout. That's a lot of muscle being broken down. I'd make this a moderate carb day. I'll post my strategy at the bottom.

day 2:
Barbell curls: 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Hammer curls: 2 sets x 4-6 reps
Preacher curls: 1 sets x 4-6 reps
barbell forearm curl: 2 sets to failure
Palms-Up Dumbbell wrist curl: 2 sets to failure

An entire workout dedicated to bi's?

day 3
Shoulder press 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Upright rows 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Bent over lateral raises 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Dumbbell shrugs 4 sets x failure
Lateral Raises 3 sets x 8-10

day 4
Incline Barbell Press 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Flat Barbell Press 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Guillotine Press 3 sets x 8-10 reps
Reverse Grip Bench: 3 sets x 4-6
Weighted Dips: 2 sets x 8-10
Skull Crushers: 2 sets x 4-6

day 5
Weighted Chin ups 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Bent-Over Barbell Rows 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Behind the Back Pulldowns 3 sets x 4-6 reps
Smith machine Shoulder Press: 2 sets x 8-10

Why are you hitting shoulders again on day 5?

Will do, how much larger of a deficit do you think that i should have? Would 600 be too much?

Nope. You can go even lower. We're not talking about severe caloric restriction for days on end, we're talking about a day or two at a time. Nothing to worry about.

I do 2 high carb days just to keep my sanity, i know that one is enough but I don't think i would have the will to only do 1 high carb day a week. Again, will do on the fats.

Honestly, the only advice I can offer here is this: man up. 1 full high carb day should be plenty to 'get it out of your system' ... 2 days really drags it on and will be counter productive to cutting bodyfat. I promise you won't see great results with 2 high carb days. It's actually bad in 2 ways - not only is it a 2nd unnecessary counterproductive high carb day, but it's also a missed opportunity to get right back to the primary goal, which is to burn fat.

Here's how I had my carb cycle arranged last summer, and will be doing so again in a few weeks:

Monday - moderate carb day - 275g protein, 105g carbs, 45g fat - heavy workout day, big muscle groups + cardio

Tuesday - moderate carb day - 275g protein, 105g carbs, 45g fat - heavy workout day, big muscle groups + cardio

Wednesday - moderate carb day - 275g protein, 105g carbs, 45g fat - light workout day, isolation work, abs, etc + cardio

Thursday - no carb day (fibrous veggies only) - 275g protein, 50g carbs (via fibrous veggies), 45g fat - depletion type workout - cardio intensive, high volume, high rep + cardio

Friday - no carb day (fibrous veggies only) - 275g protein, 50g carbs (via fibrous veggies), 45g fat - total body depletive workout, cardio intensive, high volume, high rep + cardio

Saturday - no carb day (fibrous veggies only) - 275g protein, 50g carbs (via fibrous veggies), 45g fat - extended cardio (usually 1 hour)

Sunday - high carb day - 275g protein, 250g carbs, 45g fat - Complete rest day, no training or cardio

Repeat

So we're using the earlier moderate carb days to fuel the biggest workouts (legs, back, etc). All we're doing here is topping off glycogen stores. The last moderate carb day is a light workout... whatever glycogen stores remain will be burned up over the following no carb days, hence the reasoning behind the light workout.

We're using the 3 no-carb days to quickly deplete glycogen stores in order to burn as much bodyfat as possible.

The single high carb day is meant to completely restore glycogen. If we had any kind of training on this day, stores wouldn't get filled completely. We are restoring glycogen for another week of intense training.

Hope this makes some sense.

[smeeto]

most of it makes sense, there are a few things im not sure the reasoning behind, but I'm sure that you know your shit so they're right. Thanks a ton especially for the day by day breakdown of your plan, i'll switch to it at the end of this rotation. Would you qualify grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, onoin, peppers etc.) as fibrous veggies?