Slingshot Keto vs Slingshot Carb Cycling

[Ronnie Rowland]

Slingshot Carb Cycling verses Slingshot Keto diet.


Slingshot diet-"Carb/Calorie Cycling":

A recent report showed that taking carbs down to 100 per day burned away almost as much body fat as being in a state of ketosis but most experience blood sugar crashes with such low levels of carbs because the body will be fighting to entering ketosis. Carb cycling is the superior way to "lose body fat" during the beginning of a diet phase. Keeping carbs/calories in check 5 days per week is the best way for all somatotypes to either add some lean muscle or lose ugly body fat. Eating less carbs/calories 5 days per week helps you lose unwanted body fat but you’ll need to increase carbs/calories twice a week to encourage your body to burn more body fat for fuel. I realize some of you are unaware that increasing caloric and carb intake twice a week will actually help prevent the build-up of adipose tissue, but it does! The body responds in a positive manner when 2 non-consecutive carb/calories up days are included each week. It does so by driving up anabolic hormones and increasing thyroid hormone output-hence speeding up the metabolism and increasing lean muscle mass. When carbs and calories are constantly kept low, your body adapts and the metabolism slows down. Insulin is needed for muscle repair and it prevents catabolism. Keeping carbs under control for too long will sabotage muscle gains and your body’s fat burning potential since muscle burns calories. (A great approach is to use a 3 low-1 high-2 low-1 high carb/calorie rotation). Monday-low, Tuesday-low, Wednesday-high (carbs clean on the first carb/calorie up day (day 3), Thursday-low, Friday-low, Saturday-high (cheat day), Sunday-low. Decrease fat calories on first carb up day to remain at maintenance level. Add in some junk food carbs like pizza on the second carb up day (day 6 Saturday). I recommend increasing calories through carbs by around 500 (150 carb grams) on the first carb up day, (for i.e. Wednesday) and increasing both carbs and fats to total around 2000 calories (300 carb grams and 30-100 fat grams) during the second carb/ calorie up (cheat day), (for i.e. Saturdays). (Keep in mind that a carb up day and a cheat day are not one in the same)! Factor in how much cheating you should allow on cheat days and stay within your limits. At the end of the low carb days, your energy levels will drop, but the high carb days will rejuvenate your energy levels and get you ready to train for a few more days before becoming depleted once again. By adding in the additional fats during the cheat meal it helps pull glycogen into the muscles! You can have Pizza, Mexican food, hamburger/fries etc on cheat days. The extra sugar and calories is going to boost your metabolism, make you sharper in regards to your diet the rest of the week and give you something to look forward to-“big-time”. You have to be disciplined but you need one day each week to look forward to where you can ease the cravings for junk food. By night-time your muscles will be absolutely full and vascular from all the extra glycogen stored in the muscles. Focus on making the first calorie/carb up day a clean eating day full of complex carbs and have some junk food like pizza for a couple of meals during the second calorie/carb up day (considered a cheat day). A good plan is to have one calorie/carb up day the day after training legs because that’s when you’ll find your self the hungriest. IMO it's the absolute best day for the cheat meal! The upper back muscles and legs are very demanding train, so I always need a carb up day the following day. By using this approach you will kill two birds with one stone. If you are no longer losing fat, simply increase cardio and/or decrease daily calories by 300-500. Make these caloric decreases every 7-14 days if need be until your fat loss goals are met. Aim to subtract calories or add as needed till you achieve your desired 1-2 pound fat loss per week. No cheat meals are allowed 6 weeks prior to a peaking date, only a second weekly carb up meal unless you are losing body fat according. In addition, some will need to drop the first weekly carb up meal anmd only carb up once a week with carb cycling if fat loss stalls.

Slingshot Carb Cycling verses Slingshot Keto diet.

Its spring-time and many are asking me how they can get ****** for summer! Here are my suggestions- as you begin a cutting phase, it’s best to start out with the Slingshot Carb Cycling diet unless you are severely over weight and it great need of losing fast. As a contest or beach trip approaches your body fat levels will get lower. When this occurs you will become more drained. This can be the perfect time for some to incorporate lower volume training coupled with the Slingshot Keto Diet so that last tiny bit of stubborn body fat that does not want to leave will be expelled. Those with a faster metabolism should avoid keto diets and stay with carb cycling!

After 23 years of training other bodybuilders, I have witnessed that some people with a slower metabolism have a harder time using the carb cycling diet and actually felt better with keto. However, they still got zapped, depleted and irritable. Some hate the no carb/keto diet but many of those same people need it to drop a lot of fat fast. I have also observed that someone might or might not react to either forms of dieting (carb cycling and keto) for a long time. I will say it can also depend on how much you have to loose or how much is left after you’ve been dieting. If you have a fast metabolism you should probably avoid keto the last 2 weeks before a show or you may have trouble filling out! Going long durations without carbs is hard on one’s body but most get accustomed to it after a couple of weeks and become fat burning machines (women in particular do well in ketosis). I have experimented with many pre-contest diets and prefer starting out with carb cycling then progressing to a more stringent Ketogenic diet to keep insulin levels more steady as things get tougher (if needed). Keto is used only as a last resort as I feel carb cycling and keeping carbs at no less than 150 per day is the superior way to get cut and feel best for most males. Women do better with keto diets than men as they have slower metabolisms and lose less muscle while dieting. Keto forces you to train using less volume while in a depleted state and this can help prevent over use injuries when the joints are drying out. However, some do better with some carbs (water retention) to cushion the joints. I will have to say the first 3-5 days of going into ketosis is like hitting a brick wall at 90 mph but once in a full blown state of ketosis,1 you may feel pretty good. The brain does not function as well on ketones as it does glucose but it can still be better for some than when their brain in starving for glucose with very low carb/calorie cycling diets.

Some people do not fare as well as others while in ketosis-hence they must use more training volume and/or cardio to take off the weight. This can be bad if they have time restraints or have joint pain that worsens with higher volume training. The idea situation is coming into a bodybuilding show with that grainy look coupled with cross striations and bulging veins while having some energy to spare! When you diet down properly and you are not trying to lose fat up to the last day before the show, you will be able to relax and enjoy your competition as it was meant to be.

I’ve done well using both diets while being able to get lean and spare most of my muscle mass. Yes, you will always lose some muscle when dieting down. All in all, I am able to keep more mass with carb cycling so I rarely go into ketosis and if I do I can only lose a pound of body weight per week without sacrificing strength and size. Some can get away with two pounds a week in ketosis but not me! Genetics will determine how much is kept and how much is lost. I do not think one diet out performs the other in terms of sparing muscle mass but I do feel that essential fats are somewhat more important than carbs for muscle growth once enough carbs are taken to fuel the body. However, there is a point of diminishing returns where adding dietary fats beyond this point doesn't provide any additional muscle building/health benefits and only adds unnecessary fat calories! In addition,

The keto diet is a bit more simplistic because proteins and fats are easier to keep track of and being in ketosis helps deter hunger pangs. Carb cycling can actually increase your craving for carbs-hence making it more difficult for some to adhere to. With keto you can lose weight faster so you must be very careful not to lose more than 1-2 pounds per week. The biggest mistake people make while in ketosis is not consuming enough healthy fats (which causes muscle loss) or trying to train with high volume and/or higher intensity cardio (which also cause muscle loss). The biggest mistakes made with carb cycling is going below 150 grams of carbs per day on low carb days (which causes unstable blood sugar levels and potential muscle loss) and not doing enough weight training or cardio to burn off excess glucose.

When using the "Slingshot Keto diet" you may have to reduce your training volume accordingly. If you are a high volume trainer you will not be able to get through long/intense workouts so make the needed adjustments if you plan to use the keto phase. Keep in mind you are only maintaining muscle during a dieting phase and the extra volume does nothing for additional muscle size! Higher volume should only be utilized during a carb cycling phase to burn off additional calories and if you have joint problems I recommend staying with lower volume training and doing more high-intensity cardio to strip off the fat when carb cycling! You will need to lower fats when carb cycling and you will need to lower carbs when in keto. I think people with slower metabolisms and most women respond better to Ketogenic dieting, especially for longer durations. Those with faster metabolisms can respond better with carb cycling longer before resorting to keto.

Note:A good time for cheat days (extra carbs) is on leg and back training day whether you are using carb cycling or ketosis. It's best not to carb up on consecutive days but some fare well with that method because it allows them to monitor water weight. After 2-6 weeks of carbing up only once a week the body adapts and you'll need to resort to twice a week carbing up while in ketosis. This is a very important aspect of the keto diet phase. Begin with only 1 carb up day per week and as you become more and more depleted of body fat increase carb days so you can continue training and functioning.



In a nutshell, you have to manipulate each diet to your training, time restraints, goals, metabolic rate, etc. Experiment to find what works best for you and do not detour from your plan unless absolutely necessary. Carb cycling will benefit someone that performs a lot of volume or who has a very fast metabolism. A Ketogenic diet will drop the body fat off an over weight person faster than cycling carbs. Again, I've tried both diets and both have worked well for me. As much as I love carbs towards the end of a long drawn out dieting phase, being 43 years old I have to watch my intake carefully to get those road map veins. It all boils down to your specific goals and only you can make that judgment call. High volume training requires a lot of glycogen from carbohydrates. Without carbohydrates you are just going to lose some muscle mass! When CP (creatine phosphate) stores become depleted your body will start breaking down glucose for ATP, with less glucose available your body will struggle to compensate for high volume training and begin breaking down muscle tissue.

The final few weeks of ketosis before a show is the hardest part and this is where many people blow it! I am here to tell you- just stick it out if you are 7-8% because you've got more to loose to hit 5%! I know you will be tired but just hang in there and do as I say. You can fat load the final week before a show and carb load the last 1-3 days (depending on your condition/metabolism) to fill out the muscle bellies and bring out your vascularity. The fact that you are starting to seriously deplete your fat stores and are lacking of carbs will make you look as though you are losing muscle. Before you do anything at this point, take a breath and remember-"this is where most people blow it!!!" It's mostly because the last few weeks is a total mind game. You should expect to look flat! You do not ever look as big when you are flat and depleted and you never look as big to yourself just before the show. But, WOW how you look onstage!

If you enter a show with carb-cycling you'll have to hang tough with the extra training volume and/or cardio in order to come in sharp. Some woman do not have to carb up for a show when doing a keto diet but men do best carbing up 1-3 days prior or 5-6 days prior while letting water reside. If you are not depleted then do not carb up! I have noticed that carb depleting and loading is not always necessary or as productive when going into a show carb cycling. In short, you can usually keep doing what you have been doing to get in shape and cut the water the night before the show to dry out.



Slingshot Cutting Routine:

You will not build muscle when dieting down for a show. The plan is to "maintain" as much muscle as possible while in a calorie deficit. Forget trying to bring up lagging body parts because it won't happen! Moving rapidly between sets with training methods such as super sets, giant sets, tri-sets, etc does not cause weight loss! Losing body fat comes from diet, cardio and muscle maintenance. When trying to lose body fat you should always stick to what worked to build you up in the beginning-straight sets done with heavy weights in good form with plenty of recovery time taken between sets.

Note: When preparing for a bodybuilding competition you should use the same training method that was used to put muscle on your frame in the first place. Using lighter weights and/or moving faster between sets to keep up the heart-rate will cause more muscle loss in the end. Continue training heavy while letting cardio and diet remove the fat!

When trying to get ******, you will want to blast throughout the entire duration to burn off more calories and hit the muscle as hard as possible to help maintain them. This means no priming phases unless you get injured! However, you should perform a 1-2 week deload after every 1-4 weeks of reloading as needed for joint/cns recovery (the same exact routine used during the off-season minus the lower reps in the 4-6 range). This means 6-12 sets per major body part only once a week or twice a week muscle training for 8-12 weeks using 6-24 sets per body part. You can use once a week and/or twice a week muscle group training. If you need to burn more calories then use twice a week muscle training and/or two a day workouts. Performing both AM and PM workouts (2-a-day workouts) using high volume are great for getting dense and increasing sarcoplasmic growth which constitutes upwards of 30% of your muscle size! I'll list a sample twice a week muscle training split below. You should utilize 2-4 exercises per body part. You will want to stay near the medium rep-range (8-12 reps) on every set. Again, there's no need in working in the 4-6 rep range when cutting because it increases ones odds of getting injured. In addition, there's no value in doing high reps in the 15-20 rep range unless your joints hurt with lower reps because you'll need to train with moderate reps to hold onto as much muscle mass and strength as humanly possible. You will be doing long drawn out blasting phases to eat up glycogen levels and burn extra calories. During the first part of the Slingshot diet phase (carb cycling) you can do more work sets per muscle group. During the second part of the Slingshot diet phase (ketosis/no carbs) you will need to do fewer sets to keep from burning muscle. Remember, intense training depletes all muscle glycogen during ketosis. When this occurs the body will go catabolic so lower volume must be used. I usually recommend only 6-10 intense work sets per major body part when in ketosis (second phase of Slingshot Diet)!


Note: There is no set limit on how long one can blast when cutting. However, a reload should never exceed 4 weeks in duration and a deload should not exceed 2 weeks in duration! Deloads are also very important when dieting down because it helps prevent over-use injuries. Remember, it's easier to develop permanent injuries when dieting down because the joints dry out. If you fail to deload during this weakened state, you can do permanent damage to the joints![/COLOR]

Sample Menu for Getting Shredded while using the Slingshot Cutting Routine


"PHASE 1 OF SLINGSHOT DIET"

Sample Diet for low carb/calorie days: Designed for those who work out in the morning.

Summary:
Meal 1 (protein/carbs
Meal 2 (protein carbs)
Meal 3(protein and carbs)
Meal 4 (protein and fats)
Meal 5 (protein and fats)
Meal 6 optional-(protein and fats)[/COLOR]
"PHASE 1 OF SLINGSHOT DIET"

Sample Diet for low carb/calorie days: Designed for those who work out in the morning.

Summary:
Meal 1 (protein/carbs
Meal 2 (protein carbs)
Meal 3(protein and carbs)
Meal 4 (protein and fats)
Meal 5 (protein and fats)
Meal 6 optional-(protein and fats)[/COLOR]


Important Note: If you normally need 3000 calories each day to maintain your bodyweight, you should only reduce calories to 2500 in order to lose body fat. Everyone should keep carbs around 150 grams per day unless they begin to experience low blood sugar or are very active outside the gym. In general, between 25-100 grams of fats each day will suffice. But those with a fast metabolism will need more fats if they are consuming 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight and losing more than 2 pounds of body weight after the first week of reducing carb intake. Protein intake should be adjusted at 1-2 grams per pound of body weight to fit your metabolism. [/B]

Here’s a sample of the diet I have been utilizing to lose body fat while maintaining muscle mass.

Meal 1: 10 eggs-1 whole egg and 9 egg whites (5 grams of fat and 50 grams of protein, 1 cup oatmeal (60 grams of carbs).

(Workout)

Meal 2: Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) and banana (25 grams of carbs)

Meal 3: Lean Protein like deli chicken (50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat) and 1 slice of whole wheat bread (25 grams of carbs)

Meal 4: Tuna (50 grams of Protein) and 6 Almonds (5 grams of fat)

Meal 5: Large portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon or London broil (50 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 5 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (70 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat) and 2 tbsp of croutons (4 carbs)

Meal 6: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)

That turns into approximately 300 grams protein, (only 125 grams Carbs), and around 100 grams of fat.

Sample Diet for low carb/calorie days: Designed for those who work out in the evening.

Meal 1: 10 eggs-1 whole egg and 9 egg whites (5 grams of fat and 50 grams of protein, 1 cup oatmeal (60 grams of carbs)

Meal 2: Tuna (50 grams of Protein) and 6 Almonds (5 grams of fat)

Meal 3: Lean Protein like deli chicken (50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat) and 1 slice of whole wheat bread (25 grams of carbs)

(Workout)

Meal 4: Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) and banana (25 grams of carbs)

Meal 5: Large portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon or London broil (50 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 5 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (70 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat) and 2 tbsp of croutons (4 carbs)

Meal 6: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)

That turns into approximately 300 grams protein, (only 150 grams Carbs), and around 100 grams of fat.

Sample diet for High carb/calorie days: Designed for those who work out in the morning.

Meal 1: 10 eggs-1 whole egg and 9 egg whites (5 grams of fat and 50 grams of protein, 1 and 1/2 cups of oatmeal (90 grams of carbs).

(Workout)

Meal 2: Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) and 2 bananas (50 grams of carbs)

Meal 3: Lean Protein like deli chicken (50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat) and 2 slice of whole wheat bread (50 grams of carbs) and an apple (25 grams of carbs)

Meal 4: Tuna (50 grams of Protein) and 6 Almonds (5 grams of fat)

Meal 5: Large portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon or London broil (50 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 5 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (70 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat) and 6 tbsp of croutons (12 carbs)

Meal 6: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)

That turns into approximately 300 grams protein, (300 grams Carbs), and around 100 grams of fat.

Sample diet for first High carb day: Designed for those who work out in the evening.

Meal 1:10 eggs-1 whole egg and 9 egg whites (5 grams of fat and 50 grams of protein, 1 and 1/2 cups of oatmeal (90 grams of carbs).

Meal 2: Tuna (50 grams of Protein) and 6 Almonds (5 grams of fat)

Meal 3:Lean Protein like deli chicken (50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat) and 2 slice of whole wheat bread (50 grams of carbs) and an apple (25 grams of carbs)

(Workout)

Meal 4: Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) and 2 bananas (50 grams of carbs)

Meal 5: Large portion of lean meat such as chicken, salmon or London broil (50 grams of protein) salad (green leaf romaine) with 2 TBS of extra virgin olive oil (28 grams of fat), a small amount of feta cheese (7 grams of fat) and 6 tbsp of croutons (12 carbs)

Meal 6: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)

That turns into approximately 300 grams protein, (300 grams Carbs), and around 64 grams of fat.

Sample diet for cheat day (High carb/fat/calorie day)

Note: A cheat day consist of being able to eat 2 large meals containing anything you want within reason and making the other 3-4 meals like those found in the first carb up day. It’s usually best to eat these 2 meals for breakfast and dinner.

Meal 1: 8 eggs-1 whole egg and 7 egg whites, a HUGE stack of blueberry pancakes cooked in olive oil and light syrup, sugar free syrup or pure maple syrup.

Meal 2: Lean Protein like deli chicken and 2 slice of whole wheat bread.

Meal 3:Whey protein shake (50 grams of protein) a bowl of cheerios and 1 banana.

Meal 4:Pizza, chips, salad, and some ice cream (Kirk's ice cream -peanut butter ice cream with chunks of peanut butter).

Meal 5: Whey protein shake (50 grams) with 1 tablespoon of smart balance peanut butter ( 8 grams of fat)







"PHASE 2 OF SLINGSHOT DIET" (optional for females and males who have a slower metabolic rate)

[B]Sample Keto diet: "60-70% protein and 30-40% fat is the base-line the ratios for ketosis"

Meal 1) 4 whole *****-3 eggs and 6 egg whites
Meal 2) lean meat with 1/2 cup of mixed nuts or almonds
Meal 3) 50 grams of whey isolate protein with Smart balance peanut butter
Meal 4) lean meat with 1 cup of green beans or broccolli. ( Add a little extra virgin olive oil to green vegetable)
Meal 5) 4 whole *****-3 eggs and 6 egg whites
Meal 6) 50 grams of whey isolate proein with Smart balance peanut butter

Supplements: Make sure and consume adequate fluids each day containing no sugar. Protein intake can be lower during each weekly cheat meal since protein sources will be spared from all the carbs/calories and you do not have to take a fast acting post workout shake/carb combo because cutting has more to do with preserving the muscles as opposed to adding a lot more unless you are a beginner to a proper structured weight training program like the Slingshot Training System. You will be fine if you just have your regularly scheduled meal when you get home after working out. In order to get really lean you can choose to use green tea and/or caffeine pills or low calorie caffeine drinks twice a day at 200-400 mgs. Take them during breakfast and an hour before workouts to help push through and increase the thermogenic effect. Green tea extract also increases the metabolism. Take 500-1000 mgs of green tea along with caffeine twice a day. Obviously, drugs like Growth Hormone, Clenbuterol and T-3 can be added to burn off additional fat at the fastest rate possible.

[Ronnie Rowland]

SLINGSHOT BODY FAT LOSS DIET PLAN


Important Note: This diet is to be used in conjunction with the Slingshot Cutting Routine!

Click on the following link and read chapter 26 to learn more about the Slingshot Cutting Routine. http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=348723


The Slingshot Cutting Diet entails 1 phase for those with normal to faser metabolisms and 2 phases for those with slower metabolisms-phase-1 (4-8 weeks of carb cycling) phase 2 (4-8 weeks of ketosis). Begin your Slingshot Cutting diet with 4-8 weeks of carb cycling and then progress to 4-8 weeks of ketosis only if you have a slow metabolic rate or cannot lose body fat. This produces a Slingshot Effect and prevents the body from adapting!!! During the first phase of the diet when carbs are being consumed it's recommended to do higher intensity cardio in conjunction with weight training to burn off excess glygocen/calories but too intesne can cause muscle loss so proceed with caution. Obviously, this more intense form of cardio would not be employed on leg or back training days unless absolutey needed. Five days per week of moderately/high intensity cardio is usually plenty but those with a slow metabolism can do 7! It burns more total carb calories than lower intensity aerobic work such as one daily 60 minute sessions at a much easier workload which uses primarily fatty acids for fuel. During the last 6-8 week of the dieting phase (where no carbs are consumed so you can stay in ketosis) you would switch over to low intensity cardio with more frequent and longer cardio sessions. Upwards of 7 days per week and twice a day if needed but once a day will suffice for most. High intensity cardio uses carbs for energy and when in ketosis higher intensity cardio burns muscle (gluconeosis). Lower intensity cardio burns fatty acids and stored body fat for fuel. Cardio should be performed at a low intensity (around 120-130 bpm heart rate or 70% max heart rate). This will ensure that you use fat as a fuel source because as your heart rate goes up, carbs become the desired fuel for your body. In addition, weight training volume may have to be reduced during this period where ketones are being used as a fuel source as opposed to glycogen. When the body is in ketosis the nervous system gets fatigued more easily and the muscles don’t want to fire.


Going into ketosis is a great diet plan for some for maintaining muscle during the second part of a dieting phase because insulin levels must be at a minimum to obtain the shredded look and not so good for others! When no glucose is available, the body has to create it's own. The only way the body can create glucose is by converting amino acids-hence the breaking down of your muscle tissue! With the keto diet your body looks for fatty acids in a severe caloric deficit. When no fatty acids are available through diet, the body has to create them. The only way the body can create fatty acids is by converting stored adipose tissue for fuel. This means stipping off some body fat for energy needs when eating enough protein to spare muscle. However, you can also lose muscle while in ketosis so the biggest advantage of hittting ketosis is to stabilize blood sugar levels and keep up your strength to train while burning off maximum body fat during the finale of the diet phase -hence more muscle could be retained.

Note: Those with a fast metabolic rate tend to lose strength when carbs are removed from the diet.

As a baseline you can eat 60% protein and 40 fats. Those with a faster metaboolic rate may need more than 40% of their diet composed of fats! The faster the metabolism the more calories from fats will be required to prevent muscle loss. No one needs more than 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight in ketosis. In additon, I would not go below 150 carbs per day or so during the first part of the dieting phase (carb cycling) due to blood sugar crashes. There's no value in carb cycling if youre bodyis fighting to go into ketosis all day long. It will turn you against dieting down in short order! Let your body hit lipolysis at night when you are a sleep during the carb cyling phase. This occurs by cutting off carbs later in the day and not going over board earlier. The whole purpose of entering a state of ketosis is to stabilize blood sugar levels once you reach the point of needing to strip off any remaining bodyfat left from the carb cycling phase. Once the brain begins using ketones (produced from fats) for fuel instead of glycogen (produced from carbs) you will feel better and stop craving carbs. This means no more severe blood sugar crashes! Those who lose muscle on a keto diet do so because they do not take in enough dietary fats and/or calories to support their basal metabolic rate. You must keep dietary fats high enough to prevent muscle loss and also keep protein high enough so muscle loss will not occur when fat intake gets low. Once you hit ketosis the carb cravings will diminish. You will then crave fats because that will be your new fuel source. Do not mistake going flat as msucle loss because once carbs are re-introduced the muscle swell up fast-bascially changing you into a different looking person over night!


Phase 1 of Slingshot diet-"Carb/Calorie Cycling":

A recent report showed that taking carbs down to 100 per day burned away almost as much bodyfat as being in a state of ketosis but most experience blood sugar crashes with such low levels of carbs because the body will be fighting to entering ketosis. Carb cycling is the superior way to "lose bodyfat" during the beginning of a diet phase. Keeping carbs/calories in check 5 days per week is the best way for all somatotypes to either add some lean muscle and lose ugly bodyfat. Eating less carbs/calories 5 days per week helps you lose unwanted body fat but you’ll need to increase carbs/calories twice a week to encourage your body to burn more body fat for fuel. I realize some of you are unaware that increasing caloric and carb intake twice a week will actually help prevent the build-up of adipose tissue, but it does! The body responds in a positive manner when 2 non-consecutive carb/calories up days are included each week. It does so by driving up anabolic hormones and increasing thyroid hormone output-hence speeding up the metabolism and increasing lean muscle mass. When carbs and calories are constantly kept low, your body adapts and the metabolism slows down. Insulin is needed for muscle repair and it prevent catabolism. Keeping carbs under control for too long will sabotage muscle gains and your body’s fat burning potential since muscle burns calories. ( A great approoach is to use a 3 low-1 high-2 low-1 high carb/calorie rotation). Monday-low, Tuesday-low, Wednesday-high (carbs clean on the first carb/calorie up day (day 3), Thursday-low, Friday-low, Saturday-high (cheat day), Sunday-low. Add in some junk food carbs like pizza on the second carb up day (day 6 Saturday). I recommend increasing calories through carbs by around 500 (150 carb grams) on the first carb up day, (for i.e. Wednesday) and increasing both carbs and fats to total around 2000 calories (300 carb grams and 30-100 fat grams) during the second carb/ calorie up (cheat day), (for i.e. Saturdays). (Keep in mind that a carb up day and a cheat day are not one in the same)! Factor in how much cheating you should allow on cheat days and stay within your limits. At the end of the low carb days, your energy levels will drop, but the high carb days will rejuvenate your energy levels and get you ready to train for a few more days before becoming depleted once again. By adding in the additional fats during the cheat meal it helps pull glycogen into the muscles! You can have Pizza, Mexican food, hamburger/fries etc on cheat days. The extra sugar and calories is going to boost your metabolism, make you sharper in regards to your diet the rest of the week and give you something to look forward to-“big-time”. You have to be disciplined but you need one day each week to look forward to where you can ease the cravings for junk food. By night-time your muscles will be absolutely full and vascular from all the extra glycogen stored in the muscles. Focus on making the first calorie/carb up day a clean eating day full of complex carbs and have some junk food like pizza for a couple of meals during the second calorie/carb up day (considered a cheat day). A good plan is to have one calorie/carb up day the day after training legs because that’s when you’ll find your self the hungriest. IMO it's the absolute best day for the cheat meal! The upper back muscles and legs are very demanding train, so I always need a carb up day the following day. By using this approach you will kill two birds with one stone. If you are no longer losing fat, simply increase cardio and/or decrease daily calories by 300-500. Make these caloric decreases every 7-14 days if need be until your fat loss goals are met. Aim to subtract calories or add as needed till you achieve your desired 1-2 pound fat loss per week. No cheat meals are allowed 6 weeks prior to a peaking date, only a second weekly carb up meal.

Phase 2 of Slingshot Diet-"Ketosis":

Ketosis: You will need to enter into a state of ketosis by consuming around 40 grams of carbs or less per day, 6 days per week, is the last phase. I would advise not staying in ketosis past 8 weeks in length because it's too hard on the body. On your 1 weekly carb up day around 200-600 grams (dependant upon metabolism). A good approach is 1-3 carb up meals once a week replenish glycogen levels. Have those meals later in the day to prevent going overboard! A good long term plan for those of you doing several competitions each year is to follow the Slingshot carb cycling diet phase- (5- low)- (2 high) then go into ketois only as needed when the show approaches. On every sunday or saturday each week (only 1 designated carb up day a week) you get to carb up during the last 1-3 meals with ketosis. Waiting til the end of the day to carb up will keep you from craving carbs all day long and not going over baord will allow you to be back into a state of ketosis the following morning. 200-600 carbs on the carb up day will suffice. Do not stop the once a week carb up meal if you have trouble losing fat. Instead switch over to taking in less fats, adding more cardio and/or alternating protein and fat meals with Protein and veggie meals on an every other day basis as needed if more body fat needs to be eliminated. No one needs more than 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight when in ketosis unless their body fat levels are getting very low or they are using t-3. If you begin to lose muscle I suggest increasing fat intake before increasing protein since this usually solves the problem If your metabolism is fast or you feel very fatiqued you can add 1-3 carb meals (200-600 carbs) a couple of days before the second carb up day. For example, if your big cheat meal is on sunday you could have a cheat meal late evening and/or night on wednesday. I would not exceed 3 back to back meals per cheat day because it can delay getting back into ketosis by the next morning. With Slingshot-Keto you increase calories on the 1 cheat day per week so the body does not adapt to the same amount of calories every day!

Note: A good time for cheat days (extra carbs) can be on leg and back training day whether you are using carb cycling or ketosis.

It's been my experience that separating carbs and fats for the most part is the best route to take when trying to lose bodyfat. Why? Because combining saturated fats from protein sources like eggs and meat with a lot of carbs (especially Hi GI carbs will cause an insulin response to the utmost)! This prolonged insulin response is called hyperinsulinemia. It can be great for building muscle but not so good when you are trying to rid the body of stubborn bodyfat. Consuming a lot of dietary fats in the presence of a lot of carbs (an insulin producing food) increases the chance of fat being stored as body fat. Why? Well since insulin is a storage hormone it pushes the dietary fat into fat cells. You want to eat lean protein with insulin producing carbs so the amino acids from the protein will be pushed into muscle cells and build lean muscle! Consuming a moderate combination of carbs and fat in one meal makes it harder for the body to break them down. Healthy fats and low GI carbs are different and can be combined if needed but separating fats and carbs should be your goal. It's important to realize that when trying to gain as much size-strength as humanly possible during the off-season, you'll want to eat both carbs and fats in the same meals along with your protein but you do not have to mix up either in large quantities. Doing so produces a synergistic muscle building effect that tends to trump what the separation of carbs and fats can provide. It's always best to take in less carbs and more fats later in the day with protein when trying to keep bodyfat under control. Carb sources, like protein and fat sources can be changed daily as long as you stay within the required ratios. Carb cut-offs later in the day are very important for fat loss. Weight-training triggers the release of both anabolic and fat burning hormones, but it's while you sleep that the most bodyfat is burned by being in a fasted state. Remember, you're body needs to be in a state of lipolysis (the breakdown of fat stored in fat cells) which happens when glycogen levels become depleted. If you load up on late-nights carbs you won't hit lipolysis whilst asleep nor will your body release as much Growth Hormone. Also, if you sleep only 5 to 6 hours a night as opposed to 7-8 hours, it leaves you with too much ghrelin (a hormone that increases appetite) and too little leptin (a hormone that decreases appetite and can decrease metabolic rate).

Protein: Protein levels should be kept high in order to build or keep the body from eating muscle tissue during exercise or times of being in a calorie deficit. Everyone, regardless of their body type, needs about a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to maintain and/or gain lean muscle mass. Protein is used in gluconeogensis during exercise and fasting when carbs are low. Some of the energy your body uses will come from protein sources during periods were carbs are kept low (for i.e.; later in the day and while you sleep). I recommend that everyone keep protein at 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight during a long term cutting phase. Those with a slower metabolism will need less (for i.e. only 1 gram per pound of body weight). Too much protein can also make you fat due to producing a calorie surplus. What happens is glycogen levels spill over and the extra calories are stored as bodyfat. With my metabolism (endo-****) 2 grams of protein would make me fat and 1 gram would be a bit low. So, I take 1.25 and multiply it by my body weight. Then I divide that by 5 or 6 meals, depending on how many meals I am getting in for that day. When eating 6 meals per day I take in about 50 grams of protein during each meal. Eat your protein first because you’ll get fuller faster which will keep you from eating as many carbs and fats. This is good for bodyfat control! Tuna, chicken, salmon, turkey, egg whites and London broil are all good staples. Steer clear of the fattier deli meat that contains nitrates. Fatty red meat is not the best choice to make because it contains about 8 grams per serving and a serving is only about 4 ounces. In those 4 ounces you will only get roughly 25 grams of protein and a whopping 10 grams of saturated fat (not good)! This means you might need another serving of fatty ground beef to get your protein needs for that meal. However, the same 4 ounces of fish, turkey or chicken has about the same protein but only around 2 gram of fat or less. Therefore, you can eat more food while taking in fewer calories! Whey protein used twice a day as a meal-replacer works very well when combined with fruit earlier in the day and essential oils at night because it will bloat you and keep you satisfied. Smaller meals consumed throughout the day decreases bodyfat levels over-time. Every time you eat (especially protein) your body burns calories when it breaks down the food during digestion. This is why your body heats up every time you eat. The time spent in a heated state will burn more calories than when you are skipping meals. Protein will make you gain weight when added to what you are already eating but will make you lose bodyfat when it replaces some carb and/or fat calories! Why? Because for every 100 calories of carbs or fats consumed, only about 5 calories will be burned off through digestion. But for every 100 calories of protein you take in around 25 calories will be burned through the digestion process. This is why it’s so important to trade a lot of carbohydrate calories for protein calories when trying to lose fat. When whey protein is used, always add a small amount of essential fats such as smart balance peanut butter, almonds or mixed nuts to slow down the digestion rate and keep you full. Fruit can be added to whey protein post workout or during the earlier part of the day. Eating frequent meals prevents hunger pangs. Drink around 1 gallon of water per day to keep the body hydrated and the to boost the metabolism and try to stay away from wheat, gluten and dairy products to get absolutey ******. I have never put a lot of emphasis on meticuously counting each and every calorie consumed, rather I concentrate on eating, with proper food combinations so that the food is broken down properly and absorbed. Never let yourself go hungry. When you are hungry it means that your body is using muscle tissue for energy, as opposed to bodyfat!

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are not bad for you in moderation, but when trying to lose body fat, you're body needs to be in a state of lipolysis (the breakdown of fat stored in fat cells) which happens when glycogen levels become depleted. High Glycemic carbs should be kept to a minimum on low carb/calorie days and consumed in moderation during the cheat day. The brain and nervous system needs roughly 50 grams of carbs coming from glucose to maintain daily functions. Carbs should never be eaten without adequate amounts of protein. Doing so really spikes insulin levels and cause an increase in bodyfat! It’s very important to combine a fibrous carb (green vegetable) or (fruit) with each meal to provide energy needed to train and carry out daily functions, but not load your glycogen stores to the point where you don't hit lipolysis until much later on. Focus on diet just as much as or more so than training when trying to get shredded! Do not make the mistake of reducing calories too much when trying to shed bodyfat. If you normally take in 2500 cals per day you should only reduce calories to 2000-2200 per week until you start losing weight at about 1-2 lbs per week. If you lose more during the first week, don’t worry because it will be a lot of water. Going lower can eat away muscle tissue. Just as you have to periodize your training, the nutrition plan must also be periodized. Staying on a low calorie/low carb diet for too long will not just lead to fat loss, but a lot of muscle loss as well. A mistake most people make when trying to lose body fat is sticking with the same exact calorie-carb reduced meal plan seven days a week. This will not work well because the body has a finely tuned system that protects itself from starvation mode. When the body feels threatened it begins to store bodyfat after only a few short weeks as opposed to releasing it. By including two- weekly calorie/carb up days, you can trick the human body by giving it a calorie surplus–hence negating the slowing down of the metabolism that comes from calorie depletion. Protein should not need to be reduced during the first carb up day but it can be reduced some during the cheat day because the body can readily use fats and carbs for fuel when in a calorie surplus. All carbs, whether they are of fruit, rice, bread, potatoes, ice cream, milk or pure sugar, eventually turn to glucose and they will all elevate insulin levels. It’s the slower burning carbs with a lower glycemic index like fruit and steel oats that you want to consume because they provide more energy for training and can help keep bodyfat levels a bit lower because the initial insulin spike is less. Let me be clear, all carb sources will count towards your daily carb intake regardless of their Glycemic Index. This includes all fruits! Mixing foods found on the lower end of the glycemic index scale with foods found on the higher end of the glycemic scale will reduce the glycemic index of the high glycemic index carbs when eaten in the same meal. In addition, eating low glycemic carbs has a carry-over-effect to the next meal. For instance, eating steel cut oats would lower the glycemic level of a white potato if a potato was eaten in the meal following the oats. Relying on fibrous carbs helps improve ones conditioning. Everyone should think of high-fiber foods as a diet aid. Strive to consume 30 grams or more of fiber per day. Slowing down carb absorption also helps keep your energy up longer during the day when dieting. If you take in 30 grams of carbs that are absorbed quickly, you're going to process them quickly, and then you're going to feel tired, hungry and depleted. When you take in the same amount of carbs with a high amount of fiber, they'll stay in your system longer, and you'll have a lot more energy. The fiber also slows down the digestion of protein. The longer that it takes your body to process the protein, the more efficiently it will use each gram! During a cutting phase you’ll do better sticking to foods such as green vegetables/salads with extra virgin olive oil and lean protein sources later in the day and fruit, cereal and/or oatmeal along with lean protein sources during the morning. Carbohydrates and protein, break down slowly throughout the day as well as burns bodyfat. Remember the Krebs cycle! Your last 3 meals should be composed of proteins and fibrous carbohydrates, such as green vegetables. Breakfast should be the largest meal of the day! Keep food volume up (especially lean protein sources). Consume 5-6 meals per day) to keep hunger pangs at bay, speed up the metabolism and to prevent muscle loss or weakness. Trade carbohydrate calories for protein calories gram for gram on the five lower carb days and you will lose weight! Replace an equal amount of carbohydrate calories with extra virgin olive oil for dinner and you will lose weight. Stay around 150 grams of carbs on low carb days as a baseline (you may need more if you start losing muscle or begain to experience low blood sugar. All carbs whether they are fruit or whatever turn to sugar and spike insulin (a fat storage hormone). So it’s very important to read the label or do some research on the internet to find out how many carbs are in each food you consume. You’ll also need to read the labels on each food consumed so you can see how many macronutrients of protein, carbs and fat you are ingesting. Focus on slow burning carbs as opposed to fast burning carbs. Adding in some slow burning carbs with fast burning carbs helps lower the glycemic index of the fast burning carbs. Keep this in mind if you decide to take in some High glycemic index carbs, mix them with a low gi carb source. If you are involved in a lot of outside activities (for i.e.; long distance cycling) you can bump carbs up to 200 or more on low carb days.

Fats: Fats are very important in a cutting diet. Fats can be used as an energy source when we become carb depleted or at rest by undergoing beta oxidation. Dietary fats spare the burning of glycogen, and this aids in pulling more carbs/water into the muscle. This means you don’t need as many carbs to prevent the deflated muscle syndrome! *****-3 fatty acids increase insulin sensitivity in the muscle cells. The receptors for insulin are both fat cells and muscle cells. The benefits gained by ingesting EFA’S is that the insulin receptor sites of the muscle cells will become more sensitive than the insulin receptors on the fat cells. An increase in sensitivity of the muscle cells will push more amino acids from protein sources into the muscle cells and away from the fat cells! They are good for hormonal levels, and they taste great. I personally have had great success with combining moderate amounts of fats with high protein meals eaten later in the day. My typical sources are salmon, ***** 3 eggs, almonds, smart balance peanut butter, extra virgin olive oil and macadamia nut oil. I try and get around 100 grams of fat during my last 3 meals of the day. You’ll need to replace an equal amount of carbohydrate calories with essential fats up to 3 times daily for fat loss. Those with a slow metabolism that are taking in only 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight will need to eat fewer fats to lose weight. My suggestion is to not go below 50 grams of fat daily because doing so can cause permanent joint problem from a lack of lubrication when pumping iron and going too low will slow down the fat burning process! Adipose tissue is certainly affected by both insulin levels (produced from carbs) and ASP (produced from fats) because higher quantities of either force the body to become less efficient at eliminating either. Insulin is not the only regulator of fat storage. Adipose tissue is also composed of fats by a hormone called Acylation Stimulating Protein. This hormone doesn't need insulin to make you fatter because it's released from fat cells directly in response to blood chylomicrons (fats produced in the intestinal lumen following the absorption of digested fat) which are responsible for storing triglycerides in adipose cells. Guess what hormone can increases the number of ASP in the body? If you guessed insulin you are correct! So, by controlling carb intake you indirectly reduce ASP levels-hence less bodyfat will be stored when dietary fats are consumed. By watching the kinds of fats you eat, along with the amounts, you can help control how many calories get stored as bodyfat. Basically, ASP works for dietary fat storage like insulin works for carbohydrate storage. Understand here that how well the body deals with insulin and ASP cannot always be equated to an individual’s metabolism because thin ectomorphic who have a hard time gaining muscle can also be considered clinically obese (for i.e. some marathon runners). This is due to their having a poor lean muscle mass to bodyfat ratio.

There are a lot of people with a condition known as “insulin resistance”. Once you develop high levels of bodyfat your body will no longer respond to insulin as it should. What happens next is it only takes a small amount of carbohydrates to really shoot those insulin levels through the roof-hence bodyfat will be stored at a fast rate of speed. When too much insulin is produced, you will be left with too little sugar in the blood stream and some will get stored in the fat cells. This puts you in a viscous cycle where the fatter you get the easier it is to keep putting on the wrong kind of weight (bodyfat). This makes it very hard to lose bodyfat. But don’t panic! Once you lose the fat, gain the muscle mass, and establish outstanding insulin sensitivity, you will be able to control your bodyfat levels. This is great news because once you get lean you’ll probably be able to eat roughly 200-300 grams of carbs on the low carb days as opposed to 150 grams or so for maintenance and be able to consume a few more carbs later in the day. Also, you may be able to increase your carb up/calorie up days to 3 per week as opposed to only 2. Why? Because once you get lean, the metabolism speeds up! Losing weight is fairly easy, but stripping straight body fat off while maintaining or gaining lean body mass is tricky. Men in general have an easier time losing bodyfat because they carry more muscle mass. The more muscle mass you can acquire through the proper weight training regimen along with a high protein diet-the faster your resting metabolic rate will be just sitting around doing nothing (even while you sleep)! This is why a properly designed weight training program and diet is more important for improving body composition than cardio. Here I will outline a few things that have worked well for me and thousands of my clients. You can go to (fit day) on-line for a free journal. It calculates both calories and macronutrients for everything you consume!




Final Note: You may find that exclusively following the "Slingshot Carb Cycling Diet" or the "Slingshot Ketosis Diet" works better than the other one. If you fall into that category then by all means follow the diet that works best for you!

[VASCULAR VINCE]

ronnie this slingshot training has lit a fire under my fat ass...furking luv it!!!

always had major trouble losing any bodyfat...ready to start your cutting routine for summer...should i begin with carb cycling or keto????

[almostgone]

Not trying to horn in, but I noticed this is RonnieR's first post. I'll cut and paste but you may want to go back and read it all to get the proper context.

AG

...... I have experimented with many pre-contest diets and prefer starting out with carb cycling then progressing to a more stringent Ketogenic diet to keep insulin levels more steady as things get tougher. .....

ronnie this slingshot training has lit a fire under my fat ass...furking luv it!!!
always had major trouble losing any bodyfat...ready to start your cutting routine for summer...should i begin with carb cycling or keto????

[almostgone]

...and here in post #2.

AG

.....The Slingshot Cutting Diet entails 2 phases- phase-1 (4-8 weeks of carb cycling) phase 2 (4-8 weeks of ketosis). Begin your Slingshot Cutting diet with 4-8 weeks of carb cycling and then progress to 4-8 weeks of ketosis.

[jamyjamjr]

great post ronnie, nice to see you in the diet forum.. we could use your help

[Ronnie Rowland]

ronnie this slingshot training has lit a fire under my fat ass...furking luv it!!!

always had major trouble losing any bodyfat...ready to start your cutting routine for summer...should i begin with carb cycling or keto????

What almostgone stated! Begin with carb cycling always, unless you are severely over weight and want to lose it faster. Remember that too fast equals muscle loss.

[Ronnie Rowland]

Not trying to horn in, but I noticed this is RonnieR's first post. I'll cut and paste but you may want to go back and read it all to get the proper context.

AG

Thank you almostgone. I appreciate the help!

[Ronnie Rowland]

great post ronnie, nice to see you in the diet forum.. we could use your help

Thanks jamyjamjr!

The proper diet set up itself is not as hard as some people think once they get a grasp of how the body operates. The hard part is sticking to it.

[almostgone]

Thank you almostgone. I appreciate the help!

No problem! Hate to say it but I'm only just now getting into the intricacies of macro tweaks and meals layouts. Lol, at 44 I'm hoping I can still make a little headway. Got lots to learn in the diet forum, so I appreciate all you guys (You, Nark, Phate, jamy,and any others I've neglected to mention) putting up with less knowledgeable guys like me.

AG

[Ronnie Rowland]

No problem! Hate to say it but I'm only just now getting into the intricacies of macro tweaks and meals layouts. Lol, at 44 I'm hoping I can still make a little headway. Got lots to learn in the diet forum, so I appreciate all you guys (You, Nark, Phate, jamy,and any others I've neglected to mention) putting up with less knowledgeable guys like me.

AG

You are only 1 year older than me..Hard to believe we are that old..lol

I believe in taking the path of least resistance in all that I do bodybuilding wise. I never weigh my food or count calories. I only watch my portions and count total carbs,fats and proteins in my head. Protein is easy to gauge. It's the carbs where most people blow it!

I've seen people blow their diets and training by getting way too technical on the little things that do not matter. I call it paralysis-by-over-analysis!

[almostgone]

You are only 1 year older than me..Hard to believe we are that old..lol

I believe in taking the path of least resistance in all that I do bodybuilding wise. I never weigh my food or count calories. I only watch my portions and count total carbs,fats and proteins in my head. Protein is easy to gauge. It's the carbs where most people blow it!

I've seen people blow their diets and training by getting way too technical on the little things that do not matter. I call it paralysis-by-over-analysis!

LOL, I've definitely been guilty of that before.

AG

[almostgone]

You are only 1 year older than me..Hard to believe we are that old..lol

I believe in taking the path of least resistance in all that I do bodybuilding wise. I never weigh my food or count calories. I only watch my portions and count total carbs,fats and proteins in my head. Protein is easy to gauge. It's the carbs where most people blow it!

I've seen people blow their diets and training by getting way too technical on the little things that do not matter. I call it paralysis-by-over-analysis!

So do you prefer a specific pro/carb/fat ratio when working on decreasing BF%. I know some prefer 40/40/20 and then some even go with a 40/20/40 ratio for higher BF% (All EFA's/ O mega 3,6,9,'s, EVO, etc.... no trans fats etc.). I know there would still be the carb cycling protocol but was just wondering if you had any input to offer in this area.
Sorry if I've overlooked that in your post. I'm still rereading it now.

AG

[Ronnie Rowland]

So do you prefer a specific pro/carb/fat ratio when working on decreasing BF%. I know some prefer 40/40/20 and then some even go with a 40/20/40 ratio for higher BF% (All EFA's/ O mega 3,6,9,'s, EVO, etc.... no trans fats etc.). I know there would still be the carb cycling protocol but was just wondering if you had any input to offer in this area.
Sorry if I've overlooked that in your post. I'm still rereading it now.

AG

I think going by ratios (40-30-30) like the zone diet teaches works in the off-season but not so well for getting cut!

1) I go with straight body weight in regards to protein needs. If you weigh 220 lbs then I would suggest 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. That's around 330 grams per day. I have had some with a super fast metabolisms and/or who were using what I consider high doses of t-3 that needed to consume around 2 grams per pound but never more.

2) It's always 150 grams of carbs on low carb days for all body types unless they are involved in sports/activties that require more glycogen or begin experincing low blood sugar (then they are increases a tad).. The people with a slower metabolism will usually have to enter ketosis much earlier than those with a faster metabolism. For example: my wife and I are doing a local bodybuilding show in 4 weeks. She had a lot more body fat to lose than me. I knew it was going to be tough on her if I ate my morning oatmeal in front of her during carb cycling while she was straight eggs in keto land. So, what did I do? I decided to be the nice guy and started ketosis with her about 4 weeks earlier than I needed. It's made things tough on me! However, she looks great and I am ahead of schedule. She had been carb cycled prior but her body was getting used to it. Most woman have a metabolism similar to a guy with a slower metabolic rate (like a turtle). Now for me-I normally would have went 6 weeks carb cycling followed by 6 weeks ketosis. This time it went 2 weeks carb cycling and 10 weeks ketosis. THE THINGS WE DO FOR WOMEN...LOL

3) A lot of fats aren't needed when carb cycling unless you have a fast metabolism. I would start with 75 per day and go from there. You may have to adjust them up or down weekly until you are losing 1-2 pounds per week. Natural trainers do best losing only 1 pound per week while those taking anabolics can generally get by with 2 lbs. The leaner you get the better it is to drop weight slower regardless of whether you are natural or drug enhanced.

I HOPE THIS MADE SENSE!

[jamyjamjr]

You are only 1 year older than me..Hard to believe we are that old..lol

I believe in taking the path of least resistance in all that I do bodybuilding wise. I never weigh my food or count calories. I only watch my portions and count total carbs,fats and proteins in my head. Protein is easy to gauge. It's the carbs where most people blow it!
I've seen people blow their diets and training by getting way too technical on the little things that do not matter. I call it paralysis-by-over-analysis!

you know iv follow that same philosophy with great success ronnie...

im trying a higher carb diet these days and it's working out well...

i set people up with their bmr and tdee so that they get a good idea of how much they should be eating.. no one is really gonna be able to eat exactly 3000kcal a day on a 3000kcal diet.. it's always gonna be off in some way or another...

there are no real rules here, just guidelines...

[VASCULAR VINCE]

The more I learn about the slingshot methods..the more excited i get ron...will begin slingshot carb cycling....thanks....

[Ronnie Rowland]

The more I learn about the slingshot methods..the more excited i get ron...will begin slingshot carb cycling....thanks....

That's what I would recommend.

[almostgone]

I think going by ratios (40-30-30) like the zone diet teaches works in the off-season but not so well for getting cut!

1) I go with straight body weight in regards to protein needs. If you weigh 220 lbs then I would suggest 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. That's around 330 grams per day. I have had some with a super fast metabolisms and/or who were using what I consider high doses of t-3 that needed to consume around 2 grams per pound but never more.

2) It's always 150 grams of carbs on low carb days for all body types unless they are involved in sports/activties that require more glycogen. The people with a slower metabolism will usually have to enter ketosis much earlier than those with a faster metabolism. For example: my wife and I are doing a local bodybuilding show in 4 weeks. She had a lot more body fat to lose than me. I knew it was going to be tough on her if I ate my morning oatmeal in front of her during carb cycling while she was straight eggs in keto land. So, what did I do? I decided to be the nice guy and started ketosis with her about 4 weeks earlier than I needed. It's made things tough on me! However, she looks great and I am ahead of schedule. She had been carb cycled prior but her body was getting used to it. Most woman have a metabolism similar to a guy with a slower metabolic rate (like a turtle). Now for me-I normally would have went 6 weeks carb cycling followed by 6 weeks ketosis. This time it went 2 weeks carb cycling and 10 weeks ketosis. THE THINGS WE DO FOR WOMEN...LOL

3) A lot of fats aren't needed when carb cycling unless you have a fast metabolism. I would start with 75 per day and go from there. You may have to adjust them up or down weekly until you are losing 1-2 pounds per week. Natural trainers do best losing only 1 pound per week while those taking anabolics can generally get by with 2 lbs. The leaner you get the better it is to drop weight slower regardless of whether you are natural or drug enhanced.

I HOPE THIS MADE SENSE!

Appreciate it! That's pretty straightforward/ easy to work with. Hope you and the wife do well in your show. I imagine you and your wife will be ready to race to the pizza place when the contest is over.
Good luck,
AG

[Ronnie Rowland]

Appreciate it! That's pretty straightforward/ easy to work with. Hope you and the wife do well in your show. I imagine you and your wife will be ready to race to the pizza place when the contest is over.
Good luck,
AG

Thank you for the support.

We are ready now to race to the nearest pizza joint...LOL

[VASCULAR VINCE]

with the palumbo diet....it says not to have but one cheat meal a week...ron you say those with a fast metabolism can have upwards of two each week when doing slinghshot keto diet..how would this be beter than palumbo diet???wouldnt you get kicked out of ketosis ang gain weight??? just asking..not doubting you bro...

[jamyjamjr]

if your fat loss starts to slow down, take a cheat day and watch it get fired up again...

cheat days, or refeed days, promote leptin levels, which get depleated over time, especially on keto diets..

try having a refeed day every 18 days....

i picked up this info from nark...

[Ronnie Rowland]

with the palumbo diet....it says not to have but one cheat meal a week...ron you say those with a fast metabolism can have upwards of two each week when doing slinghshot keto diet..how would this be beter than palumbo diet???wouldnt you get kicked out of ketosis ang gain weight??? just asking..not doubting you bro...

Here's what I want you to think about vince-why not just skip the paulmba once a week cheat meal altogether if it was not important to begin with? I can tell you from working with many bodybuilders throughout the years and being around close friends who competed that there is no one size fits all diet plan. The Slingshot Keto Diet allows room for adjustments to be made depending on how an individual responds and so does the Slingshot Training Routine.

Plaumbos once a week cheat meal will not work for everyone regardless of how many fats they consume! Why? It's because their metabolism is so fast they will become severely glycogen depleted and enter a severely weakened state. I'm talking rubber like legs, insomnia, headaches, dehydration, irritability, light headedness, and no energy to train with-which defeats the whole purpose to begin with!!!

There's a reason that some of the competitors on this board (for example:Narkissos) felt they lost muscle while trying a keto diet-"they did lose some muscle"! This is why they opt to use carb cycling instead of keto. Is there a way for them to do keto and keep muscle? Absolutely, but it will require 2 carb up days, etc! The only weight these type of individuals will gain back after a cheat meal will be water (not fat) and the water gained would be dispelled much faster than someone with a slow metabolism (for example: 1-2 days as opposed to 3-4 days).

Most women and over weight men do fine with a once a week cheat meal because they deplete to a lesser degree, but someone with a fast metabolism can have cheat meals twice per week and be right back into ketosis the following morning.

[Ronnie Rowland]

I also wanted to throw soemthing else out there for everyone to think about- Some people do well carbing up two days in a row while in ketosis then staying off carbs for 5 days straight. I personally like this approach .

The benefits are three-fold:

1) I train legs on saturdays. As everyone knows, it's hard to get in a good leg workout without some carbs. I take in two carb meals late on friday to fill my muscle full of glycogen. I get a much better leg workout the followign day and have energy to move on to low intensity cardio afterwards. I'm usually fantasizing about the pancakes I'll be devouring afterwards since its now my second carb up day!

2) Weekly weigh-ins are done on friday morning with more consistency since all the water will be removed from my system.

3) My body will get use to carbing up 2 days in a row which works best for me when entering a competition.

[VASCULAR VINCE]

Here's what I want you to think about vince-why not just skip the paulmba once a week cheat meal altogether if it was not important to begin with? I can tell you from working with many bodybuilders throughout the years and being around close friends who competed that there is no one size fits all diet plan. The Slingshot Keto Diet allows room for adjustments to be made depending on how an individual responds and so does the Slingshot Training Routine.

Plaumbos once a week cheat meal will not work for everyone regardless of how many fats they consume! Why? It's because their metabolism is so fast they will become severely glycogen depleted and enter a severely weakened state. I'm talking rubber like legs, insomnia, headaches, dehydration, irritability, light headedness, and no energy to train with-which defeats the whole purpose to begin with!!!

There's a reason that some of the competitors on this board (for example:Narkissos) felt they lost muscle while trying a keto diet-"they did lose some muscle"! This is why they opt to use carb cycling instead of keto. Is there a way for them to do keto and keep muscle? Absolutely, but it will require 2 carb up days, etc! The only weight these type of individuals will gain back after a cheat meal will be water (not fat) and the water gained would be dispelled much faster than someone with a slow metabolism (for example: 1-2 days as opposed to 3-4 days).

Most women and over weight men do fine with a once a week cheat meal because they deplete to a lesser degree, but someone with a fast metabolism can have cheat meals twice per week and be right back into ketosis the following morning.

what you say does make perfectly good sense ronnir...really enjoying picking your brain...

what your take on skip loading for a show?????is it a good thing or a bad? thing my man??

[Ronnie Rowland]

what you say does make perfectly good sense ronnir...really enjoying picking your brain...

what your take on skip loading for a show?????is it a good thing or a bad? thing my man??

No problem!

I did a serach on Skip loading and it came up under the name ken "skip" hill. It a similar same protocol taught by one of my friends, Joe Klemczewski where you carb up early and let water dissapate bfore the show. Skip Loading will work!

[VASCULAR VINCE]

No problem!

I did a serach on Skip loading and it came up under the name ken "skip" hill. It a similar same protocol taught by one of my friends, Joe Klemczewski where you carb up early and let water dissapate bfore the show. Skip Loading will work!

alrighty then...thank you again ronnie...good to know...are you pre-carb loading or using a standard- carb 3 day carb-up for your show in 6 weeks????

[Ronnie Rowland]

alrighty then...thank you again ronnie...good to know...are you pre-carb loading or using a standard- carb 3 day carb-up for your show in 6 weeks????

I am only 3 weeks away from my show and I will do a 2 day standard carb up since I am in ketosis.

[Ronnie Rowland]

if your fat loss starts to slow down, take a cheat day and watch it get fired up again...

cheat days, or refeed days, promote leptin levels, which get depleated over time, especially on keto diets..

try having a refeed day every 18 days....

i picked up this info from nark...

This is so true jamy!

With both the Slingshot-Keto and the Slingshot-Carb-Cycling diet, I have people do a refeed once a week even if they are still losing weight. I find the once a week re-feeds prevents plateauing. By increasing calories/carbs on the 1 day per week cheat meal, it deters the body from adapting to the same amount of calories every day, etc. If people only knew how effective the re-feed is for continued weight loss and performance in the gym!

[eatrainrest]

im running a 40/40/20 diet rite now at maintenence level and using cardio to burn fat. doing well so far 4 weeks losing about 1lb per week, a little less but seeing strength gains every workout!. BUT, come summer i want to try out the carb cycling method along wiht the slingshot workout, which i posted in the other thread.

in regards to carb cycling, do you think staying at my maintenance level but sticking to 150g carb 5 days and the 2 load days would probly be 250-300g carb would be a good place to start?

[jamyjamjr]

This is so true jamy!

With both the Slingshot-Keto and the Slingshot-Carb-Cycling diet, I have people do a refeed once a week even if they are still losing weight. I find the once a week re-feeds prevents plateauing. By increasing calories/carbs on the 1 day per week cheat meal, it deters the body from adapting to the same amount of calories every day, etc. If people only knew how effective the re-feed is for continued weight loss and performance in the gym!

yea, it's great stuff...

people think dieting is about eating freakin fat free rice cakes and eatling less is better...

eat big, train big, and you will grow big...

and cheat... cheat away once a week... speaking of, it's sunday, imma go stuff my face with my diets kryptonie... pizza!!!

[VASCULAR VINCE]

This is so true jamy!

With both the Slingshot-Keto and the Slingshot-Carb-Cycling diet, I have people do a refeed once a week even if they are still losing weight. I find the once a week re-feeds prevents plateauing. By increasing calories/carbs on the 1 day per week cheat meal, it deters the body from adapting to the same amount of calories every day, etc. If people only knew how effective the re-feed is for continued weight loss and performance in the gym!

shit......i was told cheating once a week blows the diet for the entire week...this board is full of great info...

[Ronnie Rowland]

im running a 40/40/20 diet rite now at maintenence level and using cardio to burn fat. doing well so far 4 weeks losing about 1lb per week, a little less but seeing strength gains every workout!. BUT, come summer i want to try out the carb cycling method along wiht the slingshot workout, which i posted in the other thread.

in regards to carb cycling, do you think staying at my maintenance level but sticking to 150g carb 5 days and the 2 load days would probly be 250-300g carb would be a good place to start?

Yes! Also, you will want to take in more overall calories on your second weekly carb-up day (cheat day) to prevent going stale with the diet.

[Ronnie Rowland]

shit......i was told cheating once a week blows the diet for the entire week...this board is full of great info...

If only I had a dollar for everytime I heard that one..lol

[Ronnie Rowland]

yea, it's great stuff...

people think dieting is about eating freakin fat free rice cakes and eatling less is better...

eat big, train big, and you will grow big...

and cheat... cheat away once a week... speaking of, it's sunday, imma go stuff my face with my diets kryptonie... pizza!!!

I'll be right there with you jamy in less than 3 weeks..My carb up days in keto consist of lower fat foods like cheerios, oatmeal, whole wheat pancakes and sweet potatoes. I think I may have forgotten what cheese pizza taste like..

[eatrainrest]

unbelievable advice, your dishing out some quality information...ill post final when time comes thanks!

[Bradly1234]

Great post Ronnie, helped me out a ton.

[VASCULAR VINCE]

this is the most informative diet thread i have read so far!!! why protein/veg meals kept to eod???palumbo does 10 days in a row!!!

[Bradly1234]

while running a keto or carb cutting diet, you should incorprate cardio of some sort correct? I am guessing low intensity but what would qualify as low intensity, HR around 100 for 30 min?

[eatrainrest]

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=384553

[Bradly1234]

Thank you much but I feel like I am kicking into aerobic at 70% my hr is over 130.

Walking at 3.5mph with incline at 2 my hr is around 100-110 where I feel confident I am not losing any muscle mass but still stripping fat.

Should I listen to my body or leave my comfort zone and up the cardio?