My plan is a little extreme. But if you are dedicated enough to stick to this plan, then you can build muscle and get rid of fat in parallel. Rate it!

Author: Kelly Baggett

Many bodybuilders want to gain muscle mass while losing fat at the same time. Unfortunately, for the lion’s share of guys who have been training for several years, chasing two hares turns into a guaranteed slip for many months, if not years. They say bodybuilders tend to go to extremes. I don’t know if this trait is an individual feature or a consequence of the lifestyle necessary for a radical and lasting transformation of your body, but this character trait is really inherent in most tough guys. Even if we leave training aside, how many people or athletes do you know who follow the ruthless diet of bodybuilders? In the phase of gaining muscle mass, the amount of food consumed is enough to feed a small town, and then a full turn follows, and in the drying phase, the daily ration is barely enough to feed a small bird.

Anyone who at least once in their life has gone through the real phases of mass gain and subsequent drying understands perfectly what extremes I am talking about. To gain muscle mass, the body requires an increase in diet while limiting all unnecessary activity. And in order to strip off fat after gaining this muscle mass, you will have to mercilessly cut calories and include monotonous and tedious cardio loads in the training algorithm. All attempts to find a middle ground between weight gain and drying, as a rule, lead to unsatisfactory results in each direction.

However, with the help of science, information and understanding of how the various systems of our body work, we can find the right exercises and find the right timing of nutrient intake to achieve the high goal of muscle growth and simultaneous fat loss. The plan I am suggesting is designed with bodybuilders in mind, and it may seem a little extreme. However, if you are committed enough to a goal to hold out, it will help you achieve two mutually exclusive goals by wisely timing your exercise and nutrient intake.

We are going to exploit the hormonal status of the human body, which, as you know, is subject to circadian rhythms – based on this rhythm, we will choose the time for training and nutrition. The plan assumes periods of extreme malnutrition for fat loss and extreme overeating for muscle gain. We combine all this with training for the loss of fat mass (HIIT, cardio) and exercises for gaining muscles (strength training). Most of the time will be spent in the fat burning phase, limiting the amount and calories, and for maximum effect, you will do appropriate exercises such as cardio and HIIT.

The rest of the time you will sleep, pick up iron and eat like crazy. This will help you stimulate protein synthesis, gain muscle mass, and get the most out of the anabolic hormones stimulated by strength training and eating habits. Now let’s take a look at the key elements of this program.

Cardio

Certain types of cardio workouts should be performed in 3-6 day cycles, alternating with prolonged low-intensity workouts and HIIT training. Walking uphill on a treadmill for 45 minutes is ideal for a long cardio workout that should be done on strength training days (up to 3 times a week). Sprinting on the street, on a stationary bike or treadmill is a great HIIT technique that should be used on days free from strength training (2-3 times a week).

There are several ways to diversify your HIIT sessions. I like the following scheme: the duration of the “rest” periods is twice the duration of the “sprint” phase. For example, after 4 minutes of jogging or slow cycling (warm-up), do a 20-second sprint run followed by a 40-second jogging phase. We repeat the cycle 8-12 times, and at the end we devote another 4 minutes to a hitch.

In general, if there is a universal recipe for HIIT, then it sounds like this – you need a creative approach. Generally, the more difficulty you have with gaining and / or losing fat, the more cardio and HIIT sessions you need to do. 3 regular cardio and 3 HIIT per week is your maximum. If the metabolic processes proceed at a moderate pace, you should stop at 3 HIIT sessions and give up cardio, and only 1-2 HIIT sessions per week may be enough for the happy owners of an accelerated metabolism.

Strength training

The content of your strength training is not as important as the timing of your training. Strength training should start in the late afternoon so that you can successfully burn fat reserves throughout the first half of the day. During this time, you are still on a low-calorie, low-carb diet. There should be at least six hours after the end of the strength training and before going to bed.

During this time frame, you will eat for three to boost protein synthesis and replenish glycogen stores. If you exercise too early, you will lose the ability to burn fat early and thereby interfere with your plans to fight fat stores.

Strength training should be done three times a week, every other day, such as Mon / Wed / Fri or Tue / Thu / Sat. Training sessions should include heavy, basic exercises with a little overlap. In other words, don’t devote your entire workout to just your hands. Your goal is a workout that stimulates a powerful release of anabolic hormones and promotes muscle growth. For example, here’s how I organized my current three-day schedule.

My workout usually has mixed goals, and therefore it will suit many. But remember, this is just an example.

Monday

Wednesday

Friday

I usually do 4-6 sets of 4-8 reps per exercise and use antagonistic supersets where appropriate. Additionally, I work on small muscle groups such as the forearms, abdominals, calf and shoulder muscles on rest days, however, you don’t have to follow my example. Work your abs or calf muscles whenever you want, as long as you make sure your workouts are truly ruthless, intense and difficult, and that you target all muscle groups.

Diet

And now the fun part is diet! The diet is divided into two distinct phases: a low-calorie and a low-carb portion, followed by a high-calorie and carbohydrate-rich stage. Here’s a detailed description:

Low calorie and low carbohydrate portion

• Duration – 24 hours on rest day and 12 hours on training days
  
• Calorie content – 10-12 x Body weight (in kg)
  
• Macronutrient Ratios – 50% Protein, 30% Fat and 20% Carbs

High-calorie and high-carb portion (loading phase)

• Duration – only on training days, from the start of the training session until bedtime.
  
• Calorie content – as in the “low-calorie” day, but we get this amount of calories in 6-8 hours. (10-12 x Body weight (in kg) or 1600-1900 calories for a person weighing 72 kg)
  
• Macronutrient Ratios: 20% Protein, 5% Fat and 75% Carbs

The phase of balanced intake of carbohydrates and calories

• Duration – days off
  
• Calorie content – 15 x Body weight (in kg)
  
• Macronutrient Ratios – 50% Protein, 30% Fat and 20% Carbs

Weekly Chart

• Monday: before lunch – cardio, late afternoon – strength training *
  
• Tuesday: HIIT at any time of the day
  
• Wednesday: before lunch – cardio, late afternoon – strength training *
  
• Thursday: HIIT at any time of the day
  
• Friday: before lunch – cardio, late afternoon – strength training *
  
• Saturday: HIIT at any time, we maintain the calorie content of the diet
  
• Sunday: rest day, we maintain the calorie content of the diet

* (cardio in the morning – optional, depends on individual needs)

Now let’s look at the proposed program in detail. With a body weight of 72 kg, our imaginary bodybuilder needs 1600-1920 calories on low-carb and low-calorie days. We take the proportions B50% / W20% / U20% and get 200 g of protein / 80 g of carbohydrates and 53 g of fat. I suggest starting from a day free from strength training, for example, from Tuesday.

Tuesday

It is advisable to put HIIT training in the afternoon or early evening. Timing of HIIT on days free from strength training is not a big deal, but remember that metabolism tends to slow down towards evening. High-intensity training during these hours stimulates the metabolism, and we get an increased metabolic activity in a 24-hour period. After training, we drink a protein shake with a small amount of carbohydrates dissolved in it, which will be equal to about half the daily need (80 grams) in carbohydrates. Since the body is more susceptible to carbohydrate intake after physical activity, try to get most of the nutrient after the end of the training session, no matter what time of day you exercise. For the rest of the time, the body is in a state of active fat burning. The diet should contain predominantly lean meats, fiber-rich vegetables and healthy fats; meal frequency – every 3 hours.

Wednesday

Our imaginary bodybuilder woke up and went (or not, it’s up to him) for an extended low-intensity cardio workout. He does about 40 minutes, the workout consists of walking uphill on a treadmill. You need to walk at a moderate pace, not catching your breath, but high enough to make it difficult to talk with colleagues. After training – a protein-carbohydrate cocktail. The amount of carbohydrates should be lower than after the HIIT session the day before, perhaps 20 g is enough, because a prolonged low-intensity cardio session does not hit glycogen stores so much.

It is important not to forget that on this day the bodybuilder will also have strength training, which will begin after 15.00. He will only stick to a low-calorie diet for half a day, and therefore the need for macronutrients should be adjusted taking into account the entire daily diet. Instead of eating 1 calories, 600 g of protein, 200 g of carbs and 80 g of fat, the bodybuilder should divide these numbers by two and get 53 calories, 15.00 g of protein, 800 g of carbs and 100 g in the morning (before 40 p.m.) fat.

But at three o’clock in the afternoon, the holiday of anabolism begins! Immediately before training, we need to get a powerful impulse, and therefore we begin to sip a protein-carbohydrate shake. / maltodextrin / or / dextrose /. After workout, we grab another serving of a high protein and carbohydrate cocktail of dextrose / maltodextrin and whey protein and head home for a giant portion of real FOOD and CARBOHYDRATES! A diet from 15.00 pm to bedtime contains approximately 1600 calories, 300 g of carbohydrates, 80 g of protein and 9 g of fat for a person weighing 72 kg. Low-fat and carbohydrate-rich foods are great.

While those found in potatoes, rice, oatmeal, and other grains are ideal for replenishing muscle glycogen stores, cereals, low-fat flour products, and the like can also be added. Minimize your fruit and fructose intake and stay away from fatty foods. The rise in insulin secretion in combination with the intake of fat is a direct path to filling fat stores. Continue eating complex carbohydrates until you go to bed, and wake up in the morning, return to a restrictive diet for 1,5 days, until the hour of strength training and overeating strikes again.

Why does it work?

Strength training and previous malnutrition not only burn fat, but also deplete glycogen stores, which dramatically increases tissue sensitivity to insulin and perfectly prepares the body for the active assimilation of nutrients during the short carbohydrate loading phase. In addition to increasing cell hydration, which is important for protein synthesis, the body responds to this overeating by increasing the secretion of the anabolic hormone insulin.

High secretion of insulin for ALL of the time can play a cruel joke and lead to the accumulation of fat. But by provoking a short-term boost in hormone production after intense training, we maximize the anabolic potential of insulin and stimulate anabolism and muscle growth without much risk of unwanted fat accumulation. Studies have shown that carbohydrates consumed during a high-intensity but short-term carbohydrate binge have very little effect on lipogenesis, or the formation of fat from carbohydrates.

In addition, during and after the loading phase, the body produces massive amounts of testosterone, thyroid hormones, and leptin. Leptin is a hormone whose secretion is reduced during a restrictive diet, which in turn stops fat loss and stimulates muscle cannibalism. By boosting the synthesis of leptin during overeating, we remove the obstacle to fat burning and optimize the secretion of other hormones responsible for muscle growth. Regular cardio sessions, performed in the morning, not only provoke more calorie consumption and active fat utilization, but, more importantly, provide a powerful metabolic boost that lasts throughout the day. And the diet has already been optimized to help you burn fat at these times.

Similarly, with the choice of the moment for strength training – it coincides with the time when the body is just planning to transition from an anabolic state to a catabolic state. Through strength training and HIIT in the afternoon or late afternoon, we stimulate the release of anabolic hormones and increase the sensitivity of tissues to these hormones at the most appropriate moment. At the same time, we stimulate the metabolism at a time when it usually starts to slow down. A carbohydrate-rich meal following strength training provides complete, XNUMX/XNUMX hormonal and nutritional control over muscle growth and fat burning.

Sports nutrition

While nutritional supplements are not absolutely necessary in this program, some drugs definitely deserve our attention. It is also important to take and / or not take certain medications at specific times.

Protein

Take after cardio or strength training, and the whey and casein tandem is ideal for any other time of day.

Carbohydrate cocktail

Ideal is a cocktail of dextrose and maltodextrin before and after strength training.

BCAA / Glutamine

Can be used before, during and after cardio, HIIT and strength training.

Fish Oil / Flaxseed Oil / Other Healthy Fats

Indispensable. Should make up the lion’s share of your fat intake.

Alpha lipoic acid

R-ALA should be preferred. High dosages can be used during the carbohydrate loading phase.

Energy and Fat Burners

Can be used at any time. ,,, 7-keto, etc. You can also use.

Creatine monohydrate

Use during the carbohydrate loading phase.

Fine-tuning the program

The proposed plan is perfect for people with an average metabolic rate who do not suffer from extreme thinness and do not gain weight too quickly. If you’ve just completed the 6000 calories a day gain phase, this program will be very challenging to gain additional muscle mass, however, you can shift the focus to preserving muscle during drying. Conversely, if you have just dried up to 5% fat mass, you are unlikely to lose weight using the proposed plan, but you will be able to gain muscle mass even with the same fat content.

In a standard situation, a more dense, muscular and prominent physique with a stable total body weight can be considered a successful result of the program. This suggests that the body is getting rid of fat while continuing to build muscle. If the scale signals a decrease in total body weight, then the calorie deficit is too large, and you need to either reduce the most energy-intensive part of the training (cardio, HIIT), or raise the calorie intake during the low-carb phase. Some will find they can give up cardio altogether and just stick to a diet, but most will need at least 3 cardio sessions per week. And if the amount of cardio and HIIT needs to be cut back, it’s better to do it through strength training days (regular cardio workouts) rather than rest days (HIIT).

Now with regard to muscle growth. If you keep fat in check while continuing to gain muscle mass, your overall body fat percentage goes down, and that’s ideal. If you are gaining fat mass by literally following my recommendations, then nutrition in the loading phase should be revised towards lowering calorie content. People respond differently to high-calorie foods. It is also important to note that after the high-calorie phase, a certain amount of water is retained in the body, which, most likely, will negatively affect such an indicator as waist volume. Therefore, it is important to compare this figure with a similar period (after loading), and not with a day of low calorie diet, as numbers may differ.

You should also understand that regardless of the success of the technique, there is a point after which the simultaneous gaining of muscles and loss of fat is no longer possible, and the turn of highly specialized programs comes. However, most people with 10-15% fat mass will manage to get somewhere up to 8% using the proposed method, while they will continue to build muscle without hormonal drugs. Let me know about your results, feel free to write and ask any questions!

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