Two weeks out to get ripped up. Guide on carbohydrates, water loads, sodium intake, etc..
At some point, all of us want to show off what we've been working so hard for in the gym.
At some point, all of us want to show off what we've been working so hard for in the gym.
Perhaps it's something big you have planned, like a sunny two-week vacation or cruise, or maybe just a simple afternoon trip to the beach or pool. Regardless of where you wish to look your absolute best, this article will explain how to get there.
Obviously, I can't turn you from Homer Simpson into Ronnie Coleman, but if you're already relatively lean this plan will take you to the next level of definition and fullness. You won't get asked "Hey, do you work out?" but rather, "Damn, how much time do you spend in the gym per day?"
[h=3]Diet is Key[/h]
Not surprisingly, the key to a hard physique is nutrition. You can train until you're blue and spend every waking hour (and sometimes every non-waking hour) on the treadmill, but if your diet isn't dialed in, your physique won't be dialed in, either.
So the main focus of this two-week turnaround will be your daily menu and manipulating it to harden up while retaining as much muscle as possible. We'll cover cardio, supplements, and training as well, but those are merely the icing on the cake. The bulk of your results will come from what you eat.
[h=3]Carb Cycling[/h]
We'll be using carbohydrate cycling to prep for the big day. Carb cycling lets you take advantage of the fat-burning effects of a low carb diet while still allowing the benefits of a periodic carb up (increase metabolism, refill glycogen stores, increase leptin, and staving off potential catabolism).
Note. This exact setup might not be a perfect fit for your situation (perhaps you have three weeks, or just ten days), but you can see the general principles involved. Simply modify them to fit your own circumstances.
We kick things off with four low carb days in a row (Monday through Thursday). This serves to deplete glycogen stores and keep insulin levels low to optimize fat burning. I'd advise weight training two or three of these four days as it'll help deplete muscle glycogen, burn fat, and support muscle maintenance.
Cardio should be done every day – 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity. Some sprint intervals would work great here, or just alternating two minutes moderate with one minute hard. The goal is to burn both glycogen and fat.
How many carbs, you ask?
To start, we'll use .25 grams per pound of bodyweight (that's total bodyweight, not LBM). So if you weigh 200 pounds, you'll have 50 grams of carbs per day for four days in a row. That's pretty low, but we don't have much time and need to maximize progress (without risking catabolism) before the big day. If you weigh more (or less), just calculate accordingly.
Set protein at 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight (so 300 grams for our 200 pound male) and fat at .25 grams per pound of bodyweight (50 grams). This gives a daily calorie total of 1850, a little less than 10 calories per pound of bodyweight.
Here's a sample daily menu using these macros.
[h=4]Low Carb Day[/h]
- Wake-up: Take 2 caps Hot-Rox® Extreme and drink a cup of black coffee
- AM cardio. 30 minutes (fasted)
- Meal 1: Half-cup oatmeal (raw measure), 2.5 scoops Metabolic Drive® Protein, 1 teaspoon macadamia nut oil, 1 teaspoon psyllium husk (for fiber)
- Meal 2: 6 ounces chicken breast, large green salad with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- Meal 3: 2.5 scoops Metabolic Drive® Protein, 1 ounce almonds or walnuts, 1 teaspoon psyllium husk
- Meal 4: 6 ounces turkey breast (cooked measure), 2 cups asparagus or cauliflower, 1.5 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter
- Weight training workout *
- Meal 5: Two-thirds cup brown rice (cooked measure), 7 ounces lean fish (tuna, cod, etc.)
- Meal 6: 5.5 ounces eye of round steak (cooked measure), 2 cups broccoli, 4 caps Flameout®
* if you don't weight train on one of these days, swap meal 5 and meal 2 so you consume the carbs earlier in the day
[h=4]Now Back Off The Throttle[/h]
After a string of low days, throw in a higher "carb load" day. This replenishes glycogen levels to support heavy training and staves off potential muscle catabolism while serving to keep the metabolism running efficiently.
For this higher carb day, set carbohydrate levels at 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight, protein at 1.25 grams per pound, and limit fats to the essential fatty acids in Flameout®. For our 200-pound individual, this comes out to roughly 2250 calories for the day, or 11 calories per pound of bodyweight. This is still low enough to promote fat loss, but with macronutrient manipulation set to optimize muscle retention.
For our 200-pound individual this carb load day would look something like this:
[h=4]Carb Load Day[/h]
(No cardio on these days – just weight training)
- Meal 1: 1.5 cup egg whites, 3 pieces Ezekiel bread toast
- Meal 2: 5 ounces chicken breast (cooked measure), 1 cup brown rice, 1 cup broccoli
- Meal 3: 1 cup oatmeal (raw measure), 2 scoops Metabolic Drive® Protein
- Meal 4: 4 ounces turkey breast (cooked measure), 8 ounces sweet potato (cooked measure), 1 cup green beans
- Weight training workout
- Meal 5: 2 scoops Surge® Workout Fuel, 2 scoops Metabolic Drive® Protein
- Meal 6: 5.5 ounces eye of round steak (cooked measure), 1 cup brown rice, large green salad, 4 caps Flameout®
Note: If you're already lean and have a fast metabolism, think about bumping the carbs up to two grams per pound of bodyweight on this carb load day .
After the carb day, go back to the low carb menu and daily cardio. You might feel even more hunger in the days that follow since the carb load day speeds up the metabolism. Bite the bullet and stick to the plan. You'll now be burning more fat than before on these days. Tell yourself that hunger is just a byproduct of fat leaving the body.
Follow the low carb setup for three more days, then have another carb load day. You should now be about four days out from your event (assuming a 14 day setup). After this second carb load day go back to the low carb days but cut carbs in half (reduce each carb portion by 50%). This will further amplify fat burning and set you up for an effective carb load right before your event.
The day before the big day, start off with the low carb template, but in the evening switch the last three meals to the meals from the carb load day. This will help start to fill you out for the next day. On game day, use the carb load day menu again to keep filling out the muscles so they'll be full and tight.