Carb Cycling Bulk Diet Critique [Forum Archive]

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Carb Cycling Bulk Diet Critique

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Posted by: ddawg

I'm about to start a really clean carb cycling bulk and I wanted to get an idea of how good it is. I'm 20 years old, 6'0 and 170 pounds (skinny fat). I plan on doing this type of schedule:

Monday and Thursday--High Carb--3074 Calories/90g Fat/314g Carbs/261g Protein--41/34/25 carb/protein/fat split

Tuesday and Friday--Medium Carb--2834 Calories/93g Fat/242g Carbs/257g Protein--34/36/30 carb/protein/fat split

Wed./Sat./Sunday--Low Carb--2600 Calories/96g Fat/176g Carbs/250g Protein--27/38/35 carb/protein/fat

I'm going to post my high carb day so you guys can see what I'll be eating. It will be pretty much the same thing just with less carbs on the other days and a different dinner:

HIGH CARB---calories/fat/carbs/protein
7:00--Pre-Workout
5 Egg Whites
25g Chicken Breast
120g Oatmeal

608/11/81/45

9:30 PWO
1 Cup Skim Milk
115g Banana
30g Whey
65g Oatmeal

562/7/85/44

10:30 PPWO
25g Chicken Breast
1 Cup Skim Milk
80g Oatmeal
1/4 Cup Blueberries

474/7/75/29

12:30
2 Fish Oil Pills
1 Tsp. Olive Oil
40g Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites
14g Whey

355/10/29/35

2:30
2 Natural Cheese Sticks
20g Walnuts
15g Almonds

342/26/6/25

5:00
12g Whey
1 Cup Skim Milk
2 Fish Oil Pills
1/2 Tbs. Olive Oil

218/10/13/18

7:30
8oz Tilapia
200g Frozen Green Beans
170g Lettuce

313/4/21/49

10:00
25g Chicken Breast
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
10g Whey

200/15/1/16

Totals 3074 Calories/90g Fat/314g Carbs/261g Protein
__________________

Posted by: VanessaNicole

Why a carb cycle bulk?

The whole point of carb cycling is to keep levels of leptin up so your metabolism doesn't decrease to the same extent as with consistent resitricted calorie dieting. This is so you can lose weight.

Why do you have three low carb days? Your average calories per day here are 2,800. That's about 200 calories above maintenance for you.

This is not a good bulking diet. You need to consume an average of at least 3,200 calories a day.

Just eat a clean, high calorie, high density diet every day.

VanessaNicole

Posted by: ddawg

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanessaNicole

Why a carb cycle bulk?

The whole point of carb cycling is to keep levels of leptin up so your metabolism doesn't decrease to the same extent as with consistent resitricted calorie dieting. This is so you can lose weight.

Why do you have three low carb days? Your average calories per day here are 2,800. That's about 200 calories above maintenance for you.

This is not a good bulking diet. You need to consume an average of at least 3,200 calories a day.

Just eat a clean, high calorie, high density diet every day.

VanessaNicole

The only reason I was doing carb cycling was because I wanted to do a really clean bulk and so my three off days were going to be those 3 lower carb days. So I shouldn't lower my carbs on off days? Like today for example when all I did was chill at the house all day, do I really need 300+ carbs? So what daily macro split and calorie range would you guys recommend for someone skinny fat like me that wants really clean gains and should I eat that everyday?

Also are the food choices I posted good?

Posted by: Emma-Leigh

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddawg

I'm about to start a really clean carb cycling bulk and I wanted to get an idea of how good it is. I'm 20 years old, 6'0 and 170 pounds (skinny fat). I plan on doing this type of schedule:

Monday and Thursday--High Carb--3074 Calories/90g Fat/314g Carbs/261g Protein--41/34/25 carb/protein/fat split

Tuesday and Friday--Medium Carb--2834 Calories/93g Fat/242g Carbs/257g Protein--34/36/30 carb/protein/fat split

Wed./Sat./Sunday--Low Carb--2600 Calories/96g Fat/176g Carbs/250g Protein--27/38/35 carb/protein/fat

I don't think that carb cycling while bulking is an altogether bad idea... As long as your total calorie intake is above maintainence then 'zig zagging' is fine.

And your outline looks ok.... I would decrease protein slightly (260g is a lot for someone who is your size and "skinny fat") and increase carbs slightly - especially on your 'higher carb' days..

So set protein to ~1.5g x desired lean mass (eg: if you are 170 and 17% now you have 140 pounds lean mass... but say you want to get to 150 pounds lean mass... so you set your protein intake to 225). Then redistribute your cals to carbs.

eg:
High - 3050 cals, 355-370g carbs, 225g protein, 80g fat
Med - 2850 cals, 270-300g carbs, 225g protein, 90g fat
Low - 2600 cals, 185-200g carbs, 225g protein, 100g fat

Quote:

HIGH CARB---calories/fat/carbs/protein
7:00--Pre-Workout
5 Egg Whites
25g Chicken Breast
120g Oatmeal

608/11/81/45

This looks fine... But how soon after eating this will you be working out?? If it is closer than ~1.25-1.5 hrs you may want to re-think it and go for something that is faster to digest (especially because you are working out first thing in the morning)...

Quote:

9:30 PWO
1 Cup Skim Milk
115g Banana
30g Whey
65g Oatmeal

562/7/85/44

Looks fine..... Although I would take advantage of non-starchy carb sources PWO on high carb days (eg: why not invest in some sweettarts.

Quote:

10:30 PPWO
25g Chicken Breast
1 Cup Skim Milk
80g Oatmeal
1/4 Cup Blueberries

474/7/75/29

Not too bad... I would leave out the milk. Add some healthy fats too. And I would also add some vegetables.You might also want to increase your complete protein...

Quote:

12:30
2 Fish Oil Pills
1 Tsp. Olive Oil
40g Oatmeal
5 Egg Whites
14g Whey

355/10/29/35

Boy can not live on oats alone.... (translation: pick another carb source!!).
Add vegetables.

Add vegetables.

Quote:

2:30
2 Natural Cheese Sticks
20g Walnuts
15g Almonds

342/26/6/25

Decrease your fats - spread your fats over all your meals except pre and post workout.

Add something like fruit or vegetables here too.

And increase protein slightly.

Quote:

5:00
12g Whey
1 Cup Skim Milk
2 Fish Oil Pills
1/2 Tbs. Olive Oil

218/10/13/18

I would not use milk... Highly insulinogenic and I usually suggest people keep it pre/post workout.

Add fruit/vegetables.

Quote:

7:30
8oz Tilapia
200g Frozen Green Beans
170g Lettuce

313/4/21/49

Add fats. Decrease protein slightly (spread it evenly).

Quote:

10:00
25g Chicken Breast
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
10g Whey

200/15/1/16

Errmmm.... Why not just use chicken?? Or something like a slower digesting protein (eg: caesin)?

Posted by: ddawg

What are some other non starch carbs?

Posted by: ddawg

So would carb cycling be better than equal amounts every day?

Posted by: calalily1972

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddawg

So would carb cycling be better than equal amounts every day?

It's great to keep fat gain at bay and ensure quality LBM

Posted by: ddawg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jodi

It's great to keep fat gain at bay and ensure quality LBM

I think I'm going to try the carb cycling type thing that Emma suggested:

High - 3050 cals, 355-370g carbs, 225g protein, 80g fat
Med - 2850 cals, 270-300g carbs, 225g protein, 90g fat
Low - 2600 cals, 185-200g carbs, 225g protein, 100g fat

It basically works out to this split on the days: carb/protein/fat
High--45/32/24-----------370g carbs
Medium--35/35/30--------250g carbs
Low--30/36/34----------200g carbs

I'll be working out 4 days a week and have those 4 days be my 2 high and 2 medium days. Then on the other 3 days I'll have my low days. What I did for my low days is since I won't be doing too much, I put most of my carbs in my first 3-4 meals and then my final 2-3 meals are just mainy fat/protein/veggies.

I have one question though....when I average these numbers out, it comes out to about 2900 calories/day a week. When I need to start taking in more calories, which days should I adjust and which macro should it be??? Thanks!

Posted by: ddawg

Emma, the reason my protein is so high is that I try to have 7 meals a day and in each meal I try to get atleast 15g complete protein in each meal. In addition to this, I get protein from incomplete sources which come from my carbs like oatmeal. If I need to decrease my protein, what other macro should I increase in order to get enough calories to gain.....fat or carbs?

Basically, what should be my carb/protein/fat macro split on my 3 days.....high,medium,low?

Posted by: Emma-Leigh

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddawg

Emma, the reason my protein is so high is that I try to have 7 meals a day and in each meal I try to get atleast 15g complete protein in each meal. In addition to this, I get protein from incomplete sources which come from my carbs like oatmeal.

Which is why you should consider swapping some of your oats to something with less protein so you can get a better quality protein source.

eg: pre workout what about replacing some of the oats with some fruit or plain fat-free natural yoghurt?

In your PWO shake - the non-starchy carbs I was talking about would be dextrose or sources of this (eg: smarties, sweettarts, spree...

). As you are haivng a banana I wouldn't get anything with too much sucrose in it - so try to look for pure dextrose or glucose syrup.

On your medium carb days you could try things like rice crackers, cooked white rice (mmm.... protein rice pudding...

)... things like that.

Quote:

If I need to decrease my protein, what other macro should I increase in order to get enough calories to gain.....fat or carbs?

Basically, what should be my carb/protein/fat macro split on my 3 days.....high,medium,low?

Firstly - I don't like % - I go by body weight/lean mass... % mean jack all...

What I suggested above is what I would suggest you do (if you wanted to keep fats higher). But I usually like to see fats lower on high carb days (minimum of about 50g or less)... So if you wanted fats a little lower then something like:
High: 3050 cals, 415-430g carbs, 225g protein, 50-55g fat (which, if you must know, is 55: 30: 15)
Med: 2850 cals, 300-320g carbs, 225g protein, 80g fat (roughly 45: 30: 25)
Low: 2600 cals, 200-220g carbs, 225g protein, 95g fat (roughly 33: 33: 33)

Posted by: Emma-Leigh

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddawg

I have one question though....when I average these numbers out, it comes out to about 2900 calories/day a week. When I need to start taking in more calories, which days should I adjust and which macro should it be??? Thanks!

You don't need more protein - so it would be carbs/fats... And I would bump up carbs on high carb day.... both on medium... and primarily fats on low carb days.

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