Carb Back-Loading

Camera can't keep up with Arik's butterfly PUs
Camera can’t keep up with Arik’s butterfly PUs

I have spent the last several days educating myself on Carb-Backloading. At a first glance I was admittingly horrified. This was partly due to the fact that a female CrossFitter is not the intended audience. The thought of eating donuts and pizza after a day of fasting and having the end product be gaining 30lbs of muscle made me cringe, but then I read on and started to buy into it.

There is quite a lot of science to back this method, and though it is not a lifestyle diet, it can be useful during a strength cycle. It is interesting that when focusing on the Zone diet and the Whole 30 the take away message is to avoid a spike in insulin. Spiking insulin (the hormone that is released in response to carbohydrate) is associated with fat storage. With Carb Backloading the idea is to create an insulin spike at the end of the day, basically when it is recommended not to eat.

Ok, let’s break this down a bit.

What is the purpose for Carb-backloading?: Insulin causes us to grow. If we manipulate when we experience an insulin spike it will help our muscle developement and recovery by redirecting glucose away from fat cells and into muscle cells. For the best results it is highly recommended that you train at 5pm. It can work for morning worker-outers, but the efficacy of it will likely be compromised due to the hormonal timing of the body.

No breakfast?Β Yes, that’s right. Skipping the “most important” meal of the day. When back-loading it is recommended to not eat right when you wake up. This is when the insulin sensitivity is the highest as well as your cortisol levels. Fasting during the morning will stimulate fat-burning. If you do need to eat immediately upon waking fat is your best option. Fat is not used as fuel until about 3 hours after ingesting it.

Less than 30g of carbs/meal until after lifting. So basically paleo with no fruit and little nuts. Meat, fish, and fibrous vegetables. Even eggs are discouraged because they cause an insulin spike. No spike in insulin at all before lifting.

Immediately post workout:Β High glycemic carbs are recommended post workout (bananas, mangos, basically anything thatis high on the glycemic index). They will help replenish depleted glycogen stores which helps prevent muscle break down. This can be in combination with whey protein in the form of a protein shake.

Dinner and beyond:Β You still want to get in some protein (steak, chicken, whatever you like) but then you need to get in some more fast digesting carbs. Potatos, white rice, fruit, and many other things that I won’t list here because I haven’t thought about eating this kind of sugary goodness in so long. After dinner it is recommended to eat MORE carbs, most people do a couple of bowls of cereal. Or some fro-yo!! Simple sugars.

Off-days:Β No back-loading. That’s how you get fat.

Morning peeps: Different than the regular program. Back-load the night before you train. No breakfast, just coffee. Post workout some simple sugars, want to mix in with some protein. Normal dinner. Load up on the carbs again before bed.

Ladies- It does have a different affect on women compared to men. Women should have a limited amount of carbs. One carb dominant meal at night should be enough. Do not overdue it or it will work against you.

There is so much information out there and I am happy to answer any questions you may have. I tried to break it down in the simplist terms that I could, but as simple as this diet can be at first glance there is a lot of small details that are important in understanding the why’s and how’s. There are many of you doing carb-back-loading already. If you can post to comments about your experience thus far that would be great.

I have never personally done this diet, and I don’t oppose it or stand behind it. The author “Keifer” specifically says that it is not for CrossFitters, but it could give you an edge during a strength program. Csexier with super ripped abs. Will it make you stronger?? Those of you who are going to try it will let us know!

Warm-Up
Row 500m
30 Box Jumps (24,20)
20 Barbell Good Mornings
-5 Minutes Stretching Hamstrings

Strength
Work up to a 1 RM Deadlift

WOD
20 Front squats (205,135)
30 Box jumps (30, 24)
40 Kettlebell swings (1.5,1)
50 Wall ball shots (20,14)

Regional – (185, 115)
Open – (165, 110)

62 Comments

  • Shelby

    08/12/2013 @ 6:40 pm

    As echoed above – I think carb cycling with healthy carbs and grains is most efficient . It shouldn’t be about getting to eat ” crap” because at the end of the day you would think such devoted athletes would want to treat their bodies well and provide it with proper energy that isn’t full of chemicals and processed junk . I’ve never done carb back loading but I have reintroduced Greek yogurt and quinoa and organic oats into my diet and I feel a lot better than I did on paleo. If anyone is to carb load I recommend doing it correctly with healthy grains and healthy simple sugars .
    Now for my questions. – how the heck does an egg cause an insulin spike ? It is protein not a carb and if a female is to do what constitutes a carb dominant meal? 60g of carb? How much ? and is that in addition to a carb shake or banana after a workout. ?

  • Shelby

    08/12/2013 @ 6:40 pm

    As echoed above – I think carb cycling with healthy carbs and grains is most efficient . It shouldn’t be about getting to eat ” crap” because at the end of the day you would think such devoted athletes would want to treat their bodies well and provide it with proper energy that isn’t full of chemicals and processed junk . I’ve never done carb back loading but I have reintroduced Greek yogurt and quinoa and organic oats into my diet and I feel a lot better than I did on paleo. If anyone is to carb load I recommend doing it correctly with healthy grains and healthy simple sugars .
    Now for my questions. – how the heck does an egg cause an insulin spike ? It is protein not a carb and if a female is to do what constitutes a carb dominant meal? 60g of carb? How much ? and is that in addition to a carb shake or banana after a workout. ?

  • mattw

    08/10/2013 @ 12:40 am

    DL: #455 PR
    WOD: 9:07 w/ 2 pood.

    Didn’t realize i was using the wrong weight until about 20 reps in.

    Good working w/Manny tonight. Keep at it bro. Your conditioning will come along with the more work you put in. Btw A.Cooke millimeters away from sinking into her first muscle up tonight!

    • Andrea Cooke

      08/10/2013 @ 12:57 am

      And thank you for your help! first time I have ever felt excited about muscle ups!

      • Heather Wojcik

        08/10/2013 @ 1:10 am

        Andrea, you were so close!

    • M.Rod

      08/10/2013 @ 1:43 am

      Thanks for the help bro
      Nice meeting u!

  • mattw

    08/10/2013 @ 12:40 am

    DL: #455 PR
    WOD: 9:07 w/ 2 pood.

    Didn’t realize i was using the wrong weight until about 20 reps in.

    Good working w/Manny tonight. Keep at it bro. Your conditioning will come along with the more work you put in. Btw A.Cooke millimeters away from sinking into her first muscle up tonight!

    • Andrea Cooke

      08/10/2013 @ 12:57 am

      And thank you for your help! first time I have ever felt excited about muscle ups!

      • Heather Wojcik

        08/10/2013 @ 1:10 am

        Andrea, you were so close!

    • M.Rod

      08/10/2013 @ 1:43 am

      Thanks for the help bro
      Nice meeting u!

  • Andrea

    08/10/2013 @ 12:04 am

    Wod: 5:37 game

    Did class wod after: 10:13

    • Kara

      08/10/2013 @ 1:29 am

      5:37!?! That’s amazing, Andrea!

  • Andrea

    08/10/2013 @ 12:04 am

    Wod: 5:37 game

    Did class wod after: 10:13

    • Kara

      08/10/2013 @ 1:29 am

      5:37!?! That’s amazing, Andrea!

  • M.Rod

    08/09/2013 @ 11:54 pm

    Dl 335# 10# shy of pr was working on technic with matt
    Wod 18:20

  • M.Rod

    08/09/2013 @ 11:54 pm

    Dl 335# 10# shy of pr was working on technic with matt
    Wod 18:20

  • Schurko

    08/09/2013 @ 7:51 pm

    I’m disappointed in the lack of man thigh today. I miss one Friday and short shorts Fridays goes away. Where’s the love for man thigh?

    I blame this on KFP and Shamon.

    Yesterday, I maxed squats and press: 385# on HBBS and 205# on press. Didn’t feel great but wanted to establish a baseline for this next phase.

  • Schurko

    08/09/2013 @ 7:51 pm

    I’m disappointed in the lack of man thigh today. I miss one Friday and short shorts Fridays goes away. Where’s the love for man thigh?

    I blame this on KFP and Shamon.

    Yesterday, I maxed squats and press: 385# on HBBS and 205# on press. Didn’t feel great but wanted to establish a baseline for this next phase.

  • Alec

    08/09/2013 @ 6:01 pm

    Did my 1RM back squat today, 355 PR, although I was gunning for 365, it didn’t work. Hopefully after this strength cycle I’ll be up to at least 375 if not closer to 400.

    9:xx on the metcon, couldn’t keep up with Speedy Mullins.

  • Alec

    08/09/2013 @ 6:01 pm

    Did my 1RM back squat today, 355 PR, although I was gunning for 365, it didn’t work. Hopefully after this strength cycle I’ll be up to at least 375 if not closer to 400.

    9:xx on the metcon, couldn’t keep up with Speedy Mullins.

  • Kara

    08/09/2013 @ 4:22 pm

    DL: 205, low back was in knots πŸ™
    Wod: 12:44 @ open. FS were hard!

    Petra killed the DL this am!

  • Kara

    08/09/2013 @ 4:22 pm

    DL: 205, low back was in knots πŸ™
    Wod: 12:44 @ open. FS were hard!

    Petra killed the DL this am!

  • DePrizio

    08/09/2013 @ 3:07 pm

    DL up to 340, didnt push it crazy, this is most i’ve done since blowing my back out. Felt fine here.
    WOD: 10:09 @ open

    FYI, 1 week into CBL, doing it in a clean fashion mainly, swet potatoes, potatoes, high GI fruits etc. Once a week i’ll probably have something sketchy like froyo or cookies. I’ve had issues with my body after losing 100+lbs. Not a believer in putting crap into my body intentionally. I have enough slip ups in nutrition that I don’t need to schedule in nightly pizza and doughnuts.

    Short term- I’ve felt my body comps gotten better, wake up every morning feeling hard (not meant to be a joke) Used to be a believer of no/lesser carbs at night where I felt I was someone who was “Carb Sensative” but I don’t feel negative effects from this. I look forward to housing baked sweet potato cubes. Also coffee with a scoop of mint choc protein is great takeway from this.

    General Training Day Since I train in the morning

    Water when I wake up
    PWO shake after training roughly 2 scoop waxy maize/2 scoop protein

    Work Nutrition(Basically the same every day)-
    around 10am- Coffee and a .5 to 1 scoop of protein mixed together
    Lunch – 2 types of fibrous green veggies, usually spinach & Broccoli, then 8oz of meat
    Snack- Almonds could sub in cheese here.
    7:30pm Dinner- 1 or 2 carb sources, baked sweet potatoes, or potatoes, meat, sometime’s i’ll make a paleo’ish’ bbq sauce that we all know isn’t paleo but it fits this type of nutrition plan, I’ll also cook some green veggies here too, but I try not to eat alot of them.
    9ish Post Dinner- Usually high GI fruits. Water mellon, mango, grapes. Would be best taken with cottage cheese.

    Thats basically a day when I’m training the next morning, if I’m not training the next morning (Wednesday nights) there just isn’t any high GI carbs in the dinner and no post dinner carb meal.

    Really need to start abusing cheese since it’s allowed….I see some cheesy chicken in my future….

    Either way- Nutrition and your body is definitely science- and a great thing to expirement with. Will re-post mid way through and after all the strength cycle is over when I’ll probably switch over to a paleo carb cycling. I’ve had alot of success on carb cycling in the past, but it was from a physique standpoint- not performance- while doing a body building type routine.

    Have measurements/weight from the start and will check midway and at the end on this strength cycle.

    • Goose

      08/09/2013 @ 4:28 pm

      thanks for the info. looking forward to seeing if it does help.

    • Petra

      08/09/2013 @ 6:12 pm

      Holy moly, 100+lbs lost?! That’s amazing.

  • DePrizio

    08/09/2013 @ 3:07 pm

    DL up to 340, didnt push it crazy, this is most i’ve done since blowing my back out. Felt fine here.
    WOD: 10:09 @ open

    FYI, 1 week into CBL, doing it in a clean fashion mainly, swet potatoes, potatoes, high GI fruits etc. Once a week i’ll probably have something sketchy like froyo or cookies. I’ve had issues with my body after losing 100+lbs. Not a believer in putting crap into my body intentionally. I have enough slip ups in nutrition that I don’t need to schedule in nightly pizza and doughnuts.

    Short term- I’ve felt my body comps gotten better, wake up every morning feeling hard (not meant to be a joke) Used to be a believer of no/lesser carbs at night where I felt I was someone who was “Carb Sensative” but I don’t feel negative effects from this. I look forward to housing baked sweet potato cubes. Also coffee with a scoop of mint choc protein is great takeway from this.

    General Training Day Since I train in the morning

    Water when I wake up
    PWO shake after training roughly 2 scoop waxy maize/2 scoop protein

    Work Nutrition(Basically the same every day)-
    around 10am- Coffee and a .5 to 1 scoop of protein mixed together
    Lunch – 2 types of fibrous green veggies, usually spinach & Broccoli, then 8oz of meat
    Snack- Almonds could sub in cheese here.
    7:30pm Dinner- 1 or 2 carb sources, baked sweet potatoes, or potatoes, meat, sometime’s i’ll make a paleo’ish’ bbq sauce that we all know isn’t paleo but it fits this type of nutrition plan, I’ll also cook some green veggies here too, but I try not to eat alot of them.
    9ish Post Dinner- Usually high GI fruits. Water mellon, mango, grapes. Would be best taken with cottage cheese.

    Thats basically a day when I’m training the next morning, if I’m not training the next morning (Wednesday nights) there just isn’t any high GI carbs in the dinner and no post dinner carb meal.

    Really need to start abusing cheese since it’s allowed….I see some cheesy chicken in my future….

    Either way- Nutrition and your body is definitely science- and a great thing to expirement with. Will re-post mid way through and after all the strength cycle is over when I’ll probably switch over to a paleo carb cycling. I’ve had alot of success on carb cycling in the past, but it was from a physique standpoint- not performance- while doing a body building type routine.

    Have measurements/weight from the start and will check midway and at the end on this strength cycle.

    • Goose

      08/09/2013 @ 4:28 pm

      thanks for the info. looking forward to seeing if it does help.

    • Petra

      08/09/2013 @ 6:12 pm

      Holy moly, 100+lbs lost?! That’s amazing.

  • Petra

    08/09/2013 @ 2:49 pm

    DL: 275#
    WOD: 11:25 @open

    • Kenny "F'n" Powers

      08/09/2013 @ 3:03 pm

      awesome work, Petra!

  • Petra

    08/09/2013 @ 2:49 pm

    DL: 275#
    WOD: 11:25 @open

    • Kenny "F'n" Powers

      08/09/2013 @ 3:03 pm

      awesome work, Petra!

  • Kyra

    08/09/2013 @ 2:48 pm

    I don’t do CBL, but the last month I have been doing carb cycling. My energy levels are high, strength is same as always, metcons feel great (if not better because the 5 lbs I’ve lost is a huge difference to me) and I’ve lost fat. Here’s a blog I wrote overviewing it…

    There are a lot of really great articles on carb-cycling and if you decide to try this way of eating out for yourself, I highly recommend you check out these articles:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/par30.htm
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wescott4.htm
    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/a_beginners_guide_to_carb_cycling

    In the last 3 weeks I’ve lost 5 pounds (mostly water I am sure, but some fat too as my progress pics look learner) but more importantly I’ve also been able to enjoy boozing on Saturdays and some cinnamon toast crunch on a somewhat regular basis.

    In layman’s terms, carb cycling manipulates your body so that it uses fat (your own body fat, hopefully) as fuel. If you use up all your muscle glycogen in your workouts, then your body must draw from somewhere to get fuel, and optimally, it will draw from fatty tissue as it’s resource. Then, after a few days, you re-fill your muscles with glycogen to be depleted again.

    Bodybuilders, bikini and figure competitors and general fat loss enthusiasts use carb cycling. It has a really great track record of fat loss while maintaining muscle and strength. But I will say, it’s truly only recommended for people who are already lean, for men 15% body fat or under, women 20% body fat or under.

    Now, before I get into my take on carb cycling, keep in mind that this is my take – it’s what works for ME.

    So for me, it is necessary to be able to eat and drink freely on Saturdays. I train on Saturday mornings which means I don’t go out/ drink on Friday nights. Saturdays are also big football watching days for me in the fall, and I don’t like to misbehave on Sundays because I train on Mondays. So Saturdays are MY day. If you are like me and have a serious investment in your social life, then choose a day where you want to be able to have more carbs (i.e. Bud Light.)

    One thing that is cool about carb cycling is that you can really base it off of your life’s needs. So if you know you have a date or a work function you can make that a high carb day so you can indulge a bit more.

    But you don’t have to always have one particular day of the week to be high carb either. It can totally fluctuate, but your high carb day should really be a day you workout because you are going to try to base your carbs around your workouts.

    Then what you are going to do is you are going to take two or three low carb days after that, before your next high carb day. So if I didn’t need Saturdays as a high carb day I would probably start on a Monday with low carb through Wednesday, then on Thursday I would be high carb, then go low carb through Sunday, and Monday would be high. So it would be 3 low, 1 high, 3 low, 1 high, etc.

    But because I base mine around my social calendar, I do Saturday high, then Sunday, Monday, Tuesday low then Wednesday high, followed by Thursday and Friday low.

    Now, there are all these different macronutrient percentages that say a high carb day should be 55% of your calories should come from carbs and 40% from protein and 5% or less from fat. Then a low carb day should be 55% calories from protein, 35% from fat and 10% from carbs. And then some say that carbs from fiber doesn’t count, or that you don’t need to count your veggies.

    I went on a calorie counter one day and planned out a β€œperfect” day and it was a giant pain in the ass. Also, I eat a lot of healthy fats. I have done the low carb and low fat thing before and I was miserable and stupid. Seriously, your brain does not function well without fat or carbs. Truly, I’ve found my brain only functions well when I eat a higher fat diet (hence why I love Paleo) but if you have me just eating chicken or turkey with effing asparagus all day I will be mean to you. I need avocados and coconut oil in my life on a regular basis.

    So here I will tell you that you need to figure out what is right for YOU. And like I said, I will help you out with it because counting calories, macros and figuring out percentages is a PITA.

    What I did was stuck with my typical 4 ounces of protein 6 times a day. I also eat whatever vegetables I want, whenever I want. Because you know what? NO ONE ever got fat from eating broccoli. On low carb days I eat fat with every meal but aside from my veggies, I don’t touch carbs. Not fruit, not sweet potatoes, nothing. Then on high carb days I stay away from fat as much as possible. I will still have my fish oil, and there will be fat in certain things like beef and my egg yolk, but I don’t add oil to anything. I won’t even use almond milk for my PWO shake.

    Then this is where things get a little tricky. I base my carbs around my workouts. So I eat breakfast before I train, so at breakfast I’ll have some sweet potato or some cherries (because it’s summer) then after my workout I come home and chow down on some Cinnamon Toast Crunch. That’s only some days though, I honestly don’t want to make a habit of it because I am easily addicted to sugar. A better choice would be sweet potato and more fruit. Because I freaking love fruit – and mostly the good stuff like mangoes and pineapple, you know, the really sugary stuff! Oh, and I should also mention that this works better if you are high carb on a training day because your muscles need to be refilled with glycogen after a workout, so it’s less likely to be store as fat.

    You can do two high carb days in a row, but it isn’t suggested. The only times that can truly be beneficial is if you need to confuse your metabolism because you hit a plateau. And it also isn’t recommended to go low carb more than three days.

    So that’s pretty much it. To outline it here’s what you need to know:

    – Pick a day you need to be high carb that given week and work around that day if necessary
    – Go two – three low carb days, then have a high carb day
    – Don’t make a huge fuss over percentages, find something that works for YOUR body
    – Don’t add fat or eat high fat foods on high carb day
    – Eat as much fat as YOU need on low carb day
    – Keep your protein consistent – you should be eating it at every single meal, at least 1g pound of body weight
    – Eat your carbs around your workouts
    – No more than 3 low carb days in a row

    Hope this helps!

    • Alec

      08/09/2013 @ 5:59 pm

      Wow! That was a lot of great info Kyra! I especially like your comments on getting enough either carbs or fat. I always shake my head at how some folks are scared of both carbs and fat- what do these people eat, an all protein diet?

      Very low fat paleo has been referred to as “Faileo” by some folks ‘cuz you feel hungry and non-satiated all the time.

  • Kyra

    08/09/2013 @ 2:48 pm

    I don’t do CBL, but the last month I have been doing carb cycling. My energy levels are high, strength is same as always, metcons feel great (if not better because the 5 lbs I’ve lost is a huge difference to me) and I’ve lost fat. Here’s a blog I wrote overviewing it…

    There are a lot of really great articles on carb-cycling and if you decide to try this way of eating out for yourself, I highly recommend you check out these articles:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/par30.htm
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wescott4.htm
    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/a_beginners_guide_to_carb_cycling

    In the last 3 weeks I’ve lost 5 pounds (mostly water I am sure, but some fat too as my progress pics look learner) but more importantly I’ve also been able to enjoy boozing on Saturdays and some cinnamon toast crunch on a somewhat regular basis.

    In layman’s terms, carb cycling manipulates your body so that it uses fat (your own body fat, hopefully) as fuel. If you use up all your muscle glycogen in your workouts, then your body must draw from somewhere to get fuel, and optimally, it will draw from fatty tissue as it’s resource. Then, after a few days, you re-fill your muscles with glycogen to be depleted again.

    Bodybuilders, bikini and figure competitors and general fat loss enthusiasts use carb cycling. It has a really great track record of fat loss while maintaining muscle and strength. But I will say, it’s truly only recommended for people who are already lean, for men 15% body fat or under, women 20% body fat or under.

    Now, before I get into my take on carb cycling, keep in mind that this is my take – it’s what works for ME.

    So for me, it is necessary to be able to eat and drink freely on Saturdays. I train on Saturday mornings which means I don’t go out/ drink on Friday nights. Saturdays are also big football watching days for me in the fall, and I don’t like to misbehave on Sundays because I train on Mondays. So Saturdays are MY day. If you are like me and have a serious investment in your social life, then choose a day where you want to be able to have more carbs (i.e. Bud Light.)

    One thing that is cool about carb cycling is that you can really base it off of your life’s needs. So if you know you have a date or a work function you can make that a high carb day so you can indulge a bit more.

    But you don’t have to always have one particular day of the week to be high carb either. It can totally fluctuate, but your high carb day should really be a day you workout because you are going to try to base your carbs around your workouts.

    Then what you are going to do is you are going to take two or three low carb days after that, before your next high carb day. So if I didn’t need Saturdays as a high carb day I would probably start on a Monday with low carb through Wednesday, then on Thursday I would be high carb, then go low carb through Sunday, and Monday would be high. So it would be 3 low, 1 high, 3 low, 1 high, etc.

    But because I base mine around my social calendar, I do Saturday high, then Sunday, Monday, Tuesday low then Wednesday high, followed by Thursday and Friday low.

    Now, there are all these different macronutrient percentages that say a high carb day should be 55% of your calories should come from carbs and 40% from protein and 5% or less from fat. Then a low carb day should be 55% calories from protein, 35% from fat and 10% from carbs. And then some say that carbs from fiber doesn’t count, or that you don’t need to count your veggies.

    I went on a calorie counter one day and planned out a β€œperfect” day and it was a giant pain in the ass. Also, I eat a lot of healthy fats. I have done the low carb and low fat thing before and I was miserable and stupid. Seriously, your brain does not function well without fat or carbs. Truly, I’ve found my brain only functions well when I eat a higher fat diet (hence why I love Paleo) but if you have me just eating chicken or turkey with effing asparagus all day I will be mean to you. I need avocados and coconut oil in my life on a regular basis.

    So here I will tell you that you need to figure out what is right for YOU. And like I said, I will help you out with it because counting calories, macros and figuring out percentages is a PITA.

    What I did was stuck with my typical 4 ounces of protein 6 times a day. I also eat whatever vegetables I want, whenever I want. Because you know what? NO ONE ever got fat from eating broccoli. On low carb days I eat fat with every meal but aside from my veggies, I don’t touch carbs. Not fruit, not sweet potatoes, nothing. Then on high carb days I stay away from fat as much as possible. I will still have my fish oil, and there will be fat in certain things like beef and my egg yolk, but I don’t add oil to anything. I won’t even use almond milk for my PWO shake.

    Then this is where things get a little tricky. I base my carbs around my workouts. So I eat breakfast before I train, so at breakfast I’ll have some sweet potato or some cherries (because it’s summer) then after my workout I come home and chow down on some Cinnamon Toast Crunch. That’s only some days though, I honestly don’t want to make a habit of it because I am easily addicted to sugar. A better choice would be sweet potato and more fruit. Because I freaking love fruit – and mostly the good stuff like mangoes and pineapple, you know, the really sugary stuff! Oh, and I should also mention that this works better if you are high carb on a training day because your muscles need to be refilled with glycogen after a workout, so it’s less likely to be store as fat.

    You can do two high carb days in a row, but it isn’t suggested. The only times that can truly be beneficial is if you need to confuse your metabolism because you hit a plateau. And it also isn’t recommended to go low carb more than three days.

    So that’s pretty much it. To outline it here’s what you need to know:

    – Pick a day you need to be high carb that given week and work around that day if necessary
    – Go two – three low carb days, then have a high carb day
    – Don’t make a huge fuss over percentages, find something that works for YOUR body
    – Don’t add fat or eat high fat foods on high carb day
    – Eat as much fat as YOU need on low carb day
    – Keep your protein consistent – you should be eating it at every single meal, at least 1g pound of body weight
    – Eat your carbs around your workouts
    – No more than 3 low carb days in a row

    Hope this helps!

    • Alec

      08/09/2013 @ 5:59 pm

      Wow! That was a lot of great info Kyra! I especially like your comments on getting enough either carbs or fat. I always shake my head at how some folks are scared of both carbs and fat- what do these people eat, an all protein diet?

      Very low fat paleo has been referred to as “Faileo” by some folks ‘cuz you feel hungry and non-satiated all the time.

  • Mullins

    08/09/2013 @ 2:25 pm

    Dropped in on the early crew today. Heard Friday was short shorts day but there was a definite lack of man thigh.

    DL: #460pr
    WOD: 8:37 at games

    • DePrizio

      08/09/2013 @ 3:09 pm

      Good to see you this morning Mullins

      That comment is directed at you Brian Schurko, D.I.T (Doctor In Training)

  • Mullins

    08/09/2013 @ 2:25 pm

    Dropped in on the early crew today. Heard Friday was short shorts day but there was a definite lack of man thigh.

    DL: #460pr
    WOD: 8:37 at games

    • DePrizio

      08/09/2013 @ 3:09 pm

      Good to see you this morning Mullins

      That comment is directed at you Brian Schurko, D.I.T (Doctor In Training)

  • Stafford

    08/09/2013 @ 2:19 pm

    1rm deadlift: 355 (#10 pr)

    Wod 16:00 @165 Front squat and 28 inch box jumps.

  • Stafford

    08/09/2013 @ 2:19 pm

    1rm deadlift: 355 (#10 pr)

    Wod 16:00 @165 Front squat and 28 inch box jumps.

  • Kenny "F'n" Powers

    08/09/2013 @ 1:44 pm

    Dudley and I absolutely dominated deadlifts this morning. Just kidding, I was 40#’s less than my PR of 365. I think Im just getting old and shit…
    WOD: 11:46 @ 185 I actually liked that one.

    and for old times sake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5WjrGApDCU

  • Kenny "F'n" Powers

    08/09/2013 @ 1:44 pm

    Dudley and I absolutely dominated deadlifts this morning. Just kidding, I was 40#’s less than my PR of 365. I think Im just getting old and shit…
    WOD: 11:46 @ 185 I actually liked that one.

    and for old times sake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5WjrGApDCU

  • dudley

    08/09/2013 @ 1:37 pm

    DL 315, not a PR; WOD: 13:08 reg; cash out medball GHDs w/KFP

    • Shamwow

      08/09/2013 @ 5:44 pm

      You guys love the medball GHDs like Barrow loves pie.

      • Kenny "F'n" Powers

        08/09/2013 @ 6:28 pm

        Hell yea! Those headaches are awesome

      • dudley

        08/09/2013 @ 6:44 pm

        in addition to donuts, i also love pie.

  • dudley

    08/09/2013 @ 1:37 pm

    DL 315, not a PR; WOD: 13:08 reg; cash out medball GHDs w/KFP

    • Shamwow

      08/09/2013 @ 5:44 pm

      You guys love the medball GHDs like Barrow loves pie.

      • Kenny "F'n" Powers

        08/09/2013 @ 6:28 pm

        Hell yea! Those headaches are awesome

      • dudley

        08/09/2013 @ 6:44 pm

        in addition to donuts, i also love pie.

  • Arik

    08/09/2013 @ 1:07 pm

    1 RM DL: 435, just can’t get 460 to budge
    WOD: 21:36 @ 165 – Lost control of my lungs.

    • Goose

      08/09/2013 @ 1:46 pm

      try something inbetween

  • Arik

    08/09/2013 @ 1:07 pm

    1 RM DL: 435, just can’t get 460 to budge
    WOD: 21:36 @ 165 – Lost control of my lungs.

    • Goose

      08/09/2013 @ 1:46 pm

      try something inbetween

  • barrow

    08/09/2013 @ 1:02 pm

    Whaaaaa? A CBL post!? My mind is blown. I carb backloaded for awhile last fall, right around the time the gym was doing a paleo challenge. Pretty much everyone from the gym I tried talking about it with, except for Melberg, thought I was crazy.

    As someone who eats when he wakes up and then every two hours after that, I was turned off by the idea of fasting in the morning, always thought the intermittent fasting fad was some bullshit. But with CBL you’re supposed to have an ‘AM Accelerator Shake’, this is essentially the bulletproof coffee recipe: coffee (or another caffeine source), coconut oil, half a scoop of whey. I have never been a coffee drinker my entire life, so I ended up getting into brewing and enjoying these magic potion shakes. You actually drink this same concoction pre-workout too, called the ‘Ignition Formula’, but with creatine added. I used to take an off-the-shelf pre-workout supplement for the caffeine/creatine and mix in whey powder, I’d just scoop a spoonful of coconut oil into my mouth and wash it down with the mixture.

    As Amy said post-workout you’re supposed to take in some high-GI carbs. Keifer actually lists out what you should be taking: caffeine/whey isolate/high-gi carb/casein/hydolysate/leucine/creatine. Universal makes a product called Torrent that pretty much fits the bill, I used that. I actually still use that for my post-workout protein powder now. I remember one time in the comments on the main CFS site EA talked about taking in something high-GI post-workout. Dude has a superbowl ring, if he’s backing something I already believed in best believe I’m following it.

    Anyone who’s ever ate paleo/keto would have no problem with the no-carb part of CBL, you’re probably eating a lot of protein/fat sources already so you can just do more of the same while cutting out your carb sources. That wasn’t a problem for me. What I had trouble with was eating the fun stuff. Since I work out later at night, my dinner window is pretty soon after that workout and then I’m right to bed. I’d daydream about consuming a row of oreos that night and then find that I’m so shredded from working out that I don’t have the appetite to eat as much dirty food as I thought I would. It would have been better if I was working out a couple hours earlier, I’d have recovered from the workout and would have the proper appetite. That’s not to say that I wasn’t crushing a ton of filthy stuff, Lucky Charms was a staple for me. Thurs night was frozen pizza night to go with Thursday Night Football. I was also eating half a pie every night, I was hitting up bakeries for pies like smokers hit up convenience stores for cigarettes.

    So did it work for me? Not really. I can say this unequivocally: I got to eat complete crap every night, didn’t lose any strength, and didn’t get fat. That’s a pretty good deal. My numbers on the platform didn’t jump, right now I introduced a ton of grains into my diet and am seeing way more strength gains than I ever saw on CBL. Another thing is that I felt my metcons suffer, definitely felt like I was always lacking energy during WODs, no surprise really, the diet is big in the powerlifting world, not Crossfit. But I had a blast on CBL, grocery shopping was the best, my girlfriend would get jealous to the point of anger about the crap I was bringing home. I will definitely do it again because I truly love eating junk food.

    My friend who got me into CBL was much more clinical about it than me in terms of testing. He got into the dunk tank regularly to have his BF% checked. Every single check came back with a lower BF%, this was while he was hitting PR’s on the platform. I would say he’s an endomorph though. I’m probably an outlier for any diet, I’m a textbook ectomorph in body type and metabolism, I don’t think many toasties fit into that category. I’m dying to hear from the people trying CBL along with this strength program.

    • Kenny "F'n" Powers

      08/09/2013 @ 1:13 pm

      great post! Thanks for sharing

    • dudley

      08/09/2013 @ 1:36 pm

      awesome. I absolutely love donuts.

  • barrow

    08/09/2013 @ 1:02 pm

    Whaaaaa? A CBL post!? My mind is blown. I carb backloaded for awhile last fall, right around the time the gym was doing a paleo challenge. Pretty much everyone from the gym I tried talking about it with, except for Melberg, thought I was crazy.

    As someone who eats when he wakes up and then every two hours after that, I was turned off by the idea of fasting in the morning, always thought the intermittent fasting fad was some bullshit. But with CBL you’re supposed to have an ‘AM Accelerator Shake’, this is essentially the bulletproof coffee recipe: coffee (or another caffeine source), coconut oil, half a scoop of whey. I have never been a coffee drinker my entire life, so I ended up getting into brewing and enjoying these magic potion shakes. You actually drink this same concoction pre-workout too, called the ‘Ignition Formula’, but with creatine added. I used to take an off-the-shelf pre-workout supplement for the caffeine/creatine and mix in whey powder, I’d just scoop a spoonful of coconut oil into my mouth and wash it down with the mixture.

    As Amy said post-workout you’re supposed to take in some high-GI carbs. Keifer actually lists out what you should be taking: caffeine/whey isolate/high-gi carb/casein/hydolysate/leucine/creatine. Universal makes a product called Torrent that pretty much fits the bill, I used that. I actually still use that for my post-workout protein powder now. I remember one time in the comments on the main CFS site EA talked about taking in something high-GI post-workout. Dude has a superbowl ring, if he’s backing something I already believed in best believe I’m following it.

    Anyone who’s ever ate paleo/keto would have no problem with the no-carb part of CBL, you’re probably eating a lot of protein/fat sources already so you can just do more of the same while cutting out your carb sources. That wasn’t a problem for me. What I had trouble with was eating the fun stuff. Since I work out later at night, my dinner window is pretty soon after that workout and then I’m right to bed. I’d daydream about consuming a row of oreos that night and then find that I’m so shredded from working out that I don’t have the appetite to eat as much dirty food as I thought I would. It would have been better if I was working out a couple hours earlier, I’d have recovered from the workout and would have the proper appetite. That’s not to say that I wasn’t crushing a ton of filthy stuff, Lucky Charms was a staple for me. Thurs night was frozen pizza night to go with Thursday Night Football. I was also eating half a pie every night, I was hitting up bakeries for pies like smokers hit up convenience stores for cigarettes.

    So did it work for me? Not really. I can say this unequivocally: I got to eat complete crap every night, didn’t lose any strength, and didn’t get fat. That’s a pretty good deal. My numbers on the platform didn’t jump, right now I introduced a ton of grains into my diet and am seeing way more strength gains than I ever saw on CBL. Another thing is that I felt my metcons suffer, definitely felt like I was always lacking energy during WODs, no surprise really, the diet is big in the powerlifting world, not Crossfit. But I had a blast on CBL, grocery shopping was the best, my girlfriend would get jealous to the point of anger about the crap I was bringing home. I will definitely do it again because I truly love eating junk food.

    My friend who got me into CBL was much more clinical about it than me in terms of testing. He got into the dunk tank regularly to have his BF% checked. Every single check came back with a lower BF%, this was while he was hitting PR’s on the platform. I would say he’s an endomorph though. I’m probably an outlier for any diet, I’m a textbook ectomorph in body type and metabolism, I don’t think many toasties fit into that category. I’m dying to hear from the people trying CBL along with this strength program.

    • Kenny "F'n" Powers

      08/09/2013 @ 1:13 pm

      great post! Thanks for sharing

    • dudley

      08/09/2013 @ 1:36 pm

      awesome. I absolutely love donuts.

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