Though i havent determined the exact foods, here's my macronutrient breakdown for the upcoming off-season:

Days 1-6:
Total calories- 4000
protein grams 500 (50%), CHO grams 200 (20%), fat grams ~133 (30%)

Day 7:
Total calories- 8000
protein grams 600 (30%), CHO grams 1000 (50%), fat grams ~178 (20%)

I'm tentatively planning to execute this plan for 6 weeks while carefully monitoring bodyfat and strength. I'll begin two days following my next contest 9/26.

day 7 will be so much fun, it'll be painful.....let us know how it works out. If you could get some sort of an idea of what you ate, that might be fun too.

Dewayde,
Could you please explain why you prefer higher fat ratio over carbohydrates. thanks,
Matt

Is Day 7 a cheat day? Or clean food only?

Always clean food. Day 7 is a cheat day in that i will eat double the calories, but the foods will be clean.

Matt, there are several reasons why i currently prefer a higher fat ratio than carbohydrates. I'll explain more when i get more time (last contest is this sunday and i'll have plenty of time after that!)

Higher fat
Calories can be kept high with out sending insulin up and down. The result is the ability to pack on the calories with out setting up an environment where it is easy to pack on the fat as well. At 200g of CHO he should have plenty of carbs to fuel workouts and recovery, though the protein will aid in recovery. Essentially he is setting his body up to run very efficiently at adding mass and not fat.

High Carb
Insulin goes up and down all day long. Yes insulin shuttles nutrients into lean tissue. But it also shuttles unused calories to fat storage. It is also the antagonist to the fat burning hormone glucagon. Think of a see saw, insulin up glucagon down and with it the bodies ability to burn fat. Carbs are also easily digested and do not have the thermogenic benefit that protein does. Yes fats are easily digested and stored, but it is doubtful that Fitdoc is going to be taking in junk fats. I would go out on short limb and guess most of his fat will come from Omega 3s and 6s which make metabolism more efficient.

Should Fitdoc will have more to add.

Ray

I've fine tuned my nutrition approach for this off-season and here's my plan along with the first 8 week training cycle.

TRAINING:
Day 1- shoulders, traps, quads
Day 2- back, chest, abs, forearms
Day 3- bicep, tricep, hams, calves

NUTRITION/SUPPS:
Non-training days (3)- 4500 kcal
506.25g (45%) Pro, 225g (20%) CHO, 175g (35%) Fat

Training days (3)- 5016 kcal
564.95g (45.1%) Pro, 286.3g (22.8%) CHO, 179g (32.1%) Fat

Cal-Up day (1)- 8000 kcal
600g (30%) Pro, 1000g (50%) CHO, 177.8g (20%) Fat

Days 1-6:
M1 10 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 4oz lean meat, 3/4c oatmeal (or 1/2c grits), 1 TBS fish oil

M2 3 scoops US, 1 scoop MP, 2 TBS Natural peanut butter

M3 12oz lean meat, 1/2c basmati rice (or 1/2c couscous), 2c veggies, 1 TBS Udo's oil, 6 TBS salsa or other condiment

M4 3 scoops US, 2 scoops MM, 2 TBS heavy cream, 1oz cashews

M4a (post training)- 4 scoops MM, 2 scoops MP

M5 8oz lean meat, 3 cups green beans, 4 TBS salsa, 1/2c whipped cottage cheese, 2oz cashews

M6 3 scoops US, 1 TBS 100% egg, 2c whole milk

I havent devised the exact foods for the 8000 kcal day yet. Probably half of the calories will be "dirty" and the other half clean foods.

SUPPS:
6 U-40/4 Mass Aminos per meal, 2 antioxidants after training, 1 super pak after training, 40g BCAA during training (35 muscle mass + 3 scoops GS beverage)

My goals for this 2 year offseason are to:
1. reach a bodyweight of 215-220 lbs while remaining at or below 12-13% bf.
2. increase lean body mass to >190 lbs so i can compete as a legitimate LHW around 185-187 lbs.

FitDoc what about cardio are you adding cardio with your workouts, etc? I like your meal plan I am a female wanting to gain muscle mass so I would like to see a plan like yours revised for a 130 lb female.

you the man fitdoc!

Hey Doc,

What body weight will you starting the diet at? And keep us updated on how it's going.

LOL mecca. Justin, since my contest on 9/26, i havent weighed myself, but i would guess i'm in the 180's somewhere. My normal offseason weight is ~206 @ 8.8% (march, 2004). That's the most i've ever weighed. Since my goal is to reach 220 lbs, i need to add about 14 lbs of mostly lean tissue over an 18-20 month period. If all goes as planned, LOL, i will have 4-6 months to prepare for my first show as a light heavy in 2006. Can you tell i like numbers??

quote:

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Originally posted by sunshine:
FitDoc what about cardio are you adding cardio with your workouts, etc? I like your meal plan I am a female wanting to gain muscle mass so I would like to see a plan like yours revised for a 130 lb female.

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I plan to do occasional aerobic activity such as inline skating, rock climbing, step-aerobics, etc, just because i like to do them.

As far as revising my plan for a 130 lb female, one would have to start at the very beginning. There are several ways to find one's BMR (basal metabolic rate). An easy way is to multiply your weight in lbs x 10 calories. Since i like numbers, i prefer to use the more scientific and accurate Harris-Benedict equation. Here's a detailed explanation:

How to Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs
Harris-Benedict Formula
A more accurate way to calculate your daily calorie needs is to determine basal metabolic rate (BMR) using multiple factors, including height, weight, age and gender, then multiply the BMR by an activity factor to determine your total daily energy expenditure (calories). One calculation method is the Harris Benedict formula.

The Harris-Benedict Formula
The Harris Benedict equation is a calorie formula using the variables of height, weight, age, and gender to calculate basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is more accurate than calculating calorie needs based on total body weight alone. The only factor it omits is lean body mass and thus the ratio of muscle-to-fat a body has. Remember, leaner bodies need more calories than less leaner ones. Therefore, this equation will be very accurate in all but the very muscular (Harris-Benedict will under-estimate calorie needs) and the very fat (Harris-Benedict will over-estimate calorie needs).

Two Steps to Determine Daily Calorie Needs
First, determine your BMR.
Second, apply the Activity Multiplier.
Harris Benedict Formula for Women - STEP 1
BMR = 655 + (9.6 X weight in kilos) + (1.8 X height in cm) - (4.7 X age in years).

Notes:
1 inch = 2.54 cm.
1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs.

Example of BMR
You are 32 years old
You are 5 feet 4 inches tall (162.5 cm)
Your weight is 185 pounds (84 kilos)
Your BMR is 655 + (806) + (291) - (150) = 1602 calories

Harris Benedict Formula for Women - STEP 2
To determine your total daily calorie needs, now multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are Sedentary - little or no exercise
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.2
If you are Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.375
If you are Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.55
If you are Very Active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.725
If you are Extra Active (very hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training)
Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.9
Total Calorie Needs Example
If you are sedentary, multiply your BMR (1602) by 1.2 = 1922
Your total daily calorie requirement is therefore 1922 calories.
This is the total number of calories you need in order to MAINTAIN your current weight.

Once you have your BMR, add 300 calories per day to number derived by the H-B equation. Make this your starting point. Next, you have to determine your desired macronutrient breakdown. I prefer higher fats and proteins with lower carbs. You may use beverly's common approach of 50% Pro, 20% CHO, and 30% Fat. Next, multiply those %'s by your daily caloric total to determine how many calories per day will be contributed by each macronutrient. Next, divide the protein and carb numbers by 4 to get your daily grams of each and the fat number by 9 to get your daily grams of fat.

Next, determine how many meals you are willing to eat per day and equally divide your macronutrient gram totals by the number of meals you're willing to consume per day.

Finally and most fun, find foods and food portions to fit the numbers for protein, carbs, and fat you previously calculated. In my opinion, this is the easiest way to start creating your own nutrition plans. Once you become adept with the basics, you'll be able to add more foods to your list and also have more protiens, carbs, or fats at various times of the day to better suit your individual needs. This is a starting point.

Just as an example...say each meal was calculated to have 25g protein, 25g carbs and 15g fat, one meal could be 4 oz turkey breast (~25g pro), 1/2 cup oatmeal (before cooking) or 4oz yam (~25g carb) and 1 TBS fish oil or udo's oil or 30g cashews (~15g fat)

If your goal is add mass, look to gain about 0.5-1lb per week. If this doesnt occur after a few weeks, increase calories to 500 above your BMR. Hope this helps.

Fitdoc,

I'm 27
183Cm
109Kilog

So I figured 2,917 calories using the 50/20/30 approach I would have 364 pro, 97fat, 145 carbs.

I figured for a 6 meal day thats 60 pr 16 fat 24 carbs- would you have a sample meal plan for this sense it's close to a dieting phase for you.

Joshua, send your email addy to fitdoctr@aol.com

Fitdoc - question for ya.

I calculated my required calories to maintain, and it came out to 2,175. I normally eat in the 1600-1700 range with a 50/20/30 macro split.

I have a real hard time keeping body fat off. Maybe because my calories are too low? And, having said that, I really want to gain in the off season, so that would put me at 2,475 calories. I'm really afraid to make that jump - afraid it will plump me up rather than pumping me up.

What do you suggest? A gradual increase?

okay Thanks

Just wanted to see how the bulk was going for you fitdoc? Also have your macros changed or are they staying the same?

Great thread. I missed this one the first time around, looks like an old post !!!

I found ETX answer interesting. I prefer the Higher Fat, lower Carb for that very reason.

Fitdoc, on the formula...I WISH that held true for me. But it no longer works. I have found that I take my body weight and multiply by 10....(124 x 10= 1240..) and THAT is my Maintainance Calories...to lose I reduce by 250 and add more cardio, to lose more drop another time, add more cardio....

I spent three days with my twin sister in NYC. We used to eat about the same, now I eat less and train ALOT more than her. She maintains her weight year round, we look almost identical in clothes but I have a more muscle. She ate at my level the three days and was starving, says I eat like a bird. And she lost a few pounds during the trip.I stayed the same. She thinks the 4 years of major dieting for shows has taken its toll and I need time to correct my metabolism. She is probably right ! Have you delt with females on this issue ? I am wondering if I am going to have to spend the rest of my life at 1100-1200 calories, and almost daily cardio to maintain !!!

i am the same way as lt! i eat 1000-1200 cals a day w/ cardio and weight training and find i have slowly put on 9 lbs since my nov 6 show. to diet for a show i need about 800 cals a day to lose. not much to look forward to!!!

Wow. That is harsh! Is there no way you could just bump up the cardio to allow yourself to eat a bit more? That is pretty near starvation!
How can you possibly train on such little food??

that IS with cardio...up to 1.5 hours in my last 2 weeks...