Carb Cycling Codex Calculations

Bigger Stronger Leaner Beginners
1

Hey I’m 17, when I was 15 I was 196 skinny fat, 17 now and I’m 138 pretty well built. I’m not that fat but I still have enough flab on me to the point where my 6 pack isn’t visible, the reason I know I have one is because I was doing jumping jacks one day just screwing around and saw the sculpture and was shocked those situps paid off.

Anyway I deicided to try the carb cycling codex to build some serious muscle and minimize fat gain. Anyway, I did my calculations but I’d rather get some opinions or perhaps a “eagle eye” So to speak to try and find a miscalculation I might have done, so here is my basic formula.

66 + (13.7x 62.6[138 lb] )+(5x172.7[5’8])-[6.8x17]

66 + 857.62 + 863.5 - 115.6

66 + 1721.12 - 115.6

66+ 1671.52

1737.52 x 1.6 [ Moderate activity, going to school and coming home and evening doing one muscle group a day workout about 4-5 excercises, accurate? ]

BMR= 2674.432

So I took several tests online, alot of them assume I am a mesomorph, but I have been working out for two years and packed some muscle and got rid of some fat so what percent should I use? Thib doesn’t really have them displayed for meso’s. Anyway I used 10%

2674 x 10% = 2941

So recapping on my moderate days for the bulking phase

207g Of protein [ 1.5 gram per lb]

207g of carbs [ 1.5 gram per lb]

now to determine fat, so by multiplying 4 x the number of grams of protein and carbs I get my calories I am eating from them alone

4 x 207 = 828

4 x 207 = 828

828 [ cal from protein ] + 828 [ cal from carbs = 1656 calories ingested from carbs and protein together. So if my calculations are correct, I must ingest 1,285 calories from fat?

9 x 142g of fat = 1278

So assuming I did everything correctly…

Moderate day of > bulking < phase.

Total calories= 2941

Moderate-

Protein= 207g
Carbs= 207g
Fat= 141g

High-

Protein= 207g

Carbs= 258g

Fat= 141g

Low-

Protein= 207g
Carbs= 155g
Fat= 141g

…

Did I do this [ Espeically the fat] correctly?

Also will the 2939 calories I’ll be eating include the food itself or only the nutrion [ Protein, carbs, fat]?

Any time of advice or correction to my miscalculation would mean the world and more to me.

2

So, it looks like you’re getting the same protein and fat on each day, and adjusting your carbs based on high, medium, and low. Good. This is the essence of carb cycling.

It looks like you have specific numbers for calories: 3100, 2900, and 2700. Also good. The math is probably good. It’s really not worth it to check it.

The calories (protein carbs and fat) are contained within the food. So by eating the food, you’re also eating the nutrition.

But honestly, you’re 140 lbs after two years of training. Unless you’re 5’4", that’s pretty poor, and you’re in exactly the right place.

Putting this level of effort and concern into your diet is admirable, but is probably the lifting equivalent of ‘majoring in the minor shit’. Eat at maintenance, remove the PWO shake for light days, add in an extra PWO shake and some oats on high carb days, and you’re good.

Putting on muscle involves eating more than you expend. Eat at a certain level, and if in a couple of weeks you don’t see progress, eat more. If you’re seeing too much fat gain, add in cardio (sports or MMA or jumping rope).

The key though, is that you probably won’t be able to add muscle AND define your six pack at the same time.

SO

Work the plan you’ve got up there. Lift heavy 3x/week. In two weeks or a month, you should have gained weight. If not, eat more. Repeat until you’ve hit however much you wanted to gain.

Your age and dedication give you a lot of potential. It will be good to see you take advantage of it. Stick around, and keep asking questions.

3

Thanks for the advice.

Yeah I know I’m a twerp when it comes to my weight.

I lift okay I guess… [ bench about 160 1rm ]

But I don’t know I never gotten any bigger, I’m guessing it might be my nutrition then on not eating enough, it’s actually hard to eat that much for me cause my stomach gets really bloaded and full and I don’t really become hungry for the next meal when it’s time for it. My lifting days are like this.

mon-chest

tues-back

wed- shoulders

thurs- legs

frid- arms

sat-off or should I do cardio?

Sun- off or should I do cardio?

4

You’re not a twerp, you’re a noob. Being a noob is okay- we’ve all been there at some point in time.

For training, you should do a program called ‘Starting Strength’. One of the more badass members on this forum put together a thread about it. It’s on the first page of the beginner’s forum, called ‘Starting Strength: The Guide’. Go to it, read it, and do that program.

Meanwhile, make sure you’re eating enough. You’re eating enough if a) your lifts are going up and b) your weight is slowly going up. If either of those two things doesn’t happen, either your training is bad (so do the routine correct) or your diet is bad (in that you’re probably not eating enough calories or protein) and you should eat more.

Don’t use words like [quote]it’s actually hard to eat that much for me…[/quote] because you will not find sympathy anywhere on this site. You’re dedicated, you’re capable, and you’ll find a way.

5

Thanks for the tough love.

Yeah I’ve noticed my strength actually improved from the last three days of starting the carb cycling. Only thing is that I’ve been getting my carbs from wheat pasta,

maybe about 3 cups per meal on high days 2 on moderate and 1-1 1/2 on low days in the morning and when I get off school 11:45 ish, then strictly protein and fats until after my workout. I know wheat pasta isn’t really on the list but it’s all I got until my faily goes shopping again.

6

Ain’t nothin wrong with pasta. I mean, I know some people recommend you get all your carbs from fruits and quinoa but… majoring in the minor shit, you know?

Through PM you asked about whether cardio would help. I figure I’ll just answer here (I mean, why not, right?).

You gotta figure that out yourself. Here’s how you do it. Do what you’re doing (carb cycling + Rippetoes Starting Strength, seriously, drop the body part split you’re on and do Rippetoes). In a month, measure your progress.

If your weight and lifts go up, keep on at it. If you think you’ve gained too much fat (way to record this is to either a) get it done by a professional PT or b) tape measure around your belly button), then add some cardio (like, fifteen minutes two or three times a week).

Make small, incremental changes, so that over the long haul, you can be sure to see results.

Here’s what’ll kill your progress: If you freak out the minute you see yourself gain some fat. It happens. Unless you’re genetically gifted (or using steroids), it is highly unlikely you’ll be putting on serious mass without some fat.

What you’ve done is take steps to minimize that (carb cycling, maybe throwing in cardio later on, which, if you’re only doing 15-30 minutes, it doesn’t matter when you do it so long as it’s not right before you lift).

But, while minimized, it will likely happen anyways, just not as bad as if you went all out.

SO

Work the plan, make sure you measure your progress, and don’t freak out if you gain some fat.

7

Thanks for the info, would a fat caliper be in the category of tape measurements?

8

Another question if you don’t mind.

Though I’ve herd many people give me different but not straight answers.

Higher weights and low reps a strength goal but size is just a side effect?

Lower weights and highers reps larger muscle goal but a strength effect?

Mind clearing this problem up for me?

9

I like tape measures more than calipers because it’s easier to use. The problem with calipers is that people assume you can use them and get a response as to what your bodyfat % is. The point is instead to get a reading, and then use subsequent readings to see if you’ve improved or not improved and at what rate.

Example:
In a month, you’ve put on 5lbs of weight, and an inch around your bellybutton. This is bad: it means you’ve gained nothing but fat (IME, one inch around waist ~ 4lbs of fat)
Example 2:
In a month, you gain 5lbs of weight, and no appreciable increase in waist size. This is great.
Example 3:
In a month, you’ve gained five pounds of mass and a half-inch around your bellybutton. This is middle-of-the-road results. If you need better, you might want to add in some cardio or make your workouts more intense.

You can use calipers in a similar way, But I’ve never used them, and have no guidelines for their use.

10

[quote]IronNeverLies wrote:
Another question if you don’t mind.

Though I’ve herd many people give me different but not straight answers.

Higher weights and low reps a strength goal but size is just a side effect?

Lower weights and highers reps larger muscle goal but a strength effect?

Mind clearing this problem up for me?[/quote]

The short answer is what you’ve written above is correct.

The long answer follows:

The reason there are no straight answers is because there are no straight answers- the training effect is different depending on your goals and activity level and genetics.

With very low reps (1-3), you will get much stronger in the 1-3 rep range (‘limit’ strength). You will not likely gain too much mass, as the time under tension isn’t long enough to provide a stimulus for muscle growth.

With medium reps (5-8), you’ll get stronger in that rep range, and a little bit in the surrounding ranges (limit strength will increase a bit as will your 10RM etcetera). You’ll also put on a good bit of muscle because you’re using both heavy weights and a significant time under tension.

With higher reps (to me, anything 10 or above) you get stronger in the 10+ rep range (see a pattern here?). It’s here that most bodybuilders claim is the most potential for hypertrophy (actual muscle mass). However, experienced bodybuilders have used lower reps effectively top to put on muscle mass, and many bodybuilders have used this range to develop strength (T-Nation’s Bauer97 is a monster, works predominantly in the higher rep-ranges, and Romanian Deadlifts over 700 lbs).

FOR YOU, though,

Do Rippetoes. Check out the guide and do the program. You’ll have an excellent base of strength in the main lifts, as well as putting on a good bit of mass. Beginners should start with Rippetoes, because uit’s stood the test of time and will give you a solid base regardless of your long-term goals.

And, as said in the other thread, read the stickies. They will confuse you, but they will also provide wonderful information that will answer questions you didn’t even know you had.

11

Thanks for the answers.