Hi everyone,
I’m just finishing up a 6-month clean bulking cycle and am quite happy with my results
I’m at about 200lbs now at a height of 6’2 and BF of 13-14%
Now I’d like to go below 10% BF and get those abs to really stick out (they’re still visible but there’s a little fluff on top of them that I’d like to get off).
I looked into carb cycling and IF but then I came across this “Get Shredded Diet” article on T-Nation: The Get Shredded Diet
It promises 0.5%-1% BF loss/week with minimal muscle loss
Just sounds too good to be true honestly, at that speed, I’d be done with my cut in a little over a month…
So, before trying it out, I’d like to get some of your guys’ input on this diet - do you think it can deliver on its promise (max. fat loss/min. muscle loss)
Have any of you actually ever tried it?
I’m currently considering to gove it a try because the results it promises sound very nice to my ears but I’m a little concerned that it may end up burning off a ton of that muscle mass that I worked on over the last 6 months.
hm - looks like there arent any opinions on this out there ^^
Let me rephrase my question then:
I’m currently eating a lot of calories - 4000+ per day to maintain muscle
Assuming I plan to start on this diet on Monday, would I just jump right in and lower my calories to 2000 per day (10x my BW) on Monday and keep it that low for 6-12 weeks (incl. incremental downward adjustments every week or so as my BW will drop…)?
Will this produce the awesome fat loss results while keeping most of my muscle safe?
I don’t think Dave Tate would endorse something that didn’t work–not to appeal solely to his authority. The diet looks solid, though. One thing I would suggest is to cut your daily Caloric intake by 500-1000 a week instead of dropping straight from 4000 to 2000.
I, for example, am 6’4", 220. I’m a pretty small guy for my height. To maintain my weight, I have to eat close to 4500 Calories a day. At least. At 3000 Calories a day, I will lose 2-3 pounds a week. Easily. One thing that you have to be aware of when you’re cutting and trying to preserve muscle mass is that if you’re wanting to make actual progress in your size gains, then you want your weight gain/weight loss cycles to be meaningful.
I guess my caviat is this: If you start eating 2000 Calories a day for 12 weeks and lose 40 pounds, then you may have lost more muscle than you wanted to. I would recommended GRADUALLY decreasing your Calories intake until your losing 1-2 pounds a week in order to minimize muscle loss.
Personally, I have had a lot of success using the anabolic diet with only one carb refeed day a week when cutting. I maintain the majority of my muscle mass, but also get rid of those problem areas (mine is right below my belly button.) So when I put my own vanity above strength gains and decide to drop some weight, AD has really helped me retain a large amount of my size. I’d look into it, but I’ve got to admit that Dave looks pretty fucking swole in his 8% body fat pic.
Appreciate the feedback man!
I’ve tried AD with pretty decent results too in the past but I’ve got to admit that I have never managed to get really shredded (i.e. <7% BF) and since I’d really like to make that happen this time around, I’m considering to just jump into this crazy diet. Depending on progress, I’ll then decide whether I’ll stay on it for the full 12 weeks…
Concerning my workout - I’d still lift hard 5 days a week.
Also, I would add 30min. cardio (as in speed-walking) sessions to my mornings before breakfast 6x a week (I’d start with 2 sessisons in week 1, 3 in week 2, 4 in week 3,…etc.), which I would then gradually step up (30min. week 1, 32min. week 2, 35min. weeks 3,…etc.). I would keep my light post-lifting cardio as it is (10min. slow stationary bike). Don’t plan to do high-intensity or interval cardio to stay away from its catabolic effects.
So, in terms of workout frequency/length I’d leave myself some room to step it up if I hit a fat loss plateau.
Just one question about calorie reduction: What would happen if I drop down to 10xBW right away (as JB’s article seems to suggest)? I’ve read in some places that by drastically dropping caloric intake, I’d kill my metabolism and slow down my fat loss.
However, others say that by cutting calories hard from day 1, I’d “shock” my metabolism just the right way to make it burn off my fat faster.
Not sure which way to go here - can any of you guys with successful cut experiences chip in?
Thanks
I’ve got the perfect GET SHREDDED plan for you! This is the exact plan that I used to get ready for my last 2 photo shoots with amazing results. It’s only 14 days, and that’s because I try to stay fairly close so I’m not having to drop a bunch of fat prior to a shoot. I journaled every single bit of food for the 2 weeks, with the exact times that I ate everything.
Plus, there’s a recipe guide at the end with the most important recipes that are used throughout the 14 days. I also include a simple shopping guide and the exact supplements that I used to get ready for the shoot (brands names included).
I’ve given this diet to several of the top WBFF bodybuilders and they too got sick results!! This isn’t a bunch of fluff…it works! The way I designed it is so you can go through all the info in as little as an hour and then get started immediately. I can’t stand when you get books that are so long that it takes you a month to go through them and by the time you’re ready to implement the plan you’re completely over it.
Check it out when you have a chance: www.greggavedon.com/ebook
[quote]EmEn wrote:
I’d leave myself some room to step it up if I hit a fat loss plateau.
[/quote]
Not IF, when. You ALWAYS hit a plateau at some point, so you want to have options
The body will always seek to adapt to what you’re providing it with. As muscle tissue is ‘costly’ to maintain, the usual casualty of dropping #s too low is a loss of LBM in effort to get by on less nutrients each day.
[quote]greggavedon wrote:
I’ve got the perfect GET SHREDDED plan for you! This is the exact plan that I used to get ready for my last 2 photo shoots with amazing results. It’s only 14 days, and that’s because I try to stay fairly close so I’m not having to drop a bunch of fat prior to a shoot. I journaled every single bit of food for the 2 weeks, with the exact times that I ate everything. Plus, there’s a recipe guide at the end with the most important recipes that are used throughout the 14 days. I also include a simple shopping guide and the exact supplements that I used to get ready for the shoot (brands names included).
I’ve given this diet to several of the top WBFF bodybuilders and they too got sick results!! This isn’t a bunch of fluff…it works! The way I designed it is so you can go through all the info in as little as an hour and then get started immediately. I can’t stand when you get books that are so long that it takes you a month to go through them and by the time you’re ready to implement the plan you’re completely over it.
Check it out when you have a chance: www.greggavedon.com/ebook[/quote]
[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
I did the GSD with great results. Lost about 1% for a few weeks, then slowed down to about .7 or so. It’s been about 2 yrs so, I’m a bit hazy.
But, it was very effective IMO.[/quote]
Thanks a lot for the feedback man!
These results sound awesome.
Don’t want to pester you with too many more questions but I was just wondering:
Did you drop your caloric intake right down to 10xBW on day 1 or ease in?
Did lose a lot of LBM in the process of dieting or were you able to get through with minimal losses?
[quote]EmEn wrote:
I’d leave myself some room to step it up if I hit a fat loss plateau.
[/quote]
Not IF, when. You ALWAYS hit a plateau at some point, so you want to have options
The body will always seek to adapt to what you’re providing it with. As muscle tissue is ‘costly’ to maintain, the usual casualty of dropping #s too low is a loss of LBM in effort to get by on less nutrients each day.
S
[/quote]
Thanks S!
So can I infer from that that you would suggest to ease into the diet vs dropping calories to 10xBW on day 1?
[quote]greggavedon wrote:
I’ve got the perfect GET SHREDDED plan for you![/quote]
I have a product that could fulfill your needs.
[quote]
This is the exact plan that I used to get ready for my last 2 photo shoots with amazing results. It’s only 14 days, and that’s because I try to stay fairly close so I’m not having to drop a bunch of fat prior to a shoot. I journaled every single bit of food for the 2 weeks, with the exact times that I ate everything.[/quote]
It took me 14 days to write!
[quote]
Plus, there’s a recipe guide at the end with the most important recipes that are used throughout the 14 days. I also include a simple shopping guide and the exact supplements that I used to get ready for the shoot (brands names included).[/quote]
Since my knowledge didn’t fill enough pages I threw in some recipes to make it seem worth $20. I also took a few extra minutes to calculate the amount of groceries needed to make the recipes.
[quote]
I’ve given this diet to several of the top WBFF bodybuilders and they too got sick results!! This isn’t a bunch of fluff…it works! The way I designed it is so you can go through all the info in as little as an hour and then get started immediately. I can’t stand when you get books that are so long that it takes you a month to go through them and by the time you’re ready to implement the plan you’re completely over it.[/quote]
It works I swear! The best part is its so short you can read it in an hour. I designed it to be short and in no way ran out of useful information.
I just read through the article again, and the GSD sounds a lot like how I’m using the Anabolic diet to cut, except Berardi recommends refeeds once every two weeks instead of once every week. Another HAYOOG difference is the emphasis on whole foods from vegetables (something that I’ve always felt was lacking from AD.)
I also found it incredibly interesting how much BCAA and Creatine he was recommending: 40 grams of BCAA and 20 grams of creatine spread throughout the day. Typically when I try to cut, I lose weight too fast, as I mentioned above, but I typically only get about 8 grams of BCAA a day (8 caps) and around 10 grams of creatine. I’m going to try upping to dosage and see if it wrecks my liver or something.
This was definitely a great read, and while I haven’t personally experimented with GSD, you have certainly inspired me to try it. Starting Monday (as I’ll be out of town over the weekend and can’t really control my food sources), I will be cutting back to 2200 kcals a day and seeing how my body responds.
[quote]Obisidian wrote:
I just read through the article again, and the GSD sounds a lot like how I’m using the Anabolic diet to cut, except Berardi recommends refeeds once every two weeks instead of once every week. Another HAYOOG difference is the emphasis on whole foods from vegetables (something that I’ve always felt was lacking from AD.)
I also found it incredibly interesting how much BCAA and Creatine he was recommending: 40 grams of BCAA and 20 grams of creatine spread throughout the day. Typically when I try to cut, I lose weight too fast, as I mentioned above, but I typically only get about 8 grams of BCAA a day (8 caps) and around 10 grams of creatine. I’m going to try upping to dosage and see if it wrecks my liver or something.
This was definitely a great read, and while I haven’t personally experimented with GSD, you have certainly inspired me to try it. Starting Monday (as I’ll be out of town over the weekend and can’t really control my food sources), I will be cutting back to 2200 kcals a day and seeing how my body responds.
I look forward to hearing your results as well![/quote]
Gotcha!
So you’re going straight down to 10xBW without easing in.
I think I’ll do the same starting on Monday as well - the high creatine and BCAA doses will hopefully protect that precious LBM.
I read that 2lbs of weight loss per week is about the max. rate to go to max. fat loss and min. muscle loss - lets see what the scale will say next week.
Best of luck man and lmk how it goes along the way!
[quote]Obisidian wrote:
I don’t think Dave Tate would endorse something that didn’t work–not to appeal solely to his authority. The diet looks solid, though. One thing I would suggest is to cut your daily Caloric intake by 500-1000 a week instead of dropping straight from 4000 to 2000.
I, for example, am 6’4", 220. I’m a pretty small guy for my height. To maintain my weight, I have to eat close to 4500 Calories a day. At least. At 3000 Calories a day, I will lose 2-3 pounds a week. Easily. One thing that you have to be aware of when you’re cutting and trying to preserve muscle mass is that if you’re wanting to make actual progress in your size gains, then you want your weight gain/weight loss cycles to be meaningful.
I guess my caviat is this: If you start eating 2000 Calories a day for 12 weeks and lose 40 pounds, then you may have lost more muscle than you wanted to. I would recommended GRADUALLY decreasing your Calories intake until your losing 1-2 pounds a week in order to minimize muscle loss.
Personally, I have had a lot of success using the anabolic diet with only one carb refeed day a week when cutting. I maintain the majority of my muscle mass, but also get rid of those problem areas (mine is right below my belly button.) So when I put my own vanity above strength gains and decide to drop some weight, AD has really helped me retain a large amount of my size. I’d look into it, but I’ve got to admit that Dave looks pretty fucking swole in his 8% body fat pic.[/quote]
x2
I forgot where I read this, but if you drop your calories by more than 15% of your total average consumption your body thinks that its starving and decreases your metabolic rate and decreased test production.
[quote]Obisidian wrote:
I just read through the article again, and the GSD sounds a lot like how I’m using the Anabolic diet to cut, except Berardi recommends refeeds once every two weeks instead of once every week. Another HAYOOG difference is the emphasis on whole foods from vegetables (something that I’ve always felt was lacking from AD.)
I also found it incredibly interesting how much BCAA and Creatine he was recommending: 40 grams of BCAA and 20 grams of creatine spread throughout the day. Typically when I try to cut, I lose weight too fast, as I mentioned above, but I typically only get about 8 grams of BCAA a day (8 caps) and around 10 grams of creatine. I’m going to try upping to dosage and see if it wrecks my liver or something.
This was definitely a great read, and while I haven’t personally experimented with GSD, you have certainly inspired me to try it. Starting Monday (as I’ll be out of town over the weekend and can’t really control my food sources), I will be cutting back to 2200 kcals a day and seeing how my body responds.
I look forward to hearing your results as well![/quote]
Gotcha!
So you’re going straight down to 10xBW without easing in.
I think I’ll do the same starting on Monday as well - the high creatine and BCAA doses will hopefully protect that precious LBM.
I read that 2lbs of weight loss per week is about the max. rate to go to max. fat loss and min. muscle loss - lets see what the scale will say next week.
Best of luck man and lmk how it goes along the way![/quote]
BBB is a big proponet of leucine as opposed he says that it is the only amino acid that gives the anabolic effect that is wanted the two other amino acids only compete for absorption which hinders the uptake of leucine.
I did this two years ago. Check out my pix to see the body comp results.
The most effective diet I’ve ever followed. But I would qualify that by saying it came at a time when I could afford the time and effort with little distraction, as well as being extremely motivated to comply with not just the diet but with a training programme that involved weights, cardio, daily walking, etc. Would I repeat it? Probably not. I think there are other effective plans out there.
[quote]EmEn wrote:
Hi everyone,
I’m just finishing up a 6-month clean bulking cycle and am quite happy with my results
I’m at about 200lbs now at a height of 6’2 and BF of 13-14%
Now I’d like to go below 10% BF and get those abs to really stick out (they’re still visible but there’s a little fluff on top of them that I’d like to get off).
I looked into carb cycling and IF but then I came across this “Get Shredded Diet” article on T-Nation: The Get Shredded Diet
It promises 0.5%-1% BF loss/week with minimal muscle loss
Just sounds too good to be true honestly, at that speed, I’d be done with my cut in a little over a month…
So, before trying it out, I’d like to get some of your guys’ input on this diet - do you think it can deliver on its promise (max. fat loss/min. muscle loss)
Have any of you actually ever tried it?
I’m currently considering to gove it a try because the results it promises sound very nice to my ears but I’m a little concerned that it may end up burning off a ton of that muscle mass that I worked on over the last 6 months.
Any thoughs/advice?
Thanks for the help!
E[/quote]
JB says himself that this diet is for people already around 10% BF. That being said, I’ve done it in the past and did get shredded. I lost some size and strength along the way and woke up many nights holding my stomach out of hunger. If you have the mental fortitude, it will get you lean.
The reason JB says it’s for people already around 10% BF is because as you mentioned, you’ve been consuming around 4000 calories per day and slashing them to 2000 (assuming this is what you’ll be doing 200x10) won’t leave anywhere for you to go if progress stalls, so it’s not a plausible diet for more than a couple of months.