Still, all those carbs will lead to fat buildup unless you regulate it as we do in this diet. Carbs
are only increased to the point that they will have a beneficial effect on lean body mass. By
spiking insulin production through carb loading on the weekends, we can speed the movement
of nutrients through the bloodstream and into muscle. Amino acids are driven into muscle cells
where they can form the building blocks for protein and ultimate muscle growth. But before
the insulin levels have been elevated too long and fat begins to be laid down in bulk, the
carbohydrates are cut off and insulin brought under control.
Staying In Shape Year Round Instead Of Peaking Once Or Twice A Year: The Anabolic Diet
allows you to stay in shape year round. It’s not a diet where you bulk up and then cut body fat,
and the process becomes so painful and difficult that you can’t maintain the diet. As such, it’s
not one of those low-fat diets where you struggle mentally and physically all through the year
and can’t help but go on and off it out of sheer exhaustion and frustration.
The Anabolic Diet is a lifestyle. One that you can keep up year round. It’s very comfortable
because it’s natural. It punctuates high fat periods with regular carb sessions in much the same
manner as our ancient ancestors’ diet.
You also don’t give up anything on this diet. You can have that meat and cheese on the
weekdays, and on the weekends load up with your favorite carbs. It’s not torture like most other
bodybuilder diets. You want to party and have a beer on the weekends? Go ahead. All foods are
available, albeit at the right time of the week, on this diet.
Meanwhile, if used properly, this diet will allow you to keep your fat somewhere around the
10 percent level consistently, and cut to a 4–5 percent level as needed while maintaining lean
body mass. There won’t be those marathon cutting phases, and you’ll find yourself getting into
competition shape very quickly.
And, if you responsibly follow the diet and stay with it, each time you go through the cycle
or complete your pre-contest phase, you should come in heavier and at least as cut as you were
at the end of your last cycle. Instead of plateauing as so many bodybuilders do, you’ll improve
contest to contest and year to year.
Endurance Increases: We’ve also found that for many athletes, endurance actually increases on
the high fat diet. Again, this runs counter to popular belief that exercise endurance is related to
the amount of carbohydrate stored in the muscle, and that a low carb diet decreases performance.
In the high carb/low fat diet, the athlete begins training, and the glucose in the blood is used
almost immediately. At that point, the glycogen or carbohydrate stores in the muscle are used
for energy. After 15 minutes or so, they’re gone too. At that point your body has to revert to
burning fat or muscle for fuel. Unfortunately, when you’re on the high carb diet, your body
isn’t very efficient at burning fat, and you end up burning about 50 percent protein (muscle)
and 50 percent fat for your energy needs.
Once you’ve shifted over on the high fat diet, though, your body is primed to use fat for
energy. Once the glycogen is gone, it will go primarily to those fat stores. Fat becomes almost
like sugar to the body, and it will favor utilizing fat stores over muscle stores for energy. In this
12 CHAPTER 1