This was highlighted in a recent study^11 that looked at the effect of a high fat diet on six trained
runners. What they found was that the VO2 max and endurance was significantly higher in
those runners who were on the high fat diet as against those that were on the normal, or high
carbohydrate diet.
You also have to keep in mind that the two main fuels for muscle growth are carbohydrate
and fat. There is a very limited store of carbohydrate in the body. But fat is an entirely different
proposition. The average man considered to be in shape on the street has about 15 percent
bodyfat. The average woman about 25 percent. These are huge stores of energy in the body,
and much more available over the course of a workout than carbohydrates.
The only problem that may crop up here revolves around the question of whether you’ve
fully adapted to the high fat diet. If you haven’t been on it long enough to go through the
“metabolic shift” we talk about, you may find the diet affecting endurance. But if you’ve gone
through the “shift,” endurance won’t be affected and will likely be enhanced.^12
The other side of the Anabolic Diet is that’s it’s not an entirely restricted high fat, low carb
regimen. With the carb loading on the weekends, we’re allowing a huge amount of glycogen
build-up that’s utilized early the next week. We’re getting the best of both the high fat and high
carb worlds without their drawbacks. You’re getting both glycogen build-up and fat burn-off,
and that’s where growth and definition are manufactured.
DIET PHASES
There are four phases of the diet where adjustments will be made, based on progress toward
a competition. The mass, cutting, and pre-contest phases will be familiar to most bodybuilders.
We also include a “starting” or “maintenance” phase in our diet plan.
The “Start-up” or “Maintenance” Phase
During most of the Anabolic Diet, you won’t find yourself restricting calories much. In fact,
some people may find they have a problem getting enough. Others may find that, with increased
training and exercise, they can take in a huge amount without suffering any consequences.
At the beginning, though, we don’t want you feeling bloated and suffering too much from
the diarrhea that can come from switching metabolisms. That’s why your STARTING POINT
FOR DAILY CALORIES ON THIS DIET SHOULD BE 18 TIMES YOUR BODY-
WEIGHT. If you’re 200 pounds, this would call for 200×18 or 3,600 calories a day during
the weekday portion of the diet. This makes for a “static” phase where you lose some body fat,
gain some muscle mass, and maintain about the same weight. This is a phase where you’ll be
changing the ratio of internal masses to some degree, but most of what you’re doing is allowing
your body its easiest path toward adapting to the diet.
As you continue in this phase, you should experiment with the formula above as a way of
finding precisely where your “maintenance” level for calories is. This will let you know from
what point you need to add or subtract calories for gains or losses in other parts of the diet. It’s
also not a bad idea to keep a 2–3 day diary of what you’re eating, and then have someone who
has some expertise in diets look at it. That way you’ll get numbers and foods you can best work
36 CHAPTER 3