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Chapter 28:

The Advanced CKD for fat loss

Advanced trainees frequently want to know how to optimize the CKD for fat loss. This
chapter presents a routine which incorporates all of the information presented in the previous
chapters. The goal of this routine is to co-ordinate training to take maximal advantage of the
peculiar format of the CKD. This goal incorporates the following factors:

1. Deplete muscle glycogen in all bodyparts to approximately 70 mmol/kg by Tuesday to
   maximize fat utilization by the muscles but not increase protein utilization.


2. Maximize growth hormone output (which is a lipolytic hormone) on Monday and Tuesday with
   the combination of multiple, long sets, and short rest periods.


3. Maintain muscle mass with tension work outs on Monday and Tuesday.


4. Deplete muscle glycogen to between 25 and 40 mmol/kg on Friday to stimulate optimal
   glycogen supercompensation.


5. Stimulate mass gains during the weekend of overfeeding with a tension workout or utilize a
   high rep depletion workout to deplete glycogen completely.

Three possible formats for this routine appear in table 1.

Table 1: Possible variants for the 7 days CKD

Variant 1 Variant 2 Variant 3

Sun: 30-60 minutes of low intensity aerobics to reestablish ketosis

Mon: Legs Legs/Chest/Back Back/biceps/legs

Tue: Upper body Delts/arms/abs Chest/delts/triceps/abs

Wed: Aerobics or off Aerobics or off Aerobics or off

Thu: Aerobics or off Aerobics of off Aerobics or off

Fri: Full body Full body Full body

Sat: No workout during the carb-up phase of the diet

This format assumes that the carb-up ends Saturday at bedtime. If lifters choose to carb-
up for longer than 36 hours, the Sunday cardio session would be moved to Monday morning or
eliminated completely.

Aerobics are optional on Mon and Tue and should be done after lifting. Legs should
generally be trained on Monday when the trainee is strongest. Alternately weak body parts can
be trained on Monday to take advantage of glycogen compensation.

The Friday full body workout can either be a tension workout (i.e. high loads, low reps) or a
high-rep, circuit-type depletion workout. The choice of one or the other will depend on the level of
the lifter. Advanced lifters may not be able to train a bodypart heavily twice each week and fully
recover. In that case, the high-rep depletion workout would be the best choice.