How to gain muscle and lose fat...

[Shaolinkiwi]

Has anyone brought up Dr. Squat's Zig-Zag dieting concept? I'd be interested to hear what you guys think about it's principles and whether it's viable for the average joe gym monkey?

In a nut shell:
You can lose fat and gain muscle if you alternate periods of negative calorie
balance with periods of positive calorie balance.

Cardio days = negative
Lifting days = positive

[Rich Knapp]

Originally Posted by Shaolinkiwi

Has anyone brought up Dr. Squat's Zig-Zag dieting concept? I'd be interested to hear what you guys think about it's principles and whether it's viable for the average joe gym monkey?

In a nut shell:
You can lose fat and gain muscle if you alternate periods of negative calorie
balance with periods of positive calorie balance.

Cardio days = negative
Lifting days = positive

Now all the commotion is over.

The refereed to diet "Zig Zag" is a carb cycling diet. And a lot of bb use it. I my self will be using it in the form of mini cuts to keep body weight down so I don't have to cut so hard for next show. BUT look at it closely.

High carbs = store mode (long term would gaining fat)
Then low carbs = diet/cutting body fat.

This is a variable people don't look at everything isn't a cut and dry black and white constant. You are in sense bulking then dieting. You will make gains and keep you body weight in check. Just the gains made on bulk days will be slower due to the low carb days you do. BUT you will also keep the B/W down to a minimum once you get it down there and long term make gains.

I myself get above 15 lbs above contest weight I will incorporate a mini cut diet. Even though it slows gains it also will keep me more in line for cutting all the way for comp. My largest gains were made when I went 50 lbs over comp weight. But I also had assume gains when I cut down. Just took for ever to cut down. lol

[kitarpyar]

Originally Posted by Donkeypuncher

But guess what? I had the balls to change and try something new.

You guys seem very nice, but I'm probably done posting here.

Would be nice if you shared it with us.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by Shaolinkiwi

Has anyone brought up Dr. Squat's Zig-Zag dieting concept? I'd be interested to hear what you guys think about it's principles and whether it's viable for the average joe gym monkey?

In a nut shell:
You can lose fat and gain muscle if you alternate periods of negative calorie
balance with periods of positive calorie balance.

Cardio days = negative
Lifting days = positive

I've written several articles on zig zagging. I think it's a very viable approach for intermediates, but haven't seen many naturals implement and use it so most of my opinions on it are theory.

I took it a step further, based on the bodies tendency to take 2 weeks to switch into full blown fat storage mode. Here is my take:

Bulldozer Bodybuilding Bulking System Muscle and Brawn Bodybuilding and Powerlifting.

I don't believe in this approach for beginners because they gain muscle so rapidly. And truth be told, intermediates get so little bang for the buck that I think a straight 300 calorie over maintenance might be better.

But it might be a viable approach for beginners that get somewhat stubborn gains, and who need to work longer and harder for rewards.

[Shaolinkiwi]

Thanks for the feed back on that zig-zag apporach Rich Knapp & BTB.

I'll check up your article BTB.

[Lerho]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

I've written several articles on zig zagging. I think it's a very viable approach for intermediates, but haven't seen many naturals implement and use it so most of my opinions on it are theory.

I took it a step further, based on the bodies tendency to take 2 weeks to switch into full blown fat storage mode. Here is my take:

Bulldozer Bodybuilding Bulking System Muscle and Brawn Bodybuilding and Powerlifting.

I don't believe in this approach for beginners because they gain muscle so rapidly. And truth be told, intermediates get so little bang for the buck that I think a straight 300 calorie over maintenance might be better.

But it might be a viable approach for beginners that get somewhat stubborn gains, and who need to work longer and harder for rewards.

I have read from a very good and informative training book about this 2 week cycle for bulking and diet. In that book the suggestion was to eat in a bulk-phase 2 weeks 1000kcal over maintenence/day and in diet-phase to eat 500kcal under maintenance/day. In fact I have been thinking to try in next august. Now I do a fat loss diet, 9 week cycle, 2 weeks ketodiet with calories well under maintenance, then 1 week "normal" diet above maintenance to get the metabolism up again.

[BendtheBar]

Just re-read my post. I don't want to discourage anyone from trying these 2 week cycles. Some bodybuilders use this approach more while doing a slow cut...2 weeks normal, 2 weeks cut.

I would love to be young again and try bulking/cutting as a beginner just as an experiment.