You would think, as a single father looking to incorporate body recomposition into an already tight schedule, that I would seek out convenience and the simplest path from A to B. You would think, once I found a method or technique that produced results, that I would put that on autopilot – ‘set it and forget it’-style - so I could eliminate one more distraction that requires attention. If you thought as much, you would be wrong…
I don’t know what it is about me, but I’m not satisfied with something unless I’m messing with it, even when it’s already a good thing. During my summer slump I put on around 26lb and, in the 5 weeks since climbing back on the wagon, I’ve cut 13.6 of that. I should be happy with that progress – I *am* happy with that progress – yet I can’t help but think… what if? I don’t think it’s impatience, per se, as a 2.72lb/week average is even faster than I was expecting (in fact, I’ve increased my calories this week to slow that down a little and minimize the potential for loss in lean body mass (LBM)). Maybe it’s the perfectionist in me (I usually try to keep him tied up and gagged) that is always looking for ways to improve and increase efficiency. Maybe it’s my endless thirst for knowledge and experimental tendencies: “Ok, we know this works, so let’s see what happens if…” Maybe I only have myself fooled into thinking I know what I’m doing. Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment. The world may never know.
I’ve been testing various theories behind meal timing and intermittent fasting periods, toying with ‘cheat days’ and duration, and the journey I’m about to embark on takes all of this and throws it in a big melting pot along with some ketogenic principles. Carb Backloading, in practice, isn’t new, but it’s been brought back to focus by a new book from physicist John Kiefer. Better known solely by his surname, Kiefer uses his scientific expertise to dig through the BS and uncover cold, hard facts about nutrition that are accentuated by the amount of research he’s been doing since the age of 13. Unlike his first book, The Carb Nite Solution, which is primarily a fat-loss protocol similar to a cyclic ketogenic diet (CKD), Carb Backloading is geared more towards bulking while staying lean and minimizing fat loss (my intent is to try it as a moderate cut that will allow me to maintain most of my lean mass). This is accomplished, in short (get the book!), by limiting carbs on off-days and in the first part of the day on training days to 30g (i.e. Keto, or WD/IF if you don’t eat at all prior to the gym and work out fasted). On training days, you’ll immediately follow your workout with a PWO meal/shake of protein & carbs (TKD), and then an hour after that you begin devouring carbs to replenish glycogen stores in preparation for your next workout. Where the ‘cheat day’ comes in is that Kiefer claims it’s unnecessary to count calories and encourages us to splurge on high glycemic treats like pizza, ice cream, and the now iconic cherry turnovers. Sound too good to be true? I know, that’s why I gotta try it!
It’s recommended that you preface the program with ten days of keto as a preparation phase and to raise sensitivity to carbs, which I’ll begin tomorrow (25 Sep), and then I’ll begin with my first carb-up on Friday, 5 Oct. Woot! For my first few weeks of the program (post-keto/prep), I’ll adhere to a specific calorie range for cutting to gauge my progress and determine its value. I’ll have 4 carb-ups per week on my current training regime (Wendler’s 5/3/1, 3x per week) and the other 3 days will be low-carb. I plan to reduce my current intake from 2400 calories to 1800 on off-days, with a 65/30/5 macro ratio typical to keto, then redistribute the difference among the 4 backloading days so that I’ll be consuming 2850 calories, for a total of 16,800 per week. Once I’ve got a good feel for it, I’m sure my inquisitive nature will convince me to give the ol’ ‘disregard calories’ a try. You know, in the name of science, and all…
While it’s easy to pad your resume these days, if you swing by Kiefer’s marketing page (carbbackloading.com) you’ll see testimonials from elite athletes like Brian Carroll (1100lb squat with a 6-pack, anyone?), fitness editor Sean Hyson, and more. Needless to say, I’m stoked about the potential! It probably sounds like I’m trying to market the book, but I’ve just been doing so much research on it lately that I’m about to explode!
“Patience is the support of weakness; impatience the ruin of strength.” – Charles Caleb Colton
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