Carb cycling

Need some good input here. Ive never carb cycled but from what ive read it sounds like it could be really effective. I want to hear what some of the big dogs on here are doing. And if anyone is carb cycling, what is their diet like?

I'm not a big dog, but I've had a lot of success with it. Basically, get up in the am and don't eat any carbs at all (trace is ok). During this time, eat anything else that's not carbs. Depending on the carb source and your body, consume carbs an 1-3 hours ( I prefer an hour) before training. While you train, consume carbs. You could be fancy and do the whole John Meadows peri workout shake with branched cyclic blah blah blah or just kis and use gatorade. The peri workout protocol gave me GI distress so I dropped it. After you workout consume carbs. It generally doesn't matter what, but I would try to keep it clean 75% of the time. After that meal cut off the carbs and have fat and protein until you go to sleep. Then repeat this. Make sure to have a huge cheat meal at least every 6-7 days or you will slow down your metabolism. That's my protocol.

I would not consider myself a BIG dog.
But here is my 2 cents:

I have used the Ketogenic Diet by Lyle McDonald
Within the confines of the Keto Diet there are two major protocols TKD and CKD.
TKD is the standard.
CKD employs a carb refeeding or reloading phase (once every week or two)


I have also used LeanGains by Martin Berkham which is a version of Intermittent Fasting
Basically you utilize an eating window 8 hours/day eating and 16 hours/day fasting

I have also used the Protein Sparring Modified Fast by Lyle

What I learned about carb cycling from all of these diets is just how great an affect carbs can have on me.
I personally DO NOT like to carb cycle. I find it difficult to maintain.
I prefer either very low carbs on cut
-OR-
I use a fasting protocol with moderate carbs for a recomp

If you are set on carb cycling I would either try to a very low carb diet 6 days/week and 1 day/week refeed
6 days/week - 50% F, 40% P, 10% C
1 day/week - 40% P, 40% P, 20% F
-OR-
I would do 7 days/week VERY low carb with PRE and POST WorkOut Carbs

Good advise above. Just try everything and see what works best for you. I need a big carb day at least once a week or my progress slows (in size, strength, fat loss, everything) and my lifts definitely suffer if I stay in keto for more than two weeks.

I carb cycle daily, it is what ive found over all the years and all the things ive tried that works best and not just best but its amazing for me, like a whole new person in the gym and just every day. I dont each much to begin with maybe a couple solid meals daily and a bunch of protien here and there throughout the day, but i wont eat carbs until late in the day about an hour before training and i HONEST GOD can see and feel my muscles expanding just from the carbs just like when you do a show and then carb up, i get similar to that effect daily with my muscles and body changing instantly almost. And i look like a different person physically lol, its hard to get my point across unless you know exactly how it feels and what the changes really look like, but i would whole heartedly recommend carb cycling to anyone, maybe it doesnt work for everyone but it does for me, and im glad i discovered this for myself,

So u don't eat any carbs until before u lift. Then after. Is this what your saying. Really your carb count for the whole day is pretty low then right. This sounds good. Elaborate a little more detail if u don't mind.

goodness said:

So u don't eat any carbs until before u lift. Then after. Is this what your saying. Really your carb count for the whole day is pretty low then right. This sounds good. Elaborate a little more detail if u don't mind.

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I get up at 5:30 every day and sometimes i dont eat anything at all until i carb up around 4:30 pm for a workout at 5:45, and when i do eat before then, its a couple shakes, and some eggs. But yes im known for not eating shit all day long, then i eat oatmeal, usually about 4-5 packs of the flavored oatmeal packs, then when i get to gym i drink a carb drink while sitting there before i workout , then during my workout, i will sip on a 50/50 carb/protien drink throughout workout, and after my workout i will drink just whey isolate protein drink with bcaa mixed in. and ill have a couple more shakes at night , and sometimes i will carb up at night before going to bed which is something new im trying, in carbing up and hitting protien.

but thats about it, its how i have been doing it for years now and works for me, i keep my size and stay lean all year round, i havent added much muscle mass in a while, but im not competing anymore and i sit at 270lbs so im ok with where i am right now, and again ive kept everything ive earned n the gym

Presser said:

I get up at 5:30 every day and sometimes i dont eat anything at all until i carb up around 4:30 pm for a workout at 5:45, and when i do eat before then, its a couple shakes, and some eggs. But yes im known for not eating shit all day long, then i eat oatmeal, usually about 4-5 packs of the flavored oatmeal packs, then when i get to gym i drink a carb drink while sitting there before i workout , then during my workout, i will sip on a 50/50 carb/protien drink throughout workout, and after my workout i will drink just whey isolate protein drink with bcaa mixed in. and ill have a couple more shakes at night , and sometimes i will carb up at night before going to bed which is something new im trying, in carbing up and hitting protien.

but thats about it, its how i have been doing it for years now and works for me, i keep my size and stay lean all year round, i havent added much muscle mass in a while, but im not competing anymore and i sit at 270lbs so im ok with where i am right now, and again ive kept everything ive earned n the gym

Click to expand...

This sounds a lot like LeanGains, Cheat Mode, or IF

The Leangains Guide | Intermittent fasting diet for fat loss, muscle gain and health

i do 2 high carb days, 3 med days and 2 low/zero days.

high days on major body parts
med on smaller
and zero on nonworkout days

I'm similar to superman on this one.

My base carb amount is around 150. Now from here I would do heavy carb ie on every meal all day other than supper. So about 250 grams. On leg days or lagging body part days. And very low to no carbs on non workout days. 50 or under. I think without any activity body's ability to intake carb goes down.

But all in all I'm still learning, discovering and loving carb cycling.


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