Month 1
– Try to consume about 22 calories per pound of body weight per day (just less than 4,000 calories for the 180-pounder). You have to eat big to get strong!
– Make sure you get about 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight (270 grams for the 180-pound guy) per day.
– You also need ample carbs for strength. Shoot for about 2.5 grams per pound of body weight (450 grams for the 180-pounder) per day.
– Healthy fats will help your joints absorb the punishment from the heavy weights, and even saturated fat is important to keep testosterone — and therefore strength — elevated. Be sure to get about 30% of your total daily calories from fat. For the 180-pounder, that’s just about 0.75 gram of fat per pound of body weight, or about 135 grams of fat.
Month 2
– This month, drop calories to about 20 per pound of body weight per day (just more than 3,500 calories for the 180-pounder). You still need ample calories to get big, but too many for too long can also make you fat.
– Stay with about 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight (270 grams for the 180-pound guy) per day. It’s the aminos from protein that serve as the building blocks of muscle.
– You’ll still need ample carbs for muscle growth, but you can drop it slightly to 2 grams per pound of body weight (360 grams for the 180-pounder) per day.
– Again, get about 30% of your total daily calories from fat. For the 180-pounder, that’s a little more than 0.5 gram of fat per pound of body weight, or about 100 grams of fat. Healthy fats will actually help keep bodyfat off, while saturated fat will keep testosterone elevated for maximizing muscle growth.
Month 3
– In the final month, it’s time to sharpen up and get your lean on. That means calories drop again, to about 16 per pound of body weight per day (about 2,800 calories for the 180-pounder).
– Protein intake doesn’t change. After all, it’s critical for muscle mass, and you want to lose fat, not muscle. Stick with about 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day (270 grams for the 180-pound guy).
– Since protein stays the same, your drop in calories will come primarily from carbs. Decreasing carbs to 1 gram per pound of body weight per day (180 grams for the 180-pounder) will still provide energy but will force your body to turn to bodyfat for fuel.
– You should still get about 30% of your total daily calories from fat. For the 180-pounder, that’s about 0.5 gram of fat per pound of body weight, or a little more than 90 grams of fat. The majority of these fats should be of the healthy variety, which will help you burn bodyfat.
General Rules for All Three Months
– Eat smaller meals every 2–3 hours, rather than a few huge meals each day. More frequent eating will give you the nutrients you need to grow while helping to keep your metabolism revved for burning fat. Including pre- and postworkout meals and other snacks, you should hit about eight meals per day.
– Stick with shakes for your pre- and postworkout meals. You’ll need very fast-digesting protein to encourage muscle growth at this time, and whole foods will be too slow to offer much benefit. Thirty minutes before workouts, drink a 20-gram protein shake that includes about 20–40 grams of slow-digesting carbs. Within 30 minutes after your workouts, down a 40-gram protein shake with 40–100 grams of fast-digesting carbs mixed in.
– In all three months, water is a critical component to your diet. It keeps your metabolism humming and helps you maintain muscle fullness. Guzzle about 1 gallon of water per day.