Carb Cycling Template Example (Cutting Phase)

Ryujiin

Ryujiin

Active member
Trusted Member
Just for anyone out there that finds carb cycling works well for them, here is an example excel template I put together (screen shot for reference) of a cutting carb cycling diet.

If you carb cycle, how do you like to setup your plan?

FYI, Im not an expert, I have just found this works well for me and I like messing around in Excel and such.

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That's pretty much exactly how I do it, except I scrawl mine on a piece of paper in black marker. It looks like a serial killer wrote it. Then I stick it on the fridge if I need a reminder.

The percentages and frequencies are pretty much the same though. It's a very effective plan for me that I'll continue to use until or if, I figure out anything better.
 
My coach had me on a similar structure last year although we were pushing the food a lot more aggressively.

High days were structured the same, pulled protein back slightly, carbs through the roof, trace fats. They were implemented 2 or 3 days a week with insulin.

We were pushing for as much size as possible with not much regard for staying lean at that point so we had carbs up a lot higher on medium and low days. Fats were a decent amount lower than you’re running on these days. Medium days were implemented on training days I wasn’t doing a high day and low days were rest days. No insulin used on these days.

If I recall correctly the macros for each day (not tracking trace macros) looked something like:
High days - 240P/900-1000C/0F
Medium days - 300P/600C/60F
Low days - 300P/300C/75F

I’d imagine you can maintain some pretty good conditioning while running your structure with the very low carb days most of the time.
 
I use Chris Aceto's approach.

Take your normal/maintenance day's carbs subtract 40% of the carbs to find your low days. Have 3-5 low days followed by a high day where you add 15% to your maintenance carbs.

Example
Maintenance: 200g
Low: 200-40%= 120g
High: 200+15% = 230g
 
CoolRick said:
I use Chris Aceto's approach.

Take your normal/maintenance day's carbs subtract 40% of the carbs to find your low days. Have 3-5 low days followed by a high day where you add 15% to your maintenance carbs.

Example
Maintenance: 200g
Low: 200-40%= 120g
High: 200+15% = 230g
Click to expand...
Proteins and fats remain the same across all days?
 
I do a training day diet and an off day diet. I need to put muscle pretty evenly everywhere so I don't see the point of having higher calories on certain training days.

For example :
Training days are ; 2432 calories (189 protein, 320 carbs, 44 fats)
Off days are ; 2117 calories (204 protein, 215 carbs, 49 fats)

I like to keep it simple. I find having low, medium and high days to be too much of a hassle.
 
@Ryujiin I just got here so I havent had time to really look at the the thread and I just got called away but one quick question for now. It appears like you think veggies have no carbs or calories. Respectfully, how do you justify that? BTW I do have a suspicion what your answer might be.
Apologies if I am missing something obvious.

Chow fer now
 
gondar1 said:
@Ryujiin I just got here so I havent had time to really look at the the thread and I just got called away but one quick question for now. It appears like you think veggies have no carbs or calories. Respectfully, how do you justify that? BTW I do have a suspicion what your answer might be.
Apologies if I am missing something obvious.

Chow fer now
Click to expand...
Trace, and I avoid carb heavy sources like tomato's, potato's, corn, squash, beans etc in these meals. Similar to where I have "0" for added fat. There is certainly going to be trace fats in those meals but I also try to stick to very lean meat sources. If I want something like beef, I don't add any additional fats to the meal.
 
Ryujiin said:
Trace, and I avoid carb heavy sources like tomato's, potato's, corn, squash, beans etc in these meals. Similar to where I have "0" for added fat. There is certainly going to be trace fats in those meals but I also try to stick to very lean meat sources. If I want something like beef, I don't add any additional fats to the meal.
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Nice answer, you obviously put some thought into it. Pretty much what I thought you'd say, maybe adding in the "net carbs" equation taking fibre into account. All these answers are good.
Nice spreadsheet too.

Me if I am going to measure anything I usually go all in, most would say excessively meticulous, I'd count it all, admittedly a lil bit crazy cause the stage is not in my future.
I always do something very close to this when cutting. Aiming for an average of around 100-130ish over the 3 or 4 days and most if not all carbs peri-workout. Copy/paste from my answer in an older thread here about recomp dieting:

"... I'd modify the carb cycling to have either 3 or 4 levels and line them up with training days - Highest carbs on biggest muscle group days, legs and back etc. ... days would be -

between 0-70
100
120
200

or

0-70
120
200."
 
Paul Barnett is my coach. His coach is Justin Harris. Justin is credited with coming up with carb cycling AFAIK. I posted my diet below. I eat an insane amount of calories for someone my size. You are not me.

There isn't one set formula for BMR, but if you are looking for something 12 - 18 calories per pound is a good place to start. If you already know your maintenance first you set your protein, then your fats, and the rest in carbs.

Protein on medium days and low days is 1.5 grams / lb.
Protein on high days is 1.5 grams / lb.
Fats are maxed out at 14 grams a meal, 0 pre, 0 intra, and 0 post workout, he starts at 7 grams, then fills the rest of your calories with carbs. He ups fats by 3 gram increments.
Rest of your calories are filled in with carbs.

4 calories / gram of protein
4 calories / gram of carbs
9 calories / gram of fats

This is my diet, the protein is high because otherwise I eat carb soup and it's gross.

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How do I calculate how many carbs I need on a high carb day during cutting?

Thus far, I've been stuffing myself with as much rice as I can handle, and its working.

Can someone please spell it out from me? Thx
 
MrMeat said:
How do I calculate how many carbs I need on a high carb day during cutting?

Thus far, I've been stuffing myself with as much rice as I can handle, and its working.

Can someone please spell it out from me? Thx
Click to expand...
The best way IMO is by how you look. Experiment with when you're flat, carbed up and spilling over.

Alternatively you can use this:
CoolRick said:
I use Chris Aceto's approach.

Take your normal/maintenance day's carbs subtract 40% of the carbs to find your low days. Have 3-5 low days followed by a high day where you add 15% to your maintenance carbs.

Example
Maintenance: 200g
Low: 200-40%= 120g
High: 200+15% = 230g
Click to expand...
 
CoolRick said:
The best way IMO is by how you look. Experiment with when you're flat, carbed up and spilling over.

Alternatively you can use this:
Click to expand...
Agreed. I’m pretty sure Justin Harris has a method of precisely knowing how much glycogen people store based on their muscle mass. I might be mistaken. But I think that’s pretty complex and probably only necessary for contest prep refeeds and peaking.

A little trial and error is probably the best bet. Eat “x” amount of carbs and see how you look. Look full blown but not spilled over? Try adding a little more. Spilled over? Dial it back.
 
MrMeat said:
How do I know I have "spilled over"?
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Visually. If you’re lean you’ll notice you’re holding water and look softer.
If you’re carrying too much fat, subcutaneous water retention won’t be very noticeable in which case there probably probably isnt much sense in running “high” days until you pull off some of that fat.
 
MrMeat said:
How do I calculate how many carbs I need on a high carb day during cutting?

Thus far, I've been stuffing myself with as much rice as I can handle, and its working.

Can someone please spell it out from me? Thx
Click to expand...
This thread would help create a pretty good pocket guide for the simple parts of carb cycling for cutting IMO.
Posts 1 and 11 are great for more detail but IMO the carbs are way higher than I'd use 99% of the time for anyone less than a true heavily muscled monster. IOW you don't hear people say thing like "Holy Fuck" and "Oh my god" when they see you a few times a day. Having said that maybe those numbers work when the cut is not aggressive at all and we can never forget that this is not a one size fits all game we play, ya gotta do what works for you.
4, 10, 14, 16 give the jist of a good outline of where to start dialing it in. I'll re-emphasize that I think the peri-workout part of the occasion can be helpful both in effect and comfort.
I guess another thing to mention, a caveat on everything I ever say about cutting. I only talk about cutting in the general way of losing BF while not having a neg effect on muscle. The last roughly 20-7 or so days before a competitor steps on stage are a very different thing.
 
BanditNOLIMIT said:
Agreed. I’m pretty sure Justin Harris has a method of precisely knowing how much glycogen people store based on their muscle mass. I might be mistaken. But I think that’s pretty complex and probably only necessary for contest prep refeeds and peaking.

A little trial and error is probably the best bet. Eat “x” amount of carbs and see how you look. Look full blown but not spilled over? Try adding a little more. Spilled over? Dial it back.
Click to expand...
Doing it like this is more advanced but it can be particularly useful as maintenance calories or carbs is dynamic.

Yea that's how I do it, I go by the mirror and to some degree the scale. I seem to get a better effect from junk loading as opposed to clean carb loading, I'll look for the scale to jump up a few pounds from my "flat" weight, typically 2-4lbs.
MrMeat said:
How do I know I have "spilled over"?
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Filled out you look bigger and tighter, spilled over you'll look bigger and tighter but more sub q water and fat. Spilling over basically means getting fatter.

Think of the test and dbol warrior that likes to dirty bulk. The muscles look ballooned out and bloated. That's the best I can articulate it. Over time if you pay attention, you'll know when you are getting fatter just by looking at how your body is reacting.
 
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