TlDR: Eat in the same style as our ancestors for better performance
Inspired by Ori Hofmekler’s Warrior Diet, Jason Ferruggia decided to write a similar diet plan more geared towards maximizing muscle mass and optimal performance.
The diet is usually set up like a regular intermittent fast, 14-16 hours of no feeding, with an 8-10 hour feeding window of ‘opportunity’. During the window, the first 4 hours is an underfeeding phase, consuming no carbs other than vegetables and protein. After which, in the overeating phase, a lifter will be able to eat carbs normally for that 4 hours.
The daily fast allows the body to replenish its enzyme pool and increase the secretion of growth hormones (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF). By limiting card intake to the feeding phase, the presence of insulin in the bloodstream is decreased, thus allowing the body to go into a state of fat burning.
During the underfeeding phase, some soft-boiled eggs or yogurt or protein shake is advised, limiting the protein intake to 20-35 grams and fat to 10-15 grams for cutting weight. For muscle gain, lean red meat can be consumed but limited to 25-40 grams of protein. No carbs to be eaten in this phase other than those from vegetables, and fruits are to be avoided. 1-3 meals can be consumed within this phase.
In the overeating phase, there is now 4 hours to eat, ideally at night right after a training session to replenish glycogen stores. Consuming carbs at night is also ideal as cortisol is at its lowest. After a workout, a lifter should consume whey protein with some carb sources, like rice or sweet potato. An hour after that, a meal of lots of vegetables and protein coupled with some carbs (don’t exceed 100 grams of carbs a day if bodyfat is above 15%). After this meal, there will still be enough time for another meal of similar proportions, or even a homemade dessert for the gaining crowd. One alteration for the mass gaining crowd, especially those that require 200-400 grams of carbs for the day, is to remove the salads entirely for the overeating window.
Pros:
- High adherence from people who don’t enjoy breakfast
- High protein-focused
- Easy for normal people to lose weight by simply removing 1 meal
Cons:
- Does not really work well for people who train on times other than at night
- A bit bro-sciencey