High Carbs And No Cardio? Transform Your Body In Just 12 Weeks! Phase 2.

In part 2 of Alex Stewart's High Carb, No Cardio Dieting Alex continues his program by providing you with a sample diet, supplement, and work out plan to get you moving towards your goals. Check it out!

Part 1 | Part 2

High-Carb No Cardio Dieting

Phase 1 is done and in the books. Your body is starting to shed that extra weight you have been looking to lose and your workouts are starting to get more intense with your new found conditioning. Now it is time to ramp up the intensity of the workouts and tighten up the diet even more.

Each Phase is going to be very similar, the diet is going to have all the same principles high carb, moderate protein and low levels of fat. The workouts are going to be intense with plenty of volume to not only improve the muscle that you have, but also burn as many calories as possible to help get rid of stubborn body fat.

Now It Is Time To Ramp Up The Intensity Of The Workouts And Tighten Up The Diet Even More
+ Click To Enlarge.
Now It Is Time To Ramp Up The Intensity Of The
Workouts And Tighten Up The Diet Even More.

Let's get down to business.

I will continue to use numbers and foods that I used during this diet. I started the diet at about 230 lbs and about 4-5 weeks into it I was down to a solid 215 lbs. The below numbers will be worked out with 215 as the Bodyweight. Please insert your bodyweight into the equations below to get your desired calorie count and macro break down.

First take your bodyweight and multiple it by 11 (last time we used 12) Ex. 215 x 11 = 2365; as I said before round down to the nearest 100 so the total calories we will be taking in will be 2300.

Regarding Protein; Multiply your bodyweight by 1 (last time we used 1.25) Ex. 215 x 1 = 215 Protein = 36% of the Diet

Regarding Carbs; Multiple your bodyweight by 1.45 (last time we used 1.25) Ex. 215 x 1.45 = 312 Carbs = 53% of the Diet

As we did before, fat will not be calculated, just make sure that you are always eating lean cuts of meat and if you hit the above macros your fat consumption should take up about 10% of your diet. In my diet below fat was 11% of the diet.

Diet

Meal 1:

Meal 2:

  • 3 oz of chicken breast
  • 1.25 cup of brown rice

Meal 3:

  • 4 oz of chicken breast
  • 1.5 cup of brown rice

Meal 4:

  • 3 oz chicken breast
  • 2.5 slices of Ezekiel bread

Meal 5:

  • 1 scoops of Protein Powder
  • 3 slices of Ezekiel bread

Meal 6:

  • 3.5 oz of chicken breast
  • 2 slices of Ezekiel bread

As you can see with the Macro numbers and meals above, the big change from phase 1 of the diet to phase 2 is the small subtraction of protein. The Carb amounts are relatively consistent compared to phase 1 with a few exceptions.

The Carb Amounts Are Relatively Consistent Compared To Phase 1
+ Click To Enlarge.
The Carb Amounts Are Relatively Consistent Compared To Phase 1.

The reason I lowered the protein was to leave more room for carbs, meaning that more of the calories in the diet are now coming from carbs. Phase 1 Protein and Carbs took up the same amount of calories from the diet. The reason for this was two fold. First, there have been many studies that indicate that 1 gram of protein per lean body weight is all your body needs to maintain current muscle mass. I didn't use lean body as our number I used current body weight so you are really eating a lot more protein than 1 gram per pound of lean body weight.

Secondly, read the title to this article; High-carb dieting is what we are doing so I needed to get rid of protein to be able to ramp up the carbs and still be within our calorie restriction.

Dietary And Supplement Guidelines

This diet is bases on bodyweight numbers so as you lose weight you will need to re adjust your overall calories and your protein and carb numbers. Change these numbers each time you lose 5 lbs.

This is how you will diet each day that you are training; on days that you don't train you will just subtract meal 6 from the diet. Eat upon waking each day and on training days eat every 3 hours and on non training days eat every 3.5-4 hours.

Here Are The Supplements That I Recommend:

  • Big Blend; I use this as my protein powder for my diet
  • Bullnox; I take 1-1.5 scoops before each weight training session (Pre-workout)
  • BullRush; I mix 1 scoop in water and sip during my training
  • Glutamine; I take 1 serving with Meals 1, 3 and 6
  • Magnum Multivitamin; I take 1 Serving with meals 1 and 3
  • Ripped Juice Extreme; I take 1 Serving with meals 1 and 3

So the diet is done and has plenty of those carbs that will give you the energy to tear up those weights. Let's now switch gears to the training aspect in Phase 2.

In Phase 1 you got off to great start with plenty of volume and intensity to match. Now with 4 weeks of intense diet and exercise under your belt your body is conditioned and you better be motivated to take yourself to the next level, because that is what we are about to do. Time to go to work.

Here is the training program for Phase 2:

Training Split

  • Day 1: Legs/Abs
  • Day 2: Shoulders/Abs
  • Day 3: Back/Abs
  • Day 4: Rest
  • Day 5: Chest/Abs
  • Day 6: Arms/Abs
  • Day 7: Rest

Terms You'll Need To Know

  • Superset: Two exercises are performed consecutively without any rest.
  • Dropset: Also known as strip sets, drop sets involve the immediate reduction of weight between sets with no rest. This will thoroughly burn out a muscle.
  • Failure: That point in an exercise at which you have so fully fatigued your working muscles that they can no longer complete an additional repetition of a movement with strict biomechanics. You should always take your post-warm-up sets at least to the point of momentary muscular failure, and frequently past that point.

Day 1: Legs/Abs

  • Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps, 3 sets of 12 reps

Note: Perform A1 rest for 60-75 sec then perform A2, repeat until you have done all 3 sets with each rep range)

  • Deadlifts: 3 sets of 5 reps
  • Hack Squats: 3 sets of 15 reps

Superset:

  • Walking Lunges: 3 sets 40 reps
  • Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 12 reps

Note: With regard to the Walking Lunges (Use added weight if needed, but form should always be perfect, also this is not a power exercise so you should be able to continue the motion and not pause between step. If you're pausing with added weight you are using too much)

With regard to the Leg Extensions (hold for 2-3 sec on the contraction of each rep)

Superset:

  • Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Seated Leg Curl: 3 sets of 8 reps (make sure to hold contraction for 2-3 seconds on each rep)
  • Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets of 20 reps
  • Standing Calf Raises: 3 sets of 12 reps

Note: With Regard to the above calf exercises (Calf Exercises require a very short range of motion and most people bounce the weight up and down, this is both ineffective for muscle development and dangerous to the Achilles tendon. Lower the weight slow and under control and squeeze for 2-3 seconds on the contraction of each rep. If you can't lower the weight under control and or squeeze for 2-3 seconds on the contraction you are using too much weight.)

  • Cable Crunch: 4 sets of 15 reps
  • Hanging Leg Raise: 4 sets of 15 reps

Day 2: Shoulders/Abs

  • Seated Military Press: 3 sets of 8 reps
  • Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals: 3 sets of 8 reps

Note: At the end of each set pick up a set of lighter dumbbells and Perform 12 extra reps.

  • Seated Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 12 reps (hold the contraction for 2-3 sec on each rep)
  • Behind the Neck Presses: 3 sets of 12 reps

Note: Make sure to not go below middle of ear level, going any lower could result in injury.

  • Cable Seated Lateral Raise: 2 sets of 12 reps

Note: Once set is completed, quickly lower the weight and perform 8-12 more reps at the lighter weight without rest.

  • Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise: 2 sets of 8 reps

Note: Hold the contraction for each rep for 2-3 seconds after finishing rep 8 perform as many extra reps as possible in good form without any pause at the contraction point.

  • Cable Crunch: 4 sets of 15 reps
  • Hanging Leg Raise: 4 sets of 15 reps

Day 3: Back/Abs

  • Pull-ups: 4 sets of 15 reps

Note: If you can perform all 15 and still have more left over add 25 lbs to a weight belt and perform a maximum of 8 solid reps with that.

  • Overhand Grip Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 12/6/12/6 reps
  • Close-Grip Pull-downs: 3 sets of 12/10/8 reps
  • Bent-Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row: (Using 45 Plates) 4 sets of 12/10/8/8 reps

Superset:

  • Underhand-Grip Pull-downs: 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Lying T-Bar Rows: 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Barbell Shrugs Behind-the-Back: 4 sets of 8 reps (2-3 Sec Squeeze on Contraction)
  • Cable Crunch: 4 sets of 15 reps
  • Hanging Leg Raise: 4 sets of 15 reps

Day 4: Rest

Day 5: Chest/Calves/Abs

  • Incline Bench Press: 3 sets of 12/8/12 reps
  • Flat Bench Press: 3 sets of 8 reps (Pause on chest with each rep)
  • Decline Bench Press: 3 sets of 12 reps (Squeeze each contraction for 2-3 sec)
  • Incline Dumbbell Flyes: 2 sets of 8-12 reps

Note: Really focus on opening up the chest on the negative portion of the exercise and on the positive portion of the exercise squeeze the pecs together holding contraction for 2-3 seconds.

Superset:

  • Feet-Elevated Push-Ups: 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Flat Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Standing Calf Raises: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
  • Cable Crunch: 4 sets of 15 reps
  • Hanging Leg Raise: 4 sets of 15 reps

Day 6: Arms

Note: Before doing any triceps exercises I always warm up my elbows with a couple light high rep sets of cable rope extensions.

  • Machine Dips: 4 sets of 12/10/8/6 reps

Superset:

  • Decline EZ-Bar Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Close-Grip Bench: 1 set to failure (use same weight as the extensions)
  • Dumbbell One-Arm Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 12 reps
  • Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 15 reps
  • Preacher Curls: 3 sets of 15 reps
  • Incline Dumbbell Curls: 2 triple drop sets of 8 reps to failure
  • Cable Crunch: 4 sets of 15 reps
  • Hanging Leg Raise: 4 sets of 15 reps

Day 7: Rest

Each time you train abs alternate between which exercise you start with.

Training Notes

For all Exercises try and keep your rest periods between sets at around 60 seconds. If you feel you can perform your set at full strength before that time do so.

This is definitely a step up in intensity with the workouts. As well, the diet isn't a walk in the park. You have your work cut out for you but I know you can do it. Stick as closely to the diet as possible and use the 60-90 minutes you are in the gym to give it your all.

As always if you have any questions about the article above or just have a fitness related question, please don't hesitate to email me: AlexBigStew@gmail.com