First Annual Imperial Classic Strongman Competition went down today. All competitors went hard and had a blast! I’ll will post the standings once I get them back from Grant Higa.

When talking about eating i refer everyone the paleo diet or the primal diet. I have had most success with this from leaning out to getting stronger. I feel the difference from the past diets i have tried.Cutting out all processed foods is the best thing you can do to help get to your goals no matter what it is.

I learned a simple plan form John Welbourn of crossfitfootball.com when i went to his seminar.
I pulled these guidelines from his site talktomejohnnie.com. John has a great abundance of info on this site.

“For weight gain…
- 20 calories per pound of body weight.
- 1.5 grams of protein per lb of body weight.
- ½ of your total caloric intake from saturated and mono-unsaturated fat.

Here is a break down for a 200 lbs athlete looking to gain weight:
- 200 lbs body weight x 20 calories = 4000 calories a day
- 300 grams of protein x 4 calories per gram = 1200 calories
- 2000 calories from fat / 9 calories per gram = 222 grams of fat
- 800 calories from carbohydrates / 4 calories per gram = 200 grams of carbs

Over the course of the day you should consume:
300 grams of protein
222 grams of fat
200 grams of carbohydrate s
Spread that out of 4-5 meals a day and will hit your target weight

If leaning out is you goal, cut the calories back to 15 cals per lb of body weight, which should put you around 3500 cals a day.

The standard…1 gram of protein per lb of body weight or around 23% to 25% of your total caloric load. Get this from meat…no protein shakes, milk…straight up animal flesh.

Carbs should be about 25-30% of total caloric load done in the pre/post workout meals. Remember to keep fat to a nil in the pre/post workout meal, as we want things to hit the system fast., as fat slows absorption in the gut. While not advantageous in the pre/post workout meal, this is key in the other meals.
Just to say it again, no shakes. The insulin response from the whey/dairy (lactose) can problematic for leaning out. Avocados are a no-no for leaning out. I learned this from my friend, Josh Bunch, from Practice CrossFit. Keep fats with saturated fat (animal and coconut) and mono-unsaturated fats in the form of olive oil.
Drink 1 oz of water per 2 lbs of body weight. Not staying well hydrated is a major player in the fight to lean out.
Get 8 hours sleep, at minimum.

Limit coffee to 1 cup a day in AM, as too much coffee can cause cortisol release and that can be a problem. Supplement with green tea extract, I take a decent handful in the AM, as this will get shit started right.
Ditch anything responsible for systemic inflammation. Beans, gluten, corn, rice, processed sugars or anything you cannot pronounce.
Start supplementing with BCAAs (10 grams) pre/post workout. Leucine is the key player for an anabolic effect and will keep you from losing muscle.

What to eat?

Eat with abandon: meat, fowl, fish, seafood, eggs, vegetables, roots, tubers, bulbs, herbs and spices as well as animal fats, olives & olive oil, avocados, and coconut (meat, oil, flour) and dairy*.
*Dairy is a gray area, while it is a powerful tool in the strength and weight gain category you have to be smart. Individuals with autoimmune disease should avoid dairy products of any kind. For those without autoimmune diseases, dairy from grass-fed animals is permissible. Dairy from grain-fed animals will not have an ideal omega 3 profile. Heavy cream, butter, and ghee should not be problematic. Occasional consumption of fermented dairy options such as cheese and yogurt is acceptable. Experiment with milk but eliminate it if it is found to be problematic.
**Pasteurized whole milk from grain-fed cows treated with rBGH offers an increased anabolic environment for the consumer.

Limit: nuts, seeds, and fruit.
Better choices in the nut category include macadamias, cashews, and hazelnuts. Almonds aren’t terrible. Seeds are generally rich sources of linoleic acid because they can be eaten in large quantities (the serving sizes are typically in the tablespoon to 1/4 cup range and can be misleading). Sunflower and sesame seeds are a terrible choices in the seed category. Soaking nuts prior to consumption is recommended but not necessary.
Reduce the serving size if you are going to pick a fruit that has a high metabolic fructose content.
Avoid: Cereal grains including: all varieties of wheat (spelt, einkorn, emmer, durum), barley, rye, oats, triticale, corn (maize), rice (including wild rice), sorghum, millet, fonio, and teff and legumes.

Grain-like substances or pseudocereals including: Amaranth, Breadnut, Buckwheat, Cattail, Chia, Cockscomb, Kañiwa, Pitseed Goosefoot, Quinoa, and Wattleseed (aka aacacia seed). Pseudocereals are the seeds of broad leaf plants whereas grains are the seeds of grasses.”