MESO-Rx
Anabolic Steroids
Is reverse dieting neccessary?
- Thread starter ErikR
- Start date
It all depends on the specifics but in a sense, yes reverse diet
Reverse dieting is largely a waste of time.
I would say it depends on the circumstances. If someone did a 16 week prep, near the end was on t3/clen, doing hours of cardio per week and carbs were very restricted, reverse dieting is extremely important unless you want to look and feel like shit
TheH0517
Member
IME reverse dieting is pretty crucial to keeping fat gain to a minimum. I’ve seen better result utilizing it.
I won't be cutting out any cardio or any training days. The way I hear reverse dieting works is that since you started at a certain maintainance , say 3000 cal then cut down and go back up to 3000 cal. Yes you will get fat, because you weigh less so your maintainance will be less. There's so many mixed opinions on it.
Why would you gain fat if your eating at maintainance?
Morefyah
Banned
I’m still confused about the reverse diet thing but I guess it can go both directions.
I’m 6 weeks into my 12 week blast and have been eating 800-1000 cals above maintenance, up 14lbs so far.
The next 6 weeks I will be dropping cals slowly @ 200 a week finishing my cycle at 200 cals below maintenance. This has proven to be the most effective reverse diet protocol for me without sacrificing my gains. I’m going to stay disciplined with my diet and cardio and let the gear do it’s thing. I also think the anavar and Hgh I’m using will shine in this environment without the need for any dangerous “fat loss” drugs.
I’m 6 weeks into my 12 week blast and have been eating 800-1000 cals above maintenance, up 14lbs so far.
The next 6 weeks I will be dropping cals slowly @ 200 a week finishing my cycle at 200 cals below maintenance. This has proven to be the most effective reverse diet protocol for me without sacrificing my gains. I’m going to stay disciplined with my diet and cardio and let the gear do it’s thing. I also think the anavar and Hgh I’m using will shine in this environment without the need for any dangerous “fat loss” drugs.
Complete waste of time unless your a complete pussy who loses his shit over some water retention - which apparently a lot of guys are.
Reverse dieting was designed to make coaches money. That's it. It has zero benefits to a client beyond the psychological (see above - water weight, being a pussy, etc).
Also, it's 100% harmful for women: Dietary Intake, Body Composition, and Menstrual Cycle Changes during Competition Preparation and Recovery in a Drug-Free Figure Competitor: A Case Study
Reverse dieting was designed to make coaches money. That's it. It has zero benefits to a client beyond the psychological (see above - water weight, being a pussy, etc).
Also, it's 100% harmful for women: Dietary Intake, Body Composition, and Menstrual Cycle Changes during Competition Preparation and Recovery in a Drug-Free Figure Competitor: A Case Study
Actually due the importance of reverse dieting, most coaches including the high level guys, will reverse diet you for free
That’s marketing, not importance.
Keeping fat gain to a minimum involves reducing the size of the caloric surplus
Morefyah
Banned
What does any of this have to do with coaches and contest prep and women’s mentrual cycles. Dude just wants to take a break from cutting without losing gain? Y’all are over thinking this!
Dude, I'm a coach. Trust me, I could easily go along for the ride and make more money, with more clients, by selling this reverse dieting bullshit. Fortunately, I have some morals - it isn't necessary nor optimal for most people.
How is taking longer to reach his maintenance level going to help him keep muscle? How is indirectly extending the dieting phase going to help him keep muscle? Answer: it isn't.
You want to take a break from dieting and are frightened of water retention? Cool. Increase calories over a few days instead of straight away. Done.
Oh and itt has a lot to do with coaches & contest prep since it was Layne Norton who originally promoted this bullshit for his clients and then every other moron who cannot think themselves went along with it. His clients who bought into it happened to be predominantly female - similar to the one in the case study I cited who was very much harmed by the protocol.
Isn't that the entire goal of a reverse diet? To not increase calories into a huge surplus but to increase into a modest one, stall, increase, stall and so on?
Reverse dieting is a slow increase back up to maintenance calories specifically though. How would one gain fat when ncreasing back up to maintenance regardless of the speed?
So the whole, dieting slows your metabolism is false then right? I'm assuming that's the reason some think you need to reverse diet. Almost like under normal circumstances so and so would be your maintainance according to your stats , but since you been in a deficit so long you metabolism has slowed down.
Alright, so what would be your general approach with someone who just finished prep and did their show? Are you saying you would bring their calories right back to say 3,000 (just to throw a number out their) ? Would you eliminate cardio completely? What about the drug aspect ?
Morefyah
Banned
I think OP misspoke himself by using the term reverse diet. How would he keep gains while waiting to get back to maintenance?
Assuming he’s on cycle, STEROIDS!!!
Whether you are a “clean conscious” coach is completely fucking irrelevant!
Op never once mentioned contest prep.
He’s a big dude and between the gear, adding cardio and slightly raises cals should keep him in check for the duration of his “short break” .
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TheH0517
Member
Ya, NORMALLY someone who is thinking about reverse dieting probably has the goal of going back into a surplus.
Our bodies adapt to run most efficiently to whatever situation we put it in. Therefore when we restrict calories, our metabolism is going to slow down in order to preserve its energy. Our thyroid will produce less hormone because high levels aren’t required anymore and insulin sensitity will adapt as well. Our bodies will become used to running off of the restricted amount of calories and energy stores our bodies contain.
If you go from a 12-16 week cut with a peak of 1,500 calories a day straight to 3,500 calories a day, your metabolism will not be able to process those calories. There will be excess energy and it will be stored.
This might not be true if you only jump up to 3,000 calories because that might not put you at a surplus.
But IMO, the purpose of reverse dieting is geared towards revving up your metabolism so that when you reach 4,000 calories your body can process these calories more efficiently and you’ll maintain a better physique in the long run. It’s not only important to keep off fat gains, but your body can process the calories you feed it and therefore can turn those calories into more quality mass instead of being forced to store it.
Everyone has their own opinions, techniques, and experiences. That’s what makes these forums so amazing. Different things work for different people and only through experience do we truly find the best way for us. But remember, just because you don’t utilize these methods doesn’t mean they are pointless or useless. They may even improve your abilities if you tried them. Being open-minded and willing to learn, despite the vast knowledge you have, will keep others from surpassing you.
Our bodies adapt to run most efficiently to whatever situation we put it in. Therefore when we restrict calories, our metabolism is going to slow down in order to preserve its energy. Our thyroid will produce less hormone because high levels aren’t required anymore and insulin sensitity will adapt as well. Our bodies will become used to running off of the restricted amount of calories and energy stores our bodies contain.
If you go from a 12-16 week cut with a peak of 1,500 calories a day straight to 3,500 calories a day, your metabolism will not be able to process those calories. There will be excess energy and it will be stored.
This might not be true if you only jump up to 3,000 calories because that might not put you at a surplus.
But IMO, the purpose of reverse dieting is geared towards revving up your metabolism so that when you reach 4,000 calories your body can process these calories more efficiently and you’ll maintain a better physique in the long run. It’s not only important to keep off fat gains, but your body can process the calories you feed it and therefore can turn those calories into more quality mass instead of being forced to store it.
Everyone has their own opinions, techniques, and experiences. That’s what makes these forums so amazing. Different things work for different people and only through experience do we truly find the best way for us. But remember, just because you don’t utilize these methods doesn’t mean they are pointless or useless. They may even improve your abilities if you tried them. Being open-minded and willing to learn, despite the vast knowledge you have, will keep others from surpassing you.
