CrossFit Athletic Group

by, Jacob

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Foreword:

Hey everyone! My name is Jacob and I have had the utmost pleasure of being one of Chris’s oldest friends. Once upon a time I graced the halls of the champions club with sub-par effort and supraphysiological amounts of sweat and self-consciousness.

80's Theme Workout - Summer 2012. Origins of the "Handsome Gentlemen's Club"

Jacob with Morrow, Faust, and Fecht - February 2015

Summer 2019

Over the last several years I have been diving into the vain and selfish hobby of bodybuilding, which is about the only thing more lame than crossfit (albeit much easier).

After some recent conversation that did not revolve around Michigan football, Chris and I thought it would be a reasonable idea to post what a bodybuilding diet looks like.

Key notes:

1. This is not a healthy or sustainable diet! There is an end goal in mind (bodybuilding show). Male speedo wearing enthusiasts tend to start their “Prep” for bodybuilding shows anywhere between 12-24 weeks away from the show date depending on what their current look is. We have had a long prep, mostly because this is my first show and I’ve never been a really lean fella. My peak off-season weight was 252 pounds, I will be on stage as less than a man (probably around 195 pounds).
2. At this point in my prep (about 4 weeks out at time of posting) food is very low! This diet is not focused on health, performance, or trying to fit zone sized blocks into paleo sized holes. It is solely about cutting the last bit of bodyfat away while maintaining as much muscle as possible.
3. Currently, my coach and I have 5 “low days” per week where I eat well below maintenance amount of calories, and 2 “base days” per week where I am still eating below maintenance amount of calories, but have increased food to restore glycogen stores and relieve some of the mental load of dieting.

If this sounds dumb/lame/stupid, then you are smart! I recommend my athletes eat for performance, which means balanced meals that they enjoy. Currently my diet is neither of those things. Instead it is focused on keeping me in an energy deficit while hitting enough protein to hold onto as much muscle as I can, and keeping fats at a baseline to ensure my hormone profile doesn’t totally tank. All of my foods have been consistent throughout prep, and are simply things that are easy to make and digest well for me.

Without too much more blabbering, here is what a “Low day” and “base day” look like side by side. I’ll also include how these meals look different when I am not in prep, and instead focusing on eating for gym performance and gaining lean tissue.

Meal 1

Low day - 1 whole egg, 280 grams of egg whites (about 5 servings), handful of leafy greens.

Base day - 1 whole egg, 180 grams of egg whites (about 3.5 servings), handful of leafy greens, 100 grams of peppers/onions, 6 pieces of low calorie bread, 0.5 servings of peanut butter.

Off-season - 2 whole eggs, 180 grams of egg whites, leafy greens, 100 grams of peppers/onions, 4 pieces of normal bread or 1 cup of oatmeal, 1-2 servings of fruit

Meal 2

Low day - 2 scoops of whey protein (diet hack for sad folks - mix your protein powder into diet pop to make a very sad version of a rootbeer float/orange creamsicle/boston cooler)

Base day - 2 scoops of whey protein, 1.5 servings of cream of rice (ground up white rice), 0.5 servings of peanut butter

Off-season - 2 scoops of whey protein, 2 servings of cream of rice, 1 serving of fruit, 0.5 servings of peanut butter

[Me: "What's the red shit in meal 2?" Jacob: "Sugar free jelly you pansy ass"]

Meals 3&4:

Low day - 100 grams of mushrooms, 200 grams of 96/4 ground beef, handful of leafy greens

Base day - 100 grams of mushrooms,  180 grams of 96/4 ground beef, 200-300 grams of sweet potato, handful of leafy greens

Off-season - 100 grams of mushrooms,  180 grams of 96/4 ground beef, 400-500 grams of sweet potato, handful of leafy greens, 1 serving of added fat via olive oil, avocado, or butter.

Meal 5

Low day - 200 grams of chicken breast. Some type of 0 calorie sauce to make it taste ok.

Base day - 180 grams of chicken breast. Handful of leafy greens, 100 grams onions/peppers, 300 grams of sweet potato, 10 grams of butter or 2 servings of avocado.

Off-season - 180 grams of chicken breast. Handful of leafy greens, 100 grams onions/peppers, 400-500 grams sweet potato OR 300-400 grams of cooked white rice. 1 serving of added fat via olive oil, avocado, or butter.

Meal 6

Low - 2 scoops whey protein

Base day - Ninja Creami! - ultimate game changer. 1 serving of sugar free pudding mix, 1 scoop of whey protein, 2 servings of skim milk all mixed together into a wonderful ice cream.

Off-season - Ninja creami (read above) with 50-100 extra grams of carbs in the form of a combination of fruit, protein bar, cereal, rice cakes, or candy.