Apex Predator Diet If You’re Lean As Shit

Jamie Chaos

March 23, 2012

If you’re following the Apex Predator Diet, it’s highly likely that you didn’t start out ridiculously lean. As such, it’ll have take you some time to get to this point- this diet’s not a quick-fix or crash diet, but rather a way to lean out while getting bigger and stronger all at the same time. By the time you hit 8% bodyfat, your metabolism should be wearing a pvc outfit and holding a cat o’ nine tails tipped with metal rings, because it’s dominant as hell and has made your bodyfat into its snivelling sissy bitch. You should now be at or under 8% bodyfat, so your abs are standing out in stark relief, your body looks like a Rand McNalley map due to your incredible vascularity, and you should be feeling like you can eat lightning and shit thunder at this point. You are, officially, awesome, provided you’re not bereft of muscle mass.

I’m not satisfied until every vein is forced up against my skin. Look how vascular I am Brian. If there’s one thing women love it’s a vascular man. I’ve got veins, they carry blood all over my bahday. That’s how John Mayer would say it. Bahday.

Assuming you had to work to get here, you’ll know exactly how your body responds to both diet and exercise, which affords you a tremendous amount of leeway with your diet. Before you head for the all-you-can-eat pizza buffet, however, bear this in mind- you’ll never be so awesome that you can out-train a shitty diet. As such, sticking to the Apex Predator Diet is a good idea, though you can have the occasional dalliance. As always, I encourage you to explore your inner Nikola Tesla and get as mad scientist as you can with both diet and training, but just remember that until you stay lean for a considerable period of time, your body is going to attempt to return to whatever your previous fat setpoint is. Thus, if you spent the last 10 years eating butter sandwiches and appeared to be one box of Milk Duds away from purchasing a rascal to get you hither and thither, take the following with a grain of salt. Additionally, if you like Milk Duds, you have no working taste buds, so dieting shouldn’t be all that difficult for you anyway.

Got the coke and the smile covered.

Candied gastronomic atrocities aside, the Apex Predator Diet will become for most of you a delicate balancing act, wherein you’re going to try to maximize your caloric intake while remaining super lean. Though it’s not as simple as most would like, nothing fucking is, so have a coke and smile and shut the fuck up about it. You’ll find that you’ll naturally cycle your calories, as your ghrelin and leptin production will be optimized at this point, and your body is going to loudly let you know what it needs when it needs it. Your stomach will growl its fucking ass off all day if you try a PSMF, and you will be miserable in the gym, so you’ll likely drop those days. They’ll be replaced by the regular Apex Predator days from earlier phases of the diet, wherein you drink shakes until your final evening meal. When your metabolism resembles nothing more than Slayer’s War Zone in speed, ferocity and overall sentment, it’s tough to live on protein shakes and nothing more. As such, your weekly diet will start to look much more like this:

Monday – Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

5-6 protein shakes evenly spaced throughout the day consisting of 40-60 grams of protein and less than 10 grams of carbs.
1 medium sized meal midday (I shoot for 600-800 calories in the form of wings, generally, although I’ll substitute other meats as well.
1 large evening meal of 2000-4000 calories in the form of (preferably bone-in) meat. Let your hunger levels dictate the size.

Friday
Rampage Day- Go here for details.

Alternate Saturday
At times, you’re going to find both your enthusiasm and your energy waning for continued ketogenesis. On those weeks, push hard to make it to Fridaywith the knowledge taht you’re going to carry your carbup over onto Saturday. As to when you’ll want to do this, it’s entirely up to you- I would use a combination of the mirror and your general level of enthusiasm for the gym as a guage. If you find yourself incredibly burned out, a second carbup might be the boost you need. Make Saturday more of a medium carb, low to moderate fat, high protein day than a Rampage. It’s important to remember that these carbohydrate refeeds are not supercompensations. Supercompensations should only be used sparingly, as frequent use reduces their efficacy.(Zatsiorsky 13) Additionally, I would not make a habit of utilizing the moderate carb Saturdays on a frequent basis, as there’s only a small amount of glycogen resynthesis that occurs in the second 24 hours of carb loading, and there’s the potential to regain some of the fat you lost during the week. As such, you should keep carbohydrate levels at or below 2 grams per pound of bodyweight on Saturdays.(McDonald 132-3)

It’s Time To Take A Vacation
Another massive and awesome benefit of breaking your ass to get this lean is the fact that short dietary vacations don’t do much harm, and in some cases will break you out of a plateau. According to Torbjorn Akerfeldt, our “genes have not evolved much during the last 100,000 years; thus, they are still developed for our hunter/gatherer and, more recently, pastoral ancestors, who, whenever they succeeded in killing an animal, lived on meat for a week or two. At other times, when they had bad luck hunting and a crop failed, they lived on a low-calorie diet. This selective pressure gave man adipose tissue with almost unlimited storage capacity and a very adaptive metabolism to cope with periods of different diets.”(Phillips) Basically, once you’e lean, if you diet hard and undereat a bit, you’ll get a consistent carryover of the rebound you get from your Rampage Day into multiple days. I will generally not take this past 5 days or so, but one study showed that a three week period of overeating resulted in mass gain that was nearly evenly split between fat and muscle, and an increase in nitrogen retention that persisted even after the diet returned to normal.(Forbes, Oddoye) Thus, protein retention after the overfeeding was increased, and the body was more anabolic.

Eat up, motherfucker.

Personally, I don’t plan these. They just sort of happen, and are generally the result of a long-weekend vacation or something similar. You could try planning them if you wanted, and if you chose to do so, I would suggest they be limited to 4 or 5 days and occur on non-consecutive months. Additionally, I’d suggest you undereat a bit in the week prior to the overfeed to accelerate fatloss. Provided you jump right back into the Apex Predator diet, keep your training up, don’t abuse the vacation and aren’t completely ridiculous about it, you can get away with quite a few dietary shenanigans.

Up next, the Apex Predator Diet for Whiny Bitches and the innumerable rugby players who email me about this diet.

Sources:
Forbes GB, Brown MR, Welle SL, and Underwood LE. Hormonal response to overfeeding. Am J Clin Nutr 1989 49: 4 608-611.
McDonald, Lyle. Ketogenic Diet.

Oddoye EA, Margen S. Nitrogen Balance Studies in Humans: Long-Term Effect of High Nitrogen Intake on Nitrogen Accretion. J. Nutr. 1979 109: 3 363-377.
Phillips, Bill. “Torbjorn Akerfeldt interviewed by Bill Phillips – Part I” http://myoblast.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/abcde-anabolic-burst-cycling-of-diet-and-exercise-torbjorn-akerfeldt/
Zatsiorsky, Vladimir. Science and Practice of Strength Training.

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Jamie Chaos

I am a former all-time, all federation world record holder in raw powerlifting at 181lbs, a record I broke just to say fuck you to the internet’s “lifting” community and the powerlifting community at large. Over the last ten years I’ve written over 500 articles on strength training, nutrition, and supplementation, and continue to do so simply to fight the tide of weakness and sadness that currently pervades the scene I’ve called home for the better part of three decades. I’ve got personal trainin certs, BodyPump and BodyCombat certs, a BA in History and East Asian Studies from the University of Arizona, and MBAs from the Vienna University and University of South Carolina on my side, in addition to some sick lifts and a hell of a lot of rage. What the fuck have you got?

57 responses to “Apex Predator Diet If You’re Lean As Shit”

Herp Derpington

March 23, 2012

I haven't used this diet exactly as it's shown here, I've had to change it to work for me, as I imagine is the point of this entire blog. However, it's lead to a drastic change in the way I've trained and eaten, and it's paid off in a major way.

I'm probably bigger and stronger while being leaner than I've ever been, and I was one of those kids who would 'bulk' or get fat and then 'cut' and get skinny-fat. While my lifts have not increased in pounds on the bar other than my military press (well, and my dumbell bench- but who gives a shit), they've maintained while my body weight has dropped 25 pounds, and bodyfat almost 5%. As it stands now, I'm at a 365 squat for a triple, and a 405 single deadlift. Nothing to shout from the rooftops, but seeing as that deadlift used to be 2x bodyweight, and now it's close to 3x… well, this shit works.
1. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 27, 2012
  
  Fucking NICE!
T

March 23, 2012

Would replacing the protein shakes (in any phase of this diet)with meat be a mortal sin? I don't have the cash to buy that much Carnivore (it's pretty much the only low carb supp at my local GNC).

I'm breaking into dieting with a very basic CKD ala Lyle McDonald, but this seems like a pretty viable way to keep (or gain) muscle mass while getting (or staying) lean simultaneously.
1. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 27, 2012
  
  Nah, but it will get incredibly expensive. And it will be more or less just a ketogenic diet, unless you were eating boneless/skinless chicken breasts all day… which would be disgusting.
Blobb

March 24, 2012

It's nice being able to slip into a size 6 dress, but any thoughts about training to be big and strong?
1. Tom
  
  March 24, 2012
  
  Read the rest of the blog and/or buy Jamie's ebook…
2. Blobb
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  I've read it. "Guys I am interested in stone lifting, more on that later!"… "BTW I am gonna tell you guys all about the two-hands anyhow…"
3. slowfuse
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  rippetoe might be for you
4. Carjack
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  I want to hear all about the two hands anyhow. Did Jamie learn to bent press without snapping his spine yet?
5. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  As I mentioned before, I lost my copy of Stones and Strength in a firey car accident, and no, I have no idea how to bent press. I'll do a post on the 2 hands anyhow in the somewhat near future, though.
6. Blobb
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  I know your story about the car was cool, but you liked the book enough to write more than 1000 words about it, you must be able to buy a second copy.
7. Carjack
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  Bent press is easy. forget all the RKC stuff and just set up like George Jowett's diagram in Strongman Stunts Made Easy (On Sandow Plus under Molding Mighty Men).
  
  Then bend over to the side but lock your triceps hard as fuck to the back of your lat until ready to lockout. Bending over lets the elbow extend without any real pressing power.
  Most guys can't put up any weight because they see pics like this and think Saxon actually pressed the whole thing up: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/–CcxjPkAJMQ/T1_tTlmeUfI/AAAAAAAAEkQ/U8nBRIhczTU/s1600/saxon%2B001.jpg
  
  Jowett also has some crazy one hand overhead lockouts to help.
8. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 27, 2012
  
  Blobb- You're killing me and I hate rebuying books, but if it will get you to quit your bitching I will do so.
Alexandro

March 24, 2012

How about 5 lbs of potatoes 2 lbs of beef and a quart and a half milk supplemented with some protein powder?
1. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 27, 2012
  
  I'd go with whole milk and potato bread, and maybe some arugala. It's a vegetable.
vulvadaddy

March 24, 2012

Yo, Jameson would you do your meet-prep differently if you were to attend a same-day weigh-in meet? Weigh-in in the morning and competition in the early evening.
1. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 24, 2012
  
  Not too much differently, actually. Any loss of strength through dehydration will be resolved by your second lift, so you'll still be better off having cut hard. I'd just ensure that my refeed happened after my rehydration, weigh in as early as humanly possible, and ensure I wasn't overly full when I started lifting. You'll just have to pace yourself better on the refeed.
Dominic

March 25, 2012

Hey Jamie, maybe I missed it, but when is the nutrition ebook scheduled to be released?
1. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  I don't have a hard date on that yet. I'm actually working on a treatment for a publisher, actually, for an actual book published by a real publisher.
2. Dominic
  
  March 26, 2012
  
  Thanks for the response, Jamie. If/when it does get published, will you still release it as an ebook?
  
  Keep us posted! (lame pun somewhat intended)
3. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 27, 2012
  
  The nutrition book will be an ebook and self-published. The other book will just be a paperbook, insofar as I understand it. That could change, though.
b3b0p

March 25, 2012

I always thought one had to keep protein intake under control for ketogenic diets to work properly, no? Otherwise, the excess protein gets converted to glucose for energy removing the benefit of the keto diet? Jamie, maybe I'm just dumb or I'm missing something. I only ask because my calories / activity level put my intake extremely high relative to my bodyweight, maintaining is a task I still struggle with some days. I wouldn't mind experimenting, obviously I'll have to, but eating more steaks and eggs sounds more appealing than more cream.
1. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  Glucogenesis is going to occur anyway, which is why I recommend a higher protein level than the typical ketogenic diet.
EasyDeuce

March 25, 2012

great post. this is a little OT, but have you ever found a way to tap into your power reserves on the day of your rampage? i haven't started this diet or "rampaged" before, but on days when i'm planning on eating a ton of food i'll make sure i have an extremely intense day of heavy push/pull/squatting. this is really exhausting, and i've not yet broken through this current power barrier. ok so here's my question, have you been able to find a way to control your power output as the saiyans do? clearly we cannot transform into super saiyan form, but there has got to be a way to control power and sharply spike power levels for short bursts of time. i usually find heavy metal is enough to get my head ready for a lift, but after a while i'm just not able to get my body there. what are your thoughts?
1. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  I've actually considered getting into meditation for that reason, but haven't done so yet- I'm spread thin enough as it is, haha. It's definitely worth attempting, though. If a skinny Japanese man can lift 400 lbs with his testicles through meditation, a lifter should be able to move some serious weight in competition with the same methods.
2. Blobb
  
  March 25, 2012
  
  In all seriousness, you might like to try replacing the metal with sanskrit buddhist chanting or similar. It has worked for me when training has required genuine focus as well as pain tolerance.
3. Imperator
  
  March 26, 2012
  
  I sometimes use classical music. Depends on what I'm doing.
4. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 27, 2012
  
  Blobb- That's actually completely the opposite of what science supports. I'll post on that in an upcoming blog. I've been all over the place with research of late. The quick version is being calm is counter-productive for explosive or power lifts.
5. Blobb
  
  April 1, 2012
  
  Cool, I look forward to reading that one, the pschological side of things interests me far beyond "Duwd you gotta wand it!". Then afterwards I will probably like to argue with you and then call you gay.
Nathan

March 26, 2012

I've got to ask for clarification on this sentence:
"By the time you hit 8% bodyfat, your metabolism should be wearing a pvc outfit and holding a cat o' nine tails tipped with metal rings, because it's dominant as hell and has made your bodyfat into its snivelling sissy bitch."

An aesthetic masterpiece no doubt, but are you saying that your metabolism actually gets higher when your body fat gets into the single digits?
Jamie Lewis

March 27, 2012

Yeah- your metabolism seems to get much more efficient, and you get a lot more leeway in cheats and dietary fuckups. McDonald actually mentions somewhere that it's important to cheat more often as you get leaner for this reason.
PJH

March 27, 2012

Holy shit, just found your blog and I have been reading up alot the last few days. I started the predator diet myself just yesterday and really liking it so far. I have 1 question though.

In an earlier post you wrote that I don't think much of whey as a protein powder and that I recommend Muscle milk. 2 scoops of Muscle milk however contains 18 grams of carbs which goes against your recommendation of :

"5-6 protein shakes evenly spaced throughout the day consisting of 40-60 grams of protein and less than 10 grams of carbs."

I'm I missing something here?
1. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 27, 2012
  
  Yeah- they serve two entirely different purposes. Muscle Milk's clearly not a good protein source if you're running a keto diet.
PJH

March 28, 2012

Seriously, What would you recommend I use instead or should I just get some muscle milk….
1. Frankenzilla
  
  March 28, 2012
  
  Coming up next, Predator Diet for illiterate fucks.
2. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 28, 2012
  
  … or for people who didn't read the entire series. Read the first couple of posts.
Jippo

March 28, 2012

Ummm how about you re-read the predator diet posts and get one of the protein blends that he fucking recommended? Wow.
BigO

March 28, 2012

Jamie…..I'm a life long fat fuck who managed to get into decent shape only to squander it all away after surgery. Even in "decent" shape I have never had any notable strength until I found your blog two months ago and IMMEDIATELY changed the way I ate and trained. My shitty lifts are now shitty + 50-lbs across the board and I've lost 12 pounds! Thanks Jamie for setting me straight and being the reality check this fat fuck needed!
1. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 28, 2012
  
  Good shit man. Glad to hear it.
Rant

March 29, 2012

Too much protein damages your kidneys. Not good, especially combined with liver damage from the oral steroids you need for daily lifting. You're all so fucking stupid it's funny.
1. Dominic
  
  March 29, 2012
  
  Care to cite any credible evidence to defend your highly-original assertion that "too much protein damages your kidneys"? I like to learn…
2. Rant
  
  March 29, 2012
  
  Yeah, your mom. I had my protein shaft so far down her throat it was poking the fuck out her kidneys. Dumb ass.
3. Dominic
  
  March 29, 2012
  
  Man, I wish I could be as cool as you. Internet tough guys are my favorite kind of troll…
4. Carjack
  
  March 29, 2012
  
  I agree with Rant.
  
  When your kidneys are permanently scarred from the rhabdo you got doing CrossFit, they can't process large amounts of protein safely, leading to kidney failure.
  
  For us healthy people who aren't Rant and never did Crossfit, it's different.
5. Jamie Lewis
  
  March 29, 2012
  
  Nothing like a bit of oft-repeated, widely discredited 60 year old science to spice up a conversation. Care to regale us on the benefits of phrenology while you're at it?
6. Rant
  
  March 30, 2012
  
  Dominic's mom was practising phrenology on the head of my dick.
7. Rant
  
  March 30, 2012
  
  And here's the evidence –
  
  http://gals.thegrannyporn.com/MTMwNjoxOToxOQ,0,0,0,/3-18/15.jpg
8. Carjack
  
  March 30, 2012
  
  y u no funny
9. Rant
  
  March 30, 2012
  
  y u weak as shit
10. Carjack
  
  March 30, 2012
  
  Why are you not funny?
Jamie Lewis

March 30, 2012

He's got sort of a Troll 2 thing going on… really more of a goblin than a troll and is probably a vegan.
Matthew

March 30, 2012

Rant hates baloney sandwiches. Damn, for some unexplainable reason I really want to watch that now.
Dracoy

March 31, 2012

Hey yo all muthfuckas!! What's up?! Sorry I no written for a while, I been training REAL muthafuckin HARD!!! Just like me and Jamie tell you to!! You gotta train fuckin HARD, like you gotta PUKE!!! They don't call me the 'Asian Chaos and Pain' for nothing!!! Me and Jamie give you ALL the information you ever need to get BIG!!! And fucking STRONG!!!! And for FREE fuckers!!! You gotta get your PROTEIN!!! And lift fucking BIG weights like me and Jamie!!! It don't come easy, but YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
1. slowfuse
  
  April 1, 2012
  
  shut the fuck up
2. ForceXVelocity
  
  April 2, 2012
  
  dracoy, are you Yocard?
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