Anabolic Burst Cycling of Diet & Exercise (ABCDE)

Developed by Swedish scientist and bodybuilder Torbjorn Akerfeldt, the Anabolic Burst Cycling Program of Diet and Exercise (ABCDE) was designed to help people gain muscle without having to train with weights. The program alternates between a two-week period of heavy eating and another of strict dieting. The goal of these feast and famine cycles is to manipulate your body's hormones into increasing your lean weight.

  1. Basic ABCDE Principles

    • The ABCDE is based on the management of your daily caloric intake. For the eating phase, known as loading, calculate your daily intake by multiplying your body weight by 12 and then add 1,500 calories to that figure. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would need to consume 3,300 calories per day for two weeks. For the two-week dieting phase, use 8 calories per pound, or 1,200 calories for a 150-pound individual. In regard to exercise, train heavy with low reps and no cardio during the loading phase. Train with lighter weights and higher reps with low-intensity cardio for 45-60 minutes every day.

    How ABCDE Works

    • The goal of this program is to capitalize on your body's hormone response to intense periods of overeating and strict dieting. When a large amount of calories are consumed, hormones like insulin, IGF-1 and testosterone increase. Rather than shuttling excess calories to fat for storage, they are moved to the muscles. Over time, your body adapts to the influx of calories and these growth hormones decrease. At this point, the diet starts in an attempt to maintain the muscle gained during the loading phase, while cutting some body fat.

    Study Results

    • Researchers Torbjorn Akerfeldt, Dan Henrohn and Johan Mansflod tested the ABCDE protocols on six men over a period of nine weeks. During that period, the men gained an average of 16 pounds of lean mass while losing nearly 3 pounds of body fat. In addition, their average upper-arm girth increased by 19 percent. Study participants did not exercise while on the diet.

    Tips & Warnings

    • Although the ABCDE approach to dieting does not specify a particular macronutrient ratio nor suggestions for food quality, you should consider your overall health when attempting such a program. Avoid junk foods and try to eat fresh fruits, vegetables and lean cuts of meats. Add protein shakes and fish oil if you still need to hit your calorie goals during the loading phase.