HOW TO GET TO SINGLE DIGIT BODY FAT ON HIGH FOOD

Key wellness / performance strategies (for getting leaner without burning out)

Don’t rush from ~10% body fat to single digits

• Being stressed, inflamed, and fatigued can make you look worse even if body fat is low.
• A slow, staged approach helps you arrive less “destressed/defatigued” and with better visible conditioning.

Use a “pre-prep” phase before real dieting

• Run a 5-week mini-cut/transition before prep so you don’t start prep already showing “prep fat.”
• Typical goal:
  • Get “stage-lean early enough” (e.g., hamstrings starting to peek)
  • But not extremely shredded right away
• Why it’s beneficial:
  • Splits dieting into two deficit blocks → less diet fatigue
  • Allows a more aggressive start early (using stored energy) while enabling a slower, more controlled end
  • Supports hormones + libido
  • Reduces sleep/strength issues that come from extreme pushing

Follow a maintenance break (to restore performance and reduce fatigue)

• After pre-prep, move to maintenance for ~7 weeks.
• Benefits mentioned:
  • Maintain strength
  • Support thyroid/hormone health
  • Keep training quality higher
  • Make it easier to begin prep without piling on fatigue

Run prep with an emphasis on managing fatigue, not just calories

Early prep (“grind period”)

• Increase cardio gradually
• Don’t drop calories drastically right away
• The structure focuses on lowering body fat while staying consistent.

Use high days / double high days at ~10%

• After reaching ~10% body fat, introduce weekly high days initially.
• If response is insufficient, move to a double high day approach:
  • Refeed, deplete, repeat across two days
  • Purpose:
    • Restore muscle glycogen
    • Reduce fatigue
    • Improve pumps/training performance
    • Keep metabolism functioning

Adjust the plan when fatigue shows up

• When fatigue signals appear (example: around late August), reduce overall stress:
  • Change weekly split (example: 5-day → 4-day upper/lower)
  • Reduce cardio (example: 160 min/week → 120 min/week)
  • Increase steps (example: 12k → 13.5k)
  • Introduce “D-output” days:
    • 2-day low-step periods (6–8k steps)
    • No cardio
    • Result: energy/motivation improve quickly and pumps stay strong

Late-prep strategy: simplify cardio and rely on predictable loading

• In the final weeks:
  • Pull cardio and rely on steps for the last stretch
  • Remove high days as peak week loading approaches (because carbs are coming every day anyway)
• Use a linear loading approach into the show:
  • Increase carbs steadily
  • Avoid last-minute “water/sodium messing around”
  • Aim for a predictable peaked look, including testing pumps at pre-show sessions

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Example diet/timing framework mentioned (from the presenter’s case study)

Pre-prep (mini-cut): ~5 weeks

• Example calories:
  • ~3,000–3,800 (training days)
  • ~2,600 (rest days)
• Cardio: ~60 min/week

Maintenance: ~7 weeks

• Example calories:
  • ~3,400 (training days)
  • 2,800 (rest days)
• Cardio: ~60 min/week
• Steps: ~10k
• Purpose: reduce diet fatigue and keep performance stable

Prep grind: ~10 weeks

• Calories slightly lower while cardio/expenditure increases
• Cardio increased from ~120 min/week → 160 min/week
• Steps up to ~12k
• Example step-down targets over time: 197 → 181 before the “at/near 10%” phase

Post-10% to single digits / stage approach

• Introduce double high days (example mentioned):
  • Fri–Sat refeed
  • ~5 days dieting on lower calories, then ~550g carbs on high-day setup days
  • Diet days: 2600/2400 type structure through the week
• As show nears:
  • High days pulled
  • Then linear load into peak week

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Presenters / sources

• Peak Natty (referenced as the coach/company approach; specific individual name not explicitly stated)
• Andrew Lim (mentioned in the context of a podcast about peaking)
• Jordan (client mention)
• Justin Fernandez (client mention)
• Gabe (example athlete/client used throughout)