1. TheTheTheThe RenegadeRenegadeRenegadeRenegade DietDietDietDiet Vs.Vs.Vs.Vs. CarbCarbCarbCarb Back-loadingBack-loadingBack-loadingBack-loading
posted on April 30, 2012
written by sean hyson
I’ve gotten several questions about Jason Ferruggia’s Renegade Diet and Kiefer’s
Carb Back-loading plan. How do the two compare? Which is better? And so on. Let’s
look at both of them.
SimilaritiesSimilaritiesSimilaritiesSimilarities
Both involve a period of fasting (Renegade Diet is, admittedly, a kind of intermittent
fasting—IF). That is, going several waking hours without food in order to arouse the
sympathetic nervous system, cause the release of fatty acids for energy, and stimulatestimulatestimulatestimulate
growthgrowthgrowthgrowth hormonehormonehormonehormone (among many other benefits).
Both entail eating most, if not all, of your carbohydrates for the day in the
afternoon/evening. Apart from a small amount of carbs post-workout if you train in
the morning, youyouyouyou’’’’llllllll eateateateat mainlymainlymainlymainly meatsmeatsmeatsmeats andandandand vegetablesvegetablesvegetablesvegetables untiluntiluntiluntil aroundaroundaroundaround 4444––––6666 p.m.p.m.p.m.p.m. (this is
the ideal scenario). You’ll then train, consume a post-workout shake, and eat carbs
liberally along with protein and some fats until bed.
Both warn about the insulin-stimulatinginsulin-stimulatinginsulin-stimulatinginsulin-stimulating propertiespropertiespropertiesproperties ofofofof eggseggseggseggs andandandand wheywheywheywhey protein, and
recommend similar supplements like BCAAs, whey, and caffeine.
DifferencesDifferencesDifferencesDifferences
The main one has to be that FerruggiaFerruggiaFerruggiaFerruggia’’’’ssss
planplanplanplan doesdoesdoesdoes notnotnotnot allowallowallowallow forforforfor junkjunkjunkjunk food,food,food,food,
while Kiefer’s encourages it in some
cases. While I wouldn’t say that Carb
Back-Loading is inherently unhealthy,
Renegade Diet is much more
health-focused. Ferruggia talks
extensively about the use of digestive
enzymes to ensure proper assimilation of
food, the importance of organic,
grass-fed meat over the conventional
kind, and emphasizes getting your carbs
from whole-food sources like sweet
potatoes. Rice and oats are not high on his list because of the digestive difficulties
they have the potential to cause.
Kiefer doesn’t discuss these topics at any length, and I don’t think this makes his
approach more dangerous, but theretheretherethere’’’’ssss littlelittlelittlelittle orororor nothingnothingnothingnothing youyouyouyou cancancancan saysaysaysay cancancancan causecausecausecause
ill-healthill-healthill-healthill-health aboutaboutaboutabout FerruggiaFerruggiaFerruggiaFerruggia’’’’ssss method.method.method.method. Knowing Jay very well, I can tell you that he’s

2. personally combated many digestive problems over the years and is very sensitive to
how foods effect him. If you don’t do well with lactose, gluten, soy, or grains, Jay’s
way should appeal to you. He’s given a lot of thought to how to get around these
problems.
With all this said, Kiefer’s back-loading has to be more fun. IceIceIceIce cream,cream,cream,cream, pizza,pizza,pizza,pizza, andandandand
fastfastfastfast foodfoodfoodfood areareareare allallallall perfectlyperfectlyperfectlyperfectly acceptableacceptableacceptableacceptable WHEN CONSUMED AT THE RIGHT TIME.
It seems like common sense that eating these kinds of foods regularly would be
disastrous to health, but read his book and you’ll see why they’re permissible. Kiefer
has assured me that none of his clients have gotten any bad news when they’ve had
their bloodwork done, and neither did I when I got mine tested recently—and I’ve
been back-loading consistently for the past year. I’m also approximately asasasas leanleanleanlean andandandand
asasasas strongstrongstrongstrong asasasas IIII’’’’veveveve everevereverever been,been,been,been, and I feel absolutely fine.
In the case of morning training, Back-loading and Renegadeboth recommend taking
some carbs in after training. Even the amount the two experts prescribe is similar.
Beforehand though, Ferruggia likes to take coffee and BCAAs. Kiefer agreesagreesagreesagrees onononon thethethethe
coffeecoffeecoffeecoffee butbutbutbut stronglystronglystronglystrongly disagreesdisagreesdisagreesdisagrees aboutaboutaboutabout BCAAs,BCAAs,BCAAs,BCAAs, saying they’ll spike insulin and limit
fat burning. Who is right? As with so many arguments in the fitness/nutrition world,
there is evidence for both sides, but MYMYMYMY PERSONALPERSONALPERSONALPERSONAL TAKETAKETAKETAKE isisisis totototo gogogogo withwithwithwith KieferKieferKieferKiefer onononon
thisthisthisthis oneoneoneone and play it safe. Unless your training loads are extreme and your workout is
long, I don’t think BCAAs will do so much to prevent muscle breakdown that they’re
worth the chance of putting the brakes on fat burning. TrainingTrainingTrainingTraining fastedfastedfastedfasted withwithwithwith nononono
nutritionalnutritionalnutritionalnutritional interferenceinterferenceinterferenceinterference makesmakesmakesmakes fatfatfatfat burnburnburnburn likelikelikelike crazycrazycrazycrazy forforforfor fuel,fuel,fuel,fuel, and I’m certain it’s
been essential in keeping me as lean as I am while eating as much junk as I do at night.
The lack of pre-workout BCAAs hasn’t cost me anything as far as I’m concerned. I
feel the same as I ever did after a hard training session and I’m still making smooth
gains.
That’s about it as far as the scientific differences in the two protocols. The fact that
FerruggiaFerruggiaFerruggiaFerruggia andandandand KieferKieferKieferKiefer agreeagreeagreeagree on,on,on,on, IIII’’’’dddd say,say,say,say, 90%90%90%90% ofofofof thethethethe mainmainmainmain pointspointspointspoints—and the fact that
many other IF proponents do as well—makes me think they’re really on to something.
That, of course, and the results I’ve seen for myself. As far as how each product—the
two e-books themselves—are laid out, there are a few more differences.
Hello... My name is Carb Back-loading
Kiefer’s book is heavy on science with plenty of charts, graphs, and references.
Ferruggia spares the layman that kind of work and explains things quickly and
colloquially. Ferruggia gives you more detailed macros to shoot for, more meal plans,
and specific tips on how to diet for leanness. Carb Back-loading’s primary focus is
getting stronger and bigger while staying lean, and not so much a means to maximum
leanness, so in this regard it’s like comparing apples and oranges. IfIfIfIf youyouyouyou’’’’rererere veryveryveryvery
heavyheavyheavyheavy withwithwithwith aaaa lotlotlotlot ofofofof fatfatfatfat totototo lose,lose,lose,lose, IIII mightmightmightmight gogogogo FerruggiaFerruggiaFerruggiaFerruggia’’’’ssss route.route.route.route. If you don’t have
much dietary discipline, no major digestive issues to speak of, and you want to get
bigger, I would probably recommend Kiefer’s stuff.

3. ConclusionConclusionConclusionConclusion
I’m not picking a favorite because the plans aren’t
in head-to-head competition with each other.
They’re simply two smart and effective versions of
the fasting/carbs-at-night concept, and I’ve seen
great results with both of them. If I had to stick my
neck out, I’d say Renegade Diet is the safer,
healthier pick between the two, and will get
anyone lean in a hurry. Carb Back-loading is more
lenient, more fun, and probably better suited to
helping you pack on size.
For more information, read my Renegade Diet
review HERE.
Pick up the Renegade Diet HERE. Pick up Carb
Back-loading HERE.
And look out for my coming e-book, the 2012
Buyer’s Guide To the Best Training and Nutrition
Programs, where I look at both of these plans in
great detail.