Stan Efferding is an interesting cat who has built quite a name within powerlifting, bodybuilding and now performance coaching in both. He has became known as the “steak and rice” guy, but it is a little more detailed than that. This seminar in Iceland is a good overview of what he means.

And of course, I took notes. I don’t bother putting this in paragraph form, or proofread or any of that. This is more like free flow journaling someone else’s thoughts.

Stan Efferding KOMPOETTES Seminar

To Do List: Train. Eat. Rest.

All of this effects hormones, and that is where the gains come from. Optimize. Every decision should be toward optimization. 

Vertical Diet–The Meat & Rice Diet.

Sleep loss limits fat loss. Insulin resistance increases. Food is shuttled toward building muscle or adding fat, and insulin resistance effects which your body chooses. Tracking: A1C or fasted glucose. 

Proper Sleep Hygiene

Pay attention to circadian rhythm (10-6/11-7).

7-9 hours.

Before midnight. Every hour before midnight is like two hours in the bank.

Wake up at the same time. 

Pitch black room. Light effects melatonin release.

No electronics before bed.

Get as much light as possible just after waking.

Vitamin D3. 

Sleep Apnea is relative to neck girth. 

Sodium–Your secret weapon. Use iodized salt. Iodine+sodium stimulates liver, metabolism.

Drink when you are thirsty, but make sure you get your minerals. 6-8 grams of sodium a day. If you are dropping weight, increase sodium. Forget water retention. That goes away. 

Protein–Stronger By Science. 1g of protein per pound is plenty. 40g/meal is 100% muscle protein synthesis. Older athletes need more. 40g pre-sleep protein. 4+ meals a day. 5 grams of Leucine 15-30 minutes before meals increases muscle protein synthesis. BCAAs relatively ineffective. 

Fats are good. Fats will help you lose fat. Eating cholesterol does not increase cholesterol in most people (genetic). Eat the yolk. 

Eat lots of red meat. It should be the core of your nutrition. Heme-iron, b-vitamins, zinc, magnesium, creatine. Athletes who eat plenty of red met and get salt don’t benefit much from creatine. 

Processed vegetable oil are poison–Corn, canola, peanut. Oxidize easily and create toxins. High in Omega-6. Use butter, greasing pan or on veggies. Cold-pressed EVOO, coconut, avocado oil.

Get fats from top sirloin steak, salmon, eggs.

Forget margarine. Forget vegetable oil. Read The Oiling of America. 

Carbs are adjusted based on needs. Use with people with high work load. Reduce carbs for pre-diabetics and fix first. 

Low carb diet: still uses fruit, time carbs (pre-workout/post workout). Fructose stimulates thyroid and liver. Can only hold 75-100 grams a day. Likes 3 oz. orange juice 3x a day. 

High carb intake: White rice, some fruits, oranges. Foundation: sweet potato, spinach, red peppers, carrots. “May your shits always be tapered.” Mark Bell. 

White rice over brown rice, oats or potatoes. Better digestion.

Caffeine attenuation–the more you use it, the less effective it is. Use carbs, sodium and water for energy. Seek not, artificial stimulation. Can wreak havoc on adrenals, elevates cortisol levels. 

Steady state sends wrong message for explosive athletes. Uses HIIT under load. Higher reps with brief rest periods and supersets. 

10 minute walks–insulin sensitivity, decreases gas, improves digestion, decreases DOMS and aids in recovery. 3×10 minutes far better than 1×30 minutes.

Calories? Estimate. 

70 percent of calories are burned at rest (BMR). 5 percent are burned from exercise.

Increase BMR by lifting weights. 

Figuring calories: Start somewhere near your current calorie intake, clean up your diet, did you lose or gain weight, did your body composition improve?

Not a fan of multivitamin. Look for balance from food. Why he throws in a daily carrot, a daily orange, daily spinach, a daily sweet potato. Supplementing is never as effective as food. Restriction can lead to deficiency. Does supplement with Vitamin D3. Gets fatty acids from cod or salmon. If using fish oil, less than 2g a day. Juice detoxes are bullshit. We already know this, I just like to emphasize this. Best detox is to stop putting garbage in. 

Post workout drink–water, salt, glycogen. Orange juice+dextrose+600g sodium+caffeine.

Increase work, not cut calories to achieve calorie deficit.

Hardest part is compliance. Most diets work when adhered to.

Eggs and dairy are in horizontal axis. Not a staple, but available. Chicken and turkey are okay, but not as nutrient rich as red meat. 

Pulls carbs down if metabolically broken, but uses in healthy people. 

Horizontal foods: micronutrients, digestion, no gas. Daily: carrots, orange, chicken stock/bone broth. 

Preferable veggies: carrots, cooked spinach, cucumber, squash, zucchini. 

Build with red meat. Eat salmon twice a week.

Cranberry juice–4 oz. 2x a day.

Sweet potatoes. 

Iodine raises body temperature. Get from food. Easy to overdo with iodine drops.