Jeffrey Salazar
The Vertical Diet is a bulking diet designed to help people get bigger, stronger, and fitter. It was created by Stan Efferding, a former bodybuilder and powerlifter, and Damon McCune, a dietitian. The diet is especially popular with strongmen and powerlifters who consume up to 12,000 calories per day. It focuses on nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest and cause little to no bloating, which can enhance sports performance and help with digestive issues. The diet is laid out like an upside-down T, with red meat and white rice at the top and micronutrient-rich foods like low-lactose dairy at the base. While the Vertical Diet has been praised for its effectiveness, it has also received criticism for its high saturated fat content and potential health risks associated with certain food groups.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Creator | Stan Efferding, a former Mr. Olympia and professional powerlifter |
| Purpose | To help people get bigger, stronger, and fitter |
| Focus | Nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest |
| Sleep | 6-8 hours per night with minimal interruptions |
| Phases | 1. Elimination of high FODMAP foods for 4-6 weeks; 2. Testing groups of foods; 3. Developing a personalized plan |
| Food | Red meat, low-lactose dairy, white rice, and sugar added to rice |
| Food to avoid | High-FODMAP, high-fiber, and high-fat foods, legumes, processed foods, reheated vegetable oils |
| Users | Strongmen, powerlifters, bodybuilders |
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What You'll Learn
The diet is designed to help people get bigger and stronger
The Vertical Diet is a bulking diet designed to help people get bigger, stronger, and fitter. It is supposed to make it easier to eat enough food to gain weight, thus supporting muscle growth and strength gains. The diet is especially popular with professional bodybuilders and strongmen who use performance-enhancing drugs. The diet's creator, Stan Efferding, a former bodybuilder and powerlifter, invented the diet to mitigate the harms of those lifestyles.
The diet focuses on eating nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest and will help individuals reach their athletic goals. It is built around seven foundational principles, including getting bloodwork done, going on 10-minute walks after eating, and avoiding processed foods, especially those high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt. The diet also recommends adding sugar to rice to increase caloric density and prioritizing nutrient-dense foods, including red meat, low-lactose dairy, and white rice.
One of the key benefits of the Vertical Diet is its ability to enhance sports performance while reducing negative digestive health symptoms. By eliminating high-FODMAP foods, the diet aims to support optimal digestion and prevent bloating. This is especially important for strongmen and powerlifters who consume up to 12,000 calories per day, as high-FODMAP, high-fiber, and high-fat foods can make it difficult to eat enough to maintain peak performance.
The Vertical Diet also emphasizes the importance of sleep, with Stan recommending 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night to maximize training and health. Additionally, the diet suggests that individuals get their bloodwork done to ensure they are meeting their nutritional needs and maintaining their health.
Overall, the Vertical Diet provides a structured approach to nutrition, helping individuals make informed food choices to support their athletic goals and enhance their performance while maintaining digestive health and overall well-being.
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It is a bulking diet that supports muscle growth
The Vertical Diet is a bulking diet designed to help people get bigger, stronger, and fitter. It was created by Stan Efferding, a former bodybuilder and powerlifter, and Damon McCune, a dietitian. The diet is especially popular with strongmen, who require up to 12,000 calories a day. The Vertical Diet makes it easier to consume enough food to gain weight and build muscle.
The diet focuses on nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest and cause little to no bloating. It recommends lean meat, low-lactose dairy, and white rice, which are rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The amount consumed depends on the individual's strength and physique goals. The diet is structured like an upside-down T, with the base being foods that provide key micronutrients for organ health and hormone regulation, and the top being red meat and white rice.
The Vertical Diet is divided into three phases. Phase 1 involves eliminating high-FODMAP foods, such as garlic, onion, apples, and ripe bananas, for 4 to 6 weeks to reduce digestive issues. In Phase 2, individuals test groups of foods to identify specific triggers. Phase 3 involves developing a personalized plan based on the testing results. The diet also recommends getting bloodwork done, taking 10-minute walks after eating, and optimizing sleep to maximize training and health.
The Vertical Diet provides a structured approach to bulking, ensuring strongmen consume enough calories while minimizing digestive discomfort, which can impact performance and health. It offers a balance between gaining weight and maintaining strength, making it a popular choice for those seeking to increase muscle mass and improve their athletic performance.
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It is a short-term solution for digestive issues
The Vertical Diet is a bulking diet designed to help people get bigger, stronger, and fitter. It is especially popular with strongmen and powerlifters who consume a large volume of calories per day. The diet focuses on eating nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest and cause little to no bloating. It is built on seven foundational principles, including getting bloodwork done, going on 10-minute walks after eating, and avoiding FODMAPs, processed foods, and reheated vegetable oils.
The diet can be seen as a short-term solution for addressing digestive issues and identifying more serious ailments like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). High-FODMAP, high-fiber, and high-fat foods can make it challenging to consume enough calories to maintain peak performance. By eliminating these foods, the Vertical Diet aims to support optimal digestion and reduce negative digestive health symptoms.
For example, legumes like beans, soybeans, lentils, and chickpeas are permitted under the Vertical Diet if they are soaked and fermented, as they can otherwise result in gas buildup. Similarly, the diet recommends testing groups of foods individually to identify specific triggers and develop a personalized plan. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals who experience more severe reactions to high-FODMAP foods, such as diarrhea or leaky gut syndrome.
While the Vertical Diet can provide short-term relief from digestive issues, it is important to consult with a healthcare provider or dietitian before beginning any new diet program. Additionally, the diet has evolved over time, with creator Stan Efferding now recommending lean meat, small amounts of butter, and limiting saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total calories.
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It focuses on nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest
The Vertical Diet is a bulking diet designed to help people get bigger, stronger, and fitter. It is especially popular with strongmen and powerlifters who consume a high volume of calories per day (up to 12,000). The diet focuses on nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest and will help individuals reach their athletic goals.
The diet was created by Stan Efferding, a former Mr. Olympia, professional bodybuilder, and powerlifter, along with Damon McCune, a dietitian. Efferding himself is a proponent of the diet, stating that it is about finding foods that agree with you rather than eating haphazardly or indiscriminately. Gut discomfort is not just a side effect, but likely has performance and health consequences as well.
The Vertical Diet is built on seven foundational principles, including getting bloodwork done, going on 10-minute walks after eating, and avoiding processed foods, especially those high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt. The diet also recommends getting 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night to optimize training and health.
The diet is laid out like an upside-down T, with the base of the T focusing on foods that provide key micronutrients for organ health and hormone regulation. These include nutrient-dense foods such as red meat, low-lactose dairy, and white rice. The top of the T highlights two important foods: red meat and white rice, which are high in protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The amount consumed depends on the individual's strength and physique goals.
The Vertical Diet also eliminates high-FODMAP foods, such as garlic, onion, apples, and ripe bananas, which can cause gas, bloating, and irregular stools. Legumes are permitted if they are soaked and fermented, as they can result in gas buildup. The diet also recommends consuming meat with dairy to limit iron absorption, as heme iron can be difficult for men to excrete.
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It recommends optimising sleep for maximum training and health
The Vertical Diet, created by Stan Efferding, is a diet program that focuses on optimising sleep for maximum training and health. Efferding recommends 6-8 hours of sleep per night, with as few interruptions as possible. He also suggests that athletes aim for 9-10 hours of sleep per night to achieve adequate amounts of REM and Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) for proper recovery. REM sleep is when the body heals itself, and SWS is when the brain heals.
Efferding also recommends prioritising sleep over training if necessary. He states that "every minute of my life is the payoff of the logistical preparation I've completed days or weeks in advance. My sleep cycle is set, my diet is set, and my training regimen is set." He also notes that "sleep can be dangerous" for larger individuals, and that a CPAP machine is essential for those who struggle with breathing during sleep.
The diet also emphasises the importance of sleep hygiene, which includes practices such as short walks after meals and regular blood tests. These walks can help reduce blood glucose levels, especially for those at risk of type 2 diabetes or with a high BMI. Getting comprehensive blood tests can help identify any health issues early on, allowing for better performance and recovery.
Additionally, the diet suggests optimising gut health and improving performance through the consumption of whole foods that are high in nutrients. It recommends specific foods such as sweet potatoes, oranges, cranberry juice, whole eggs, chicken stock, and leafy greens, which aid in digestion, micronutrients, and organ function.
Efferding also encourages people to find a diet that suits their preferences and lifestyle, as adhering to a diet long-term requires enjoyment and commitment.
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Frequently asked questions
The Vertical Diet is a bulking diet designed to help people get bigger, stronger, and fitter. It is supposed to make it easier to eat enough food to gain weight, thus supporting muscle growth and strength gains. The diet focuses on nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest and will help strongmen reach their athletic goals.
The Vertical Diet is designed to help people get into a calorie surplus in a healthy way. The diet recommends nutrient-dense foods that are easy to digest and reduce negative digestive health symptoms. It also prioritizes sleep, with Stan Efferding recommending 6-8 hours of sleep per night to maximize training and health.
The Vertical Diet is laid out like an upside-down T, with the base of the T consisting of foods that provide key micronutrients for organ health, hormone regulation, and more. These include red meat, low-lactose dairy, and white rice. The top of the T includes two important foods: red meat and white rice, which are high in protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The diet also recommends adding sugar to rice to increase the caloric density.
