Coach HubHigh and low days: the pre-workout snack trick
High and low days are one of the most effective tools you have. Training days get more carbs, rest days get fewer. You're quietly deepening the weekly deficit, building some metabolic flexibility and keeping insulin sensitivity in check, all without the client feeling like they're eating less.
How to explain it to the client: the extra carbs are fuel for training. They don't need the fuel on days they don't train.
The simple version
Forget "training day calories" and "rest day calories." If someone trains 4 days a week, they have 4 high days and 3 low days. Easy.
The simplest version
Every client's plan includes a pre-workout snack. About 4 weeks in, introduce high and low days by removing the pre-workout snack on rest days.
That's it. The client doesn't have to learn anything new. All they have to do is not have one snack. Protein and fat stay the same, carbs drop, and the week's deficit grows.
Taking it further
Over time you can go further. For example, keep them on high calories only on leg days, when they need the extra energy most. More low days means a bigger weekly deficit.
The caveat: complexity creates food focus
Adding complexity someone doesn't need makes them think about food more, and that derails people. Even with bodybuilding prep, where adherence matters most, I'll often run the same calories every day for the whole prep rather than high and low days.
So ask the Module 1 question first. If they're progressing and happy on a single number, you don't need this yet.