! 1!

!From!the!desk!of!Anthony!Balduzzi!!Dear!Friend,!!Over!the!years,!I’ve!had!a!ton!of!clients!inquire!about!the!effects!of!drinking!on!body!fat!and!fitness!progress.!Let’s!face!it:!alcohol!and!social!interactions!have!been!a!staple!practice!for!the!past!2,000!years!when!the!early!Mesopotamian!cultures!began!fermenting!beer.!!And,!as!history!has!proven,!when!enjoyed!responsibly,!alcohol!can!be!an!awesome!thing.!It!brings!people!together,!loosens!the!mood,!and!helps!you!relax.!!But!as!a!physique!conscious!individual,!you!naturally!ask,!“Is!it!possible!to!drink!and!stay!lean?”!Or,!do!your!fitness!efforts!require!you!to!abstain!from!all!alcohol!for!the!rest!of!your!life?!Those!two!questions!are!precisely!why!I!wrote!this!guide:!to!give!you!the!straight,!no!chaser!information!on!how!to!biohack(your!metabolism!to!drink!and!make!fat!loss!progress.!!!The!big!problem!is!that!over!the!past!two!decades,!the!mainstream!fitness!industry!has!done!a!fantastic!job!at!(perhaps!falsely)!villanizing!alcohol.!Mainstream!thinking!suggests!that!alcohol!will!tank!your!testosterone!levels,!inhibit!the!absorption!of!key!vitamins,!disrupt!your!sleep,!and!prevent!muscle!building.!!!Some!of!these!effects!are!have!truth!to!them.!Many!are!outright!fallacious,!and!in!this!guide,!we’ll!break!each!of!these!myths!down!to!the!cold,!hard!facts.!At!the!end!of!this!guide,!I!will!tell!you!exactly(what!you!need!to!do,!step0by0step,!to!drink!and!stay!lean.!!It’s!game!time.!!Cheers,!

!!!

!!!!!

My Promise To You

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Do Alcohol Calories Even Count? Jump To Page 3, to put this age-old question to rest once and for all. !!

The Light Side: Health Benefits of Drinking Jump To Page 4, for alcohol’s effects on longevity, disease, & metabolism. !!

The Dark Side: The Side Effects of Drinking Jump To Page 5, for alcohol’s effects on testosterone and “man” performance. !!

Post-Workout: Is Beer Effective For Recovery? Jump To Page 8, for alcohol’s effects on and muscular recovery after workouts. !!

Six Packs & Abs: How Alcohol Effects Fat Loss Jump To Page 10, for alcohol’s effects on normal metabolism and fat storage.

The Finale: 5 Drinking Rules To Stay Ripped Jump To Page 11, for the 5 simple steps you need to follow to drink and stay lean.

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Table Of Contents

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!There!is!an!unmistakable!and!peculiar!trend!in!the!scientific!literature:!people!who!drink!moderately!often!weight!less!than!those!who!don’t!drink.!Certainly!this!simple!correlation!can’t!imply!straight!causation,!but!it!begs!the!question:!is!there!some!mysterious!property!of!“alcohol!calories”!that!makes!them!“count!less?”!!The!quick!answer:!yes,!they!do!count…!but!not!completely.!!!For!the!longer,!more!intricate!answer:!let’s!look!at!a!few!definitions.!First!off,!all!calories!from!either!food!or!drink!come!from!1!of!4!macronutrients.!3!of!these!macronutrients—protein,!carbohydrates,!and!fats—are!“nutritional.”!!!Put!differently,!these!3!macronutrients!are!used!in!normal!metabolism!to!accomplish!specific!body!functions.!!!

• Proteins!build!structures!in!our!bodies!such!as!muscle.!!• Carbohydrates!provide!energy!for!our!bodies.!!• Fats!help!build!hormones,!regulate!inflammation,!and!build!cell!membranes.!

!Per!gram,!Protein!has!4!calories.!Fat!has!9!calories,!and!Carbohydrates!have!4!calories.!The!fourth!macronutrient,!Alcohol—which!contains!roughly!7!calories!per!gram—is!“nonYnutritive.”!!Alcohol!calories!are!“empty”!in!the!sense!that!they!cannot!support!our!bodies’!key!metabolic!processes!in!a!meaningful!way.!!!Now,!here’s!the!key!point!about!calories.!If!you!eat!too!many!calories—whether!in!the!form!of!protein,!carbohydrate,!fat,!or!alcohol—you!will!get!fatter.!Period.!!!So,!where!does!alcohol!consumption!fit!into!this!picture?!When!consumed,!alcohol!is!rapidly!absorbed.!In!the!process!of!alcohol!metabolism,!the!body!actually!heats!up—thereby!burning!roughly!20%!of!the!alcohol!calories!consumed.!So!in!net!effect,!alcohol!has!roughly!5.7!calories!per!gram.!!!100!grams!of!alcohol,!equivalent!to!10!drinks,!contains!600!calories.!!If!you!are!concerned!about!prevent!fat!gain!while!drinking,!we!need!to!pay!attention!to!the!calories!we!are!consuming!from!all!macronutrient!sources.!In!this!guide,!we!will!talk!about!specific!calorie!and!macronutrient!targets!to!“trick”!your!metabolism!while!drinking!to!prevent!fat!gain.!!!

Before getting into those specifics, let’s look at the health and physique benefits of drinking alcohol in moderation compared to abstaining completely.

The Big Controversy:

DO ALCOHOL CALORIES “COUNT?”

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There(are(some(decisive(benefits(to(drinking(in(moderation.(In(section,(we(will(look(at(a(few(of(the(main(benefits—in(particular,(we(will(focus(on(the(positive(effects(

that(have(the(potential(to(enhance(both(your(physique(and(quality(of(life.(!

!

For!anybody!concerned!about!having!a!great!physique,!this!is!probably!the!most!exciting!

benefit!about!alcohol!consumption.!Research!has!shown!that!moderate(alcohol!consumption!improves!both!insulin!sensitivity!and!glycemic!control.!From!a!practical,!

physique!standpoint,!improved!insulin!sensitivity!means!a!couple!of!cool!things:!

!

• Enhanced!Fat!Burning:!The!amount!of!fat!your!body!burns!each!day!is!proportional!

to!how!insulin!sensitive!you!are.!Greater!insulin!sensitivity!equals!greater!fat!

burning.!!

• Greater!Muscle!Building:!Insulin!sensitivity!is!highly!implicated!in!“nutrient!

partitioning”!in!which!your!body!better!utilized!the!calories!you!ingest!everyday!for!

muscle!building!and!energy!storage—as!opposed!to!fat!gain.!

!

!

!

Some!of!the!longestYlived!cultures!in!the!world—particularly!the!Japanese!and!Italians—

regularly!drink!alcohol!in!moderation.!From!these!observations,!it!is!not!surprising!that!

largeYscale!scientific!data!supports!the!fact!that!moderate!drinkers:!!

!

Live!longer,!have!a!lower!risk!for!cardiovascular!disease,!are!

more!protected!from!Alzheimers,!and!have!lower!risks!for!certain!

cancers!and!depression!than!those!who!abstain!completely.!!

!

!

Sounds good to me! But before you pick up that six-pack, let’s look at the dark side of drinking—in particular its effects in the weight room and bedroom.

!

The Light Side:

HEALTH BENEFITS OF DRINKING

Alcohol’s Effects on Your Ripped Bod

Alcohol’s Effects on Your Longevity & Disease Risk

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!So(alcohol,(in(moderation(rocks(for(helping(you(process(nutrients,(live(forever,(and(have(a(great(time(in(the(process…but(how(does(it(influence(

your(testosterone(levels,(sleep,(and(overall(“man(performance?”(!

!One!of!the!most!commonly!purported!detriments!of!regular!drinking!is!that!it!tanks!your!testosterone!levels.!For!any!guy!wanting!a!great!body!and!life,!this!is!definitely!not!a!good!thing.!!But!how!valid!are!these!claims?!!Science!to!the!rescue.!!In!a!3Yweek!study!where!men!and!women!consumed!roughly!3Y4!drinks!per!day,!researchers!found!then!men!had!a!roughly!7%!decrease!in!testosterone!levels,!while!no!effect!was!seen!in!women.!This!is!not!a!huge!effect,!considering!how!often!(and!much)!the!study!participants!were!drinking.!!A!few!beers!a!couple!times!per!week!would!likely!have!no!influential!effect!on!your!testosterone!levels.!!!For!alcohol!to!seriously!tank!your!testosterone!levels,!you’d!need!to!hit!the!bottle!pretty!hard—such!as!consuming!the!equivalent!of!10!beers.!In!this!heavy!drinking!scenario,!researchers!found!that!testosterone!levels!were!suppressed!by!23%!for!up!to!16!hours!after!the!drinking!binge.!!!Now,!if!you!are!really!ambitious,!and!manage!to!dink!yourself!into!a!semiYconscious,!hospitalized!state,!you!experience!around!a!25%!reduction!in!your!testosterone.!!The!big!picture:!in!moderation,!alcohol’s!harmful!effects!on!testosterone!are!overstated.!However,!if!you!are!regularly!binging!every!week,!a!20Y25%!decrease!in!testosterone!certainly!will!influence!your!ability!to!burn!fat!and!build!muscle.!!!!

Unfortunately, testosterone levels are only one part of the performance equation. Let’s look at 3 other factors that may be influencing your performance.

!! !

The Dark Side:

THE SIDE EFFECTS OF DRINKING

Alcohol’s Effects On Testosterone

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!When(it(comes(to(quality(workouts(and(continual(physique(progress,(adequate(

recovery(is(supremely(important.(The(three(factors(that(principally(influence(your(body’s(ability(to(recover(are(adequate(sleep,(adequate(hydration,(and(adequate(

nutrition.(Alcohol,(to(some(extent,(disrupts(all(three(of(these.(!

!It’s!undebatable!that!alcohol!consumption!disrupts!both!sleep!quality!and!duration.!Although!some!people!find!that!they!fall!asleep!faster!when!under!the!influence!of!alcohol,!the!overall!quality!of!the!sleep!is!decreased!due!to!both!lower!REM!sleep!and!more!frequent!midYnight!waking.!!!Adequate!REM!sleep!is!critical!for!maximal!recovery!from!workouts,!as!it!is!implicated!in!releasing!growth!hormone,!rebuilding!broken!tissues,!and!regulating!metabolic!rate.!There!is!some!good!news:!alcohol’s!negative!sleep!effects!exhibit!a!doseYdependent!response.!The!more!you!drink,!the!worse!you!sleep.!!Overall,!moderate!drinking!1H2!times!per!week!may!not!significantly!influence!performance;!however,!only!you!can!be!the!judge!of!your!individual!response.!!!!

!Alcohol!impacts!kidney!function,!which!interferes!with!the!body’s!natural!regulation!of!electrolytes!and!fluids.!Most!basically,!alcohol!has!a!diuretic!effect!on!the!body—thereby!promoting!dehydration.!When!drinking,!most!people!do!not!adequately!replace!fluid!losses!due!to!alcohol!with!adequate!water.!!Because!adequate!hydration!is!required!for!proper!metabolism,!muscle!repair,!and!fat!burning,!it!is!critical!that!you!rehydrate!while!drinking.!The!dehydration!effects!of!alcohol!can!be!mitigated!by!smart!consumption!of!water!while!drinking.!!!

The Three Recovery Factors:

SLEEP, HYDRATION, & NUTRITION

Alcohol’s Effects On Sleep

Alcohol’s Effects On Hydration

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!Additionally,!alcohol!decreases!the!absorption!of!a!wide!array!of!vitamins!and!minerals.!This!effect!is!not!a!huge!concern—unless!you!are!drinking!moderateHhigh!amounts!on!a!regular!basis.!!However,!there!is!a!far!bigger!nutrition!concern!when!it!comes!to!alcohol!consumption.!It!has!nothing(to!do!with!fancy!alterations!of!your!biochemistry;!it!has!everything(to!do!with!behaviors!associated!with!impaired!decisionYmaking.!!!And!I’m!not!just!talking!about!your!choice!in!women….!!

!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!(((!I’m!talking!about!the!3000!calories!many!guys!eat!after!3!am!while!“under!the!effects.”!As!we!have!discussed!in!previous!sections,!caloric!intake!is!what!ultimately!what!determines!whether!or!not!you!build!or!burn!fat!each!day.!!!Now,!after!a!hard!night!of!10!sugarYfree!liquor!drinks,!you’ve!consumed!around!600!calories.!Things!could!be!worse,!right?!!Unfortunately,!alcohol!tends!to!have!a!slightly!stimulatory!effect!on!appetite,!and!this!is!precisely!where!most!guys!get!into!trouble:!consuming!high!calorie,!low!quality!food!while!drinking.!!!The!purpose!of!this!section!is!to!recognize!the!main!risk!of!drinking:!eating!crap!food!as!a!result!of!impaired!decision!making.!!

!As well see in the coming section, the most important variables to control while

drinking are both the source and quantity of food you are ingesting.

Alcohol’s Effects On Nutrition

The “Big” Concern: Alcohol & Nutritional Decision Making

“The!effects!of!beer!are!proof!that!God!wants!us!to!be!happy.”!~Benjamin(Franklin(

!

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Gunter!Schlierkamp,!“The!German!Giant,”!knows!how!to!get!his!post!workout!carbohydrates.!!

(The(Post0Workout(period(is(where(all(progress(is(made.(After(a(hard(workout,(your(body(is(primed(to(initiate(protein(synthesis,(replenish(lost(energy(stores,(and(grow(stronger(for(the(next(workout.(We(want(to(prioritize(protein(and(carbohydrates(Post0Workout.(So,(how(do(a(few(beers(fit(into(the(picture?((

!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!We’ve!already!discussed!the!minor!effects!of!moderate!alcohol!consumption!on!!Testosterone.!Remember:!study!participants!who!had!3Y4!drinks!every!day!for!3!weeks!only!had!a!7%!decrease!in!testosterone!levels.!Binge!drinking,!however,!does!lead!to!around!a!20%!decrease!in!testosterone,!which!is!not!ideal!for!muscle!building!and!fat!loss.!!The!other!part!of!the!hormonal!equation!post!workout!is!managing!cortisol!levels,!which!become!elevated!in!response!to!intense!workouts.!Cortisol,!when!chronically!elevated,!has!a!catabolic!effect!on!muscle!tissue.!A!few!studies!have!analyzed!the!hormonal!response!of!drinking!6Y7!post!workout!beers,!and!showed!no!impact!on!testosterone!levels!and!elevated!cortisol!in!comparison!to!nonYpost!workout!drinking.!!The!cortisol!increasing!effects!of!alcohol!are!expected,!as!alcohol!raises!the!overall!levels!of!stress!hormones—such!as!norepinephrine!and!epinephrine.!An!occasional!beer!postYexercise!won’t!kill!your!performance,!but!I!wouldn’t!make!it!into!a!postYworkout!routine.!!!

Post-Workout Beer:

IS BEER EFFECTIVE FOR RECOVERY?

The Post-Workout Hormonal Effects Of Alcohol

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(The!other!important!part!of!the!postYworkout!equation!is!the!stimulation!of!protein!

synthesis!(new!muscle!building).!This!intricate!process!is!primarily!stimulated!by!two!!

key!factors:!1)!insulin!from!carbohydrate!and!protein!ingestion!2)!specific!Branch!Chain!

Amino!Acids!such!as!Leucine.!!

!

Unfortunately,!there!have!been!no!definitive!studies!on!alcohol’s!effects!on!postYworkout!

protein!synthesis,!but!we!can!make!a!few!predictions.!

!

Because!certain!alcohols,!like!beer,!do!contain!carbohydrates,!they!will!stimulate!insulin.!

Now,!this!is!not!saying!much!of!anything!impressive,!as!every!single!carbohydrate!

containing!food!on!the!planet!will!have!a!similar!effect.!Alcohol,!being!devoid!of!the!key!

amino!acids!will!definitely!not!stimulate!protein!synthesis!in!any!meaningful!way.!!

!

If!consumed!alongside!whey!protein!powder,!we!can!expect!that!the!effects!on!protein!

synthesis!would!be!slightly!worse!than!not!drinking!in!the!post!workout!period!due!to!the!

elevation!in!cortisol.!

!

One!additional!piece!of!evidence!is!the!presence!of!a!medical!condition!that!alcoholics!

experience!called!“Alcoholic!Myopathy,”!which!is!characterized!by!extreme!muscle!loss!

and!catabolism.!Obviously,!heavy,!long!term!alcohol!abuse!is!terrible!for!your!physique.!

!

Assuming!you!enjoy!alcohol!in!moderation,!here!are!my!best!guesses!on!the!protein!

synthesis!effects:!in!the!short!term—i.e.!having!an!occasional!postYworkout!beer—alcohol!

consumption!is!not!a!big!deal.!In!the!long!term,!consistent!alcohol!consumption!probably!

has!an!appreciable!negative!effect!on!protein!synthesis.!

(((((

All right! We’ve now officially taken care of all the background information. We’ve looked at alcohol’s benefits and detriments, in addition to special

scenarios like Post-workout drinking. Now, it’s time to look at the serious actionable content—specifically how alcohol affects your body’s propensity

to build or burn fat—and what you can do about it step-by-step. (((((

!

(

Alcohol’s Effects On Protein Synthesis

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To(recap:(alcohol(calories(are(empty(calories(that(can’t(help(you(recover(or(build(muscle—although(they(can(help(fuel(movement.(Obviously,(consuming(too(many(calories(from(any(macronutrient(source(can(make(you(fat.(Alcohol(calories(will(still(count(toward(your(daily(

calorie(balance—thereby(contributing(to(whether(you(gain(or(lose(weight.(((!

!

1) Anytime!you!eat!carbohydrates,!which!raise!insulin,!your!body’s!fat!burning!capacity!shuts!off!temporarily.!Please!note!the!subtle!distinction!here:!carbohydrates,!in!themselves,!don’t!make!you!fat.!They!simply!prevent!your!body!from!burning!fat!for!a!few!hours!after!ingestion.!!!

2) Dietary!fat!found!in!foods!has!the!highest!propensity!to!be!stored!as!fat.!This!does!not!necessarily!mean!“fat!makes!you!fat”!either.!The!overall!net!balance!between!how!much!fat!you!burn!and!store!each!day!determines!whether!or!not!you!ultimately!lose!fat.!This!net!balance!is!predominantly!controlled!by!caloric!intake.!

!

3) Fat!consumed!when!insulin!levels!are!elevated!will!be!stored!instead!of!burned.!As!insulin!levels!slowly!drop!after!a!meal,!fat!burning!begins!to!take!over!again.!!

!1) Alcohol!gets!immediate!priority!for!oxidation.!Alcohol’s!main!byproduct!acetate!is!a!

“toxin”!to!the!body.!As!such,!the!body!will!prioritize!the!clearance!of!acetate(over!the!metabolism!of!all!other!nutrients.!From!a!practical!standpoint,!alcohol!will!stop!fat!burning*,!and!it!will!also!stop!carbohydrate!and!protein!metabolism.!

!*Do!note:!although!the!metabolism!of!all!macronutrients—proteins,!carbs,!and!fats—is!suppressed!via!alcohol!consumption,!alcohol,!itself,!is!a!poor!substrate!for!fat!synthesis.!Only!about!3%!of!all!ingested!alcohol!ends!up!as!new!fatty!acids!inside!your!body.!!!

2) Now,!here’s!the!important!part:!like!carbohydrates,!alcohol!suppresses!the!body’s!ability!to!burn!fat.!As!such,!any!fat!that!is!ingested!in!the!presence!of!alcohol!will!be!stored!with!great!ease.!

!

Therefore, the big secret to drinking and staying lean is avoiding fat consumption! It is also ideal to limit excess carbohydrate consumption.

How They Mix:

ALCOHOL & SIX PACK ABS

Here’s!a!snapshot!of!normal!metabolism!without!alcohol!in!the!mix:!

If!we!toss!alcohol!into!this!metabolic!mix,!here’s!what!happens…!

! 11!

!Damn(this(section(is(exciting.(Here(are(the(5(step0by0step(rules(you(need(to(follow(to(stay(ripped(while(drinking.(Here’s(the(basic(game(plan:(we(are(going(to(be(

focusing(on(eating(macronutrients(that(are(least(likely(to(cause(fat(gain((protein),(while(limiting(those(that(have(a(high(risk(of(fat(gain.(

!Print this sheet out, laminate it, tie it around your neck, bring it to the club, or tape it in the

corner of the bar. Your ripped abs staring back in the mirror will thank you. !!

Here's!your!target:!0.1g!dietary!fat/pound!bodyweight.!Weigh!185!pounds?!Your!max!fat!intake!on!drinking!days!is!roughly!20g!fat.!This!number!is!very!low;!you!will!get!this!trace!amount!of!fat!naturally!from!the!foods!you!are!eating!without!any!added!fat!to!your!diet.!!

Weigh!200!pounds?!Your!max!carb!intake!on!drinking!days!is!140g.!Try!to!get!almost!all!of!your!carbs!from!complex!sources!like!vegetables.!You’ll!also!want!to!avoid!drinking!carb!heavy!mixed!drinks!and!beers.!Anything!with!fruit!juice!is!a!noYgo.!Note:!A!12!oz.!beer!has!around!12g!carbs.!The!average!mixed!drink!with!fruit!juice!may!have!over!30g!carbs.!!!

Due!to!the!limit!on!your!dietary!fat!intake,!you!are!going!to!need!to!eat!lean!protein!sources!such!as!chicken!breast,!white!fish,!turkey,!tuna,!egg!whites,!and!protein!powder.!!!!

!

See!the!Appendix!for!the!full!list. !

The Grand Finale:

5 DRINKING RULES TO STAY RIPPED

Rule #1: Keep dietary fat intake very low.!

Rule #2: Limit carbohydrates to 0.7g/lb. bodyweight.!

Rule #3: Eat as much protein as you want. !

Rule #4: Choose smart drinks. Don’t choose dumb drinks.!

Rule #5: For best fat loss, limit drinking to 1x per week.!

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“I!don’t!always!drink,!but!when!I!do…!I!avoid!fats!and!carbs.”!~The(Most(Interesting(Man(In(The(World(

!

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!!!!!!That’s!it!!5!simple!rules!to!biohack!your!metabolism,!enjoy!a!few!drinks,!and!prevent!fat!gain.!The!big!picture!message!of!this!guide!is!that!drinking!can!be!a!part!of!your!fat!loss,!muscle!building,!and!overall!health!plan—if!you!follow!the!aforementioned!rules!and!keep!things!in!moderation.!!!In!writing!this!guide,!I!took!the!inherent!risk!of!having!guys!misunderstand!this!information!by!believing!that!they!can!now!drink!endless!amounts!while!making!great!physique!progress.!As!such,!please!excuse!this!small!bit!of!preventative!action:!!!This!guide!is(not!a!free!pass!to!get!hammered!and!expect!awesome!abs.!This!guide!is!a!comprehensive!tool!to!help!you!navigate!the!social!complexities!of!adhering!to!your!fitness!goals,!while!still!having!a!fun,!awesome!life.!!!Drink!smart!and!stay!lean!my!friends,!!

!!!

P.S. Connect with me on Facebook and Twitter below, and come introduce yourself. !!!!!

PARTING WORDS OF WISDOM