For Rob, a natural bodybuilder and online coach from the UK, the path to biological optimization wasn’t linear. In his 20s, he believed he had found the metabolic “holy grail” with protocols like carb backloading. This system involved strict ketogenic eating for six days, followed by a massive, all-out binge on high-glycemic junk food on the seventh.
“Back then, I didn’t really realize it was probably a bit of an addiction,” Rob explains. “It was a good way of not letting the junk food go.” While he got lean due to the high metabolic demands and caloric deficit, he was physically miserable. He felt tremendous six days a week but “horrendous” after the carb refeeds, left stuck on a confusing cognitive treadmill of how eating garbage once a week could possibly be healthy.
The 2018 Enlightenment
Rob’s perspective was completely rewired by discovering the concept of a strict carnivore diet, following advocates like Dr. Sean Shawn Baker on Joe Rogan. The logic of cutting all plant foods and seed oils immediately fell into place. In January 2018, Rob committed to World Carnivore Month, kicking his lifelong junk food addiction.
This laid the groundwork for his eventual attempt at the ultimate discipline: an 18-week, full carnivore bodybuilding contest prep in 2023. This prep was a zero-plant, caffeine-free, cheat-meal-free framework, focusing entirely on high-fat ground beef, lamb, and internal organs.
Fat-Loading natural Leanness
What Rob discovered during his prep upended conventional bodybuilding wisdom, which insists on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate “chicken and broccoli” diet for maximum muscle gain.
- UNCONTROLLABLE SATIETY: Instead of suffering from constant, maddening “prep hunger” associated with classic low-fat diets, Rob found himself eating to satiety and sometimes forgetting to eat entirely, even as he leaned down to a staggering, single-digit body fat percentage.
- PEAK FAT LOADING: Toward the last weeks, Rob learned the nuance of “fat loading” intramuscular triglycerides and glycogen rather than carb-loading. In N=1 trials, reintroducing fruit or honey caused water retention, a puffy appearance, and a groggy, “hungover” feeling without any performance benefit.
- RECOVERY BOOST: Contrary to common belief, Rob’s training endurance was superior, lacking the standard lactic acid “burn.” His chronic, high-carb joint pain vanished, allowing for high-frequency, high-intensity training splits.
The Best Package Yet
On stage, Rob’s visual results were undeniable. He achieved an ultra-shredded, natural peak physique, ultimately placing in the Top 3 out of six competitors in his lightweight class—a strong standing in a federation where the eventual class winner turned professional.
Today, at almost 37, Rob runs Optimal Carnivore, his own coaching business, using his unique N=1 expertise to help clients reverse health issues and improve body composition. He is now building toward his next target: beating his current biological benchmark and presenting his “best package” before his 40s, powered entirely by fat.
“I Thought I’d kind of found the holy grail… It was a good way of not letting the junk food go… Back then I didn’t quite understand how this was going to be healthy… Now, my principles haven’t changed. I managed to kick that habit.”
