What is the Vertical Diet – Introduction
Why is Stan Efferding’s vertical diet the rage with powerlifters, CrossFitters, elite athletes, and weekend warriors?
To answer this question, you first need to know about Efferding.
Who is Stan Efferding?
Stan Efferding is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder, elite powerlifter, inventor of The Kooler, and The Vertical Diet.
Efferding was born in Portland, Oregon, on November 6, 1967.
As of today, in 2024, he is 53 years old.
He attended the University of Oregon on a soccer scholarship.
While in college, Stan weighed 140 pounds at the height of 6’0 feet, and he could not even bench press 135 pounds.
He wanted to get bigger and stronger, so he started bodybuilding.
In 1988 he competed in his first bodybuilding contest and won Mr. Oregon in 1991 at the age of 24.
Over time, he learned that building a more massive muscle does not necessarily mean it is a stronger muscle.
To build strength, he started to focus on squats, bench press, and deadlifts, the three lifts in the sport of Powerlifting.
He entered his first Powerlifting competition in 1996 at the Pepsi Challenge, where he deadlifted 782 pounds raw (without special equipment gear that helps you lift more).
Stan Efferding’s Bodybuilding and Powerlifting Career Highlights
- 2006 – he won the Superheavyweight class Seattle Emerald Bodybuilding Cup, at a weight of 235 lbs
- 2009 – took first place in the Superheavyweight class at the Masters’ Nationals Bodybuilding Championships weighing 259 lbs
- 2009 – Efferding earned his IFBB Pro Card
- 2010 – won the title “Mr. Olympia 2010 World’s Strongest Professional Bodybuilder” with a bench press of 628 lbs and a deadlift of 800 lbs
- 2011 – set two all-time world records in the Southern Powerlifting Federation (SPF) California State Championships:
- an 854-pound squat and a
- three lift total of 2,226.6 lbs beating Konstantin Konstantinov’s of Latvia, the former world record holder
- 2013 – In an event called “March Madness” Efferding lifted a world record total of 2,303 lbs in the 275-pound class with a:
- squat of 865.2 lbs, and
- bench press of 600.7 lbs and a
- deadlift of 837.5 lbs beating the previous raw Total record set by Jon Cole in 1972, that still stands today for the over 40 age group
- 2017 – Stan did his Kooler pitch on Shark Tank, and made a deal with Daymond John investing $50,000 for 33.3 percent equity
- 2019 – Stan Efferding’s Vertical Diet receives its trademark
7 Reasons Stan Efferding’s Vertical Diet is the Rage
#1. Easy to stick to
All diets work – as long as you follow them; therefore, the best diet is the one that you follow.
Therefore, you must select a diet that will become a lifestyle, not a temporary fad.
Selecting a diet for lifestyle is the reason that you want the most simple, common sense, and sustainable over the long term.
The Vertical Diet focuses on a ‘vertical’ foundation, a limited number of food groups that provide high nutrition and energy value is easy to follow and sustainable over the long term.
#2. Better digestion
You build a healthy body from the nutrients you can digest and absorb, not by the food you like to eat (such as Oreos), which is why it is so vital to eat easily digestible foods.
The Vertical Diet zeroes in on the most digestible foods possible and avoids foods that frequently cause bloating, gas, or indigestion.
These foods are known as FODMAPS.
FODMAPS stands for “Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides, And Polyols ¹.”
High FODMAPS foods are known to cause a digestive disturbance in some individuals, particularly those who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
And there is a significant body of evidence that a low FODMAP diet will improve the symptoms of 74 percent of people with IBS. ²
High FODMAP foods
- Whole Grains – wheat bread, breakfast cereals, crackers, pasta, tortillas, barley, wheat
- Dairy – milk from cows, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, whey protein supplements, yogurts, sour cream
- Vegetables – asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, onion, garlic, okra, artichokes, cabbage, peas
- Legumes – lentils, soybeans, beans, chickpeas
- Fruits – canned fruit, applesauce, cherries, figs, pears, watermelon, apples, peaches
- Sweeteners – honey, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol
- Beverages – soft drinks with high-fructose corn syrup, milk, soy milk, fruit juice, wine, beer
Low-FODMAP foods
- Meats, fish, and eggs
- Grains – white rice, oats, quinoa, corn
- Dairy – hard cheeses, aged soft varieties, lactose-free dairy products
- Vegetables – bok choy, bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, celery, eggplant, ginger, kales, olives, potatoes, parsnips, radishes, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, water chestnuts, zucchini, tomatoes, yams
- Fruits – grapes, lemons, lime, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, grapefruit, melons
- Sweeteners – stevia, molasses, maple syrup
- Beverages: – tea, water, coffee
- All fats and oils
- Most herbs and spices
- Nuts and seeds – cashews, peanuts, almonds, sesame seeds, almonds
Stan Efferding’s vertical diet advises low FODMAPS foods because it prioritizes gut health above all else when suggesting the best foods to power your workouts.
#3. More energy for training and life
- Are you tired or full of energy?
- Of course, energy is a top priority, not only for high-performance athletes but for everyone.
- Do you have gas or bloating?
- How is your digestive system working?
- Meaning, are you regular ( as in bowel health )?
The Vertical Diet builds meals around easily digestible foods that are rich in highly bioavailable micronutrients and avoids foods that may cause gas and bloat or indigestion.
Because the vertical diet uses the most easily digestible foods, you feel much better, can work out harder, and achieve greater muscular development.
However, because everyone is unique, you need to assess how a meal affects your digestive health.
Generally, you will know an hour or so after a meal.
#4. Eat a variety of single-ingredient whole foods
Stan promotes what many formerly obese people have discovered; eliminating processed foods is one of the secrets to achieving your ideal weight.
And it is also key to building strength, more than you ever thought possible.
#5. Meet your micronutrients
The Vertical Diet helps ensure that you meet your micronutrient requirements with the most nutrient-rich foods.
#6. Scalable
Because Vertical Diet recommended foods are easier on your digestion, you can eat a higher volume of food without digestive disturbance.
#7. Build mass
To build muscle mass, you need additional calories, and because the Vertical Diet is scalable, you can easily add another meal, increase calories, and continue to build strength.
Watch Stan “Rhino” Efferding’s World Record Squat and Total, the reigning World’s Strongest Pro Bodybuilder
This total, 2,226 LBS, beats Konstantin Konstantinov’s previous Raw total with no knee wraps, 2,171.
Stan also set the Raw with no knee wraps Squat Record, beating the previous 850 LBS with an 854 LBS Squat.” – (Courtesy of SuperTraining.TV Jim Mcdonald)
3 Tips How to Follow the Vertical Diet
#1. Use a BMR and TDEE calculator to estimate your baseline daily calorie target.
Or you can determine your basal metabolic rate by multiplying your weight by 10.
For example, a 200-pound person needs a minimum of 2000 calories a day.
#2. Start with one gram of protein per pound of body weight.
For example, a 200 pound individual will start with 200 grams of protein, which equals 800 calories (1 gram of protein is four calories), which leaves 1200 calories for carbs and fats.
Split them evenly, which is 600 calories for carbs (150 grams since 1 gram of carbohydrate is four calories) and 600 calories for fat (approximately 65 grams, which equals 585 calories, since 1 gram of fat is nine calories).
#3. Choose the most nutrient-dense foods, those that are richest in micronutrients.
For example:
Protein
- High-quality bison or top round sirloin steak is superior to chicken or eggs whites or tilapia fish for your protein needs because red meat has more iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid profile.
- Include a serving of salmon twice a week for omega-3 fatty acids.
- Have at least two whole eggs a day for vitamins and minerals, such as; k2, biotin, and choline for skin, hair, and nails.
- A four to an eight-ounce serving of 2 percent or full-fat Greek yogurt for calcium, potassium, probiotics, and other valuable nutrients
Fats
- Your daily fat requirements are in the protein sources; for example, red meat is 50 percent fat.
- If you need some more fat, you can cook using butter ghee, or beef tallow
Broth
- Bone broth daily for collage and to aid in digestion instead of coffee
Carbs
Good carbohydrate sources are:
- Oranges, strawberries, or blueberries
- White and sweet potatoes daily for potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C
- Eat white rice as needed because it is easy to digest, instead of brown rice that contains large amounts of raffinose, a complex sugar that can cause bloating and gas.
- Low-gas vegetables like spinach for magnesium and potassium, carrots for fiber and vitamin A, and bell pepper for vitamin C. On the other hand, vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts also contain raffinose like brown rice and can likewise cause bloating and gas
- Have simple meals like this throughout the day to provide energy and assist in recovery
- Use pure cranberry juice for iodine to optimize thyroid function and stimulate metabolism and support your immune system
Meal frequency
- 3 to 4 meals a day 3 to 5 hours apart to maximize muscle protein synthesis
Stan Efferding talks about the Vertical Diet
Stan Efferding Vertical Diet – Final Thoughts
In Stan’s own words – “The vertical diet is a performance-based nutritional framework. It starts with a solid foundation of highly bioavailable micronutrients, which supports a structure of easily digestible macronutrients. that can be adjusted specifically to meet your body’s demands.”
Pound for pound, Stan Efferding is among the strongest men and most influential bodybuilders and powerlifters of all time.
Because of his incredible strength, his fans nicknamed Efferding’ The White Rhino.”
Efferding started his athletic career as a soccer player studying Philosophy and attained worldwide success as a bodybuilder, powerlifter, and successful entrepreneur.
He made the quest to build strength a lifetime passion and occupation.
Thirty years of bodybuilding and Powerlifting experience are the foundation of Stan Efferding’s Vertical Diet.
His real-world experience and success explain why it is a hit among bodybuilders, powerlifters, CrossFit, professional athletes, and those who want to look and feel like one.
When it comes to bodybuilding, powerlifting, and strength training, Stan “The Rhino” Efferding knows what he is talking about.
Stan Efferding’s Vertical Diet retails for approximately $100.
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Footnotes:
¹ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1440-1746.2009.06149.x – The FODMAP Approach to Manage Symptoms of Indigestion
