April 30th, 2013 - Coachella Mini-Experiment Result, Bulk Experiment Closure, and the Summer Shredding Begins!

Coachella was awesome!  It was incredibly hot during the day but the temperature dropped to something more manageable and enjoyable by sundown.  If you haven’t been to Coachella before and plan to go, I recommend only going to the event post-sundown (unless your favorite act is on during the day).  But anyway!  I thought the mini-experiment was a success!  Despite the late decision of running this experiment a week out from the target date, I lost a total of about 5 lbs.  I knew that my body will feel the changes and I would feel less energy at the gym during this experiment.  Changes in a diet on a macro level should never be too abrupt and sudden.  But, this was an experiment and I was on a time crunch, so I vouched to try it and see what happens.  At about 12-15% bodyfat, the 5 lb. drop in bodyweight was much more visible in my arms, legs, and chest.  My body loves to store fat around my torso, so that would be the region to be last effected from any sort of weight loss regimen.  My strength at the gym was maintained; however my endurance suffered.  This mini experiment left me with a strong notion that my body does really well with high carbs.  Fat, on the other hand, not so much for performance enhancement.  With that said, it is a good sign that I should keep my protein and carbs high, and my fats at a medium-high level (for me, 90g or less).  I was up to ~200g of fat and down to ~150g carbs while I was out at Coachella, when typically, my carbs were at 500g and my fats ~80-90g. 

Taking these observations into consideration, and noticing that Summer is fast approaching, I think it’s time I go on a cut diet.  I am pleased with the results of my first bulk experiment which I have been doing since January.  The past 4 months have brought me incredible gains in the leg department, which was the reason why I began the experiment in the first place.  I have never been so strong in my life!  I have never been heavier than 170 lbs. and especially at this condition!  I peaked out at 176.0 lbs flat.  I never reached my initial 180 lb. goal, but I will bulk again in the Fall/Winter and try again. 

With this Summer cut diet, I think I’ll shoot for something in the 7-10% bodyfat level.  My cut diet will be comprised of a blend of a few differing lifestyle diets—broscience (typical “clean” bodybuilding diet) and a flexible IIFYM diet.  I will aim to most of my nutrition from “clean” micronutrient-rich food sources and eat whatever the hell I want when I want so long as it fits my macronutrient goals.  If I want something “dirty” like In-N-Out, or jelly donuts, or pizza, I’m going to have it. 

Since I am now maintaining my weight at an average of 173.6 lbs. the past 2 weeks or so, my current macros will now be the macros of my REFEED DAY:   230g protein, 500g carbs, 80g fat. (~3650 calories).  The 6 other days of the week, I will begin to drop my carbs slowly, decreasing my total caloric intake per day by about 300 calories.  It will look like this:  230g protein, 440g carbs, 70-80g fat (~3300 calories).  I will begin this on Monday.  I will weigh myself every day and shoot for a weight loss goal of about 0.5 – 2.0 lbs. a week.  I will not do any cardio yet, and I anticipate that I will only do cardio at a maximum of 2 sessions per week.  Once I notice that I have hit a stick point, where I experience no weight loss, I will repeat the process and drop my carbs again by about 60g or about 300 calories.  This will be my diet.

Macronutrient Manipulation Mini Experiment for Coachella Weekend - How to Appear Leaner on a Carb-Heavy Bulk!

Originally, the plan was to sell the pair of tickets I have and make a few extra bucks, but apparently everyone who is interested in attending Coachella on Weekend 2 already has tickets.  My girlfriend and I have never been before and since it is my birthday weekend, why not just go?  So that’s my plan this weekend!  I have been on bulk mode and I would like to look my best despite having gained a bit of fat on my body.  My plan is to manipulate my macros to decrease water retention to appear leaner while keeping calories up at a slight surplus or at maintenance to keep my metabolism high so when I return from my weekend, I can continue my bulk as before.  I have been on an extremely high carb bulking diet, so I am eager to see how my body reacts when switching my energy source to consist of mostly fat while bringing carbs down.  The idea behind all of this is similarly to that of “peak week,” the final week of preparation of a bodybuilder before the competition.  The idea is to deplete glycogen (stored energy from carbs), since every gram of glycogen is accompanied by about 2.7g of water.  I will probably drop 2-3 lbs. of water weight with this method.  Most of this water retention is subcutaneous (under the skin) and that is what appears to be fat.  Carbs are turned into glycogen in the body and whatever excess glycogen that isn't stored in the liver and muscles are floating around in the bloodstream. The least amount of carbs consumed will result in the least amount of glycogen stored in the body.  The least amount of glycogen stored would mean the least amount of water stored.  The result will be a leaner, slimmer appearance by the thinning of the skin.  So here are my current macros (up to Saturday), since I started this experiment yesterday, Sunday:

Bulking Macros (peak calories of ~3600-3700 calories):

-230g P, 500g C, 80-90g F

The Manipulation Plan (dropping calories just a smidge to ~3400 calories):

-Yesterday & Today: 230g P, 400g C, 100g F   

-Tomorrow & Wednesday: 230g P, 300g C, 145g F

-Thursday: 230g P, 200g C, 190g F

-Friday: 230g P, 150g C, 210g F

*I will be training until Friday and taking Saturday & Sunday off.

At Coachella, I will not be training so I will be dropping calories by ~500 kcals to ~3000 calories):

-Saturday & Sunday: 230g P, 150g C, 160g F

I will be utilizing the MyFitnessPal app to make sure I can keep to my macros.  The trick is in the preparation, since Coachella and other “party” events are far from healthy.  I will be bringing a jug of MTS Nutrition Whey, bananas, and a few gallons of water.  I will need to be quite flexible with my diet since this is a vacation, so I will probably live off of In & Out burgers (protein style, no salt) to meet most of my macro numbers since I will be running on mostly protein and fat (not mad about that!).  I anticipate some of my carbs to come from alcohol.  It’s been awhile since I’ve had more than just a beer or a glass of wine so this will be interesting.  My goal is to look as lean as possible this weekend as I will be working with what I’ve got—about 15% bodyfat.  If I can combat the water retention from the high carb intake, I can appear leaner.  The alcohol will work as a diuretic to further release water from my body; but I will need to make sure I drink ample amounts of water as well so my body does not think it is too dehydrated and go into survival mode and retain more water and begin bloating.

Then when I return to the real world by Monday, I will be back on my normal bulking diet.  The influx of carbs will feel like a carb load (from 150g of carbs to 500g of carbs), and I will feel amazing.  I can’t wait!  Weather forecast suggests it will be near 100 degrees in Indio this weekend and I’m not trying to wear a t-shirt.  Time to nut up or shut up—let’s see what happens. J

April 5th, 2013 - Updates & Cut Experiment Plan

15 lb. difference between the pictures

I woke up this morning to a 175.4 lb. read on the scale.  My strength gains have been tremendous during my first true bulking experience.  I have never been at this weight before and feeling so good.  I remember I may have kissed the 170.0 lb. mark many years ago, but my body did not compose of as much lean body mass as I possess now.  That was when I had fallen into a form of depression because I just discovered I had psoriasis and turned to fast food and alcohol as temporary ailments.  Poor nutritional health, not stretching before training, and lack of proper form while performing weight training exercises led to rotator cuff injuries, mild tendonitis in my wrists and elbows, and ultimately lost complete interest in exercising altogether.  I lost my drive and fell off. 

After a year or so, I slowly found my groove back and too many more years of climbing before I said, “screw it, let’s do a competition.”  Which left me feeling very weak and small, which led me to this bulking experiment.  I’ve learned that you have complete control of your body and your practice in eating and exercising contribute to your body’s overall appearance.  It all comes down to science and if calculated and planned correctly, there is no magic or mystery to why your body has changed for better or worst. 

It has been recommended by Kane Sumabat aka ‘Timbawolf’ and other sources online that to achieve the best bulk (bulking without experiencing too much fat gain) is to undergo periods of bulking at a rate of up to 2.0 lbs a week (the slower the better if you have the time and patience) and then undergo periods of cutting, then repeat the cycle to achieve desired physique.  This is what Timbawolf called a “2 steps forward 1 step back” approach.  Yes, you can eat a crapload of food and just gain weight as fast as you can but you will almost definitely gain much more fat in the process because your body can only build muscle so quickly (~1 lb. of lean body mass per month for naturals).  This quick bulk method will result in a very long cut phase to lose all the fat that has accumulated.  And yes, you can absolutely bulk at an incredibly slow rate with a very small caloric surplus of say 100 calories or something, but the results are so slow, it is almost unnoticeable. 

Without any plans for another competition, I think the optimal leanness level for that beach body look is between 6%-10%.  6% might be too lean for comfort in my opinion, so I’ll just shoot for anywhere below 10% bodyfat.  I will shoot for a fat loss rate of about 1-2 lbs. a week (slower the better, yet still measurable) by keeping calories from all macronutrients as high as possible.  I will slowly cut carbs out first in 200-250 calorie increments (~45-60g carbs) every time I reach a stand still in my progress, like this:

Current macros: 230g P, 500g C, 90g F  (~3700 calories)

Start by dropping 60g carbs:  230g P, 440g C, 90g F  (~3450 calories)

Once weight loss stalls, drop another 60g carbs:  230g P, 380g C, 90g F  (~3200 calories)

And, so on…

No plan is optimal without stopping at every step to analyze progress and making changes when necessary.  I wish it can just be easy and black and white but when it comes to your body with training and nutrition, it is all gray.  There is no one right way to do this and it is only experimenting and trying new things that will uncover a better way.  It is a lifelong goal to discover the BEST WAY.  I will probably include a high carb load day as well but time will tell.  Everything is a possibility of what I might try.  However, one thing is for sure.  I will not go NO CARB.  I have tried a cyclical ketogenic diet before and although the results were great, it left me feeling weak and tired.  As I just said, there is no black and white.  There are other methods to achieve results.  I will continue to lift heavy to assure I maintain as much strength and lean body mass as I can and utilize low intensity cardio if necessary.  I may start this plan at the end of the month or when I stop gaining weight from my current macro level.  Who knows!  I like to plan ahead.  I am just excited to reveal the “gains.”  LOL. 

Should I Cycle My Pre-Workout?

You always hear or read about cycling off pre-workout supplements after 4-6 weeks of using for about 2-4 weeks.  But, do you really have to?  If you find that you have been increasing your pre-workout dosage and after a few weeks, been running on max dose (as recommended on the label) and find that the effectiveness of the supplement has dwindled to "where the hell is the energy at!?", then it is definitely a good idea to cycle off the product.  Why does this happen?  Caffeine.  Caffeine is the primary ingredient in all pre-workout supplements to provide that energy boost that we all love to really maximize your performance.  There's a plethora of other ingredients too and depending on the pre-workout product you use, the difference can be major or minute--beta-alanine, citrulline malate, l-arginine, taurine, etc.  However, it is caffeine that your body can most easily get desensitized to, especially if you are a coffee drinker like myself.  One dose of your pre-workout can have anywhere from the same amount of caffeine as half a cup of coffee to upwards of up to 3 or more cups!

Now what if every experience with your pre-workout has been phenomenal and you are satisfied with the results?  The dosage does not need to be increased to be effective and you've been taking it for many weeks?  Well, I think that this is an instance where you don't need to cycle off your pre-workout.  The only real reason why cycling on and off pre-workouts is so your body can normalize and become sensitive to caffeine again so the product continues to be effective.

Thoughts on Steroids

First off, all I know about anabolic steroids is... well, not much at all.  I do not use anabolic steroids and do not wish to do so.  But if you choose to incorporate it into your lifestyle, then to each his/her  own.  I believe that anabolic steroids is unnecessary unless you have hit the ceiling of your natural potential and you desire nothing more than to surpass that ceiling.  It is rare that your everyday gymrat and amateur bodybuilder have experienced a peak in natural potential.  I would say slim to none.  But that is the beauty of a natural bodybuilder's lifestyle, to push the envelope.  Not only does your nutrition and training have to be on point, which can take years, decades, or even a lifetime of trial and error to discover the optimal plan for your body; but the length of time invested in that optimal nutrition and form of training that will bring you to the next level.  Anabolic steroids, like supplements, are just accessories-extra credit.  If nutrition and training are not maximized in your regimen, then the rest simply does not matter.  Can you achieve an amazing physique based solely on nutrition and training?  Absolutely.  Can you achieve an amazing physique based solely on anabolic steroids and supplements?  Absolutely not.  I frequently ask myself, "can my nutrition and diet be any better?"  "Can I train harder?"  The answers to both those questions is an unequivocal 'YES'.

Deceit! Lifting Heavy Makes You Too Muscular & Muscles Turn To Fat When You Stop Lifting

I thought I'd share more of these because I had such great feedback with it.  Today, I'll talk about some more gym-facts that we all thought was true, but is in fact an utter lie.

"LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS MAKE ME TOO MUSCULAR!"  Women and men alike have been heard to make this assumption and steered clear of incorporating resistance training with "heavy" weights into their workouts.  Honestly, it is a life-long goal for every bodybuilder to build muscle.  If only it took just one workout of heavy lifting to balloon up a human being to epic proportions that rival cover models of Flex Magazine, there would be a crap ton of huge people out there wouldn't it?  I am making a general assumption, so please do not take this the wrong way, but I have heard most women believe this.  Lifting with weights and especially with weights considered 'heavy' is incredibly beneficial to building a very curvaceous and feminine body.  A little thing called estrogen will not allow you to look like a man.  It is only hormonal manipulation, the boosting of testosterone in a female's body that can make a woman look more like a man in terms of physique shape and aesthetic.  Lifting heavy weights burn more calories.  Lifting lighter weights do not actually "sculpt" the body - dieting and calorie burning does (this idea was covered in a previous post on March 9th titled, "Lies! - Meal Frequency, Abs Everyday, and Casein Protein Before Bed" in the abs everyday section.) If you train with heavy weights, you will burn more calories, and over time when you feel like you are at the peak of your acceptable bulkiness level, you can simply just stop lifting heavier and scale back.  No increased stressors from heavy weight training and dropping your calories back to maintenance or below will halt your size increase.

"MUSCLE WILL TURN TO FLAB WHEN YOU STOP WORKING OUT!"  Muscles do not turn into fat.  What will happen when you stop working out is your muscles will shrink.  Your muscles will no longer have to maintain its size, strength, and endurance if it is no longer being stressed.  Smaller muscles will burn less calories.  When you stop working out, your activity level drops so your daily caloric burn will drop.  Most likely, you will eat the same amount of calories or maybe just a tad bit less than when you did when you worked out frequently.  Less calorie burn from shrinking muscles and lower activity level plus roughly the same caloric intake will result to an increase of fat.  So there you go - muscles shrink, fat increases, and all your muscle lines disappear.  If let's say you burn 400 calories per workout.  If you stop working out, then eat 400 calories less.  This would decrease the chance of fat gain.  However, your muscles will slowly decrease in size, shape, and strength over time if not challenged on a regular basis.