Bulgarian split squats are the king of leg exercises. Before you click off of this page in disgust, I want to ask, have you ever tried Bulgarian split squats as your main leg exercise, and then used squats as an assistance exercise?

It seems like bodybuilding blasphemy, but I think we’ve developed this mantra because squats have always been considered the best leg exercise of all time. No one has challenged this mantra, until now.

Bulgarian Split Squats Build Very Strong Legs

I feel that people dismiss Bulgarian split squats because they’re hard to do. You try them and you can only use light weight due to balance issues, so you dismiss them. This is the equivalent of drinking one beer and saying you hate beer and will never drink it again. It’s an acquired taste.

In fact, I’ve found that it only takes 2–4 weeks to develop your balance in Bulgarian split squats. Once you have this, you can successfully add weight. I’ve seen people use 200 pounds external load on Bulgarian split squats, but not be able to squat 400 pounds. Sure, the back leg helps handle a bit of the load, but you’re still squatting down on the front leg, giving it 80–95% of the load.

I know 200 pounds of external load sounds like a lot, but with Bulgarian split squats, this can be accomplished with a bit of hard work. It’s like any exercise. Practice it, rep after rep, adding weight over time, and you’ll get there. In fact, you’ll probably be able to build a 200-pound Bulgarian split squat faster than building a 315-pound squat.

Most people don’t put in the time to build Bulgarian split squats to this level, yet dismiss them as a bad exercise. How many hours have you put into building your squat? Imagine if you put this time into building your Bulgarian split squats. Magic would happen.

Another strange benefit I’ve noticed is that increasing strength via Bulgarian splt squats seems to carry over to your squats. Meaning that increasing your one rep max for Bulgarian split squats will maintain or increase your squatting strength, even when you’re not squatting. This doesn’t seem to work the other way around.

Bulgarian Split Squats Build Very Big Legs

Now, we know that Bulgarian split squats will build your legs stronger and this allows you to put more tension on the leg muscles. More tension means more muscle growth. Due to the demands of balancing on one leg, Bulgarian split squats hit your quads, glutes, hamstrings, adductors, abductors, and calves.

Video Courtesy of Shawn Gerber’s TriStrong

I can’t think of another leg exercise that hits every single one of these muscles. Because of this, your thighs grow large, quickly. Want to add inches to your legs as fast as possible? Then you need to do Bulgarian split squats and go heavy. You can close the thigh gap in record time.

A Case for Squats

Now, I’m not saying to stop doing squats. All I’m saying is that you should scrap squats in favor of Bulgarian split squats for your main leg exercise, and then use squats for your accessory leg movement. Basically, do the opposite of what you’re probably currently doing.

Here’s how that might look:

• Main Lift: Bulgarian split squats – 5 sets of 5 reps each leg
• Accessory: Squats – 3 sets of 8–12 reps

Finisher:

• Bulgarian split squats – 1 set of 20 reps on each leg using half the weight you used in your main lift

Work your way up with the Bulgarian split squats. With patience, your balance will come and you’ll be able to add the weight you want. Give them a fair chance and you’ll build bigger and stronger legs in record time.

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I remember when I first started training seriously. I ate to build muscle, and I trained hard in the gym. Over the course of three months, I added 70lb to my bench press, 80lb onto my squat, 100lb onto my deadlift, and I gained 27lb of muscle. I went from skinny-fat to jacked in a matter of 90 days. It was insane. Today I’m going to share with you exactly what you need to do if you’re new to training and want to build muscle, and it only involves four things.

A Simple Full Body Workout

If you’re a newbie, you don’t need to be following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 6-Day Split routine. Instead, you need to train 3 times per week, using a full-body workout consisting of compound movements. Each major compound movement needs to be present in the workout. I recommend choosing one exercise from each movement category:

Horizontal Press

• Push-Up
• Dumbbell Bench Press
• Barbell Bench Press

Horizontal Pull

• Seated Row
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Chest-supported row

Knee-Dominant

• Lunge
• Front squat
• Back Squat
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Zercher Squat

Hip-Dominant

• Deadlift
• Romanian Deadlift
• Single-Leg Deadlift
• Hip Thrust

Vertical Push

• Dumbbell Overhead Press
• Military Overhead Press

Vertical Pull

• Pull-Up
• Lat Pulldown

Choose one exercise from each category, and you’ve built a full body workout. As for sets and reps, use the following for every exercise:

• Day 1: 3 sets of 12 reps
• Day 2: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Day 3: 4 sets of 8 reps

For example, your workout for day one could look like so:

• 1A: 3×12 dumbbell bench press, rest 2min between
• 1B: 3×12 seated cable row, rest 2min between
• 2: 3×12 front squat, rest 3 min between
• 3A: 3×12 lat pulldown, rest 2min between
• 3B: 3×12 dumbbell military press, rest 2min between
• 4: 3×12 hip thrust, rest 3min between

End Your Workouts With Isolation Work

I used to be totally against isolation work for beginners, but then it hit me: if your goal is to build muscle, then you need to know how to feel a muscle working, and learn how to contract that muscle as hard as you can. How do you teach this? Isolation work.

Do 2 sets of 8-12 reps on each exercise. The goal is to contract the working muscle as hard as possible.

Day 1

• Dumbbell lateral raises
• Biceps curls
• Triceps pressdowns

Day 2

• Chest-supported reverse flyes
• Dumbbell chest flyes
• Plank (2 x 60sec)

Day 3

• Calf raises
• Hamstring curls
• Side plank (3 x 30sec holds each side)

Aim For Overload

Every workout, your goal is to get stronger. This is how you progress. Exercises should never feel easy. If it feels easy, you’re not gaining. Each workout, you should aim to do one of the following on every exercise:

• Add weight
• Add reps
• Match your weight and reps from last time

Your goal each and every workout is to beat or tie last workout’s results. So if last time, you bench pressed 100lb for 3 sets of 10 reps (30 total reps), then this time, you should do one of the following:

• 105lb for 3 sets of 10 reps
• 100lb for 3 sets of 11 reps
• 100lb for 3 sets of 10 reps

Eat Enough Calories and Protein

When you’re a newbie, it seems like everything you eat goes towards building muscle. It’s amazing. This means you can get away with eating copious amounts of food, and you’ll build muscle fast. I recommend eating bodyweight x 18 in calories, so if you’re 150lb, you’ll need to eat 2700 calories per day in order to build muscle.

For protein, you want to get a minimum of 1g/lb, so if you’re 150lb, you need at least 150g of protein per day. There is no negotiation here. At first, it’ll seem like a lot. Get over it and just eat it.

With the advice above, you can harness your newbie gains and build an incredible body. All you have to do is use a full-body workout three times per week, end your workouts with isolation work to enhance the mind-muscle connection, always try to add more weight or more reps in order to progress, and eat enough calories and protein to sustain muscle growth. Dedicate yourself to this plan for the next three months, and I guarantee you’ll make some incredible newbie gains.

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Usually, you’ll see me writing an article on how to get bigger and stronger. The thing is, some people don’t want to get bigger. They’re happy with their size, but they just want to get stronger. After all, it’s nice to have something to work towards, and the quest for strength will always be there.

On top of this, some athletes need strength without the added bulk. After all, a powerlifter needs to maximize their strength to weight ratio, and extra bulk on a basketball player could negatively affect vertical jump performance.

Muscle Size and Volume

Before I can teach you how to get stronger without getting bigger, you’ll need to know how to build muscle size.

At its most basic form, training for size involves two variables:

1. Volume (total number of repetitions under adequate load)
2. Excess calories

Generally, increasing training volume will increase your muscle size (assuming you’re able to recover). On top of this, you need to be eating enough food to support weight gain. Combine this with the appropriate training stimulus (volume and tension) and recovery, and you’ll build muscle.

Maximize Strength, Not Muscle

Knowing these two things, we can manipulate training so that you can maximize strength gains while minimizing muscle gains.

The first logical method is to eat calories for maintenance or just below below. If you’re not eating enough calories to support muscle growth, you’ll have a harder time building size (although you can still recomp, meaning you can lose fat and build muscle, but your overall body size will not get much bigger). This means eating bodyweight (in lbs) x 14-15. So if you’re 200lbs, you’ll eat 2800 to 3000 calories per day. If you want to lose weight, eat less than your maintenance calories per day.

This leads us to variable number two: volume. This is a touchy subject because, in order to build strength, you do need some volume. We will call this the minimum effective volume for strength (MEVS).

Contrast this with the minimum volume you need to build muscle. We will call this the minimum effective volume for hypertrophy (MEVH). Depending on how long you’ve been training, your MEVS and your MEVH could be at different levels, or they could be at the same place. If your MEVS equals your MEVH, then you will get stronger and build muscle. If your MEVS is less than your MEVH, then you have some room to work with. Generally, if you’re a beginner, your MEVS will most likely equal your MEVH, and you’re shit out of luck if you only want to get stronger. If you look at this logically, you need muscle to lift a weight.

Obviously, if you want to maximize strength gain while minimizing muscle gain, there is a sweet spot: smack dab between your MEVS and your MEVH.

For example, let’s say your MEVS is 60 reps per week, and your MEVH is 70 reps per week. This means that in order to maximize strength gains while minimizing muscle gains, you’ll need to do between 60-70 reps per week. Depending on your training experience, these numbers could range wildly, and it’s very difficult to calculate.

Intensity Over Volume

To make things very easy, I recommend using a program that focuses on intensity over volume. Programs like 5-3-1 and the 3-day per week DUP Method routine are great for this type of training. You could also try something like this:

Day A: Squat Dominant Day

1. Squat: Work up to your heaviest set of 5 reps, but leave 1 rep in the tank (this means using your 6RM weight). Then, do 1 backoff set of 5 reps using 90% of the weight you just used. For example, you worked up to a heavy set of 5 reps in the squat and used 315lbs (your 6RM is 315lbs). Your next set of squats, you’ll use 280lbs for 5 reps (approx 90% of 315lbs).
2. Bench: 3 sets of 8 reps
3. Deadlift: 2 sets of 10 reps

Day B: Bench Dominant Day

1. Bench: Work up to your heaviest set of 5 reps, but leave 1 rep in the tank (this means using your 6RM weight). Then, do 1 backoff set of 5 reps using 90% of the weight you just used. For example, you worked up to a heavy set of 5 reps in the bench press and used 225lbs (your 6RM is 225lbs). Your next set of bench press, you’ll use 200lbs for 5 reps (approx 90% of 225lbs).
2. Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 reps
3. Squat: 2 sets of 10 reps

Day C: Deadlift Dominant Day

1. Deadlift: Work up to your heaviest set of 5 reps, but leave 1 rep in the tank (this means using your 6RM weight). Then, do 1 backoff set of 5 reps using 90% of the weight you just used. For example, you worked up to a heavy set of 5 reps in the deadlift and used 405lbs (your 6RM is 405). Your next set of deadlifts, you’ll use 365lbs for 5 reps (approx 90% of 405lbs).
2. Squat: 3 sets of 8 reps
3. Bench: 2 sets of 10 reps

Looking at the routine above, you only have about 54 quality reps (7 sets) per exercise per week. We’re focusing on intensity over volume, and trying to spread the volume out across the week in order to focus on intensity and practice the movement. After all, strength is simply practicing a movement under load.

If you’re looking to get stronger without getting bigger, then give this a try.

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Wow, was I ever mistaken. It took me six years to actually get it. Over the course of those six years, I discovered four fitness gems that helped me to both lose fat and gain muscle. These are my top tips for having your own Fast Fat Revolution.

1. Let’s Stop Eating Crap

Every minute it becomes more evident to me that “you are what you eat.” If you eat crap, then you’re going to look like crap. There’s no getting around it (unless you are on some major drugs or hormones). In my first year of university, I cut out all processed foods. This means that if it didn’t grow, swim, fly, or run, then I wouldn’t eat it (occasional epic cheat meals being the exception). This resulted in me gaining 20lbs in three months, and I could actually see my abs for the first time.

This is where things get awkward. It’s simple logic. People know that they shouldn’t be eating crap, but their real dilemma is that they don’t know what crap is. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, allow me to introduce you to Jason Maxwell’s List of Crap:

• Cereal
• Cake
• Cookies
• Chips (that includes corn chips)
• Junk food
• Any condiments that have more than five ingredients
• Most types of commercial bread
• Anything that has ingredients that you’ve never heard of
• Ice cream
• Fruit juice
• Leftover takeout food
• Granola bars
• Microwave Popcorn
• Salad dressings
• Most sauces
• Yogurt with sugar
• Energy drinks
• Anything that makes you feel bloated, tired, or sick afterwards

PLAN OF ACTION: Rid your house of everything on this list and replace it with meat, vegetables, spices, and cold water.

2. I’ll Order a Side of Fasting, Hold the Toast

It’s not called the fast fat revolution for nothing. Skipping breakfast (intermittent fasting) is a great way to keep insulin levels low and increase growth hormone (a potent combination for becoming and staying lean). When it comes to keeping insulin low, nothing is more effective than reducing carb intake.

When carb intake is low (or non-existent via skipping breakfast), the body will convert fat to usable energy. As soon as you ingest carbs, your body will release insulin, and the carbs will be converted into energy. Any excess glucose in the blood will then be stored as fat. Skipping breakfast is a sneaky way to keep insulin levels low, and to tell your body to use stored fat as fuel. Think about it this way – when you’re not eating anything at all, your body isn’t ingesting carbs, and your insulin levels aren’t being unnecessarily spiked.

Research shows that fasting (skipping breakfast) will also increase growth hormone output. Think of growth hormone as a lean hormone. It promotes muscle, bone, and organ growth, frees fat from fat cells for the muscle and heart to use, and helps muscle cells use ingested protein. Having more growth hormone is good news when more muscle and less fat is your goal.

PLAN OF ACTION: Skip breakfast daily and decrease starchy carb intake. If you have a history of battling eating disorders, then it’s not a good idea to skip breakfast (as you will risk triggering your old behaviors). In that case, just reduce starchy carb intake.

3. Fat Loss Before Muscle Gain

Should you bulk then cut, or should you cut then bulk? The answer is the latter (but both can be done at the same time if you prioritize fat loss). Research shows that there is a direct correlation between low body fat levels and increased insulin sensitivity. If insulin sensitivity is high, then the levels of insulin will be kept low in your blood stream. When you ingest carbs, an optimal amount of insulin will be used to store those carbs as muscle glycogen. The end result is more muscle and less fat gained. This is why you should always get lean before putting on muscle.

PLAN OF ACTION: Prioritize fat loss in initial phases of training and transition into phases of muscle gain. Generally, if your body fat percentage is under 12% (in males), and 19% (in females), then you are a good candidate for gaining muscle.

4. Don’t Stress Out

One of the symptoms of being skinny fat is having high levels of stress. When you are stressed out, your body produces a hormone called cortisol. Excess levels of cortisol causes you to store belly fat, lose sleep at night, and a host of other problems.

What can we do to decrease the stress in our lives (and effectively lower cortisol levels)? Start out by taking a deep belly breath during times of high stress. Now, I know that everyone recommends this, but there’s a catch. You have to tell yourself, “Soon, it will all be over.” Seriously, if something bad happens, it will all be over soon, and afterwards you will be happy and stress free. Your mind has the ability to rid you of most stress. Never underestimate the powers of the mind.

If you are looking for a supplement to help with stress, then you cannot go wrong with magnesium. Studies show the body uses magnesium to help detoxify cortisol. People who take magnesium also report levels of increased relaxation.

PLAN OF ACTION: In times of stress, tell yourself, “Soon, it will all be over.” Also, try supplementing with magnesium daily.

Lose Fat, Gain Muscle

In our modern day society, it seems like this is the ultimate goal. Yet, there are a few steps that need to be taken that usually get skipped. If you want to lose the body fat, get lean, and build some muscle, you should try to eat less crap, workout for a priority in fat loss and transition into gaining muscle (once you are lean enough), skip breakfast, reduce carb intake, and lose the stress in your life. This, my friends, is your fast fat revolution.

References:

1. Foster, G. “A Randomized Trial of a Low-carbohydrate Diet for Obesity.” ACC Current Journal Review 12.4 (2003): 29.

2. Ho, K. Y., J. D. Veldhuis, M. L. Johnson, R. Furlanetto, W. S. Evans, K. G. Alberti, and M. O. Thorner. “Fasting Enhances Growth Hormone Secretion and Amplifies the Complex Rhythms of Growth Hormone Secretion in Man.” Journal of Clinical Investigation 81.4 (1988): 968-75.

3. “Hypoglycemia: A Potent Stimulus to Secretion of Growth Hormone.” Science. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://www.sciencemag.org/content/140/3570/987.short>.

4. Rattarasarn, C. “Relationships of Body Fat Distribution, Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Lean, Healthy Non-diabetic Thai Men and Women.” Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 60.2 (2003): 87-94.

5. Rayssiguier, R., Libako, P., Nowacki, W., Rock, E. Magnesium Deficiency and Metabolic Syndrome: Stress and Inflammation May Reflect Calcium Activation. Magnesium Research. 2010. 23(2), 73-80.

6. Talbott, Shawn M. The Cortisol Connection: Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health – and What You Can Do about It. Alameda, CA: Hunter House, 2002.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

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People are cruel. If people find out that you don’t eat breakfast purposely they will look down upon you and aim malicious verbal intents directly at your soul. You could be totally ripped and that person could be a fat slob, and he/she will still feel right. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, remember?

If you’re bold enough, you will listen to all the negative comments left, right, and center. If you’re not, there’s always the option to pass on invites to breakfast, brunch, and lunch, and instead sit at home sipping on green tea and watching the Olympics.

Both options are ridiculous (even though the Olympics are awesome). That’s why intermittent fasting (IF) is stupid. I should know. I’ve been doing it for over a year and have written more than a few articles on the subject. Anyone can do a Google search on IF and find a plethora of ways to not eat – it’s pretty simple. The real problem is that society doesn’t approve of it, and that’s where things get a little tricky.

This article is all about weaseling your way into having a social life and not being frowned upon for your food choices (or lack thereof in this case). Let’s gossip, shall we?

Don’t Tell People You’re Fasting

I remember reading on Dan Go’s blog a while ago that he will avoid telling people he is fasting at all costs. This is such a simple way to not have the subject brought up. If people find out you are purposely not eating, they will let you know how ridiculous you are.

I’ve had to deal with this many times. Too many, actually. For some strange reason, my girlfriend (who is a very amazing and lovely woman) loves to tell people that I don’t eat breakfast. I’ve told people why more times than I’ve showered in the past year (and I have very exceptional hygiene). Luckily, I’ve learned some excuses that people will accept when the cat gets out of the bag.

Your Excuses

• “I’m just not that hungry in the morning” – I’ve found about half of people will accept this answer. Surprisingly, a lot of people aren’t hungry in the morning and can relate. For the other half, you need a better excuse.
• “I’m detoxing.” – Thanks to the media, people know that detoxing is healthy for the body. Whether or not people will agree with the claim, it’s socially acceptable to cleanse your body of all toxins. Personally, I think that intermittent fasting is an amazing tool for daily detoxing, so I have no problem giving this answer.

Whatever excuse you choose, always be polite, sincere, and say it with a smile.

Social Situations

When people invite you out for breakfast, you can go. Just because you don’t eat breakfast, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the company of your friends and family. Go, and order either water with lemon, tea, or coffee. People love their morning cup of Joe.

When asked why you’re not ordering (since this is bound to happen), use one of the two excuses above. Just last week, I was on a full-day fast, and my lovely girlfriend let the cat out of the bag again. This time, I used both of the excuses above, but my breakfast party didn’t budge.

For some reason, they really felt strongly about the subject and wanted me to order something to eat. Luckily, I was quick on my feet and said, “It’s more important for me to see you guys and enjoy your company than it is to actually order food. I’m very happy with my lemon water and our good conversation.” It worked. Next subject please.

Likewise, we can’t overlook the second most popular beverage in human history: alcohol. No doubt about it, people get invited out for drinks all the time. We all know this. Accept it. While it may not be a problem for some people, there is always the chance that you will get invited to drinks on days you are doing a full-day fast.

No sweat; I have a solution. If you are at a loud bar, drink water with a lime in a fancy glass. People will assume you are drinking a gin and tonic. If people are with you at a table while you are ordering, you can still order this drink, but get ready for the age old question, “Why aren’t you drinking, Jason?” Just tell them you don’t feel like drinking, or that your stomach is bothering you. (And also that your name isn’t Jason.) If they’re cool, they’ll understand.

Your Fasting Solutions

So there you go, a handful of tips that continue to form my fasting habits and social interactions each and every day:

1. First, never tell people you are fasting. That is a no-no.
2. If the secret is let loose, tell people you’re not hungry or that you’re detoxing. Smile.
3. Sometimes, people will insist you order food. Embrace their company instead while sipping on your coffee.
4. When interaction is accompanied with alcohol, your fake gin and tonic will come in handy. Remember, people just don’t feel like drinking sometimes. It’s okay.

If all else fails, the Olympics coverage is still on for the next week. Just don’t run out of green tea.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

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When carb and calorie cycling, there are four types of days you can include: low carb/high fat (LCHF), moderate carb/moderate fat (MCMF), high carb-low fat (HCLF), and full day fasts (FDF). Each of these days has its own rules for what to eat and how to train. With the exception of FDF, protein is kept high every day (BW x 1-1.5 for males; use 0.8 for females). For example, a 200lb male would eat 200-300g of protein per day, while a 125lb female would eat 100g.

LCHF Days

This is how you will eat on non-workout days, or days that you do interval training. Think of it as a fat loss day. On this day, you will not eat any starchy carbohydrates and will limit fruit consumption to just berries and/or apples. Eat a higher amount of healthy fats on this day (nut butters, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.).

MCMF Days

This is how you will eat on days that you lift weights. Treat this as a day to build a bit of muscle. The first meal after your workout, include two to four palm-sized servings of starchy carbohydrates. Eat a normal amount of healthy fats with each meal (except after your workout). Limit fruit consumption to two servings of fruit.

HCLF Days

I only recommend including this day once per week. This day needs to be treated as a massive muscle-building day. This is the best day of the cycle, and will work best on the day that you have your hardest workout (usually heavy lower body lifts, or a full body workout). On this day, eat starchy carbohydrates (two to three palm-sized servings) with every meal after your workout (also known as carb backloading). Feel free to eat as much fruit as you want. Try to workout before 6:00pm. Ingest as little fat as possible this day (take your normal amount of fats from supplements such as fish oil, though).

FDF

A full day fast is pretty much exactly how it sounds. Eat nothing this day, and do not go to the gym. Sip on BCAAs (BW x 0.2g) and a greens drink throughout the day. If you have work to do, get it done this day because you will be super productive. Do whatever you can to keep your mind off of food. Trust me, this is important. The FDF needs to be included for three reasons: it keeps average caloric intake low, it keeps insulin levels low, and it helps you to produce more growth hormone. These three things are all crucial when it comes to losing fat and gaining muscle.

How the Cycle Works

First of all, this cycle prioritizes fat loss over muscle gain. Why? We want to maximize your control over insulin, first and foremost. You see, insulin is a storage hormone. When there is glucose in the blood, insulin is released to store the glucose as glycogen in either fat, muscle, or the liver. As you start to get leaner, studies show that your body is better at controlling your levels of insulin. This means that it will be easier for you to get leaner while building muscle. In the end, our goal is to get as much glucose stored in the muscle (instead of fat cells) as possible.

It is easiest to control insulin by carb intake. If eaten before a workout, carbs are most likely converted to glucose and stored in fat cells. On the contrary, after a workout they are converted to glucose and used for muscle storage and repair. This, my friends, is your secret weapon.

The Fat Loss Battle

Fat loss is a battle, and you have to treat it like one. You will know that you are losing fat when your body starts to crave different foods more often. For example, I always know that I’m losing fat when I start to crave nut butters.

With that being said, obviously, you need to decrease the total amount of calories you eat per week. For most people, this can easily be achieved by eating no starchy carbs and small amounts of fruit on LCHF days, as well as incorporating full day fasts. This is also known as a ketogenic style of eating. Every meal will consist of a good amount of protein, veggies, and a serving of healthy fat.

On MCMF days, you will only eat starchy carbs your first meal post workout. Don’t be skimpy on the amount of carbs you eat in this meal. Enjoy them. You earned them. A good starting point is BW x 0.5 grams. For example, a 200lb male would eat 100g of carbs in this post workout meal. For more aggressive fat loss, use BW x 0.25.

If you are already moderately lean (under 15% BF for men, and under 20% BF for women), your goal is only to be losing 1 to 2 pounds per week (excluding the first week). If you continue to drop weight too fast, either replace your FDF day with a LCHF day, or slightly increase the amount of fat you are eating on LCHF days. This ensures safe and sustainable weight/fat loss.

Your Ultimate Weekly Schedule

Below, I’ve included a weekly schedule to show you how the carb and calorie cycling will look combined with your training.

Getting the Scale to Go in the Right Direction

To ensure that you are primarily in fat loss mode to start, I would highly recommend daily intermittent fasting with an approximate 16/8 fasting to eating ratio (Leangains style). This is a great way to stay compliant, and lower daily caloric intake.

Once you are relatively lean – below 10% for males and below 15% for females, then you can start to prioritize muscle gain. The easiest way to do this is to replace the FDF with a LCHF day. Voila: instant weight gain.

Conclusion

When it comes to controlling body composition, carb and calorie cycling is the way to go. Combine this with daily intermittent fasting, and you are sure to be lean, compliant, and an overall badass. Reward yourself for lifting weights by eating carbs. You have to earn them.

References:

1. Berkhan, Martin. “The Leangains Guide.” Intermittent Fasting Diet for Fat Loss, Muscle Gain and Health. Leangains.com, 14 Apr. 2010. Web. 03 May 2012.

2. Foster, G. ìA Randomized Trial of a Low-carbohydrate Diet for Obesity.î ACC Current Journal Review 12.4 (2003): 29.

3. Ho, K. Y., J. D. Veldhuis, M. L. Johnson, R. Furlanetto, W. S. Evans, K. G. Alberti, and M. O. Thorner. “Fasting Enhances Growth Hormone Secretion and Amplifies the Complex Rhythms of Growth Hormone Secretion in Man.” Journal of Clinical Investigation 81.4 (1988): 968-75.

4. Rattarasarn, C. “Relationships of Body Fat Distribution, Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Lean, Healthy Non-diabetic Thai Men and Women.” Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 60.2 (2003): 87-94.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Build Lean Muscle with Intermittent Fasting, Carb and Calorie Cycling appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

There I was: sitting at the table, staring at my empty plate. Like the plate, I was inanimate, unable to move. It makes a lot of sense, though. I just downed a full pepperoni pizza with extra cheese, a half dozen sour cream-glazed donuts, and a piece of unsatisfying, store-bought cheesecake.

Before eating this meal, I thought of it as epic. After? Evil. Looking back on this meal (and many more like it), I realize how foolish I was. Back then, cheat days were a way to eat every single thing I knew I couldn’t have while dieting. The foods I ate would bring me back to my childhood. The only difference is that everything I ate in my childhood would be somehow eaten in a single cheat day (sometimes a single meal). As you can probably imagine, I was a fat child. Now, I’m a fat kid in a fit body.

Why Cheat?

When dieting for fat loss, average intake of carbohydrates and calories tend to be low. Over time, your body realizes it is taking in fewer calories than it is burning. In turn, it will try to balance calories-in versus calories-out by becoming more efficient and your metabolism drops. This is not good when fat loss is the goal. Cheat days will trick the body into thinking it is getting enough calories (if not too many) and the body will then ignite its fat burning metabolism.

Mentally, cheating is a great way to incorporate foods you would not normally eat. Nothing is ever off limits; there are just better times to eat certain foods.

My Cheat Day Approach

Over the past few years, my philosophy for cheat days has changed. It has evolved from an all-out binge to a scientific approach to building more muscle, and reducing all the negative effects such as fat storage and feeling like absolute garbage.

On cheat days, I will still fast in the morning. During this time, I will drink lots of water and green tea, and prepare for the day to come (i.e., buy some pastries from the Farmer’s Market). Near the end of the fast, I will work out.

The purpose of the workout is to deplete muscular glycogen and activate the glucose transporters in the muscle (GLUT4 and GLUT12). When activated and in the presence of glucose, GLUT4 and GLUT12 will move glucose from the blood into the muscle.

My Cheat Day Muscle Building Workout

Peri-Workout Supplementation

• Before: 5 g of BCAAs, 200mg Caffeine
• During: 5-10 g of BCAAs
• After: 5-15 g of BCAAs, 200mg Caffeine

The purpose of the amino acids is to slightly increase growth hormone and provide the body with ample amino acids in its system to help initiate protein synthesis. On the other hand, the caffeine is used to decrease insulin sensitivity.

Now, this may seem strange, as most experts recommend that you want your body to be as sensitive to insulin as possible. Yet, when the body is sensitive to insulin, this includes the liver, muscle, and fat. If we decrease sensitivity to insulin by ingesting caffeine, and combine this with activating GLUT4 and GLUT12, then the probability of blood glucose being stored as muscle instead of fat is greatly increased. This is a basic principle in John Kiefer’s Carb Backloading (which I highly recommend).

Now that we’ve covered the workout and supplementation, let’s get into the good stuff: eating.

Time to Eat

Since it’s a cheat day, the only foods I recommend to avoid are ones that are processed. In other words, stay away from McDonald’s and any other packaged treats you will find at the grocery store. To be clear, I’m not saying avoid hamburgers, doughnuts, and cookies. All I’m saying is to not have them in their processed forms. This means you will want your cheat foods to be homemade, and should buy them from bakeries, restaurants, and the grandmothers at Farmer’s Markets.

The Secret to Not Feeling Terrible

In order to prevent yourself from feeling terrible from all the cheat foods that you eat, you need to compromise and eat raw, fermented sauerkraut before each meal. This will provide your body with probiotics that will aid in digestion of all the terrible things (and by “terrible,” I mean “delicious”) that are about to hit your stomach. If I ever had a number one tip, this would be it. It’s that good.

Building More Muscle

To make sure the food will continue to go towards building muscle instead of stored fat, it is a good idea to be “pulsing” your body with 5g of BCAAs every 2 hours. This will keep growth hormone higher and give momentum to protein synthesis. If the cheat foods you select do not contain protein, you may want to consider adding in a couple scoops of whey isolate into the mix, but that is your choice.

An Example Cheat Day

• 8:00am – Wakeup, drink a bunch of water.
• 10:00am – Go to Farmer’s Market, buy a pie, tarts, and cookies (all homemade).
• 1:00pm – Workout, follow peri-workout supplementation.
• 2:00pm – Eat a few forkfuls of sauerkraut. Go to restaurant and order pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato fries.
• 3:00pm – Eat full pecan pie.
• 4:00pm – Drink 5g of BCAAs in water.
• 4:30pm – Eat a few forkfuls of sauerkraut, then 6 peanut butter chocolate cookies crushed up in homemade vanilla ice cream with maple syrup poured over top. Drink 40g of whey isolate in water on side.
• 6:00pm – Drink 5g of BCAAs in water.
• 8:00pm – Drink 5g of BCAAs in water. Eat a few forkfuls of sauerkraut then make bacon and egg sandwiches out of a pound of bacon, homemade bread, free-range eggs, and local cheeses. Have a nice dessert consisting of a few tarts, more ice cream, and an apple turnover.
• 10:00pm – Drink 5g of BCAAs in water. Eat a few forkfuls of sauerkraut then eat another tart.
• 12:00am – Go to bed satisfied.

As you can see, there are few foods off-limits and you are totally allowed to stuff your face. As long as you fast, workout, and take the supplements I recommend, you will ignite your metabolism, build more muscle, and store minimal (if any) fat on your cheat day. Follow the few rules, try out my recommendations.

Just don’t make me too hungry, got it? Good.

The post How to Rock a Cheat Day (Without Feeling Bad or Getting Fat) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Personally, I’ve been practicing various forms with myself and my clients. While it’s generally pretty great, I have found it isn’t for everybody. In this article, the two forms of fasting I will breakdown for you are Full day fasts (FDF) and daily fasts. I will discuss the pros and cons of each, and how it can be directly applied to athletes.

Full Day Fast (FDF)

Full day fasts are when you abstain from eating for a 24-hour period. For example, let’s say you eat your last meal on a Saturday at 10:00pm; the next time you would eat would be at 10:00pm on Sunday. During these food-free 24 hours, your body will experience benefits such as higher growth hormone levels, detoxification of the liver, decreased inflammation, and a lower weekly caloric intake (obviously).

The purpose of including a full day fast is to help your body to recover from the week’s mini-injuries and joint pain. It is also very beneficial for athletes who are in weight classes and need to maintain a low body weight or low body fat levels.

During the FDF, your body needs to relax. This means minimal activity (walking, enjoying yourself outside, etc.), and all the naps you desire. When you are not relaxing, I often recommend trying to keep busy, as your mind will be laser sharp and productive. Also, keeping busy is a great way to shroud the thoughts of food from your mind.

The only problem with FDFs is they are sometimes too effective at keeping your bodyweight low. This means some athletes may see their body weight drop too rapidly. Sometimes, too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

How to do it:

When incorporating FDFs into your eating schedule, I only recommend including them once every seven days. The reason behind this is because athletes are generally very active, and you need to allow minimal activity during FDFs. Since all athletes should have at least one full rest day per week, the FDF and a weekly full rest day go hand-in-hand. When breaking the FDF, it is best to have one small meal consisting of fat and vegetables. This will ensure that you ingest minimal calories, keep insulin, low, and allow your body to use the fat as energy.

Who it’s for: Weight class athletes, martial artists, sprinters, endurance athletes

Who it’s not for: Football linemen, athletes who have a hard time keeping weight on

Daily Fasts

When most people think of daily fasts, Martin Berkhan’s LeanGains comes to mind. Berkhan’s proposal of a 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour eating window is excellent for athletic performance, although the main reason may not be the one that you initially believed. During daily fasts, the laser sharp focus your brain experiences should be taken advantage of and used for increased concentration during sports or even weight training. This translates to improved performance such as fewer errors, quicker reaction times, smarter choices, and (in some cases) quicker strength gains.

How to do it: 

I recommend skipping breakfast daily and break your fast 6-8 hours after you wake up. The reason for this is that it is easier to fall asleep at night if you are satiated rather than hungry. More sleep translates into better recovery. If you have sports practice during the fasting period, it is definitely advised to supplement with branched chain amino acids (BCAAs).

Depending on your body size and the intensity of your sport, I recommend the following dosages:

• Before practice: 5 g of BCAAs
• During practice: 5-10 g of BCAAs
• After practice: 5-15 g of BCAAs

If you have a game or competition during your fasting period, then there are a few different rules. Since the nature of the competition is generally more intense (physically, mentally, and hormonally), you will need to ingest a small amount of calories into the body. This can be achieved with both BCAAs and a simple sugar (such as dextrose).

The following dosages are recommended:

• Before practice: 5 g of BCAAs
• During practice: 5-10 g of BCAAs, 25-75 g of dextrose
• After practice: 5-15 g of BCAAs, 50-150 g of dextrose

These dosages are recommended for all athletes except the ones who participate in endurance sports (long distance running, triathlon etc.). Competing in endurance sport during the fast is highly contraindicated. As you may know, endurance activity yields a need for immediate energy. During the fast, your body converts stored body fat into usable energy. It is a slow, but efficient process. Although this is usually beneficial, endurance sports demand a quicker method of obtaining energy. This method comes from digesting food.

Who it’s for: Athletes who could benefit from increased concentration and focus

Who it’s not for: In-competition endurance athletes

Conclusion

In conclusion, FDFs are great for maintaining a lower bodyweight, while daily fasts contribute to increased focus and performance on the field and in the weight room. If you have the willpower, give intermittent fasting a try and you will reap the benefits that both methods have to offer.

The post Intermittent Fasting For Athletes: The Why and How appeared first on Breaking Muscle.