Category Archives: Lean Gains: Plans, Journal & Results

LeanGains Journal: Round IV

Week 1: June 9 – 15, 2013

Diet

Had some difficulty hitting my caloric goals on individual days, but my kCals for the tracked period was spot on.

Carbs (g) Protein (g) Fat   (g) Calories Eaten
Average 247 189 43  2108 kCal
Rest Day 34 192 79  1637 kCal
Training 300 189 34  2226 kCal
Total v. Goal +2% +8% -11%1

Fat intake was quite low, but not concerned

Training

  • Week 1 Training Log
    • First week of 5/3/1 training schedule. The volume of the squats workout made for a very painful week. DOMS last until Friday
  • HITT Training
    • Bike Phase 1 – 6/9
    • Bike Phase 1 – 6/11
  • Hike
    • Hulda Crooks Exploration (aka getting lost) || 6.7 mi || 127 BPM || moderate hills || 15 lb

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LeanGains Results: Round III

Intro

Here is my 3rd cycle of using the LeanGains (LG) style of eating for the purpose of fat loss. My first two cycles are documented here:
LeanGains Results: Round I
LeanGains Results: Round II

If you are unfamiliar with LeanGains and/or Intermittent Fasting, I recommend that you take a look at those posts and the links contained within. Unless noted otherwise, I followed the same principles/procedures/methods contained within those documents.

Background

After 2 successful cycles of cutting on LG, I decided to follow that up with:
4 weeks Lean Bulking
4 weeks (slow) Cutting

My Plan & Goals

My plan for this cycle is documented here: LeanGains Plan: Round III.

Goal-wise I wanted to lower my body fat percentage to 7-8%. I estimated (through the use of online calculators) that my final measurements would be approximately 168 lbs a 30″ waist. To measure body fat percentage, I would use three methods: IFCalculatorSkinfold (suprailliac site only) and Naval Research Method. I would take the average of these three methods and use that number as my body fat percentage.

Working Towards a Goal

During this time period, I kept a journal to keep track of my progress and to make writing this entry easier. Instead of simply re-posting all of that information, here is a link to the entry: LeanGains Journal: Round III

Some things worth noting:

  • Weeks 2 & 3
    • we had visitors, so I was lenient with my diet
  • Week 3
    • Shoulder pain – took easy on OHP weeks 4-8
  • Week 5
    • Was planning on starting slow cut, but manual labor made it tough
  • Week 6
    • week off of diet due to visitors/manual labor. Pushed fast to normal time, but ate with family when I did eat. Did not track anything
  • Week 7
    • experimented with extending my fast to 18 hrs per day to help reduce calories/hunger
  • Week 8
    • decided to extend this cycle to 10-12 weeks
    • continued to extend fasting period
    • altered macros – reduced protein intake on training days -replaced with carbs
  • Week 9
    • mid-week cheat day, so restricted intake on most days to minimize the effects
    • Set PRs for hiking distance, weighted chins, squats, deadlifts, OHP, & neutral grip dumbell bench press
  • Week 10
    • Sick
      • wasn’t able to workout or follow diet closely
      • decided to end the cycle at 10 weeks

Results

My goal for the this period was:

Increase strength levels while maintaining or improving current body fat percentage over 8 weeks (03/24/13 – 05/19/13)
Target (guesstimate) – 168.0 lbs w/ 30” waist ~ 7-8% bodyfat

In the end I extended the cycle by two weeks (10 total) due to some unexpected breaks from the diet. During this extended period,  I was able to decrease by body fat % to around 8% (per my methods of measurements) and I was able to increase my strength level for my lifts. My estimate ending weight was accurate, but my waist measurement was higher than expected. I wanted to push the cut two more weeks (in the hopes of getting below 8%), but being sick made this tough.

Body Measurements

     Starting
Week of 03/24/13
Ending
(06/05/13)
Difference
Weight  167   168 + 1 lb
Waistline 31.04″ 30.56″ -.48 “
Average Body Fat %*  9.26%  8.1%** -1.16%
Lean Body Mass (LBM)  151.5 lbs  154.4 lbs  +2.9 lbs***
 Lbs of Body Fat  15.5 lbs  13.6 lbs  -1.9 lbs

*Average body fat % is the average of the following methods: IFCalculatorSkinfold (suprailliac site only) and Naval Research Method. The individual measurements for each of these methods can been seen in Appendix I. This number is the average of the measurement taken over 3 days.
**This number seems low to me, but I attained it using the same methods that I started the cycle with. For the sake of consistency, I am using this number.
***This number seems really high to me, however I did lose .5″ off my waist and my weight stayed nearly the same.  An increase in LBM could explain this. 

Strength Measurements

Exercise Begin
Estimated 1RM*
End
Estimated 1RM*
Difference
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 113 lbs 126 lbs  +13 lbs
Barbell Dead Lift 335 lbs 385 lbs  +50 lbs
Barbell Squat 230 lbs 290 lbs +60 lbs
Chin-Ups (weighted) 250 lbs 255 lbs +5 lbs
Standing Overhead Press (OHP) 130 lbs 145 lbs  +15 lbs

*1 Rep Max is calculated using the 1RM Calculator,  Bench Press Calculator or Strength Standards.

Conclusions/Thoughts:

During this cycle I learned some new things, as well as reinforced some of the things I observed previously.

Key Points:

  • I have read in a few places that is it recommend to do LG in 10 week cycles, especially on a cut. You cut for 8 weeks, follow by 2 weeks of eating at TDEE. Personally, I feel that this would be more effective:
    • 4 weeks LG, 1 week of TDEE, 4 weeks LG, 1 week of TDEE (deload for lifting also)
  • I really need to track supplement and water intake. I’ve been putting this off for months and have started having shoulder pain again.
  • Getting sicks really interferes with this diet:
    • Break fast early to take medication
    • I add weight quickly because I find myself eating ‘comfort’ foods
    • I wanted to push the cut for 1-2 more weeks, but ended the cycle due to being sick.
      • without this setback, I believe I would’ve dipped below 8% (per my methods of measurement)
    • I believe my methods of measuring body fat percentage are giving me numbers that are artificially low, but my methods have been consistent. I’m not sure how to fix this problem.

 What’s Next?

I am taking a short break (6/5/13-6/8/13) from tracking kCals and macros, while I recover from a cold. During this time period, I will decide what my next 10-12 weeks will consist of.



Appendix 1

Body Measurements (Starting)
Weight: ~167 lbs (3/24-3/26)
Bodyfat per http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/: 10.0% (31.04” waist at navel, 3/24-3/26)
Bodyfat per skin-fold test: 9.4% (6 mm at suprailliac site, 3/24-3/26)
Bodyfat per Navel research method: 8.37% (3/24-3/26)
Average Body fat: 9.26%

Body Measurements (Ending)
Weight: ~168 lbs (average measurement  6/2-6/4)
Bodyfat per http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/: 8.7% (30.56” average measurement 6/2-6/4)
Bodyfat per skin-fold test: 8.39% (5.17 mm at suprailliac site average measurement 6/2-6/4)
Bodyfat per Naval research method: 7.14% (average measurement  6/2-6/4)
Average Body fat: 8.08%

Body Fat Percentage (click for large image)

Strength Measurements

Exercise Starting
1RM Estimate*
Ending
1RM Estimate*
Difference
Weight Lifted
(date)
Weight Lifted
(date)
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 116 lbs 126 lbs +10 lbs
or
+ 4 reps
100 lbs x 4 reps
(02/27/13)
 100 lbs x 8 reps
(05/22/13)
Barbell Dead Lift 355 lbs 385 lbs +30 lbs
275 lbs x 9 reps
(03/08/13)
 345 lbs x 3 reps
(05/24/13)
Barbell Squat 230 lbs 290 lbs +60 lbs
185 lbs x 8 reps
(03/03/13)
265 lbs x 4 reps
(05/20/13)
Chin-Ups (weighted)** 250 lbs  255 lbs +5 lbs
(BW + 70 lbs) x 3 reps
(03/04/13)
(BW + 80 lbs) x 2 reps
(05/20/13)
Standing Overhead Press (OHP)*** 130 lbs 145 lbs +15 lbs
115 lbs x 5 reps
(03/06/13)
 120 lbs x 6 reps
(05/22/13)

5/3/1 Big But Boring Example Routine

Day 1
Overhead Press
Day 2
Deadlift
Day 3
Bench Press
Day 4
Squats
Warm Up 50 lbs x 5 140 lbs x 5 95 lbs x 5 110 lbs x 5
65 lbs x 5 175 lbs x 5 120 lbs x 5 135 lbs x 5
80 lbs x 3 205 lbs x 3 145 lbs x 3 165 lbs x 3
5/3/1 85 lbs x 5 225 lbs x 5 155 lbs x 5 180 lbs x 5
100 lbs x 5 260 lbs x 5 180 lbs x 5 205 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 5+ 295 lbs x 5+ 205 lbs x 5+ 230 lbs x 5+
Big But Boring 5 x 10 at 65 lbs 5 x 10 at 175 lbs 5 x 10 at 120 lbs 5 x 10 at 135 lbs
Chin-ups – 5 x 10 Hanging Leg Raise – 5 x 10 Dumbbell Row – 5 x 10 Leg Curl – 5 x 10

 

Week 2

Day 1
Overhead Press
Day 2
Deadlift
Day 3
Bench Press
Day 4
Squats
Warm Up 50 lbs x 5 140 lbs x 5 95 lbs x 5 110 lbs x 5
65 lbs x 5 175 lbs x 5 120 lbs x 5 135 lbs x 5
80 lbs x 3 205 lbs x 3 145 lbs x 3 165 lbs x 3
5/3/1 90 lbs x 3 240 lbs x 3 170 lbs x 3 190 lbs x 3
105 lbs x 3 275 lbs x 3 195 lbs x 3 220 lbs x 3
120 lbs x 3+ 310 lbs x 3+ 215 lbs x 3+ 245 lbs x 3+
Big But Boring 5 x 10 at 65 lbs 5 x 10 at 175 lbs 5 x 10 at 120 lbs 5 x 10 at 135 lbs
Chin-ups – 5 x 10 Hanging Leg Raise – 5 x 10 Dumbbell Row – 5 x 10 Leg Curl – 5 x 10

 

Week 3

Day 1
Overhead Press
Day 2
Deadlift
Day 3
Bench Press
Day 4
Squats
Warm Up 50 lbs x 5 140 lbs x 5 95 lbs x 5 110 lbs x 5
65 lbs x 5 175 lbs x 5 120 lbs x 5 135 lbs x 5
80 lbs x 3 205 lbs x 3 145 lbs x 3 165 lbs x 3
5/3/1 100 lbs x 5 260 lbs x 5 180 lbs x 5 205 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3 295 lbs x 3 205 lbs x 3 230 lbs x 3
125 lbs x 1+ 330 lbs x 1+ 230 lbs x 1+ 260 lbs x 1+
Big But Boring 5 x 10 at 65 lbs 5 x 10 at 175 lbs 5 x 10 at 120 lbs 5 x 10 at 135 lbs
Chin-ups – 5 x 10 Hanging Leg Raise – 5 x 10 Dumbbell Row – 5 x 10 Leg Curl – 5 x 10

 

Week 4

Day 1
Overhead Press
Day 2
Deadlift
Day 3
Bench Press
Day 4
Squats
Warm Up 50 lbs x 5 140 lbs x 5 95 lbs x 5 110 lbs x 5
65 lbs x 5 175 lbs x 5 120 lbs x 5 135 lbs x 5
80 lbs x 3 205 lbs x 3 145 lbs x 3 165 lbs x 3
5/3/1 50 lbs x 5 140 lbs x 5 95 lbs x 5 110 lbs x 5
65 lbs x 5 175 lbs x 5 120 lbs x 5 135 lbs x 5
80 lbs x 5 205 lbs x 5 145 lbs x 5 165 lbs x 5
Big But Boring 5 x 10 at 65 lbs 5 x 10 at 175 lbs 5 x 10 at 120 lbs 5 x 10 at 135 lbs
Chin-ups – 5 x 10 Hanging Leg Raise – 5 x 10 Dumbbell Row – 5 x 10 Leg Curl – 5 x 10

LeanGains Journal: Round III

Week 1: Mar 24 – Mar 30, 2013

Diet

First week back to counting calories and carb/fat cycling. I’ve enjoyed the increase in calories over the previous cycle, but having a hard times dealing with carb cravings (grains & starches).

Diet-wise, I treated M, W, F as training days, but planned to train M, T, W. Due to schedule issues, I  needed to train at the beginning of the week, but wanted to carb load the day before my hike.

Carbs (g) Protein (g) Fat   (g) Calories Eaten
Average 217 192 71  2219 kCal
Rest Day 82 191 99  1949 kCal
Training 352 194 42  2489 kCal
Total v. Goal -2%
-1% +4%1 -1%

Fat is within acceptable range, but I would like to reduce it, or maybe start tracking good fat v. bad fat

Training

  • Week 1 Training Log
    • Deload week and moved leg workouts to beginning of week (hike Saturday)
  • Hike
    • Skyline Trail || 11.1 mi, 8000 ft climbing || 8h 45m || 135 Average BPM || 25 lb pack

Continue reading

LeanGains Plan: Round III

Goal

Increase strength levels while maintaining or improving current body fat percentage over 8 weeks (03/24/13 – 05/19/13)

Target (guesstimate) – 168.0 lbs w/ 30” waist ~ 7-8% bodyfat

Current Measurements

Body
Weight: ~168 lbs
Waist: 31.0625″
Body fat per http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/: 10.1%
Body fat per skin-fold test: 9.4% (6 mm at suprailliac site on 3/25/13)
Body fat per Navel research method: 8.43%
Average Body fat: 9.31%

Strength
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press: 100 x 6 reps ~ 116 lb 1RM (measured 03/20/12)
Dead Lifts: 275 x 12 reps ~ 380 lb 1RM (measured 03/14/13)
Squats: 205 lbs x 8 reps ~ 255 lb 1RM (measured  03/18/13)
Weighted Chins: BW(167 lbs) + 70 lbs x 3 reps ~ 250 lb 1RM (measured  03/04/13)
Weighted Dips: BW(167 lbs) + 50 lbs x 8 reps ~ 269 lb 1RM (measured  03/08/13)
Standing Overhead Press: 115 lbs x 5 reps (03/20/13)

Plan

Intermittent Fasting and Reverse Pyramid Training per LeanGains approach.

Diet 
Caloric and macronutrient intake calculated by http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/ with custom adjustments (minimum 180 g protein per day). This round will include two different cycles – a 4 week lean massing cycle and a 4 week cut.

Cycle 1: Lean Massing (03/24 – 04/20)

Rest Days

  • Eat at -10% TDEE (2000 kCals)
  • 25/75 carb to fat or .30P/.57C/.13F
  • Daily Intake 2000 kcal / 195 g protein / 80 g carbs / 100 g fat
  • First meal  – 1000 kcal / 100 g protein / 40 g carbs / 50 g fat
  • Carb Intake
    • will try to limit it to less than 80 grams and make up difference by eating more protein
    • avoiding starchy carbs and grains
    • most carbs will come in the form of leafy green veggies and fruit (oranges mostly)

Training Days

  • Eat at +15% (2500 kCals)
  • 85/15 carb to fat or .39P/.16C/.45F
  • Daily intake – 2500 kcal / 195 g protein / 365 g carbs / 35 g fat
  • First meal  – 1200+ kcal / 100 g protein / 180 g carbs / 17 g fat
  • Will try to minimize fat intake. If needed, will eat extra protein to meet caloric needs due to loss of fat calories.
    • Will try to keep overall daily average of fat (rest day fat + training day fat) near 65 grams per day.

Cycle 2: Cut (04/21 – 05/19)

Rest Days

  • Eat -25% TDEE (1775 kCals)
  • 25/75 carb to fat or .43p/.15C/.42F
  • Daily Intake 1775 kcal / 195 g protein / 65 g carbs / 80 g fat
  • First meal  – 1000 kcal / 100 g protein / 30 g carbs / 40 g fat
  • Carb Intake:
    • will try to limit carbs as much as possible and make up difference by eating more protein
    • No starchy carbs and grains
    • most carbs will come in the form of leafy green veggies and fruit (oranges mostly)

Training Days

  • Eat @ TDEE (2225 kCals)
  • 75/25 carb to fat or .35P/.49C/.16F
  • Daily intake – 2225 kcal / 195 g protein / 270 g carbs / 40 g fat
  • First meal  – 1200+ kcal / 100 g protein / 150 g carbs / 20 g fat
  • Allow more freedom re: caloric intake on training days, will eat somewhere between -10% TDEE and TDEE.
  • Will try to minimize fat intake. If needed, will eat extra protein to meet caloric needs due to loss of fat calories.
    • Will try to keep overall daily average of fat (rest day fat + training day fat) near 58 grams per day.

 

Workouts:
Workout 1 (Monday)

  1. 10-min walk to gym (warm-up).
  2. Squats: 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps reverse pyramid style
    Rest 3 mins between sets*
  3. Chins: 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps reverse pyramid style
    Rest 3 mins between sets*
  4. Fat Bar Curls: 1-2 sets of 8-10 reps (optional)
    Rest 2 mins between sets

    *Alternating sets of squats and chins. For example:
    Squats, 90 sec rest, Chins, 90 sec rest, Squats

Workout 2 (Wednesday)

  1. 10-min walk to gym (warm-up).
  2. Rotator Cuff Exercises
  3. Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press: 2-3 sets of 5-7 reps reverse pyramid style.
    Rest 3 mins between sets
  4. Standing Overhead Press: 2-3 sets of 5-7 reps reverse pyramid style.
    Rest 3 mins between sets

Workout 3 (Friday)

  1. 10-min walk to gym (warm-up)
  2. Deadlift: 2-3 sets of 4-6 reps reverse pyramid style.
    Rest 3 mins between sets
  3. Pull-ups: 1-2 sets with body weight.
    Rest 3 mins between sets
  4. Dips: 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps reverse pyramid style.
    Rest 3 mins between sets

LeanGains: 4 months

Body Measurements

     Starting (11/10/12) Ending (03/05/13)1 Difference
Weight 178   166 -12 lbs
Waistline 35.00″ 30.875″ -4″
Average Body Fat %2  17%  9%3 -8%
Lean Body Mass (LBM)  147.8  151.4 lbs  +3.6 lbs
 Lbs of Body Fat  30.2 lbs  14.6 lbs  -15.6 lbs

1The numbers in this column were taken over 3 days and averaged to give a more accurate reading, as body weight can fluctuate greatly
2Average body fat % is the average of the numbers I get from IFCalculator (18%), Skinfold (15.7%, using suprailliac site only) and Naval Research Method (17.24%).
3This number seems low to me, but I attained it using the same methods that I started the cycle with. For the sake of consistency, I am using this number. 

Strength Measurements

Exercise Estimated 1RM4
(Nov 2012)
Estimated 1RM4
(Mar 2013)
Difference
Barbell Bench Press  230 lbs 270 lbs  +40 lbs
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press  90 lbs 113 lbs +23 lbs
Barbell Dead Lift  230 lbs 355 lbs +115 lbs
Barbell Squat  170 lbs 245 lbs +70 lbs
Chin-Ups (body weight)  8 reps  16 reps5 +8 reps
Dips  8 reps 20 reps6  +12 reps

41 Rep Max is calculated using the 1RM Calculator or Bench Press Calculator.
5 & 6 Weight added to dip belt to simulate starting body weight (178 lbs).

LeanGains Results: Round II

Intro

Here is my second cycle of using the LeanGains style of eating for the purpose of fat loss. My first 6 week cycle is documented in the blog post entitled ‘LeanGains Results: Round I.’ If you are unfamiliar with LeanGains and/or Intermittent Fasting, I recommend that you take a look at that post and the links contained within. Unless noted otherwise, I followed the same principles/procedures/methods contained within that document. This post will make much more sense if you read that post.

Background

After my first 6 weeks of LeanGains went well, I took two weeks off from the diet and ate whatever I wanted (within reason) over the holidays. I still fasted 12-16 hours per day and tried to make sure my protein intake was high (160-200 grams per day). Initially, I was planning to do the 6 week cut (11/10/12 – 12/24/12),  then start a Body Recomposition cycle (-20/+20) after the holidays.  Since the cut was relatively easy for me, I instead decided to cut again and increase the time period to 8 weeks.

My Plan & Goals

My plan for this cycle is documented here: LeanGains Plan: Round II. In general I planned to follow what I did during my first cycle with some small modifications.

Goal-wise I wanted to lose 2 inches from my waistline (measured at navel), which I believed would reduce my body fat percentage to less than 10 over an 8 week period (1/6/13 – 3/3/13). During this cut, I hoped to maintain or increase my strength. I estimated that my final measurements would be approximately 165.0 lbs with a 30.75” waistline. According to some online calculators, that would decrease my body fat percentage to around 9.5%. To measure body fat percentage, I would use three methods: IFCalculatorSkinfold (suprailliac site only) and Naval Research Method. I would take the average of these three methods and use that number as my body fat percentage.

Continue reading

LeanGains Journal: Round II

Please note, the entries for Weeks 1-5 were written during week 6, using some notes I had taken. During week 6 I decided that I should make the journal entries a weekly exercise to log how I’m feeling and what I’m thinking. 

Week 1: Jan 6 – Jan 13, 2013

Diet

First week back to restricting calories and carb/fat cycling. The start of the week was tough, but I got back into the groove quickly. My intake was in line with my goals on rest days, but I found myself wanting to eat more on training days. I am curious if this will continue or if it’s just my body readjusting to the diet.

Carbs (g) Protein (g) Fat   (g) Calories
Average 135 197 46 1722 kCal
Rest Day 62 181 55 1464 kCal
Training 234 207 34 2056 kCal

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Reaching for LeanGains’ Advanced Strength Goals

Long term goals….

Based on an entry found on LeanGains.com, I’d like to ‘qualify’ for the strength level designated as ‘highly advanced.’ Berkhan states that reaching this level “falls in line with what could be considered the pinnacle of physique and strength development for most average and natural trainers.”

If I am capable of reaching this level, I don’t know how long I should expect it to take. For now, I’ll say I want to be there by 2015. To qualify, I’d need to complete all of lifts listed in the ‘Advanced’ column, as well as reach one lift in the elite column. Assuming my body weight is 170 lbs, here are the magic numbers. Body weight is abbreviated as ‘BW’:

Exercise  Multiplier  Advanced   Elite
Barbell Bench Press  BW x 1.5 (advanced) | BW x 1.8 (elite)  255 lbs  306 lbs
 Chin-ups BW x 1.5 /15 reps with BW | body weight x 1.8/20 reps (elite)  255 lbs or 15 reps x BW  306 lbs or 20 reps x BW
 Squats  BW x 2  | BW x 2.4 (elite)  340 lbs   408 lbs
 Deadlifts  BW x 2 | BW x 3 (elite)  425 lbs  505 lbs

I’ve highlighted the numbers that I have the most realistic shot of reaching. The toughest will be hitting the advanced squat level. I wouldn’t be surprised if I were able to eventually hit the elite lifts for Barbell Bench Press and Chin-ups &  possibly even Deadlifts. My squatting is so poor, I believe I will hit the elite level for deads before hitting the advanced level for squats.

LeanGains Plan: Round II

Goal

Lose 2 inches from waistline (measured at navel), hopefully reducing body fat % to less than 10% in 8 weeks (1/6/13 – 3/3/13), while maintaining or increasing strength
Target (guesstimate) – 165.0 lbs w/ 30.75” waist ~ 9.5% bodyfat

Current Measurements

Body
Weight: ~167 lbs (1/06/13 – 167.0 lbs, 1/07/13 – 166.8  lbs, 1/08/13 – 167.4 lbs)
Bodyfat per http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/: 14.2% (32.75” waist at navel on 1/08/13)
Bodyfat per skin-fold test: 10.7% (8 mm at suprailliac site on 1/08/13)
Bodyfat per Navel research method: 12.46%
Average Body fat: 12.45%
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