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: IFCalculator, Skinfold (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

*Average body fat % is the average of the following methods: IFCalculator, Skinfold (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

*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

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.

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 →

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)

Cycle 2: Cut (04/21 – 05/19)

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

Body Measurements

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

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).

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: IFCalculator, Skinfold (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 →

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.

Continue reading →

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’:

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.

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%
Continue reading →