The Lean Gains / IF learning and Discussion Log

[kidNeedofHelp]

I workout around 7/8
With my bcaa's am I able to drink my protein? Or is that until I break my fast which would be around 1Pm

 

[Frank Reynolds]

I workout around 7/8
With my bcaa's am I able to drink my protein? Or is that until I break my fast which would be around 1Pm

Read the LG site. If it has calories, avoid it in the fast. Would it be fasting if you drank a protein shake?

 

[kidNeedofHelp]

Thanks. Just got a bit confused on the part that says that "Training is initiated on an empty stomach and after ingestion of 10 g BCAA or similar amino acid mixture. This "pre-workout" meal is not counted towards the feeding phase. Technically, training is not completely fasted - that would be detrimental. The pre-workout protein intake, with its stimulatory effect on protein synthesis and metabolism, is a crucial compromise to optimize results. The 8-hour feeding phase starts with the post-workout meal."

 

[Frank Reynolds]

Thanks. Just got a bit confused on the part that says that "Training is initiated on an empty stomach and after ingestion of 10 g BCAA or similar amino acid mixture. This "pre-workout" meal is not counted towards the feeding phase. Technically, training is not completely fasted - that would be detrimental. The pre-workout protein intake, with its stimulatory effect on protein synthesis and metabolism, is a crucial compromise to optimize results. The 8-hour feeding phase starts with the post-workout meal."

Yes in the bolded he is referring to the BCAA as the "protein intake". Not an actual shake in addition.

 

[AaronJP1]

Thx Rosie I thought 100g was a lot lol.

 

[Rosie Chee]

Thx Rosie I thought 100g was a lot lol.

No worries

@Frank Reynolds, sometimes I do my training after eating, but start my 8-hour feeding window from the time I eat my first meal of the day (BCAAs EXcluded). Lean Gains really is a forgiving nutritional protocol and it doesn't have to be followed strictly to the letter to see and get effective results, and you can adapt it to suit you - as I have.

~Rosie~

 

[houstontexas]

What is the general consensus on fasting one day a week or month for fat loss when on a "normal" diet? The new article on fasting here on AM is why I bring it up. Thanks everyone.

 

[TurningGreen]

Most definitely just five second ruled a slice of my LN Cheesecake...it's just that good. I rinsed that shyte off in the sink HAHA!!

 

[Rosie Chee]

What is the general consensus on fasting one day a week or month for fat loss when on a "normal" diet? The new article on fasting here on AM is why I bring it up. Thanks everyone.

I don't see an issue with that - just make it on your day OFF from training. Just remember that it's not the "fasting" per se that's going to help with the fat loss - Lean Gains works because it manipulates meals and timing for when your body is going to best utilize the nutrients, etc. For example, if your nutrition and/or training (if you choose to get your caloric deficit from training instead of dieting) is not set up for fat loss and you fast once a week or month, then you probably will not see fat loss gains from that. Just sayin'.

~Rosie~

 

[TurningGreen]

What is the general consensus on fasting one day a week or month for fat loss when on a "normal" diet? The new article on fasting here on AM is why I bring it up. Thanks everyone.

That was an incredible article! Well written and non-biased. By normal diet I'm assuming you mean the grazing method? Either way the article states that the concept you are asking about is a go. As Rosie stated earlier. LG or IF in general is a concept...an idea that can be tailored to fit the needs of the individual. It would be interesting for you to try different fasting times and frequency to see what works best as well as macro nutrients, calorie intake and cycling. The variables can be arranged so many different ways!

 

[DreamWeaver]

Yah IF is just a way to make maitaining and losing weight more tollerable, yes I tend to be able to eat more and yes it is very forgiving (that's where the tollerable comes in). There is a lot of ways you could do it but I firmly believe in the following principles. a) in the am there is fat in your bloodstream that can be either redeposited or burned b) the optimum timing for increased intake is during post workout. c) I am more efficient in the gym on an empty stomach (that's me).

Otherwise it's all about preference. I would rather fast than eat a small meal and stil be hungry and I like to gorge....oh and the meals I do eat I enjoy much more than I ever have and really look forward to them,,, that makes me happy....

 

[ssbackwards]

I would love to hear peoples thoughts on IF for a straight up BULK, for someone looking to get big. I mean as much as I love IF, and would hate to abandon this life style, I have something in the back of my head afraid to use it this off season to really GROW. Maybe it is typically BB dogma getting the best of me, but I have yet to see anyone who is MASSIVE employ this, or get there doing this. I would say the majority of me says because it is too new a concept and most big dudes, or people looking to get extremely large would have thoughts against it, but there is the part of me that wonders if it is infact less then optimal for mass gains.

Thoughts?

its both good and bad.

i can easily consume 6000 CLEAN cals from protein and fat alone on this diet. EASY. i hit 4000 yesterday without trying. im very afraid to do it. it will limit fat mass, but it can severly damage you for when you go back to a cut on it. stomach would have stretched so much.

i plan on using it for a bulk but it got out of hand yesterday to easy. so i may do IF style Warrior diet and eat 1x a day nothing else.

 

[vidapreta]

6000 calories is one thing, 6000 clean calories is hard to do.

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[ScottyDoc]

6000 calories is one thing, 6000 clean calories is hard to do.

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Agreed, 6,000 clean calories is a lot of food.... I can't even imagine eating that much food (clean)!

 

[AaronJP1]

Agreed, 6,000 clean calories is a lot of food.... I can't even imagine eating that much food (clean)!

Right...
The average chicken breast and fish is about 120-150 so calories... If he did that :thumbsup:

 

[ssbackwards]

6000 calories is one thing, 6000 clean calories is hard to do.

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if i gave you my ground turkey receipe youd have no problem downing it!

sautee onions in olive oil.

let it sweat a bit, add 3 pounds ground 93/7 turkey.

brown it up half way, pour balsamic vinager ALL OVER dont use generously.

chop up red yellow and orange peppers very small and add into mixure.

wait till almost all browned then add right on top and dont mix until done......

Dark chili powder ( i usually coat all the meat right on top)
Paprika (half as much as chili powder)
lemon pepper seasoning (1/4 maybe a lil more then the amount of chili)
Red Cayenne pepper (depends on spice tolerance)
Garlic powder (nice amount just for taste dont over do it)
Onion powder (same amount as garlic powder)

Once all this is in mix it around then add large slices of the same color peppers (usually comes out to 3 large peppers total for meal)

Then add a little more balsamic and mix. then cover and put on simmer for 5-6 min then turn it off and let it sit while you prepare the table.

at this point add into a bowl...

1 serving of guacomole then 13-26 ounces ground turkey, then another serving of guacomole on top. After this take 2-4 ounces goat cheese (soft, chevrine is best) and mix it all together.

Tell me you cant eat 4000 cals of that easy?

that is a lot of calories right there, i can easily down 2 lbs of the meat alone making it 1360 cals not including the guac (when eating this much i use 4 servings of guac and 4 ounce goat cheese) and goat cheese. making it OVER 2100 cals in one sitting one meal, and leaving you wanting more because its like total crack

Oh and if you want take those juices from the turkey meat. and add chicken broth to it, rice, raman noodles and chicken with celery carrots and you have an awesome chicken noodle soup home made.

 

[ssbackwards]

Right...
The average chicken breast and fish is about 120-150 so calories... If he did that :thumbsup:

its all about the recipe, i can eat 27 ounces cooked chicken in a sitting. which is 1080 cals (cooked) not including bag of frozen broccoli, 3 tablespoon EVCO then, a shake with 4 tablespoon home made hazelmac nut butter, and 36g caconibs, 8 ounce liquid egg white and 84g (weight of powder) pro complex.

calories in is 2490 and in 1 meal.

add in the turkey meat recipe with accessories 8 hours later well over 4000 on the day!

 

[ssbackwards]

its all about the recipe, i can eat 27 ounces cooked chicken in a sitting. which is 1080 cals (cooked) not including bag of frozen broccoli, 3 tablespoon EVCO then, a shake with 4 tablespoon home made hazelmac nut butter, and 36g caconibs, 8 ounce liquid egg white and 84g (weight of powder) pro complex.

calories in is 2490 and in 1 meal.

add in the turkey meat recipe with accessories 8 hours later well over 4000 on the day!

macros
Fat:103.6
sat fat: 48.6
Carb: 38.6
Fiber: 27.3
Protein: 347

this wasnt icluding the turkey.


and i cal always snack on almonds and nut butters. See not very hard, protein is indeed high, but all good. rather that then carbs. personally

 

[JudoJosh]

if i gave you my ground turkey receipe youd have no problem downing it!

sautee onions in olive oil.

let it sweat a bit, add 3 pounds ground 93/7 turkey.

brown it up half way, pour balsamic vinager ALL OVER dont use generously.

chop up red yellow and orange peppers very small and add into mixure.

wait till almost all browned then add right on top and dont mix until done......

Dark chili powder ( i usually coat all the meat right on top)
Paprika (half as much as chili powder)
lemon pepper seasoning (1/4 maybe a lil more then the amount of chili)
Red Cayenne pepper (depends on spice tolerance)
Garlic powder (nice amount just for taste dont over do it)
Onion powder (same amount as garlic powder)

Once all this is in mix it around then add large slices of the same color peppers (usually comes out to 3 large peppers total for meal)

Then add a little more balsamic and mix. then cover and put on simmer for 5-6 min then turn it off and let it sit while you prepare the table.

at this point add into a bowl...

1 serving of guacomole then 13-26 ounces ground turkey, then another serving of guacomole on top. After this take 2-4 ounces goat cheese (soft, chevrine is best) and mix it all together.

Tell me you cant eat 4000 cals of that easy?

that is a lot of calories right there, i can easily down 2 lbs of the meat alone making it 1360 cals not including the guac (when eating this much i use 4 servings of guac and 4 ounce goat cheese) and goat cheese. making it OVER 2100 cals in one sitting one meal, and leaving you wanting more because its like total crack

Oh and if you want take those juices from the turkey meat. and add chicken broth to it, rice, raman noodles and chicken with celery carrots and you have an awesome chicken noodle soup home made.

I am gonna try and make this!

Think it will be just as good without the goat cheese?

 

[vidapreta]

I am gonna try and make this!

Think it will be just as good without the goat cheese?

Goat cheese is pretty Damn good!

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[ssbackwards]

I am gonna try and make this!

Think it will be just as good without the goat cheese?

it is just as good without it, add in some like spiced mexican corn, and salsa youll be set,

the goat cheese is a taste i enjoy, i tried it with sharp canadian cheddar yesterday, simply not as good. goat cheese gives it a little saltier taste an a texture like your eating a dip. but with a spoon.

my suggestion try it both ways, im stuck on the goat cheese though.

let me know, i promise you wont be dissapointed, i do something similar for turkey burkers.

i also have a very low carb BBQ sauce i put on chicken made out of
balsamic
lime juice
dijon mustard
little bit of ketchup
onion and garlic powder
cayenne pepper
stevia (42mg)

all ingredients depends on how much you want to make.

very low carb though like 3g per serving super sweet, helps tenderize the meat from the vinager, the spice gives it a nice kick, and the dijon is salty.

 

[thsearfoss]

Throw down some steak and you can get in 4000 cal a day easy. Or a whole roaster chicken, or two, or three. O and how could I forget, bacon!

 

[Frank Reynolds]

4k a day is EASY on IF IMO. At 1500-2k cal for a meal, I am needing to pump the breaks and leaving the dinner table hungry. I wish my metabolism could support eating even 3-4k calories a day.

Additionally what is clean? Plain chicken with nothing on it, and a plate of broccoli? That isn't what IF is about. The whole concept of IF is progressive, and breaking typical "dogma" of what has been preached all these years. For me sitting down with a lb of chicken, having it on a bagle thin, with BBQ sauce, a big ass salad with low fat dressing, box of mac and cheese made with almond milk/low fat smart balance butter, veg, and finishing it off with some low fat ice cream on top of some low fat eggo's is perfectly clean. I have my macro targets and I stick to that. If it is a low fat mea/carbl I hit that with LEAN protein some tasty carbs(pasta, white rice, white/red potatoes, etc) and if I have carbs to spare I have no issue having a dessert, if I can fit the macros in and adhere to macros(keeping it low fat)

Tonight post workout, I had half lb of 96% lean gb(burger) on a bagel thin, bbq sauce/lettuce, half lb chicken breast, alexia rosemary and garlic fries(low fat), a big salad, asparagus, and dessert was a split banana topped with 2 skinny cow "caramel cone" ice cream cups, FF whipped cream, crumbled low fat vanilla wafers, FF chocolate sauce, and a little pb2(low fat PB) made into a sauce with almond milk.

Clean doesn't have to = boring.

You don't even wanna see a refeed. I am like a bottomless pit.

 

[ssbackwards]

Throw down some steak and you can get in 4000 cal a day easy. Or a whole roaster chicken, or two, or three. O and how could I forget, bacon!

bacon? did someone say bacon?

how about candied bacon cut up and put into a sweet n spicy BBQ pulled pork...

hmmm... yeap in the middle of doing that now, pork will be done tomorrow.

and im prebaking the corrn bread so i can line the middle of it with you guessed it..........PULLED PORK!

 

[ssbackwards]

4k a day is EASY on IF IMO. At 1500-2k cal for a meal, I am needing to pump the breaks and leaving the dinner table hungry. I wish my metabolism could support eating even 3-4k calories a day.

Additionally what is clean? Plain chicken with nothing on it, and a plate of broccoli? That isn't what IF is about. The whole concept of IF is progressive, and breaking typical "dogma" of what has been preached all these years. For me sitting down with a lb of chicken, having it on a bagle thin, with BBQ sauce, a big ass salad with low fat dressing, box of mac and cheese made with almond milk/low fat smart balance butter, veg, and finishing it off with some low fat ice cream on top of some low fat eggo's is perfectly clean. I have my macro targets and I stick to that. If it is a low fat mea/carbl I hit that with LEAN protein some tasty carbs(pasta, white rice, white/red potatoes, etc) and if I have carbs to spare I have no issue having a dessert, if I can fit the macros in and adhere to macros(keeping it low fat)

Tonight post workout, I had half lb of 96% lean gb(burger) on a bagel thin, bbq sauce/lettuce, half lb chicken breast, alexia rosemary and garlic fries(low fat), a big salad, asparagus, and dessert was a split banana topped with 2 skinny cow "caramel cone" ice cream cups, FF whipped cream, crumbled low fat vanilla wafers, FF chocolate sauce, and a little pb2(low fat PB) made into a sauce with almond milk.

Clean doesn't have to = boring.

You don't even wanna see a refeed. I am like a bottomless pit.

IF on a keto bulk... yea ill do that. why? bc its fun and totally worth the foods.

wait to see how my thanksgiving cheat will be tomorrow.

RIDICULOUS, thinking of making a cranberry/blueberry sauce reduced in apple juice and brown sugar, ive yet to decide, but how can it be bad?

ahh i love this holiday! finishing up the last 3 lbs of pulled pork tomorrow, slow cooking overnight!

 

[mxer657]

tomorrow will be the biggest meal of the year

 

[thsearfoss]

Thumbs up for food...and lots if it. Think I might try to eat an entire turkey tomorrow.

 

[thsearfoss]

bacon? did someone say bacon?

how about candied bacon cut up and put into a sweet n spicy BBQ pulled pork...

hmmm... yeap in the middle of doing that now, pork will be done tomorrow.

and im prebaking the corrn bread so i can line the middle of it with you guessed it..........PULLED PORK!

Pork in the corn bread!?!?!? So simple yet genius!

 

[ssbackwards]

Pork in the corn bread!?!?!? So simple yet genius!

yeap first time,.

i def overcooked the bottom of the cornbread and maybe over cooked a little of the top.

but skraped some of the cornbread out the middle after like 15 min, then added the pulled pork inside, then poured the rest of the batter on each side then the top n cooked for another 30 min,

recipe called for 20-25 min at 425, i think my oven runs a little on the cooler side, plus i think the filling ****es with the cooking process, atleast it did in my bbq bacon wrapped chicken

so i hope itll be ok. still warm tossed it in the fridge and covered with tinfoil, hoping itll stay moist

 

[ScottyDoc]

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone...
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​

 

[vidapreta]

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone...
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​

lol, eat ham

 

[AaronJP1]

4k a day is EASY on IF IMO. At 1500-2k cal for a meal, I am needing to pump the breaks and leaving the dinner table hungry. I wish my metabolism could support eating even 3-4k calories a day.

Additionally what is clean? Plain chicken with nothing on it, and a plate of broccoli? That isn't what IF is about. The whole concept of IF is progressive, and breaking typical "dogma" of what has been preached all these years. For me sitting down with a lb of chicken, having it on a bagle thin, with BBQ sauce, a big ass salad with low fat dressing, box of mac and cheese made with almond milk/low fat smart balance butter, veg, and finishing it off with some low fat ice cream on top of some low fat eggo's is perfectly clean. I have my macro targets and I stick to that. If it is a low fat mea/carbl I hit that with LEAN protein some tasty carbs(pasta, white rice, white/red potatoes, etc) and if I have carbs to spare I have no issue having a dessert, if I can fit the macros in and adhere to macros(keeping it low fat)

Tonight post workout, I had half lb of 96% lean gb(burger) on a bagel thin, bbq sauce/lettuce, half lb chicken breast, alexia rosemary and garlic fries(low fat), a big salad, asparagus, and dessert was a split banana topped with 2 skinny cow "caramel cone" ice cream cups, FF whipped cream, crumbled low fat vanilla wafers, FF chocolate sauce, and a little pb2(low fat PB) made into a sauce with almond milk.

Clean doesn't have to = boring.

You don't even wanna see a refeed. I am like a bottomless pit.

:thumbsup;

 

[thsearfoss]

Half a turkey down....food coma approaching quickly

 

[vidapreta]

I literally gained 4 pounds, I weighed myself before and after.

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[Frank Reynolds]

4lbs? Lightweight!! LOL

 

[mattrag]

I've gained 4kgs off a cheat before... lol (8.8lbs)

 

[vidapreta]

4lbs? Lightweight!! LOL

I'm not done yet. LMFAO

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[Frank Reynolds]

I've gained 4kgs off a cheat before... lol (8.8lbs)

I gain 15-20 every week on a refeed lol. That is from morning
to night, they next day typically 10+ stick.

I actually probably won't gain much today,as I was pretty tame, and I wasn't that depleted. Maybe 8-10.

 

[vidapreta]

I gain 15-20 every week on a refeed lol. That is from morning
to night, they next day typically 10+ stick.

I actually probably won't gain much today,as I was pretty tame, and I wasn't that depleted. Maybe 8-10.

So in 10 weeks you can gain 100 pounds!

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[Frank Reynolds]

So in 10 weeks you can gain 100 pounds!

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No.lol

Doesn't work like that.

 

[vidapreta]

No.lol

Doesn't work like that.

It's too bad, because if it did no one would need steroids.

 

[thsearfoss]

15-20 pounds gained from eating in one day? Not sure if that is even possible. Are you eating bricks?

 

[ScottyDoc]

15-20 pounds gained from eating in one day? Not sure if that is even possible. Are you eating bricks?

No... it is definitely possible, must not forget water-retention and bloat, that accounts for like 90% of weight gained after a cheat meal or cheat day!!! I have gained 26Lbs in one day from morning to night before. First off, I typically weigh 8-10Lbs different from morning to night... anyway this day I speak of in particular was a day where my Brother was coming up from New Orleans (Home Town) to Atlanta, GA (current residence) and he was bringing groteske amounts of seafood for a Seafood Boil (Sodium out the A$$), so I was eating boiled crabs, raw oysters, boiled crawfish, boiled shrimp, mushrooms, corn, & Potatoes all boiled in, I was eating this all day long and drank from 10am til 12am at least a case & a half of beer.... morning weight 196Lbs (extremely depleted, had been dieting hard) night weight 222Lbs (extremely bloated). Now I weighed myself the next morning and I was 211Lbs, then again the next morning and I was 202Lbs, I forget what the rest of my weights were, but it took a whole week to get back down to 196Lbs!!!

 

[0071982WC]

I'm sorry but I must.... How many of you i
IF/LG people are super shredded? Please prove me wrong. I can't imagine a person who eats 4000 cal in one setting having a ripped mid section. Not hating at all here, just curious and amazed.

 

[Frank Reynolds]

15-20 pounds gained from eating in one day? Not sure if that is even possible. Are you eating bricks?

Have you ever been depleted?

I'm sorry but I must.... How many of you i
IF/LG people are super shredded? Please prove me wrong. I can't imagine a person who eats 4000 cal in one setting having a ripped mid section. Not hating at all here, just curious and amazed.

What exactly is your doubt? I am not sure I understand the correlation between physically being able to eat 4k calories in a sitting, and not being able to get ripped.

Clearly if your maintenance is 2k calories, and you are eating 4k calories everyday day you will not get lean, but if your diet is on point, and you are setting yourself up for a refeed situation, there is no reason there should be any question. People have been getting shredded like this forever, and it is not exclusive to IF/LG.

 

[ScottyDoc]

I'm sorry but I must.... How many of you i
IF/LG people are super shredded? Please prove me wrong. I can't imagine a person who eats 4000 cal in one setting having a ripped mid section. Not hating at all here, just curious and amazed.

I am not super-shredded, but I am lean, then again I do not follow lean gains protocol... I follow your typical bodybuilder-esk diet of 6 meals a day (eating every 3hrs) and I find if I am just trying to maintain, I can get away with around 2,800 cals/day if I am trying to cut... between 2,200-2,400 cals/day, always try to keep my Macros as close to Protein = 50%, Carbs = 20%, & Fat = 30% as possible, but unless you weigh every single thing out by the gram (which I would do if I were entering a contest) then it never works out perfectly!

My personal take on LG's is if followed correctly, you can get quite lean on it, shredded/pre-contest not so much! Unfortunately from what I have seen and read, most people who use lean gains guestimate a little too much and lose good at first, but then get stuck in the same old rut, which is why I have decided against trying it, because I would be that guy who just ate a little more and a little more and a little bigger of a meal and next think you know I would be ruled by my increased appetite, so in short, definitely works if followed properly, just do not think I could follow it properly (knowing myself).

 

[0071982WC]

Thanks for responding guys. I'm not hating in any fashion just blown away by these protocols. I understand that everything must be individualized. Since I started bodybuilding around a year ago I began to eat six meals a day and had excellent results. I use to skip meals on a regular basis to no avail. As soon as I started to eat multiple times I day I started to shred. I stay around 7% with out weighing food or counting macros. Thanks for sharing your insights with me. I will do my best to remain open minded.

 

[Frank Reynolds]

My personal take on LG's is if followed correctly, you can get quite lean on it, shredded/pre-contest not so much! Unfortunately from what I have seen and read, most people who use lean gains guestimate a little too much and lose good at first, but then get stuck in the same old rut, which is why I have decided against trying it, because I would be that guy who just ate a little more and a little more and a little bigger of a meal and next think you know I would be ruled by my increased appetite, so in short, definitely works if followed properly, just do not think I could follow it properly (knowing myself).

Care to elaborate on your thoughts in regards to shredded/contest condition, and why you feel you can't do this? I don't really see it any different then any other sort of calorie restriction.

As for the second part, like any other diet, it needs to be adapted based on results. If you are in a "rut" on any diet, and don't change "something" you will stay in that rut. That isn't the diet, that is human error..lol

 

[ScottyDoc]

Care to elaborate on your thoughts in regards to shredded/contest condition, and why you feel you can't do this? I don't really see it any different then any other sort of calorie restriction.

As for the second part, like any other diet, it needs to be adapted based on results. If you are in a "rut" on any diet, and don't change "something" you will stay in that rut. That isn't the diet, that is human error..lol

I just feel the human body responds better to multiple meals per day when going from ripped to stage ready! I totally agree someone can get ripped on Lean Gains, but to get to that level of onion thin skin, it will only truly happen with multiple meals per day (spread throughout the day) keeping one's metabolism as fast as humanly possible. I admit, there are different body types out there and an ectomorph can probably do much better with / get away with the LG protocol while trying to get pre-contest, but I do not think it would be an easy task to accomplish if you are an endomorph like myself... again this is just my opinion based on experience and what I have seen in the bodybuilding world, I am in no way saying anything is impossible, just sharing my personal opinion, not trying to step on any toes here guys!

 

[MrKleen73]

It works and works well for getting shredded. However you still have to count calories to do so, or just estimate well. I recently let things go quite a bit for 6 weeks or so. I stuck to the 16/8 but allowed myself to creep up about 500 on burn days and 1000-1500 on build days while laying off on cardio and losing some intensity on my training. It was a conscious decision as far as eating more freely and I just let it carry me away. I ended up adding about 3-4% body fat just like anything else if you abuse the freedom it allows you can easily put on fat and or mass. I do think I would have actually gained more if I had not stuck to the 16/8 though simply because I would have had that many more hours in which I would have continued to pile on calories increasing what I was eating by another 500-1000 a day easily.

As far as bulking on it goes I am sure it is easy to do. If I had really been pushing harder in the gym I would have definitely added some mass during that period as it stands now I am not so sure. I will have to get to my previous fitness level to see. SS you are definitely correct that it is easy to eat a lot but there is the issue of stretching the stomach out and going into a cut being harder. I think that the best way to do that would be to have one 36-48 hour fasting period in the beginning of your cut this would immediately shrink your stomach and you would then become full more quickly when you started eating again. It takes 3 days for the catabolism of muscle to start so there would be no danger in muscle loss during that period.