Sure Brain.
I try to keep things simple. Have to, given the pace of my job. First, I concoct the following shake to bring in a thermos with me everywhere I go:
- 12 to 16 oz of Pineapple juice
- 5 scoops whey protein
- 1 large banana
- 2 containers of liquid egg whites
- 1 tablespoon of raw/organic wheat germ
- 1 container of plain yogurt
- 2/3 scoops low-fat ice cream
- Milk to liquefy to my liking
I then mix up the following in a large tupperware container:
- 4 cups of old fashioned oatmeal
- 2 cups raisins
- 4 scoops whey (chocolate)
- 1/2 cup honey
- Milk to thicken to my liking
- Drink about a gallon of water during the day
Each "meal" consists of several helpings of both the shake and oatmeal mix throughout the day. If I have time for a normal lunch, I take it. But I usually don't, and want to know I'm "covered" by what's in that bag. The road in this country is a nutritional desert. Dunkin Donuts, Fast Food and Chain Restaurants are all that's available on the go.
For dinner I usually have a red meat, potato and asparagus dish and get most of my sodium there (a bit in the oatmeal concoction too). Raisins and asparagus are extremely alkalyzing foods so I'm usually covered for the day between the two. If the Multistix say so, I add my greens supps to 2 of these meals. I do eat in a more "normal" pattern on Sat/Sunday but am careful to observe the caloric/protein/alkalizing limits I set forth in the course.
This doesn't seem very exciting day after day but keep in mind I need to pack 4000+ calories into a computer bag. I also need to do all of this in about a half hour before I leave every morning and have no patience for cleaning up after meals/doing dishes etc. Meals need to be quickly consumed between meetings/running from gate to gate in the airport etc..
An aside... never ONCE have I had a problem explaining KA to a TSA security guard. They usually ask what it is, I respond a special extract of Rhaponticum Carthamoides and they just shrug their shoulders and say "OK". For all they know, it could be a special extract of C-4. I've done this in airports from S.F. to NYC.
Give you a real fuzzy feeling about flying?
I break the fast the next morning after Famine and have no problem with this volume of food. A meal every 2 to 3 hours is the norm. It usually takes a solid week or two of eating like this before my body starts telling me to slow down.
Rob's Blueprint Run
June 3rd. First workout today during the feast.
Felt absolutely terrific. Went in with a ton of energy and finished the workout feeling the same. I'm using the German Volume Loading protocol this time around, and let me tell you 10 sets of anything is a LOT.
One thing I am doing differently is rotating the stretch position movements. So after each set of bench, I'll do a few sets of low pulley rows, then a few sets of stretch accentuated pullups, then a few sets of pullovers etc. Not sure what the physical impact on recovery will be jsut yet but I can say for sure it juices your workout up from a psychological perspective.
BCAA loading protocol #2 as per the Blueprint and a KA cap on either side of the workout.
Felt absolutely terrific. Went in with a ton of energy and finished the workout feeling the same. I'm using the German Volume Loading protocol this time around, and let me tell you 10 sets of anything is a LOT.
One thing I am doing differently is rotating the stretch position movements. So after each set of bench, I'll do a few sets of low pulley rows, then a few sets of stretch accentuated pullups, then a few sets of pullovers etc. Not sure what the physical impact on recovery will be jsut yet but I can say for sure it juices your workout up from a psychological perspective.
BCAA loading protocol #2 as per the Blueprint and a KA cap on either side of the workout.
June 5th
Starting to ramp down the calories a bit as per The Blueprint's alternative bulking recommendations. Honestly, it's a bit of a relief as the first few days is a LOT of food.
It did the job though as I've rapidly re-gained fullness. Part of this I also attribute to the "3-day" famine protocol that Brain inquired about. I appreciate your input on that. A nice contribution..
Now, on the new Kre-Anabolyn. There is NO DOUBT in my mind now that this stuff is a major upgrade. I am running just 3/day and it's the equivalent of 5 or more of the prior version. It's going so well, I'm tempted to see what just 2/day will do but I'm going to give it another week before trying that.
I feel like I could workout today... I just feel strong. Even with the introduction of new stretch position movements I'm not as sore/beat up. I thought for sure I would be, especially given we're talking 10 work sets (really 20 with the stretch movements) in this particular loading scheme.
Next workout tomorrow.
Starting to ramp down the calories a bit as per The Blueprint's alternative bulking recommendations. Honestly, it's a bit of a relief as the first few days is a LOT of food.
It did the job though as I've rapidly re-gained fullness. Part of this I also attribute to the "3-day" famine protocol that Brain inquired about. I appreciate your input on that. A nice contribution..
Now, on the new Kre-Anabolyn. There is NO DOUBT in my mind now that this stuff is a major upgrade. I am running just 3/day and it's the equivalent of 5 or more of the prior version. It's going so well, I'm tempted to see what just 2/day will do but I'm going to give it another week before trying that.
I feel like I could workout today... I just feel strong. Even with the introduction of new stretch position movements I'm not as sore/beat up. I thought for sure I would be, especially given we're talking 10 work sets (really 20 with the stretch movements) in this particular loading scheme.
Next workout tomorrow.
The next few days will be largely eating/active recovery. I'd like to expound on the latter.
My preferred method of active recovery is sled pulling. I think many trainees have gotten carried away with this activity and tried to turn it into as heavy an activity as possible. That's not its purpose.
When dragging the sled, you're just looking to increase bloodflow to the muscles to carry nutrients in/take waste products out.It's really that simple. I drag for 8-10 trips of 100ft, forward and backward primarily with the upper body.
By doing so, the muscle received concentric load only. The eccentric (lowering of weight that causes most of the damage) is almost entirely eliminated. As an added bonus, it conveys a nice increase to your cardiovascular capacity which again helps in the weight room.
These mini-workouts, properly positioned between the heavier sessions, allow you to accelerate recovery, improve your mood and drive greater progress. Give them a shot as they're invaluable, particularly for those of you who are using a more infrequent frequency schedule during your feast phases.
Highly recommended.
My preferred method of active recovery is sled pulling. I think many trainees have gotten carried away with this activity and tried to turn it into as heavy an activity as possible. That's not its purpose.
When dragging the sled, you're just looking to increase bloodflow to the muscles to carry nutrients in/take waste products out.It's really that simple. I drag for 8-10 trips of 100ft, forward and backward primarily with the upper body.
By doing so, the muscle received concentric load only. The eccentric (lowering of weight that causes most of the damage) is almost entirely eliminated. As an added bonus, it conveys a nice increase to your cardiovascular capacity which again helps in the weight room.
These mini-workouts, properly positioned between the heavier sessions, allow you to accelerate recovery, improve your mood and drive greater progress. Give them a shot as they're invaluable, particularly for those of you who are using a more infrequent frequency schedule during your feast phases.
Highly recommended.
Third workout yesterday and was it ever a strong one.
I'm starting these workouts feeling fresh and finishing up strong. Recovery is excellent and this puts me halfway through the German volume loading protocol.
The one thing I DON'T like about this workout is the amount of time it takes to complete, but given it's name you're going to have this issue. I am surprised at the staying power from set to set despite lowering calories somewhat. I'm assuming the KA/BCAA loading is helping in that regard. It also sets up the maintenance phase 5x5 format nicely where hopefully I'll continue to gain a few lbs of LBM without having to pull out all the stops as in the Feast.
I'm going to finish out this week at 3/KA a day and then take it down to 2/day for the rest of the cycle. I feel it's that potent. Also, the 1 cap pre and 1 cap post is doing the job nicely so I'll be sticking with that dosing on workout days. I am up a total of 4.5lbs already (total) so if I can wind up with a total 10lb gain this cycle I'll be most pleased. Waist is the same so it's all good weight too...
I'm starting these workouts feeling fresh and finishing up strong. Recovery is excellent and this puts me halfway through the German volume loading protocol.
The one thing I DON'T like about this workout is the amount of time it takes to complete, but given it's name you're going to have this issue. I am surprised at the staying power from set to set despite lowering calories somewhat. I'm assuming the KA/BCAA loading is helping in that regard. It also sets up the maintenance phase 5x5 format nicely where hopefully I'll continue to gain a few lbs of LBM without having to pull out all the stops as in the Feast.
I'm going to finish out this week at 3/KA a day and then take it down to 2/day for the rest of the cycle. I feel it's that potent. Also, the 1 cap pre and 1 cap post is doing the job nicely so I'll be sticking with that dosing on workout days. I am up a total of 4.5lbs already (total) so if I can wind up with a total 10lb gain this cycle I'll be most pleased. Waist is the same so it's all good weight too...
Next workout scheduled for tomorrow but I'd like to expand on something I'm seeing with the testing strips.
Nitrogen retention is now being extended up to 3 full hours per dose with the new KA. Now yes, you need to take it with some fat to extend the duration that far (same amount of protein though, about 50g serving).
One curious thing I have noted is that protein excretion doesn't start to taper until the 2 hour mark, then gradually subsides (I test every 30 mintues). It would be interesting to see how long (or if) it could be extended if you had a small protein feeding at the 1 hour mark, post meal. I'm talking maybe 15 grams. I'll report back and let you know.
One tradeoff you'll have to deal with if implementing that: I noticed that once protein consumption increases about 20% about "normal" during the feast phase, your alkaline state is harder to maintain.
While it's easy to get caught up in the strength/power gains and living in a state of higher nitrogen retention, some balance must be maintained. This is, after all, a healthy endevour (or should be).
Nitrogen retention is now being extended up to 3 full hours per dose with the new KA. Now yes, you need to take it with some fat to extend the duration that far (same amount of protein though, about 50g serving).
One curious thing I have noted is that protein excretion doesn't start to taper until the 2 hour mark, then gradually subsides (I test every 30 mintues). It would be interesting to see how long (or if) it could be extended if you had a small protein feeding at the 1 hour mark, post meal. I'm talking maybe 15 grams. I'll report back and let you know.
One tradeoff you'll have to deal with if implementing that: I noticed that once protein consumption increases about 20% about "normal" during the feast phase, your alkaline state is harder to maintain.
While it's easy to get caught up in the strength/power gains and living in a state of higher nitrogen retention, some balance must be maintained. This is, after all, a healthy endevour (or should be).
Workout this morning was outrageous. I am approaching strength levels at a BW of 225lbs that I usually have at 240lbs+.
I attribute this mostly to nutrition, consistent rest and coupling these loading patterns together properly. Would be interesting to see what the same would do in a caloric deficit.
If all goes well, I'll finish this run out with a close grip bench press (my focus lift at the moment) of 375lbs, paused for 2 sec on the chest.
Off to supper...
I attribute this mostly to nutrition, consistent rest and coupling these loading patterns together properly. Would be interesting to see what the same would do in a caloric deficit.
If all goes well, I'll finish this run out with a close grip bench press (my focus lift at the moment) of 375lbs, paused for 2 sec on the chest.
Off to supper...
5th workout in the 7 workout series tomorrow AM and I'm really looking forward to it. Been trying to space the workouts farther apart in the feast but honestly, I feel like training every day. It feels that good.
I'm up a full 7lbs thus far and it's solid too. Waist is still the same per the tape measure. If this keeps up I'll have exceeded my goal.
Tomorrow I start my little experiment of using just 2 caps of Kre-Anabolyn/day. It's a calculated gamble but with momentum on my side I feel I can finish this Feast Phase strong. The "clean" energy is helping a lot and not just during the workouts. Long days at work/on the road are easier and the biggest thing I notice is the lack of mid-afternoon slump.
Nothing stimulant like, just a clear, alert state and energy when I need it. I know the RCE % was upped but I still think it may be dopamine related. Tough to say as the objective measure for that particular effect is elusive.
I'm up a full 7lbs thus far and it's solid too. Waist is still the same per the tape measure. If this keeps up I'll have exceeded my goal.
Tomorrow I start my little experiment of using just 2 caps of Kre-Anabolyn/day. It's a calculated gamble but with momentum on my side I feel I can finish this Feast Phase strong. The "clean" energy is helping a lot and not just during the workouts. Long days at work/on the road are easier and the biggest thing I notice is the lack of mid-afternoon slump.
Nothing stimulant like, just a clear, alert state and energy when I need it. I know the RCE % was upped but I still think it may be dopamine related. Tough to say as the objective measure for that particular effect is elusive.
Great workout this AM. 10 sets of 4 per the workout I'm following.
Even though I'm almost done with it, I still can't get used to the volume. It's a LOT compared to what I'm used to but for sure the change has registered both physically and mentally. It's demanding enough focusing on the bench. I can only imagine how it would be if the squat or deadlift were emphasized..
I'll have a more detailed write up upon completion of this cycle, but thus far here's what I've noted:
- "3 wrkt" Famine Phase was a success. Compared to the 5/day, it was easier to go through and still activated anti-catabolism
- Incorporating "live/organic" foods contributed to making it easier to get through
- Warrior type diet in the Famine Phase works and works well, but watch out for how it affects those around you (i.e. it exacerbates the crabbiness factor)
- Descending caloric spiral strategy in the Feast Phase is a snap, and probably a better option for the older trainee. Younger hardgainers will probably want to stick to the recommendations orginally set forth insofar as calorie levels, etc.
- You have to really work hard at alkalizing when in the feast phase. Consider a greens supplement to make this easier, even if you're eating a lot of alkalizing foods.
- BCAA loading protocol #2 in The Blueprint delivers the goods and does a fantastic job of facilitating recovery
- If using the new, 4th generation Kre-Anabolyn, you'll only need about half of your regular dose. The stuff is twice as strong (IMO) than previous versions. Make SURE you include a generous supply of carbs in your Feast Phase as its affect on glucose disposal is very pronounced
Full write up at the end of this cycle. I'm on track to add 10lbs of LBM and that's at age 40 with 25 years of training under my belt...
Even though I'm almost done with it, I still can't get used to the volume. It's a LOT compared to what I'm used to but for sure the change has registered both physically and mentally. It's demanding enough focusing on the bench. I can only imagine how it would be if the squat or deadlift were emphasized..
I'll have a more detailed write up upon completion of this cycle, but thus far here's what I've noted:
- "3 wrkt" Famine Phase was a success. Compared to the 5/day, it was easier to go through and still activated anti-catabolism
- Incorporating "live/organic" foods contributed to making it easier to get through
- Warrior type diet in the Famine Phase works and works well, but watch out for how it affects those around you (i.e. it exacerbates the crabbiness factor)
- Descending caloric spiral strategy in the Feast Phase is a snap, and probably a better option for the older trainee. Younger hardgainers will probably want to stick to the recommendations orginally set forth insofar as calorie levels, etc.
- You have to really work hard at alkalizing when in the feast phase. Consider a greens supplement to make this easier, even if you're eating a lot of alkalizing foods.
- BCAA loading protocol #2 in The Blueprint delivers the goods and does a fantastic job of facilitating recovery
- If using the new, 4th generation Kre-Anabolyn, you'll only need about half of your regular dose. The stuff is twice as strong (IMO) than previous versions. Make SURE you include a generous supply of carbs in your Feast Phase as its affect on glucose disposal is very pronounced
Full write up at the end of this cycle. I'm on track to add 10lbs of LBM and that's at age 40 with 25 years of training under my belt...
6th and final wrkt tomorrow before max day.
I'm about 18 days into this Feast phase and it looks like it'll run a shade over 3 weeks, somewhat shorter than expected due to the fact I was able to train more frequently than planned.
The eating has become much easier now due to the dialing the calories back a bit. Despite that, I still feel very full in the muscle bellies and have lots left in the tank.
One thing that is making a difference both mentally and physically is mixing up the loaded stretch position movements. In the past, I stuck with just pullovers, just low cable rows etc. This time around due to the volume I've had the opportunity to mix in 3-4 different movements.
Anecdotally, I can state that doing so delivers superior activation of both the antagonistic stretch reflex (greater strength) and growth factor activation. This is purely speculation on my part, but loaded stretches on various planes (vertical, horizontal and angles in between) are supremely beneficial not only to growth, but also to injury prevention, mental stimulation etc..
I'm about 18 days into this Feast phase and it looks like it'll run a shade over 3 weeks, somewhat shorter than expected due to the fact I was able to train more frequently than planned.
The eating has become much easier now due to the dialing the calories back a bit. Despite that, I still feel very full in the muscle bellies and have lots left in the tank.
One thing that is making a difference both mentally and physically is mixing up the loaded stretch position movements. In the past, I stuck with just pullovers, just low cable rows etc. This time around due to the volume I've had the opportunity to mix in 3-4 different movements.
Anecdotally, I can state that doing so delivers superior activation of both the antagonistic stretch reflex (greater strength) and growth factor activation. This is purely speculation on my part, but loaded stretches on various planes (vertical, horizontal and angles in between) are supremely beneficial not only to growth, but also to injury prevention, mental stimulation etc..
OK, had the last workout today (triples) and boy was it a good one.
Lots of gas left in the tank. It's funny, I look at these weights on paper and get a little anxiety prior to the workout, but once past my 2nd set... it's easy. Phychologically, I'm ready for something new/maintenance phase. That's a sign right there. The Blueprint makes these "signs" much easier to read and really puts you in touch with your physiology. Just to be certain, I took my resting heart rate again and sure enough.... it's back down almost to baseline.
1 cap of KA prior/post workout and that's working out just fine for me for the day. I think this is my new dosing protocol going forward... at least on training days. Let's call it the bracketing method. Feels like insurance.
I max in another 3 days to finish this Blueprint run off. Altogether I've added 8.5 quality pounds in a bit over a month. Brain, it just struck me that this almost exactly mimics your gains first time around. I'm almost 40, so I'd be curious to know how old you are?
I suspect you're younger but who knows. If it's anything like our trial participants, (avg. age was 25 - 27) The Blueprint doesn't discriminate. Each and every cycle that was completed resulted in gains between 5 - 10lbs of new muscle, so these gains are "typical".
I would expect first-timers/those with less training experience to gain significantly more.
Lots of gas left in the tank. It's funny, I look at these weights on paper and get a little anxiety prior to the workout, but once past my 2nd set... it's easy. Phychologically, I'm ready for something new/maintenance phase. That's a sign right there. The Blueprint makes these "signs" much easier to read and really puts you in touch with your physiology. Just to be certain, I took my resting heart rate again and sure enough.... it's back down almost to baseline.
1 cap of KA prior/post workout and that's working out just fine for me for the day. I think this is my new dosing protocol going forward... at least on training days. Let's call it the bracketing method. Feels like insurance.
I max in another 3 days to finish this Blueprint run off. Altogether I've added 8.5 quality pounds in a bit over a month. Brain, it just struck me that this almost exactly mimics your gains first time around. I'm almost 40, so I'd be curious to know how old you are?
I suspect you're younger but who knows. If it's anything like our trial participants, (avg. age was 25 - 27) The Blueprint doesn't discriminate. Each and every cycle that was completed resulted in gains between 5 - 10lbs of new muscle, so these gains are "typical".
I would expect first-timers/those with less training experience to gain significantly more.