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How's is going Brain?

Curious as to your experience this time around in the Famine phase...

Cycle 4 Phase 2 Day 4

Broke the fast on Sat AM. This fast was not very intense at the beginning but I overtrained / exerted and dehydrated too much at the end and really had a rough day on Friday and Friday night. No soreness, but some cramping – more it was just CNS extended drag for 48 + hours. Need to be more careful with ‘leveraging’ hydration in future fasts. Just now starting to really feel ok again. Will see today if speed and reaction time was diminished by overdoing it.

Rob, I really appreciate the comprehensive food lists. Can’t really comment on the results of emphasizing ‘catabolic’ foods this last fast, but will try them again the next fast … which. as planned, I will go into quickly instead of transitioning in as I have the last couple fasts. Will also try to finish in 5 days – basically by the book (BP).

On Saturday and Sunday, I banked a lot of calories but have since cut back to avoid large weight gains. Did the first workout last night. Am planning 4 slow, moderately heavy, reduced rep full body workouts during the first 10 days of the feast. (sans serious fasting am almost doing 4 day mini – BP cycles for the first two weeks) After that, schedule should allow me to go into a chest protocol for the balance of the phase.

Great to hear Brain. Anything I can do to help, certainly will. I like the way you build in different goals to each BP cycle. Truly different than the standard application but being what it is, thankfully flexible enough to accomodate.

I'm looking into tweaking it for anti-agers per some of the feedback I've received recently. We shall see...

Quick sidenote observation from me-

While I can appreciate the realities of the mechanisms at play, I prefer not to think/use the negative words catabolic or depletion, etc. and instead find that when I think in terms of "health building detox", "clean raw foods" and "setting the stage for progress" it changes my mindset entirely for the better during the famine stage.

Your mileage may vary, but to me it makes those few days fly by much faster and truly sets the stage in a positive fashion mentally, for me.

BP for anti-agers is going to be different...

The famine/feast durations are essentially flipped with less swing toward each extreme. Supplementation is radically different although adaptogens play a large role throughout.

LBM is still important though. In fact, I see it as the real difference in current anti-aging protocols vs. Blueprint's application. Current direction of anti-aging is extended low calorie states with prolonged periods of corresponding muscle loss.

Without a periodic re-introduction of protein/calories and training, you can kiss LBM goodbye. That's a recipe for disaster in my book. Recall the anti-catabolic effect will fail with time, usually regardless of even drug intervention.

Still much work to do but the interest is there. The demographics of our population will eventually demand it, too. Baby boomers and all....

Rob, fyi Your replies are still editing / killing my posts

Cycle 4 Phase 2 Day 7

Great workout last night. As you were just talking about Rob, the power whooshes in the feast phase are amazing. I love just pumping right through the last three normally tough reps , etc. Did wake up to mild soreness in a couple places I shouldn’t be sore (shoulders - can’t figure how ???) but not complaining.

Do you have any opinions on MegaBCAA’s every other workout?

re anabolic, catabolic, etc etc – some good recent research at
https://extremehumanperformance.com/blog/

Hi Brain,

Sorry about my posts killing yours. I'm just going to try to post new. And apologize for the delay in responding here. I try to stay on top of every question..

And I am VERY glad to hear about the power whooshes! Yes, they are indeed very noticeable and enjoyable!

Appreciate the link too. The more info sharing, the better. We all learn and grow...

I do think there is much merit to BCAA loading during workouts. Much merit.... even given every other workout. Now, I think you need to pick those workouts carefully meaning those that incur the most tissue damage. For some that is heavier/low rep work. For me its total tonnage. In that event, I think they can help to recover you quicker and leave you stronger, sooner for the next low rep/maximum power phase.

Is that what you've been doing?

And what an interesting discussion in that link.... leveraging catabolic to anabolic phases via mTOR and AMPK. Exactly what The Blueprint does!

They act like it's new information.... in reality, the clues have been there for quite some time!!

Cycle 4 Phase 2 Day 10

Had (an almost) great workout last night. Just barely overeating right now. Still have gained almost 3 lbs in the 10 days of Feast. My final full body workout of this ‘mini sub phase’ of the Feast is Thursday then next week switch to a chest strength protocol – basically a less ambitious Powerbuilding Bench Program that is ‘flexible’ so leg speed is not encroached on for the next few weeks...

Also, as I’ve discussed before, I am also gearing up for a ‘bulking party’ next BP Cycle… everything pretty much by the book. Going for big weight gain during that feast then plan to keep it ‘pumped’ during Maint phase ie put on some healthy winter weight

re: “I do think there is much merit to BCAA loading during workouts. Much merit.... even given every other workout. Now, I think you need to pick those workouts carefully meaning those that incur the most tissue damage. … Is that what you've been doing?”
Hadn’t thought of that but doing the BCAA loading after especially tough work instead of on an intermittent schedule is an excellent idea. I had planned much less work for the first 2 week part of this Feast but have been feeling so good I been going closer to limits than I had originally planned, so I was just brain tinkering about some options with the BCAA’s. Sounds like the BCAA’s may be a good thing to include for any activity where I’m going to be ‘leaving it all on the field’. Also, in that same exploration of options, I was thinking about ways to personally tweak the 3 days on – 3 days off prescript from BP to cycles like day of and day after workout on 2 workout per week schedules (and 3(4) days on around workout and 4(3) days off if only doing 1 workout per week, etc…) Thanks, Rob.

Great out of the box thinking as always Brain. Please keep us posted and glad you're doing so well this time around.

Something to be said about going into this relaxed too...and by that I mean just letting it happen. We all have those cycles where you've got everything mapped out down to the last mg, but sometimes people do better just letting things flow.

Sounds like you can do both!

Cycle 4 Phase 3 Day 17

Ran the ‘Feast’ until Nov 14. Tapered off gradually. Ended up staying with more full body work with one time weekly emphasis on the chest instead of isolating on chest the whole second part of the phase.

Started Maint phase with the goal of staying in just the right shape for upcoming fifth cycle of BP

Planning to start the Famine ~ Dec 14 and go into next Feast phase ~ Dec 20. Will probably go with the ‘transitioning’ model I’ve developed over the last three famines because I know what to expect with it and can time getting into ‘state’ pretty well now.

For the physical state, this involves
>stepping food intake down arithmetically for first 3 days then a geometric drop off,
>well timed dehydration,
>2-3 high volume, low weight, short rest workouts and then finishing up the phase with high sweat, long distance exertion plus a final excruciatingly mean workout.
(Also may go into this famine ‘sore’ , ie work most groups to lactic last day of Maint – haven’t decided yet. Any thoughts Rob ?)
…All basically setting the stage for leveraging the adaptogens and feast

For the CNS state, this involves
>accepting being on the slippery slope of misery but making sure I don’t go over the edge into the abyss of CNS burnout…
>emphasizing quality nutrition over quantity
>keeping the ‘nootropics’ at the ready

Each one is different of course – but this is a pretty good template for me so far.

For the Feast -
8 -10 high quality pounds bulking / weight gain is the goal – balanced to triceps, chest, and upper legs.
Haven’t decided on a lifting protocol yet. ??
Core and back are in great shape. Fat is not an issue.
The only limitation is a torn up joint right index finger that is too painful on the palm side at certain angles lifting heavy, but hopefully that will be mostly healed by then…

Nutrition planning for the Feast
High high carb intake
Well timed high protein intake
Pulling the stops out on supplements, super foods – heavy Kre-Anabolyn as the core. Doing the high BCAA’s stacks protocol too this time… Will be boosting testosterone and will probably bang some GHF at bedtimes too

Haven't had much time to post anywhere - but I have been dropping in to see how you guys are doing. All the best...

Cycle 5 Phase 1 Day 1 Mon. 12/14/09

Diet: Took a dive in calories. And did most of them in the morning ie I went to bed hungry. Nuts and fruit for breakfast. A pile of barely steamed fresh dark greens (kale, spinach, red choy, etc.) with a little apple cider vinegar and olive oil for lunch. ~2/3 cup yogart ‘sweetened’ with MASS berry for ‘dinner’ - split before and after workout. Just adequate hydration all day.
Tomorrow will start stepping down percentages per day and up the ‘acid forming’ foods ratio.

Workout: ~ 6 PM ~ 45 min. Lifted at about 60% weight. Did reps in each set to beginning of form degrade and then starting next set with somewhat incomplete recovery.
To rehab the finger, I have been doing curls with plates (kept parallel to forearm) – it’s amazing how heavy 25 lbs can get …

State: Resting heart rate this am – no change. Missed doing strips.

Comments: Did not come into Famine sore as I had considered doing. May push it to minor soreness next workout. Rob, do you have thoughts on leveraging soreness during Famine?

Soreness during Famine is typical and actually a good indicator you're outrunning your recovery capabilities.

Negatives/band work REALLY ramps up soreness but I'm hesitatant to recommend due to CNS burnout.

Give me a few days on your Feast workout routine. I'm thinking hard about this one..