Breakfast: Almonds
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Post midday workout small yogart with ¼ scoop MassPro, ¼ scoop rice bran, sprinkle of wheat germ
Dinner: (plan ) vegetable or salad
Supplements:
chlorella
enzymes
Liquids:
2 qts water flavored with one cup green tea, ½ lemon, and 3 tbs zylitol crystals
1 qt. gatorade (diluted to .25 strength) mix during workout.
1 qt V8
Workout:
Plan: Chest, Shoulders, Tri's 6 sets, 12-15 reps 30 seconds between sets
Actual:
Trics: Standing down pulley. Nautilus Assisted Dips All on plan
Chest: Dumbell flies, smith machine bench and incline bench
Shoulders: : Dumbell Arnold press, reverse flies, internal rotations, external rotations (very light weights). All on plan
Notes: Body has been hungry all week. Now the ‘brains’ want food. May just be anticipation of EATING tomorrow.
Questions: Should I fast one more day and play tennis and then maybe smell like ammonia?
BP Journal BrainSquirt
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BrainSquirt
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:45 pm
Transition to Phase 2
Phase 2 Noob plans and questions for transition from fast to feast – quickly or slowly?
>In first 72 hour subphase ??'s
Transition from fast to feast – quickly or slowly?
Diet
Plan: Pile on the protein and efa’s but in series of small doses instead of huge meal. ??'s
Supplements
Plan: BCAA loading (per BP pg 24) and go with above average doses of Kre-Anabolyn 1st and 3rd day of 72 hour subphase ??'s
>1st workouts
Plan: Free weights, establish approximate 1RM on as many of the big lifts and pulls as possible ??'s
Please offer corrections and suggestions. Thanks.
>In first 72 hour subphase ??'s
Transition from fast to feast – quickly or slowly?
Diet
Plan: Pile on the protein and efa’s but in series of small doses instead of huge meal. ??'s
Supplements
Plan: BCAA loading (per BP pg 24) and go with above average doses of Kre-Anabolyn 1st and 3rd day of 72 hour subphase ??'s
>1st workouts
Plan: Free weights, establish approximate 1RM on as many of the big lifts and pulls as possible ??'s
Please offer corrections and suggestions. Thanks.
Re: Transition to Phase 2
I would suggest the descending caloric spiral described in The Blueprint if looking to minimize any fat gain. I'd also suggest either the German Loading Pattern suggested in the Blueprint or the Soviet program prescribed here. If using BCAA loading protocol #1, I'd opt to pair it with the German loading pattern. If using the Russian program, I'd suggest BCAA loading protocol #2.BrainSquirt wrote:Phase 2 Noob plans and questions for transition from fast to feast – quickly or slowly?
ANSWER: Quickly
>In first 72 hour subphase ??'s
ANSWER: First 72 hrs characterized by calories at 20x bodyweight, 1.5 grams per protein of lbm. Eating and sleeping only during these 72 hours. No training.
Transition from fast to feast – quickly or slowly?
Diet
Plan: Pile on the protein and efa’s but in series of small doses instead of huge meal. ??'s
ANSWER: 5-7 evenly spaced meals.
Supplements
Plan: BCAA loading (per BP pg 24) and go with above average doses of Kre-Anabolyn 1st and 3rd day of 72 hour subphase ??'s
ANSWER: Which BCAA protocol, #1 or #2? If #1, take BCAA's for the first 3 days, take the next 3 days off, continue with 3 on/3 off dosing protocol as prescribed for duration of Feast Phase.
Kre-Anabolyn should be taken throughout the Feast Phase at 3-6 caps a day, with meals.
>1st workouts
Plan: Free weights, establish approximate 1RM on as many of the big lifts and pulls as possible ??'s
I would establish a 1RM on one of the big 3 (the one you want to improve the most). Either the SQ, BP or Deadlift. Focus on that lift for the duration of the Feast phase. Other lifts should be performed but the focus and selected loading pattern (which one will you be using?) should apply to the one major lift of your choice.
Please offer corrections and suggestions. Thanks.
Hope that helps! Congrats on making it through the Famine Phase! What was your impression of it, by the way? The best is yet to come!
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BrainSquirt
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:45 pm
Re: Transition to Phase 2
That really helps. Want to thank you guys for all the support and recommendations through my first Phase 1. All the best.RobRegish wrote:
Hope that helps! Congrats on making it through the Famine Phase! What was your impression of it, by the way? The best is yet to come!
Review of Phase 1
Glad I did it. Main focus right now is how to make the next one better / more effective.
> Ways to personally fine tune workouts, diet and the timing to reach Phase 1 ‘state’
> Any way to align the occurrence of the phase more to own natural rhythms.
>Still have questions about how long should remain in ‘alert’ for best BP results?
>Is a short acidifying stage congruent with phase 1?
>Incorporating a distinct ‘internal cleanse’ sub phase – and could this go at the middle or end of Phase 3?
>Noticed that subjectively was closer to depression / downer affect at the end of Phase 1 and through the first part of the 72 hour rest at the start of Phase 2. Old schema patterns were triggered and my acquired and practiced interventions weren't ‘remembered’/implemented. Drop in serotonin levels? Let that be part of the process or intervene through parts of Phase 1 next time with stuff like tryptophan etc.?
Re: Transition to Phase 2
COMMENT: You are feeling the profound effects of the Famine/Feast phases on the mind. We all noticed this and even commented on it but I won't pretend to know enough about it yet to comment on how to use to improve results. There is something going on for sure. The general reaction amongst Blueprint trial participants though revealed a wide range of reactions. Some felt euphoric during the Famine Phase. Others exerienced a form of malaise along with low energy, etc. Still others experienced both with the only feedback typical here being the fact that euphoria always eventually gave way to malaise and it was never the other way around. The only thing I can confidently state is that certain supplements (individual aminos) and chemicals (caffeine, alcohol etc.) cross the blood-brain barrier one hell of a lot easier during the famine phase. Particularly if some sort of fasting protocol is used. I'm certain there are nutrients/supplements etc that can take advantage of this in this phase the The Blueprint (tyrosine, ALCAR, L-tryptophan, 5-htp, GABA, Arginine, Glycine, B-1 analogues etc.). However, I was more concerned with Famine's effect on up-regulating anabolism/activating an anti-catabolic response as these were easier to measure. It was also what the Soviets measured and what they were concerned with. It is a shrewd observation though on your part. The Soviets noted as much in their training cycle observations, citing how "difficult" the athletes became to deal with during this time and having compliance issues/keeping them away from vices. This may or may not surprise you: smoking was one of them.BrainSquirt wrote:That really helps. Want to thank you guys for all the support and recommendations through my first Phase 1. All the best.RobRegish wrote:
Hope that helps! Congrats on making it through the Famine Phase! What was your impression of it, by the way? The best is yet to come!
Review of Phase 1
Glad I did it. Main focus right now is how to make the next one better/ more effective. COMMENT: This line of thinking is very consistent with Blueprint first timers. Your gears are already turning for the next round, mainly because you learned something new about yourself/your body first time around. The way it's unfolding for you is typical (and that's a good thing).
> Ways to personally fine tune workouts, diet and the timing to reach Phase 1 ‘state’. COMMENT: This would depend upon where you felt you fell short this time around. Looking at your log details, you got ALL the fundamentals right. The one thing that struck me though, was weight selection and the proper management of rest periods during the early going. No worries, you already realized it as soon as it happened and it's an easy fix.
> Any way to align the occurrence of the phase more to own natural rhythms. COMMENT: This is a great question and on the surface, it would seem logical to know what criteria you establish for natural rhythms. The best indicator in my experience is waking heart rate. In the past I had tried to align it with subjective feelings of happiness/discontent. Then tried to time it better with busy periods of work/travel etc.. The problem I found is that life's unpredictable and often throws you for a loop. The real killer is when you accept life's circumstances will keep you in the maintenance phase an extra week or two and you just can't devote the time to do your next cycle justice. I just accept the fact I'll be spinning my wheels for those 2 weeks....and remind myself this is how 99% of the rest of the world trains. They just don't know it.
>Still have questions about how long should remain in ‘alert’ for best BP results? COMMENT: Need clarification on what you're asking here. If referring to the Famine Phase, standard range is 5-7 days. To better answer your question, I'd need a general description of your build (ectomorph/mesomorph/endomorph), whether you lose muscle easily etc.. If you're doing everything as I recommend though, muscle loss becomes substantial after 5-7 days.
>Is a short acidifying stage congruent with phase 1? COMMENT: You know, I've pondered this and I'll be honest.. I don't know. It would seem to make sense that if alkilizing is beneficial to growing muscle then acidifying is conducive to losing muscle. I would speculate though, that acidic states take their toll over time, and this time period is likely longer than 5-7 days. I do know however, that Blueprint Famine Phase training is acidfying to one's system in itself. That is, as the rest periods dwindle and the sets/reps increase, the body releases copious amounts of lactic acid which overwhelm the bodie's ability to clear it's system. It's what contributes to that queesy feeling you get when moving quickly on squats, for example. I do know that even large amounts of spinach/raisins or other alkalizing foods I eat during famine I can't budge my pH readings on the Multistix. At least not like the reading I get on Feast. This may be a function of the aforementioned acids generated during training or the lowered food intake (or both). Hey, look at it this way.... you could give it a whirl and maybe it'll work. If so, a few more of us could try to replicate your success to validate. If that's the case, I'll be happy I was wrong. That's the great thing about this place. We'll all learn something and by default, The Blueprint community gets better results. Nothing wrong with that and in fact, lots right with it.
>Incorporating a distinct ‘internal cleanse’ sub phase – and could this go at the middle or end of Phase 3?
COMMENT: I'd need more clarification on what an "internal cleanse" phase would entail. I like your line of thinking though and I think I know where you're going. It could very well prove to be beneficial.
>Noticed that subjectively was closer to depression / downer affect at the end of Phase 1 and through the first part of the 72 hour rest at the start of Phase 2. Old schema patterns were triggered and my acquired and practiced interventions weren't ‘remembered’/implemented. Drop in serotonin levels? Let that be part of the process or intervene through parts of Phase 1 next time with stuff like tryptophan etc.?
Made sense to me. People smoke more when they're stressed.
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BrainSquirt
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:45 pm
Yes, I need to catch up. Last week had some family health issues plus the holiday and sorta set a lot of things aside for that. Did make it to the gym two times though and once midday yesterday, but two of these sessions were under some time restraints. Transition to Phase 2 diet gave me a tiny lift physically, but mentally the CNS drag that started on the last day of Phase 1 still persisted pretty much through all of last week.askmass wrote:Looking forward to your next update, Brain.
Also, I was definitely not as strong in the weight room as before Phase 1 either …
A few posts back I was asking Rob about ‘natural’ cycles. Here’s what I’m thinking. It’s possible that I was smack dab in the middle of a great ‘natural’ Phase 2 and I interrupted it by starting a (first time) Phase 1. Basically I may have innocently and inadvertently thrown a muscle development cycle into chaos…
How I am managing it? With awareness, curiosity, and persistence in dealing with situation at hand. Awareness, as best I can without judging or jumping to ‘pain alleviation’ conclusions, of simple what is in terms of body. Curiosity with how to get in and stay in phase with my natural ‘period’
and integrate nutrition and loading pattern variations to optimize my development. BP says “…it usually takes 2-3 runs for most trainers to find his or her personal, optimal BLUEPRINT protocol…” and that’s what I need to attune to instead of rigidly following a strict, arbitrarily imposed timeline…Phase 2 diet: Seem to be doing lots of meats, oils, and vegetables and one or two fruits per day and fewer carbs. Haven’t done any potatoes so far and only a limited amount of rice and pasta… did a little extra sugar binge over this last weekend but not to excess… re:First 72 hours of Phase 2. Plan: Next time will do the early protein loading more with whey instead of meats and will also work on the timing of the bcaa loading.
Am doing the German loading pattern with bench press as focus. Piled on the Kre-Anabolyn early but am now tapereing off… thinking while it can’t hurt it could be applied better when I get in phase… also am doing the 3 days on 3 days off of the Bcca/LGlutamine. re the stretches: Was getting some amazing stretch work in just before starting Phase 1 and in three workouts so far this Phase 2 the stretches just don’t seem to be ‘taking’ like they were before.
Overall, the transition to Phase 2 has been rougher than I expected and am just now starting to get a little bit of traction. In ‘aerobics’, sprint torque, acceleration, and speed have held up much better than has lifting capacity - so all in all I’m fine…
Rob, re your comments to my questions from April 6 – many thanks… am thinking… based on my own experiences so far, am particularily interested in how to balance / optimize the Phase 1 stresses to muscle energy pathways AND balance / optimize the Phase 1 stresses to CNS... towards a lot of the first and some, but not overdoing it, of the second... etc.
Understand Brain,
You've for sure got some timing issues but as you stated, some traction is occuring. I'd play this by ear until such time as you finish it out. You just might be surprised by the end of the cycle when "catch up" comes into play.
Let's finish up the Feast first and I'll set you up from there. And you should definately add in more carbs. This is what I think has been missing. You need them for the insulin drive given all the protein you're taking in. For sure very, very important. Keep at it, you are making some great observations..
You've for sure got some timing issues but as you stated, some traction is occuring. I'd play this by ear until such time as you finish it out. You just might be surprised by the end of the cycle when "catch up" comes into play.
Let's finish up the Feast first and I'll set you up from there. And you should definately add in more carbs. This is what I think has been missing. You need them for the insulin drive given all the protein you're taking in. For sure very, very important. Keep at it, you are making some great observations..
We had a local guy in the early trials who complained about his continued lack of energy, similar to you, Brain... Once I looked and questioned him closer, it was revealed that he had assumed the feast phase was supposed to be the "traditional" high protein/low carb approach.
Long story/short, once he kicked in the carbs he blasted through the final two weeks and was shocked to gain 7-8 pounds of muscle total.
I've made my share of timing mistakes, for sure, too. It's a learning experience.
Ramp up those carbs and you'll see a big turn around in days, no doubt. Most gain an extra pound or two right after the feast phase is finished, also... adjust and keep at it is my suggestion.
Long story/short, once he kicked in the carbs he blasted through the final two weeks and was shocked to gain 7-8 pounds of muscle total.
I've made my share of timing mistakes, for sure, too. It's a learning experience.
Ramp up those carbs and you'll see a big turn around in days, no doubt. Most gain an extra pound or two right after the feast phase is finished, also... adjust and keep at it is my suggestion.
Hi Brain,
I thought long and hard about this last night and think you again have uncovered a way to make The Blueprint better.
Although I state in the Kre-Anabolyn write up in the course that "Of all the hormones leveraged in The Blueprint, insulin and its effect on substrate
storage is the most important", I may not have hammered home that point enough. In my mind, the reader understood that this means carbs and lots of them, it may not have come across.
So yes, please replace some of those vegetables in the Feast Phase with more carb dense foods (potatoes, rice etc). You're probably doing a great job alkilizing though, and I can see why after I devoted so much time to that topic. To clarify: The suggested diet in The Feast Phase is NOT high protein/low carb/high calorie. It is high protein/high carb/higher calorie.
A slight bump in sodium/water with the carbs will seal the deal and you'll be right back on track. Let me know how that adjustment goes!
I thought long and hard about this last night and think you again have uncovered a way to make The Blueprint better.
Although I state in the Kre-Anabolyn write up in the course that "Of all the hormones leveraged in The Blueprint, insulin and its effect on substrate
storage is the most important", I may not have hammered home that point enough. In my mind, the reader understood that this means carbs and lots of them, it may not have come across.
So yes, please replace some of those vegetables in the Feast Phase with more carb dense foods (potatoes, rice etc). You're probably doing a great job alkilizing though, and I can see why after I devoted so much time to that topic. To clarify: The suggested diet in The Feast Phase is NOT high protein/low carb/high calorie. It is high protein/high carb/higher calorie.
A slight bump in sodium/water with the carbs will seal the deal and you'll be right back on track. Let me know how that adjustment goes!
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BrainSquirt
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:45 pm
Cycle 1 Phase 2 Day 12 090416Thu
Because of this week’s scheduling went and got in a good session around 6 last night.
Great session. Had time for longer rests btwn sets, etc. Had the umph to finish the last of the lasts on the presses – slowly and barely. But that’s a big improvement over the more painless types of failures that had been happening last week.
Going for time compacted leg work out near noon today then a rest until Monday PM
Diet: Ok - I get it… Will up the carbs.
But – I got to find a way to limit and/or stay off the processed stuff. Even pasta. It’s not a body fat issue as much as it is an overall health issue. … don’t know if one can be ‘barely a celiac’ but that’s the way I need to treat it.
re Sodium. How about celery instead of table salt?
Also ramping the Kre-Anabolyn back up.
Great session. Had time for longer rests btwn sets, etc. Had the umph to finish the last of the lasts on the presses – slowly and barely. But that’s a big improvement over the more painless types of failures that had been happening last week.
Going for time compacted leg work out near noon today then a rest until Monday PM
Diet: Ok - I get it… Will up the carbs.
But – I got to find a way to limit and/or stay off the processed stuff. Even pasta. It’s not a body fat issue as much as it is an overall health issue. … don’t know if one can be ‘barely a celiac’ but that’s the way I need to treat it.
re Sodium. How about celery instead of table salt?
Also ramping the Kre-Anabolyn back up.
Glad to hear it Brain. As you add more carbs back in, it'll get better and better. I love potatos of all sorts for this purpose..
Regarding the celery... you are a clever one! Yes, it is 0.12% sodium by weight and relatively high vs. other food values. It also contains apigenin which is naturally found in a number of vegetables. Apigenin affects the blood pressure levels by means of dilating blood vessels. In addition, it contains 3-n-butylphtalide (3nb) - another chemical known to lower blood pressure. 3nb also reduces the level of catacholamines which are stress hormones, which can also be beneficial during this phase.
Another great contribution. Well done.
Regarding the celery... you are a clever one! Yes, it is 0.12% sodium by weight and relatively high vs. other food values. It also contains apigenin which is naturally found in a number of vegetables. Apigenin affects the blood pressure levels by means of dilating blood vessels. In addition, it contains 3-n-butylphtalide (3nb) - another chemical known to lower blood pressure. 3nb also reduces the level of catacholamines which are stress hormones, which can also be beneficial during this phase.
Another great contribution. Well done.
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BrainSquirt
- Posts: 362
- Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:45 pm
Cycle 1 Phase 2 Day 17 090420Mon
Had a good PM session. Still not back to levels or gains I just happened to be making before starting Phase 1, but at least back to getting strong full finishes to most sets and experiencing progressive improvement through the session – at least up until near the very end.
Rob, your comments about upping the carbs stimulated me to start studying the dynamics of insulin in more depth. First, generally, and then about timing my own specific responses…
Also, seeing a bunch of insulin 'mimicry' stuff in the sales pitches for pre-workout compounds... what's that all about ?
Rob, your comments about upping the carbs stimulated me to start studying the dynamics of insulin in more depth. First, generally, and then about timing my own specific responses…
Also, seeing a bunch of insulin 'mimicry' stuff in the sales pitches for pre-workout compounds... what's that all about ?
Good to hear BrainSquirt,
What you are essentially starting to experience now is what the Feast Phase should feel like from the beginning. As we discussed, I believe it was the product of 2 factors. First, you were essentially in a Feast Phase of sorts when beginning the Famine Phase. As you know, this is outside of the rotation of the Blueprint Famine-Feast-Cruise and repeat cycle. No worries, easily corrected.
Second, the lack of carbs early on in your Feast means much of that protein you re-introduced got burned for energy vs. stored as muscle tissue (as there were no carbs to spare the protein in circulation). Again, easily corrected next time around. I'd suggest a minimum 2:1 and optimally 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein next feast phase.
Now, in terms of insulin mimetics and the like in today's current crop of pre-workout supplements... couple of comments. I'm of the opinion that you want blood sugar rising a bit going into a workout and continuing to rise during the workout. Why? Because insulin release stops muscle breakdown via lowering cortisol. Left unchecked, an intense workout skyrockets cortisol and that isn't good. The flip side of the coin is insulin sensitivity, where you want the muscle tissue receptive to the amino's/glycogen insulin can store in the muscle tissue. That's the real trick, opening the nutrient door to the muscles.
There are a few micro-nutrients that can do this, but none better than 4-hydroxyisoleucine as found in Kre-Anabolyn. For example, a recent study by Dr. Ruby and colleagues at the University of Montana determined the effects of 4-hydroxyisoleucine with a glucose beverage on rates of post-exercise muscle glycogen re-synthesis in trained male cyclists. Following an overnight fast, subjects completed a 90-minute glycogen depletion ride after which a muscle biopsy (the removal of muscle tissue) was obtained from the vastus lateralis. Immediately and two hours after the muscle biopsy, subjects ingested either 1) glucose (1.8 grams per kilogram body weight) or 2) 4-hydroxyleucine supplement (with the same oral dose of glucose) with a second muscle biopsy four hours after exercise. The main finding of this study was that in combination with large simple carb feeding, the added 4-hydroxyleucine promoted a 63 percent higher rate of post-exercise glycogen resynthesis compared to carbs alone.
Clinically, anything 15% or higher is significant. 63% is a big advantage to be giving up, IMO.
Important too, I believe, the fact they exercised after an over-night fast. So if you workout in the morning...good time to do it. Otherwise, still strong evidence for my BCAA loading protocol #1 (with doubling up of KA if using) as found in The Blueprint.
What you are essentially starting to experience now is what the Feast Phase should feel like from the beginning. As we discussed, I believe it was the product of 2 factors. First, you were essentially in a Feast Phase of sorts when beginning the Famine Phase. As you know, this is outside of the rotation of the Blueprint Famine-Feast-Cruise and repeat cycle. No worries, easily corrected.
Second, the lack of carbs early on in your Feast means much of that protein you re-introduced got burned for energy vs. stored as muscle tissue (as there were no carbs to spare the protein in circulation). Again, easily corrected next time around. I'd suggest a minimum 2:1 and optimally 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein next feast phase.
Now, in terms of insulin mimetics and the like in today's current crop of pre-workout supplements... couple of comments. I'm of the opinion that you want blood sugar rising a bit going into a workout and continuing to rise during the workout. Why? Because insulin release stops muscle breakdown via lowering cortisol. Left unchecked, an intense workout skyrockets cortisol and that isn't good. The flip side of the coin is insulin sensitivity, where you want the muscle tissue receptive to the amino's/glycogen insulin can store in the muscle tissue. That's the real trick, opening the nutrient door to the muscles.
There are a few micro-nutrients that can do this, but none better than 4-hydroxyisoleucine as found in Kre-Anabolyn. For example, a recent study by Dr. Ruby and colleagues at the University of Montana determined the effects of 4-hydroxyisoleucine with a glucose beverage on rates of post-exercise muscle glycogen re-synthesis in trained male cyclists. Following an overnight fast, subjects completed a 90-minute glycogen depletion ride after which a muscle biopsy (the removal of muscle tissue) was obtained from the vastus lateralis. Immediately and two hours after the muscle biopsy, subjects ingested either 1) glucose (1.8 grams per kilogram body weight) or 2) 4-hydroxyleucine supplement (with the same oral dose of glucose) with a second muscle biopsy four hours after exercise. The main finding of this study was that in combination with large simple carb feeding, the added 4-hydroxyleucine promoted a 63 percent higher rate of post-exercise glycogen resynthesis compared to carbs alone.
Clinically, anything 15% or higher is significant. 63% is a big advantage to be giving up, IMO.
Important too, I believe, the fact they exercised after an over-night fast. So if you workout in the morning...good time to do it. Otherwise, still strong evidence for my BCAA loading protocol #1 (with doubling up of KA if using) as found in The Blueprint.