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Have been working hard and playing hard. Lifting ~ 2 times a week.
Diet: Definitely doing less calories than I was in Phase 2. No Kre-Anabolyn but am maintaining limited creatine. Also do AdaptogenN on nights I know I would be sorer the next day if I didn’t. Doing lots of supplements for health in general. Been thinking about doing a liver cleanse and more liver support. Look at that in Phase 3 or next Phase 1?

Rob, et al, General question - in Phase 3, do you think in terms of testosterone and estrogen levels / balance, etc.? Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, etc?

BrainSquirt wrote:Have been working hard and playing hard. Lifting ~ 2 times a week.
Diet: Definitely doing less calories than I was in Phase 2. No Kre-Anabolyn but am maintaining limited creatine. Also do AdaptogenN on nights I know I would be sorer the next day if I didn’t. Doing lots of supplements for health in general. Been thinking about doing a liver cleanse and more liver support. Look at that in Phase 3 or next Phase 1?

Rob, et al, General question - in Phase 3, do you think in terms of testosterone and estrogen levels / balance, etc.? Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, etc?

Nice to hear from you again Brain.

In phase 3 or "maintenance" as I put it I like to focus on normalizing all variables. That goes for training, calories, hormones etc.. Whereas in Famine we are detoxing/activating anti-catabolic machinery and Feast we are pushing the calories, intensity-density of training and maximizing everything... Phase 3 is different.

Here, I discontinue use of all performance oriented supps like KA/Adaptogen N etc. Some just dial in a maintenance dose of creatine. Likewise training intensity is moderated. What I'm calling for here is a mental and physical "break" that I think you absolutely need. You've just put your body through 2 different extremes and nobody can do that forever. Plus, it really revs your engines for another go with the system again.

The other objective is this: letting the cement settle. That new 8lbs or so will be quickly lost if you go into another Famine phase right away. The body needs a period of time to recognize the new muscle as permanent. You need a blood supply to feed it, a nervous system to talk to it and a vascular system that'll circulate oxygen to it. Establishing a new "normal" for your body is the goal.

Your question about optimizing SHBG is a good one, but in truth it's probably already maxed out given heavy Adaptogen use (Eurycoma Longifolia, in particular) in the feast phase. Besides, even if optimized here the building materials (caloric excess) won't be present to build new muscle. It's a balancing out period, making the coming famine phase most productive.

This is far from time spent "spinning your wheels" as some think. As an example, during this time your brain/adrenals are re-plenishing supplies of neuro-transmitters that have been depleted by heavy training/other stressors. I.E. find me the guy who's been doing Heavy Duty type training for 6 months or more and I'll show you adrenal burnout.

I'd love to tell you that there are supps that help with this and it can be done in a matter of days. The reality is.... it takes time. I'm not entirely against supps here but feel their use should be minimal. I take enough pills/powders during the feast phase..

Keep us posted Brain. I'm pretty pumped about your experiences and more importantly, what you've helped us all learn!

RobRegish wrote:

BrainSquirt wrote:...letting the cement settle. That new 8lbs or so will be quickly lost if you go into another Famine phase right away. The body needs a period of time to recognize the new muscle as permanent. You need a blood supply to feed it, a nervous system to talk to it and a vascular system that'll circulate oxygen to it. Establishing a new "normal" for your body is the goal.

That, right above, in my opinion is the essence of The Blueprint.

Cementing new found gains as permanent.

Time and again I have seen lifters (myself included) add an additional 3-4 pounds in the so-called rest phase.

One eager young trainer asked me one time, "it's active rest, right?" and I said, "no, it's a victory lap where you let the gains sink in, deep and true".

Phase 1 Cycle 2
Plan: To run Phase 1 for 6 days. First two days use typical diet / regular foods but in ½ size servings. Third and fourth day – green salads , juice, fruit, and half a scoop of MassPro. Fifth and sixth day – fresh juice and water only.
Supplements: Brain foods 1st 3 days, then nothing. Have also been starting them last few days of Phase 3.
Workouts: Daily. Weights and aerobics on alternate days. Easy at first, then progressively ramp up the stress to go into stronger, but shorter, alarm stage this time.
Rob, you mentioned in your journal that “The protein breakdown continues to accelerate per the Multistix …”. I’m testing with strips too. Trying to time it so only really firing off of proteins the last two days. Is that long enough? And could it even only be one day, if I made that last day physically extreme and extended, high sweat, go acid, dehydrate, and starve – like ammonia smelling hell on earth?

Phase 1 Cycle 2 Day 1 Wed May 27, 09
Diet: Regular food only in ½ portions
Workout: 45 minutes in weight room. Machines only. 40% weights, high reps… low burn, etc. It felt stessfull, different but not overtaxing...

Phase 1 Cycle 2 Day 2 Thu May 28, 09
Diet: Regular food only ½ portions, didn’t drink enough water.
Workout: Two hours of tennis. Hard and fast the first hour, slower pace the second hour. A little leg soreness next morning.

Phase 1 Cycle 2 Day 3 Fri May 29, 09
Diet: Made oatmeal, gave all of it to the dogs with their raw meat except 2 tablespoons. Mixed the ½ scoop MassPro with that. Yum breakfast all three bites. Lunch: Less than ten raw almonds a little while before workout. Post workout had ½ banana. Will finish eating for the day with a medium greens only salad with just a touch of dressing. 1+ gallon 8:1 water and cherry juice mixture
Workout: 60 minutes in weight room. Machines and pullies only. 40% weights, high reps, shorter rests, increased the burns – but still being careful not to take it over the top just yet.

Thanks Brain. Looks like you and I are almost in sync as I'm on day 5.

Curious as to what you're seeing on the scale or subjectively, moods?

I saw about 1lb/day loss, although most of it came from day 3 onward. I also noted feeling pretty darn crabby/on edge earlier on..

Phase 1 Cycle 2 Day 4 Sat May 30, 09
Diet: A few nuts, a banana, ¾ an apple during day and a small salad at night is all. 1.5 gallon water and 1 small glass of juice
Workout: Pick and shovel in the hot sun for about 3.5 hours then built a form for a retaining wall rest of day. Sore hands, back, and ankles (ankles? maybe from bending and kneeling etc.).

Phase 1 Cycle 2 Day 5 Sun May 31, 09
Diet: AM Water only PM Water and 1 glass of fresh juice with brain foods
Workout: Early AM took a 2 mile walk with dogs. Pm: One hour of light, but sweaty tennis.

Definitely feeling it now – starved, exhausted, and bitchy
Protein starting to go up on the strips.
Weight: have lost only a couple of pounds on scales but arms look a bit smaller.
CNS definitely not as obliterated as last cycle. Am not feeling brain damaged, but have been susceptible to temper, depression, and moodiness.

Rob, now that you’re back among the living am bumping these questions from Friday.

>You mentioned in your journal that “The protein breakdown continues to accelerate per the Multistix …”. I’m testing with strips too. How high should the protein readings go?

Answer: The protein readings should go up to 110 on your stix. In practice, I like to get it to at least 30 and 60 I'd say, is the sweet spot. What you're shooting for is 2-3 shades of green deeper than where you started.

>Trying to time it so only really feeding off structural protein the last two days. Is that long enough? And could it even only be one day, if I made that last day physically extreme and extended, high sweat, go acid, dehydrate, and starve – like ammonia smelling hell on earth?

Answer: 2 days is about right. One may be enough, but I'm hesitant to say one day of deep protein excretion is better than what 2 moderate ones amount to. It's likely the 2 moderate days register more total breakdown vs. 1 big one.

The ammonia smell IS a sign you've hit that state we're striving for, but isn't a fundamental requirement. I just note it in The Blueprint as a subjective indicator and it's more for guys not using the testing strips.

You sound like you've improved this time around, learning from your past cycle. Exactly what we're after... Please keep us updated!

BrainSquirt wrote:like ammonia smelling hell on earth?

That's a clear sign, nail on the head.

Phase 1 Cycle 2 Day 6 Mon Jun 1, 09
Diet: AM Water only. PM Water and 1 glass of fresh juice with brain foods. Small bowl of blueberries for ‘dinner’
Workout: Forty minutes in the weight room. High rep, high speed, medium weight, low rest till feeling 'sick'.

Feeling better today than Sunday. That working all day Saturday in the sun nearly killed me. But CNS holding up well. Since protein on strips not high and I'm coping ok, am going to extend Famine one more day.

Phase 1 Cycle 2 Day 7 Tue Jun 2, 09
Diet: AM Water and juice only. PM Water Dinner: Did a fresh juice fest with a lot of fresh greens and parsley and only a couple of carrots with brain foods.
Workout: No workout. Worked in the garden about 30 minutes just before dark

I’m starved to death and tired of drinking water everytime I feel hungry. Feast tomorrow!
Did an official weigh in at wakeup this morning and I have lost 5.5 lbs this week! I was shocked.
CNS still holding up much better than last time.

re extending the fast. I had an idea that ‘warm weather’ Famines should be gradual and longer, with a little more emphasis on cleansing and the ‘cold weather’ Famines more intense, traumatic, and quick. Any thoughts?

Rob, Thanks for the recipes and protocols for starting the Feast phase from over in your journal. I will come up with an equivalent concoction and try a batch.
I’m assuming you start a Feast / break the fast on the next morning. Please correct me if that’s wrong.
All the best.