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I'm (finally) beginning my first run of the Blueprint, starting with the Famine phase today! I have the next 5 days mapped out pretty well, and I don't think I should have too many issues with Famine; it seems pretty close to cutting weight for wrestling, only a lot healthier.

My goals are primarily gaining mass/strength, without gaining too much fat. I won't worry about getting lean until just before wrestling season again. I think I'll probably be seeing some great gains, since, thanks to the freestyle wrestling season and a vacation, I haven't been able to lift for the last few weeks, and I haven't been able to lift regularly for almost seven weeks now. But its time to get back to it!

Here are some stats, as of this morning:
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 149
BF: ~11%, but this measurement was several weeks ago, and I don't have my own calipers. I'll try and get it tested again soon, but no promises.

I have a question on supplementation: I've already received my order from musclemass, and I plan to take both Kre-Anabolyn and Adaptogen N. However, I also have Kre-Alkalyn creatine. I understand that Kre-Anabolyn contains Kre-Alkalyn, but I was wondering how much it might actually be? And would it be a good idea to still take Kre-Alkalyn separately, or would it end up being wasted because enough creatine is already supplied by the Kre-Anabolyn?

I also have a question on cardio, namely wrestling. A school near mine has wrestling practices three days a week, which some of us were invited to take advantage of during the summer break. Wrestling practices are generally very cardio-intensive. I know this would be useful during Famine, but I was wondering if added cardio would be detrimental during feast or cruise. I'd like to practice as much as possible, but not to the point where it's going to noticeably affect my blueprint run.

So there we go! I won't be updating this daily, like many loggers do, but I'll at least update every once in a while, so everyone can track my progress, when I max my lifts out, and all that. Thanks in advance![/i]

EDIT: Changed the title so the thread can be tracked more easily.

Nice hearing from you man and thanks for sharing..

I have a question on supplementation: I've already received my order from musclemass, and I plan to take both Kre-Anabolyn and Adaptogen N. However, I also have Kre-Alkalyn creatine. I understand that Kre-Anabolyn contains Kre-Alkalyn, but I was wondering how much it might actually be? And would it be a good idea to still take Kre-Alkalyn separately, or would it end up being wasted because enough creatine is already supplied by the Kre-Anabolyn?

A. Believe it's in the ad copy: 500mg. This equates to about 5grams of monohydrate so it's plenty. Taking Kre-Alkalyn separately woulnd't necessarily be a waste though, depending upon how long you've been off. If off for awhile, opt for an additional 2 caps of KreAlkalyn each days, ideally with your highest carb meals.

If you've been using it awhile, consider adding those 2 caps one prior to the workout and one after on workout days. On off days, the Kre-Alkalyn in KA will suffice.


I also have a question on cardio, namely wrestling. A school near mine has wrestling practices three days a week, which some of us were invited to take advantage of during the summer break. Wrestling practices are generally very cardio-intensive. I know this would be useful during Famine, but I was wondering if added cardio would be detrimental during feast or cruise. I'd like to practice as much as possible, but not to the point where it's going to noticeably affect my blueprint run.

A. Your last sentence holds the key and should be your guiding principle.

AS LONG AS IT DOESN"T NOTICEABLY AFFECT YOUR BLUEPRINT RUN

Should be the guiding light for everyone when considering the addition of any cardio....

I haven't used any sort of creatine since I was regularly lifting (several weeks ago), so I think I'll go with your first suggestion, and take 2 caps/day with my meals. As for wrestling, I think I'll probably just try going to the shorter practices maybe once or twice a week, and maybe up my calories on those days just to be safe?

Anyway, Day 1 went well. I'm hungry and tired, but the first famine workout is completed!

Thanks for the help so far, and I look forward to proving the efficacy of the Blueprint!

Yeah, play that by ear on the calories.

This goes for all times but Famine in particular:

If you ever feel sick, "off" or flat out "sick", DISCONTINUE. I do NOT want anyone getting hurt or sick and wrestling practice and other activities amplify this state.

If you don't value that then consider this.... that (too) deep a hole you're digging is going to delay traction once you get into Feast. It may even ruin your chances for success altogether.

Think about that before performing your next Famine workout, etc.. It's sage advice from the guy who designed this thing (and proved it to himself when he was too hard headed)...

As for calories on wrestling vs. non-wrestling days, maybe I can turn it into a little experiment, and see what works the best.

And about getting sick, or feeling off; my primary goal right now as far as fitness and health goes is to successfully give everything to this blueprint run. It would be unfair to judge the Blueprint's capabilities based on a botched trial, and in that case, I intend to follow it as closely as I can. Thanks again for the help!

Day 4 of Famine, and things are looking good so far. The workout yesterday felt great, and I hit everything pretty hard. The only issue I had was due to overcrowding at the gym! I was unable to superset the shoulder presses, except with wide-grip BP, so for incline and decline I supersetted with lateral raises. Aside from that little hiccup everything went well, I got through the workout well. Raising my arms to open the door at the end was difficult though

I also found out that my gym does free measurements! I really wish I had been able to take advantage of this BEFORE I started Famine, but at least I'll get something more accurate. They also do a bodyfat measurement, but I'll be going in tomorrow--the last day of Famine--to get it done. I'll still post all the stats, but just keep in mind that the results might not be the best indications to go by.

Still sore and tired, and I've been making sure not to sleep much over 6 hours a night. Tomorrow's the last day of Famine (that workout seems...nice..) and then FEAST!

Oh! And along with the measurements, I will try to get a hold of a camera in order to get some pseudo-"before" pictures. Measurements are more exact, but visualizations help.

OK, just heed that advice up above. Otherwise, looking forward to your update...

good luck!! I'll be joining you soon.

FAMINE-DAY 5

Thanks Justin! I appreciate the support.

Anyway, I went to my gym at my scheduled time today to get all my measurements done, and apparently they entered me into the system incorrectly. I've managed to reschedule it for Monday, for the time being. Day 5 of Famine, and I intentionally slept for about 6 hours last night. Unfortunately the lack of sleep this whole week caught up with me, and I fell asleep reading on my couch around 10:30am and didn't wake up til 1. Whoops...

The workout went... well, it went. I started off pretty well, but by the time I was done supersetting the squats/rows, I was drained. I got through biceps ok, but just had to go lower in weight so I could finish sets of 15.
The diet this week really started making its impact after the 2nd workout, and yesterday. Today I went even lower on calories (had a handful of sliced strawberries/grapes for breakfast, and then throughout the day I ate an orange I sliced up), so I'm definitely looking forward to feast tomorrow! I forgot to check my weight this morning, but just now, even after what I've eaten, and the water I've had today, I was 146. (I have a decent amount of experience with having to judge the weight of water/food I'm carrying in my body, thanks to wrestling, so I'd estimate it was about 144-45 this morning).

Can't wait to start my AN/KA tomorrow with feast, and I especially can't wait for the Feast diet! Going to bed early tonight, even after napping today, I'm exhausted. Thanks again Rob for the help!

Good luck Kat!

Watching and cheering you on, brother.

Way to go Kat on making it through!

Famine separates the men from the boys and now, it's time to reap the rewards and FEAST!!

Day 3 of Feast

Weight was 149 this morning, and Feast is going well so far. I had a little bit of trouble hitting 3000 calories the first day (couldn't even finish the shake listed in the BP in one day), got pretty close yesterday, and will probably reach it today. Tonight will be my first night taking AN, since I'm planning on running it Sunday-Thursday nights, and taking weekends off. I'm eager to go lift tomorrow, with Workout #1... although, even though I'm probably reading it correctly, I just wanted to clarify that the entire workout is 4 sets total, rather than 3 sets for each lift. I also had a question on this paragraph:

"Upon completing this 5 workout high intensity program, you'll have established a new 1rep max for use with the following. This particular loading pattern has been carefully chosen for its ability to radically increase your strength in a VERY short period of time. I find two workouts a week during this phase optimal."

When it's said that two workouts a week are optimal, is that for the first five workouts of Feast, or for the German Loading Pattern #1 that follows? Or maybe both... I'm kind of hoping that such short workouts can be clustered together within a couple days, I wanna lift!

Thanks for the help and support Rob and askmass. I'll try and update again tomorrow with how the workout goes, and hopefully with my measurements from the gym!

KatZilla wrote:Day 3 of Feast

Weight was 149 this morning, and Feast is going well so far. I had a little bit of trouble hitting 3000 calories the first day (couldn't even finish the shake listed in the BP in one day), got pretty close yesterday, and will probably reach it today. Tonight will be my first night taking AN, since I'm planning on running it Sunday-Thursday nights, and taking weekends off. I'm eager to go lift tomorrow, with Workout #1... although, even though I'm probably reading it correctly, I just wanted to clarify that the entire workout is 4 sets total, rather than 3 sets for each lift. I also had a question on this paragraph:


When it's said that two workouts a week are optimal, is that for the first five workouts of Feast, or for the German Loading Pattern #1 that follows? Or maybe both... I'm kind of hoping that such short workouts can be clustered together within a couple days, I wanna lift!

Thanks for the help and support Rob and askmass. I'll try and update again tomorrow with how the workout goes, and hopefully with my measurements from the gym!

It really depends on your recovery. The idea is to be fully recovered before each workout, as you want maximum output (and through that, maximum benefit) from each workout in your window where you get the accelerated muscle growth.

I did every other day and was fine, but i have pretty good recovery and plenty of BCAA's sitting around

Big Jay hit the nail on the head!

For workouts 1-5, suggest a one on/one off to start and insert an extra rest day if needed.

My comments about 2x/week were for GLP #1. I'm old and lame though