Incorporating Lean Gains and IF into HST

[dax07]

Hey guys I have been researching intermittent fasting and how it can be helpful to HST. Ever since I stumbled upon HST it has had a very special place in my heart and I do not believe I will ever stray away. That being said, I obviously follow a HST based resistance training routine. Currently I am doing a cutting phase so here is my exercise routine:

Monday/Wednesday/Friday @ 1:00PM

Bench Press 3x5
Deadlift 3x5
Chin Ups 3x5
Squat 3x5
Dips 3x5

I do this for 2 weeks, then drop to 3x3, and then I do 2 sets of negatives for 2 reps for 1 week, then go back to 5 rep. Also, the reason I do multi-sets is just for warm-up. They are usually pretty light. Only my last set is the real max effort working set.

So, that is my resistance training. I have been in a caloric deficit of about 1000kcal/day which leads me to around 1.5-2.0lbs of bodyfat loss per week. Results by week do vary a little but for the most part, I am leaning up everywhere and maintaining strength and muscle mass pretty well. With all of that being said, I follow the Leangains approach to dieting and it is as follows:

~12:45PM I take in 10g of amino acids before I train, so my training is in a semi-fasted state.
~1:00PM I start my workout. Strength while fasted is greater than when I eat food before, ironically...
~2:00PM First real meal is taken right after my workout. This is usually a 30g whey protein shake with 5g of creatine, 1 cup of frosted mini wheats, 1/2 cup of skim milk, 4oz of chicken breast, 1 apple and 1 orange. Yum...
The rest of my calories come in short frequent bursts (snacks) that consist mainly of more protein, pasta, salad and possibly another whey shake (thinking about replacing whey with casein) until about 5:00PM where I begin my fast once again. If my math is correct, I fast anywhere from 18-21 hours straight everyday. I love it, I haven't lost FFM (at least not a noticeable amount) and my bodyfat percentage is dropping. I aim to hit 6% body fat, then to start bumping up my calories to bulk. When I start bulking I will only fast for 16 hours a day and feed during an 8 hour window. I will be less strict when it comes to counting calories for I like the psychological stress relief I get while bulking, and the leangains style approach will keep body fat in check pretty well I assume.

** It is worthy mentioning that I am very active during my fast. I work as a server at a busy restaurant so I am walking at a fast pace for about 5 hours straight which I am sure burns a decent amount of calories. Also, I always do a 45 minute session of cardio once a day, low intensity and I burn anywhere from 400-500kcal during that session.

Questions/Comments/Criticism is welcomed as always.

Be well, keep progressing
-Dax

 

[Old and Grey]

Hey Dax

I like your exercise routine but do not know squat about the diet your refer to. However, I have learned a little bit about protein shakes and synthesis so I will stick to only what I have learned and leave the technical stuff to the guys who have really studied it.

The only time I would ever recommend protein shakes is when you are dieting or cutting (unless, of course, you cannot access real food or are elderly and feeble). They can be a very good meal replacement and appetite suppressor as protein gives you that full filling for a longer period of time.

Both whey and casein come from milk but there is a big difference in how they work. Whey gets absorbed into your muscles faster and is ideal immediately after a workout. Typically whey shakes are (or were since I have not used them in years) lower in carbs as well. Casein is absorbed slower and is thus ideal as your last meal of the day as it will feed your muscles throughout the night. Therefore, I would suggest that you use both types. However, one caution, make sure your casein shake has some carbs in it as a lack of carbs over time may lead to muscle damage.

The downside to any long term protein shake supplementation that I found was digestive problems and a vitamin deficiency that left me dragging. I also found that my "gains" seem to disappear once I stopped the shakes. Therefore, I believe that real food is better for bulking and long term muscle building. But, for what you want right now, I think using both whey and casein is a great short term answer. But real food can't be beat for bulking and is healthier.

Maybe there have been some studies done on animal protein vs milk protein and muscle building. If there has been one done, I am sure my friend Rihad will be able to dig it up for us. It would be interesting to see if the research supports my anecdotal findings. Perhaps not.

Good luck!

O&G

PS: I remember that back in the 80's, many competitive bodybuilders at Mike Katz's gym also would have a casein shake before a workout followed by a whey shake after their workout. They claimed that the carbs in the casein shake gave them an insulin boost that helped their energy levels stay high during their workout when cutting. I never tried it though. Most of them were also on high doses of of Deca/Dbol as well. I am sure that played a big factor in assimilating so much protein.

 

[Nagels]

Hi Dax , IF and leangains will work regardless of HST or another type of training. There are an abundance of dietary articles out there , always has been......always will - the number one rule of any cutting diet is eat less calories than you burn.IF takes it on a weekly average through the recomp concept so you eat more the day you train and less the day you dont....over the week you're still in a defecit. It's one of the more practical and indeed tested concepts out there. I've experimented with it and cant fault it tbh other than it may miscalculate calorie needs........that's something you need to figure out yourself as we're all different. Have you seen the calculator that breaks up macros?....if not here it is http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/