Leangains and IF done right - 7 month cut/bulk

[souboy]

Great job man .. keep up the good work.

[Neo_seraph]

what was your diet & routine like in detail?

I figure i'll try this out but the whole fasting & timing is getting a tad confusing

[hankst]

what was your diet & routine like in detail?

I figure i'll try this out but the whole fasting & timing is getting a tad confusing

What's confusing? Eat a small pre workout meal, or train fasted, eat for 8 hours, fast for 16 hours, repeat.

[The_Metal]

Become a model. No homo

[Neo_seraph]

What's confusing? Eat a small pre workout meal, or train fasted, eat for 8 hours, fast for 16 hours, repeat.

I'm just used to cliffs lol

& just so i'm clear, this is what i would do based around my time

-get up from 8 hour fast from sleep (6am)
-fast another 8 (till around 2pm)
-workout after (maybe a small whey shake for a pre workout?)
-Eat a PWO meal
-another meal around 6ish
-then another meal before sleep
-repeat

[Zewski92]

damn dude, you look awesome. I just recently started the leangains protocol, in hopes of getting shredded. Although im not sure im eating the right amount of food to make a defecit...i can eat A LOT in one sitting haha. Anyway im really interested in what your specific workout looked like, since im trying to set up a good upper/lower split to work with. your a true inspiration bro. keep it up!

[hankst]

I'm just used to cliffs lol

& just so i'm clear, this is what i would do based around my time

-get up from 8 hour fast from sleep (6am)
-fast another 8 (till around 2pm)
-workout after (maybe a small whey shake for a pre workout?)
-Eat a PWO meal
-another meal around 6ish
-then another meal before sleep
-repeat

Yep, that's the main idea. Just make sure to get in the majority of your calories after your workout, that's the important part.
I prefer working out completely fasted (Martin advices to take 10g of BCAAs before your workout, though), gives me a lot more energy than otherwise. But you can also eat a small pre workout meal and work out afterwards.

[matt_kw]

How long have you been following the Leangains method? That website has some AWESOME testimonials and results... def looks like it is something worth checking out!!!

[ShogunG]

I'm curious if lifting fasted has ever backfired on you. Like, you just didn't have enough energy etc.?

[fit4business88]

congrats on the impressive progress man. I also follow the Leangains protocol and train fasted.

[sportyaccordy]

How'd you look when you first started lifting?

[PNel]

I'm curious if lifting fasted has ever backfired on you. Like, you just didn't have enough energy etc.?

I'm not the OP but I train fasted and I have more than enough energy to do 1hr weights + 20 mins or more of cardio.

[PerpetualHeaven]

I'm just used to cliffs lol

& just so i'm clear, this is what i would do based around my time

-get up from 8 hour fast from sleep (6am)
-fast another 8 (till around 2pm)
-workout after (maybe a small whey shake for a pre workout?)
-Eat a PWO meal
-another meal around 6ish
-then another meal before sleep
-repeat

You don't need pre-workout meals when you're doing IF. Even training fasted and not eating directly after is still acceptable. You should be supplementing with BCAAs, though, as they will help maintain your muscle through-out the fact without breaking the fast itself.

@OP

Good stuff, man. I'm doing a variation of IF. I'm doing, roughly, 18/6. The reason I say roughly is because sometimes I have to break my fast a bit early in order to make it to class on time. I might bump it down to 17/7, though. I don't want to be pushing it too much.

[mukky]

nice job man

[toshiba88]

Yep I work out at the LA Fitness right there on Mitchell Hammock. How bout you?

Nah I used to. I dont recognize you tho. i work out at ucf now... man im having the hardest time trying to figure everything out about this IF diet. i work mon-friday from noon-5ish. from what i read those seem like pretty crucial times to eat. at least 2 of the 3 meals. when did you set up your meal times?

[biggerthanlavar]

Become a model. No homo

This...(no homo).

Pretty close to a perfect physique, IMHO.

[NotHereOrThere]

I wouldn't expect a response anytime soon. With a body like that (no homo) I imagine Friday and Saturday night are pretty busy. LOL

Great work buddy. Been looking at lean gains and am finally almost in a position to attempt it.

[89JVH]

nice work man, keep it up aye

[Danco3636]

Nice job! I love the leangains IF approach.... Finished my cut and have been on the leangain bulk now.....

Looking good!

[tuh888]

Nice job! I love the leangains IF approach.... Finished my cut and have been on the leangain bulk now.....

Looking good!

what is the difference between leangain cut and leangain bulk. I know theyre both fasting but..

and is this also ok if my training consists of compound exercises eg. starting strength

[hankst]

what is the difference between leangain cut and leangain bulk. I know theyre both fasting but..

and is this also ok if my training consists of compound exercises eg. starting strength

Cutting: calories below maintenance
Bulking: calories above maintenance

Compound moves are awesome.

[StrangeReality]

Amazing symmetry, well done.

[snypa247]

a question for anyone with experience of IF.. Is this a good example of an IF plan ?
(I work in an office from 08:00 - 16:30)

16:30 - take BCAAs

17:00 - weight training 45min-1hr

18:00 - 2 Chicken Breasts, 1 cup Rice, 1/2 cup Veggies

21:00 - 2 tins of tuna in salad

00:00 - 2 scoops syntha-6

Repeat next day.

so basically its 16 hours fasted. and then eat straight after the gym.

[romajc]

a question for anyone with experience of IF.. Is this a good example of an IF plan ?
(I work in an office from 08:00 - 16:30)

16:30 - take BCAAs

17:00 - weight training 45min-1hr

18:00 - 2 Chicken Breasts, 1 cup Rice, 1/2 cup Veggies

21:00 - 2 tins of tuna in salad

00:00 - 2 scoops syntha-6

Repeat next day.

so basically its 16 hours fasted. and then eat straight after the gym.

leangains.com

[defixon]

what was your diet & routine like in detail?

I figure i'll try this out but the whole fasting & timing is getting a tad confusing

I do an upper body/lower body split. I hit my full upper body about 3 times a week or so, and i hit my lower body (legs) once a week. For my upper body I focus on the main compound lifts with some isolation exercises as well. Example:

Chest:
Incline DB Press
Decline Press
Incline flies

Back:
Various grip pull-ups/Chins
deadlifts
Bent over rows

Shoulders:
Shoulder press/Military press
side delt raises with cable
shrugs

Triceps:
Dips
Skullcrushers supersetted with close grip bench
Tricep pushdowns

Biceps:
Various grip curls
Hammer curls
Chin ups

I do all these in one day, but in keep in mind I only do about 2-3 sets per exercise. The whole workout takes me a little over an hour. And I switch up some exercises here n there as well as the order.

For legs I just do the normal ****:

ATG squats
Leg press
Leg extensions
Seated calf raises
standing calf raises

[defixon]

Nah I used to. I dont recognize you tho. i work out at ucf now... man im having the hardest time trying to figure everything out about this IF diet. i work mon-friday from noon-5ish. from what i read those seem like pretty crucial times to eat. at least 2 of the 3 meals. when did you set up your meal times?

It's honestly pretty simple. It might sound confusing because there's so much damn information on the website, but all you need to do is focus on the 16 hour fast.

If you maintain that 16 hour fast, all you can basically do is eat within those 8 hours. Now use your basic meal timing knowledge to create your schedule.

We all know the PWO meal is the most important on lifting days, so eat as you normally would after your workout. If you decide to train fasted, take your BCAA's or at least have a protein shake beforehand. A lot of the times, my breakfast is my PWO meal, so I just eat my ass off.

If you want to have your first meal at a normal lunch time (around 12pm), then just make sure your last meal is somewhere around 8pm the night before.

[defixon]

I'm curious if lifting fasted has ever backfired on you. Like, you just didn't have enough energy etc.?

ONLY if I drink the night before.. I've tried fasted lifting with a hangover...mmmm, yea bad idea...I made it about 15 minutes into my workout and I had to leave. lol.

But besides that, I have my best workouts and the most energy when I am fasted. I try to lift fasted as much as I can. I love how focused I am when fasted, and after my workout I am so damn hungry that I will just make a feast for myself

[defixon]

did you lose some size between 2007 and your first 2010 pic? It may be me, but you look bigger. Could it be that some of this was just muscle memory? Either way, huge improvement, aesthetic as ****

Sorry for the lack of use with multi-quoting...kind of just going through the questions and picking them out..been a hectic week/weekend.

I started seriously lifting in 2006..I worked out from 2006 till 2008 (that first picture is from the end of my bulk I think). I quit in 2008 for two years, and had started back up in 2010. The picture where I look smaller is from after losing the fat I put on in those 2 years of not lifting.

Some of my gains are definitely from muscle memory, but I have exceeded my strength from 2008 by a substantial amount. I am feeling and looking better than I ever have, and it only took me about 8 months instead of 2 years. My knowledge with Leangains/IF, and some other stuff I have learned throughout this time has given me much more focus on the goals I want to achieve with bodybuilding.


P.s. Do not ever quit bodybuilding, you will regret it so much. If I had stuck with it from 2006 until now, who knows where I would be. I try not to think about it because I can't change my decisions, but I have definitely learned from it. When feeling unmotivated, just look into the future and picture yourself with an incredible physique. Time moves fast, and you'll be exceeding your goals before you know it!

[TMMuscle]

Sorry for the lack of use with multi-quoting...kind of just going through the questions and picking them out..been a hectic week/weekend.

I started seriously lifting in 2006..I worked out from 2006 till 2008 (that first picture is from the end of my bulk I think). I quit in 2008 for two years, and had started back up in 2010. The picture where I look smaller is from after losing the fat I put on in those 2 years of not lifting.

Some of my gains are definitely from muscle memory, but I have exceeded my strength from 2008 by a substantial amount. I am feeling and looking better than I ever have, and it only took me about 8 months instead of 2 years. My knowledge with Leangains/IF, and some other stuff I have learned throughout this time has given me much more focus on the goals I want to achieve with bodybuilding.


P.s. Do not ever quit bodybuilding, you will regret it so much. If I had stuck with it from 2006 until now, who knows where I would be. I try not to think about it because I can't change my decisions, but I have definitely learned from it. When feeling unmotivated, just look into the future and picture yourself with an incredible physique. Time moves fast, and you'll be exceeding your goals before you know it!

Insane gains! I wet thru the leangains website and there is a lot of info all over the site. It's a lot to take in. Let me ask you, after you fast do you consume the same calories and macros that you would on your typical diet? For example say you follow a 40/40/20 ratio and 2,500 calories a day, when doing leangains, do you do the same?

[Joseph1990]

Nice lean bulk I hope to do the same soon just a few more lbs of fat to cut first.

Traps look fine imo. I don't see the desire for big traps that make your neck disappear. I train to look good for the ladies and I doubt big traps are something they look for.