Day #35 - Does fasted training make you stronger?

Does training fasted result in greater strength gains than training in the fed state?

Ultimately, I don't have a definitive answer, but I have seen significant gains over the past month while training fasted. It seems like almost every workout I'm adding weight or adding reps. I was not seeing this kind of consistent gain while training in the fed state. Last week I had the strongest chest/triceps workout I've had, and then today I blew that one out of the water. Gains in my chest/tricep workout is significant to me because it is the workout that I've done most consistently for a long period of time. Some of my other workouts I've either lifted further below my strength potential (squats), or I'm doing lifts that I've only recently started doing (i.e. dead lifts and front squats). Gains in DB Chest presses come hard and slow.

Today, here is what I lifted compared to the workout I did right before starting I.F.

Dumbbell Press 5/13/12:
100lbs - 13 reps
100lbs - 11 reps
100lbs - 9 reps
100lbs - 8 reps
Total load - 4,100 lbs


Dumbbell Press 4/01/12:
100lbs - 11 reps
100lbs - 8 reps
95lbs - 8 reps
90lbs - 8 reps
Total load - 3,380 lbs



Incline Dumbbell Press 5/13/12:
95lbs - 8 reps
90lbs - 8 reps
85lbs - 10 reps
80lbs - 10 reps
Total load - 3,130 lbs


Incline Dumbbell Press 4/01/12:
80lbs - 8 reps
75lbs - 8 reps
70lbs - 9 reps
65lbs - 10 reps
Total load - 2,520 lbs


As you can see. these are significant gains in just over a month, especially since I've been doing this workout for a while. This makes me wonder...why am I getting stronger so much faster than before? Can fasted training make you stronger than fed training? If the answer is yes (and I believe it is) here are a few theories/explanations as to why.

1) The "Fight or Flight" Theory (unscientific)
Humans have not always had supermarkets, fast food, and vending machines. In less modern times, men went out and hunted for their food and they wouldn't have any food to eat all day until they drug something home. If the body grew weak without food every few hours, most of our great, great, great, great, great, great...you get the idea...grandfathers wouldn't have been successful at providing food for their families. At times of stress certain hormones and enzymes kick in, giving our body what it needs to perform.

2) Catecholamines -The "Fight or Flight" Theory (scientific)
When your body is placed under stress, it releases hormones called catecholamines, one of which is epinephrine (adrenaline). Heavy strength training increases the catecholamines your body produces, and studies suggest that fasted training increases catecholamines even more. Catecholamines cause general physiological changes that prepare the body for physical activity including  increases in heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and a general reaction of the sympathetic nervous system (fight of flight).


 3) p70s6 Kinase
A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology in 2010 compared controlled groups training fasted versus training fed. The fasted group had twice the concentration of the enzyme p70s6k post workout. "Among other things, increased levels of p70s6k may lead to a faster transport of amino acids into the muscle cell membranes, which should lead to a more rapid and potent anabolic response to post-workout nutrient ingestion. The effects seen on the other myogenic signaling mechanisms could also affect muscle growth through other pathways." In other words, after fasted training, your body is primed to utilize the nutrients that you eat to rebuild itself more efficiently. The downside of fasted training is muscle catabolism due to the lack of available amino acids. This is where Berkan suggests taking 10g BCAAs at various intervals during the fasted period to "sidestep" the negatives of fasted training, and reap all of the benefits.


4) Various other uncontrolled factors
I've got numerous variables in my I.F. plan, and I haven't been performing a controlled study, so I can't definitively say what is the cause of strength increases. If I had to guess, I'd say it is a combination of the items listed above, and also better tracking of my workouts, so that my mind is right and I'm pushing myself each workout.

Evaluation Today:

We did do our evaluations today, but the vast majority of the numbers stayed the same. I did gain back up to 190.2, but also dropped my body fat from 10.33 to 10.1%, so I am pretty excited about that. We will probably post pictures and eval numbers next weekend.

Scripture for the day:

^{Galations 6:14 "}May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

I saw this verse tattooed on the guy who won the 2011 Crossfit Games on ESPN. While I'm not a fan of tattoos, I thought this was a pretty awesome testimony. This guy is one of the fittest, most athletic guys in the world, and he has a constant reminder about boasting only in the cross of his Savior Jesus Christ. That has got to be the most awesome tattoo ever!

Day #29

After posting almost every day for 4 weeks, I'm thinking I'm going to take a break from updating the blog every day. I do want to keep myself motivated to stick to the plan, and posting weekly evaluation results has definitely helped me...so I think I'll continue to do that. I may post more often...we'll see.

John 6:28-40 ^"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” 

Day #28 - Week 4 Evaluation

After 4 weeks of reasonable adherence to the Intermittent Fasting program (as outlined by Martin Berkhan - LeanGains.com), it's time to see if this stuff is "the real deal." Just by way of context, late last year I was able to get down to 10.06% body fat (the lowest I've been in recent history). I accomplished this by working out quite a bit (6 days a week, and sometimes twice a day) and eating pretty clean - i.e. avoiding junk food, fast food, etc. Despite all of this, I was never able to push past the 10% barrier. I am hoping that the controversial science of Intermittent Fasting is able to help me get into single digits, and help me to hit my goal of 8% body fat.

Just to recap a few things, here are the goals I hoped to accomplish:

1. I’d like to drop 1.25% body fat over the next 4-6 weeks, bringing my body fat % back down to 10%.
2. I’d like to do this without losing much weight
3. I’d really like to increase muscle mass.
4. I’d like to retain or increase my strength at the gym.

      Confession: I haven't been eating as clean as I normally do. Over the last 4 weeks, we've ordered pizza 3 times, eaten at Red Robin, China King, and I've had cake and ice cream more than once :) The bottom line is, I haven't been as strict on my macro-nutrient content during the last 4 weeks, so successful results will validate that intermittent fasting really is an efficient method to burn fat.

a    What I'm looking for: There are 4 things I am looking for in the evaluation analysis. 1) Body Composition - was I able to reduce body fat %? 2) Circumference Measurements - these will help confirm the body composition results. 3) Strength Markers - was I able to maintain or increase strength in my workouts? 4) Visual Comparisons - this one is obvious...do I look like I've reduced fat, increased muscle, or both?

Matt's Evaluation Week 4 and Pre-Program Comparison:

*First number listed is the 5/6/12 eval. Second number listed is the 4/8/12 eval.

Weight: 189.4lbs | 192.4lbs  (decreased 3.00 lbs)

Body fat %: 10.33% | 11.25% (decreased 0.92%)

Body fat lbs: 19.57lbs | 21.64lbs (decreased 2.07lbs)

Lean lbs: 169.83lbs | 170.76lbs (decreased 0.93lbs)

Pinch test (millimeters):

Chest: 5 | 6 (decreased 1mm)

Abdominal: 16 | 16 (same)

Thigh: 13 | 14 (decreased 1mm)

Triceps: 9 | 10 (decreased 1mm)

Subscapular 11 | 12 (decreased 1mm)

Suprailiac: 8 | 8 (same)

Midaxillary: 8 | 10 (decreased 2mm)

Circumference measurements (inches):

Bicep: 14.5 | 14.5 (same)

Flexed Bicep: 16 | 16 (same)

Chest: 42 | 41.75 (increased 0.25 inches)

Waist: 35.25 | 36.5 (decreased 1.25 inches)

Thigh: 23.5 | 23.5 (same)

Calf: 15.25 | 15.25 (same)

Strength Markers: (comparing heaviest 2 sets in most recent and initial workout)

*First numbers are from the most recent workout. Second numbers are from the first workout while on the I.F. plan.

Squats:

Set 1: 315lbs - 6 reps | 275lbs - 8 reps

Set 2: 335lbs - 5 reps | 295lbs - 8 reps

* Significant increase in weight. Fewer reps due to increase in weight, but definitely more strength.

Deep Front Squats:

Set 1: 185lbs - 6 reps | 135lbs - 12 reps

Set 2: 205lbs - 4 reps | 145lbs - 10 reps

* Really big increase in strength here. I feel much stronger on front squats. First set I start with 155lbs now.

Pull-Ups:

Set 1: Body weight + 25lbs - 10 reps | Body weight - 11 reps

Set 2: Body weight + 25lbs - 8 reps | Body weight - 9 reps

* Added 25lbs and only 1 rep behind on each set. Definitely increased.

Dead-lifts:

Set 1: 315lbs - 6 reps | 225lbs - 8 reps

Set 2: 335lbs - 4 reps | 225lbs - 8 reps

* Huge increase in strength. Lifting much more weight on dead-lifts now.

Dumbbell Press:

Set 1: 100lbs - 11 reps | 100lbs - 11 reps

Set 2: 100lbs - 11 reps | 100lbs - 9 reps

* Solid strength increase on second and subsequent sets.

Incline Dumbbell Press:

Set 1: 90lbs - 9 reps | 80lbs - 9 reps

Set 2: 90lbs - 8 reps | 80lbs - 8 reps

* Significant increase on all sets. 

Visual Comparison: (comparing photos from week 4 and pre-program)

(Click on photos to view larger)

Relaxed Pose: While the changes are slight, it appears that overall muscle definition has increased. The most obvious body fat decrease are in my love handles.

Relaxed Side Pose: I think this photo shows the most change. I decreased my waist circumference measurement 1.25 inches in the last 4 weeks. I can see more cut lines in my abdominal area, and my triceps definition is better. I may have been standing more upright in the second photo, but I was relaxing my abs in both pictures, so there is definitely some thinning out in the abdominal area.

 Flexed Pose: This photo again shows some increased cut lines through the entire abdominal area, and some tapering of the love handles.Overall muscle size looks at least the same, maybe even a small increase.

Overall Analysis:

In short, I am a believer and I'm going to stay on the I.F. program to see if I can make it to my 8% goal. I would have liked to get down below 10%, but I did drop almost an entire percent in 4 weeks, so I'll take that. Also, while my body composition shows I lost 2lbs of fat, and almost a pound of lean mass, I really don't think I lost any lean mass...I'll explain. The area I seem to have lost the most body fat in is my love handles...and that is an area that we didn't do a pinch test on. Additionally, every single one of my strength markers shows an increase...not just a neutral result. I don't know many cases where people increase lifting strength while losing muscle. That means it's possible that I probably lost more body fat than my body composition numbers show, and I was probably neutral, or even had a small increase in my muscle mass. The goal was lean gains - losing fat while gaining muscle, and when looking at all of the evidence together (weight, body composition, circumference measurements, strength markers, and visual comparison) I think that is exactly what happened. I'm going to go another 4 weeks, and if the plan continues to work, future changes should be much more obvious as body fat loss at this point will really reveal muscle definition. I should add that while I certainly splurged a good bit more than I normally do - eating pizza, burgers, Chinese, etc...I also ate fairly healthy for the majority of the program. If anyone else wants to try intermittent fasting, don't think it is a magical method that will allow you to eat fast food 24/7 and get good results. Intelligent exercise and nutrition are vital in any type of health and fitness goal you may set out to achieve.

Leigh's Evaluation Week 4 and Pre-Program Comparison:

*First number listed is the 5/6/12 eval. Second number listed is the 4/8/12 eval.

Weight: 118lbs | 119lbs  (decreased 1.00 lbs)

Body fat %: 24.15% | 26.65% (decreased 2.5%)

Body fat lbs: 28.49lbs | 31.71lbs (decreased 3.22lbs)

Lean lbs: 89.51lbs | 87.29lbs (increased 2.22lbs)

Pinch test (millimeters):

Chest: 11 | 13 (decreased 2mm)

Abdominal: 26 | 26 (same)

Thigh: 20 | 24 (decreased 4mm)

Triceps: 18 | 20 (decreased 2mm)

Subscapular 14 | 17 (decreased 3mm)

Suprailiac: 16 | 20 (decreased 4mm)

Midaxillary: 18 | 20 (decreased 2mm)

Circumference measurements (inches):

Bicep: 10.5 | 10.75 (decreased 0.25 inches)

Hips: 37.5 | 37.25 (increased 0.25 inches)

Waist: 30.75 | 30.75 (same)

Thigh: 20.5 | 20.5 (same)

Calf: 13 | 13 (same)

Visual Comparison: (comparing photos from week 4 and pre-program)

(Click on photos to view larger)

Relaxed Pose: Changes are subtle, but slight trimming of the abdominal area around the love handles. Also, slight cutting of the upper abs. Definite increase in muscle definition in the thighs. This is why Leigh hasn't lost as much weight as expected. She's increased muscle mass in the lower body. Also, Leigh is wearing makeup in the first photo, and not in the second...or was that obvious?

Relaxed Side Pose: Again, slight trimming through the abdominal area. 

Flexed Pose: Trimming through the abdominal area, arms look about the same. Primary fat loss was in the legs, back, and abdominal areas.

Overall Analysis:

Over the past 4 weeks I've (Matt) been racking my brain trying to figure out why Leigh hasn't been losing more weight. Today it all made sense to me. She actually has put on some lean mass increases in her lower body. One of the reasons why is she had not been working out legs as much prior to starting the I.F. plan. Once we started, I got her in the gym for some heavy squats, etc. Similar to how many of our first time boot campers lose body fat, but see an increase in their thigh and/or hip circumference...she was able to put on some lean muscle quickly due to the drastic change in workout load with those muscles. Other muscle groups in women don't seem to respond as fast to such changes, but the glutes and quads/hamstrings apparently do. Leigh had quite a bit more body fat to lose, so her visual comparisons may not be quite as obvious, but they are definitely there. If I could go back to the beginning of the program, I would have taken photos of her legs. She has significantly more definition there. She lost 4 millimeters on her thigh pinch test, yet her circumference measurement remained the same, which tells me she added muscle or else the fat reduction should have caused a decrease in circumference. While LeanGains suggests a 14 hour fast for women, primarily due to adherence, I'm going to see if Leigh can push for a 15 to 16 hour fasting window to see if that results in further progress.

Scripture for the day:

James 2: 14-19 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that —and shudder.


One of the best explanations of faith versus works in all of scripture. Salvation has nothing to do with our works, but this passage explains what real faith looks like. Real faith will cause us to do good works. The works don't come first, and they don't save. If someone claims to have faith, but their works aren't consistent with the faith they claim then their faith is false. We should all examine our lives and our works. Are they consistent with the faith we claim? If they are not, we have a conflict that needs to be resolved. Will we resolve to be obedient, and demonstrate the faith we have? Or, do we really have the faith that we claim?

Day #27

Scripture for the Day:

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."


The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Philippi, encourages them to turn to God in prayer for any and every thing. Notice that Paul didn't say "present your requests to God and he'll answer all of them in the way you want them." This can be a struggle for us at times. We sometimes expect God to be like our magical genie who, at our command, will give us whatever we want so long as we ask in all sincerity. Some people who don't "know" God might even ask for God to do something in order to "prove" that He is real. God can and will do whatever He pleases...but I wonder how often that prayer actually works? Only God knows. What Paul did say was that if you take your requests, problems, issues, etc. to God, He will give you a peace that passes understanding. He'll help you not to worry, and He'll give you a different perspective. Praise the Lord that in His wisdom, He doesn't give us everything we ask for, because sometimes we ask for things that will not be good for us.

Day #27 Update

No, you didn't miss day #26, there was no blog update. I was golfing for part of the day, sleeping for another part of it, and dealing with a sinus infection for all of it. The good news is I got some antibiotics, so I'm on the mend and already feeling much better. The bad news is the antibiotics are killing my appetite. I'm forcing myself to eat, even though I'm not hungry. Dinner last night was pretty small compared to how I've been eating during the I.F. plan. Lunch today was slightly smaller, but I think I probably got a decent amount of calories in. Tomorrow is the big 4 week eval that I initially set my goal for. In some ways the program has been a great success, because I was able to adhere to it with no problems, and I actually enjoy a little more freedom with my choice of calorie content. Dirty little secret - I haven't been eating as clean as I normally do...so if I continue to drop body fat and maintain lean mass, I'll be pretty excited about that.

I had a great leg workout today. Went up in weight, and even did some extra stuff afterwards that I didn't really track. Here is what I did today:

Squats
245lbs - 8 reps
295lbs - 8 reps
315lbs - 6 reps
335lbs - 5 reps

Deep Front Squats (full ROM)
155lbs - 8 reps
185lbs - 6 reps
205lbs - 4 reps

Overhead Barbell Shoulder Press
105lbs - 8 reps
115lbs - 8 reps
135lbs - 5 reps

Shrugs
225lbs - 10 reps
275lbs - 8 reps
295lbs - 6 reps
315lbs - 4 reps

This morning I took 10mg Yohimbine at 7:30am, 9:30am, and 11:30am (post workout). I took 10g Amino Energy BCAAs before the workout. About 20-30 minutes post workout I ate lunch. Drank a protein shake w/ milk, ate an egg, ham, cheese, bellpepper omelet, and a bagel with cream cheese, and a slice of pizza hut pepperoni pizza. I was stuffed before eating the pizza...antibiotics...sigh.

Check back tomorrow afternoon/evening for the week 4 eval. Will have a pretty detailed look at what has happened over the last 4 weeks.

Day #25

Today I kinda got off schedule with my I.F. plan. I was off work today to take Leigh to get a Lasik surgery re-correction, and due to insane traffic problems, we were about an hour and a half late to her appointment. I worked out at 7am, took 10g BCAAs before, 10mg Yohimbine after, and then one more dose of of BCAAs at about 8:30am. After that we were stuck in traffic and out at the doctors office, so I didn't take my final dose of BCAAs or my two other doses of Yohimbine. I also broke my fast at about 11:15am to grab lunch with Leigh after the appointment. Hopefully I'll be able to get back on schedule tomorrow.

My workout today was brief, primarily did dumbbell presses. Here is what I did:

Dumbbell Press

100lbs - 11x

100lbs - 9x

100lbs - 8x

95lbs - 8x

Incline Shoulder Press

90lbs - 7x

85lbs - 8x

80lbs - I forget ????

I'm looking forward to doing my week 4 eval on Sunday to see what kind of progress I've made since I started the I.F. plan. I hope I've made it down to or maybe even below 10%.

BTW...took a picture of dinner. 4 egg ham, cheese, and bell pepper omelet, 2 biscuits w/ jam, 2 whole grain blueberry waffles w/ syrup, a cinnamon raisin bagel w/ blueberry cream cheese (yes, it is awesome), a banana, strawberry yogurt, and orange-pineapple juice. YAY!

Scripture for the Day:

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."

Day #24

I'm still battling a cold, but this morning when I got up I felt better so I got ready for Boot Camp. When I got there, I wasn't sure if I made the right decision as my sinuses started bothering me again. However, once I got the blood flowing, my sinuses opened up and I felt pretty good. Yay for vasodialation!

Before camp at 5:20am I took 10g BCAAs. After the Boot Camp workout I took another 10g BCAAs and then did a leg workout. It felt pretty good, and I went way up on my front squats. Here is what I did:

Squats:
236lbs - 8 reps
291lbs - 8 reps
315lbs - 6 reps
336lbs - 3 reps

Front Squats:
146lbs - 8 reps
178lbs - 6 reps
201lbs - 4 reps

Front Standing Overhead Shoulder Press:
100lbs - 8 reps
122lbs - 6 reps
135lbs - 4 reps

Barbell Shrugs:
225lbs - reps not tracked. Did 3 sets


After the workout I took 10mg Yohimbine. At 8:30am I took 10g more BCAAs, 10mg Yohimbine at 9:30am, and 10g BCAAs at 10:20am. I forgot to take my last dose of Yohimbine at 11:20am. Had a pretty decent lunch, nice afternoon snack, and an ok-ish dinner. I'd have to guess that I ran a caloric deficit today with the Boot Camp calorie burn factored in today.


This Sunday will be my 4 week evaluation, and I'll compare the initial eval side by side to see if there has been significant improvement. If so, then I'll be a believer in the I.F. science, because I certainly haven't eaten as clean during this 4 week time frame as I could have. In fact, I've probably been eating a little worse than usual just because I am trying to eat a lot of calories during my feeding window, and I'm not being as strict about how many of those calories come from fat. Fingers crossed!

Scripture for the day:

Joshua 24:15 "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”


I had a conversation with a friend this week, and our discussion made me think of this verse. The conversation was in the context of a person not agreeing with instruction that God has clearly given simply on the basis of not wanting to submit. If we're all honest, at some point in our lives that could definitely describe us. God referred to the Nation of Israel, His chosen people, as "stubborn and obstinate." That could describe us as well. Joshua breaks it down very clearly as he speaks to the people...he lets them know that they have a choice. If serving the Lord is "undesirable" to them, they can choose to serve idols, false gods, etc. However, Joshua knew who the one true God was, and he made it very clear what he was going to do.


We have that same choice today. Will we serve God with our whole heart? Or, is that "undesirable" because we aren't ready to give up our desires? Choose this day whom you will serve!

Day #22 & 23

Being sick stinks! That is all.

Scripture verse:

Psalm 118:24
This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.