BJJ, Strength & Air Traffic Control

Just wanted to plug LEANGAINS one more time in this thread. Intermittent fasting is the best, most satisfying 'diet' i've ever been on. Every week, I think to myself "this is the best physique I've ever had", then a week later I'm like "oh wait, no, THIS is the best" and it just keeps improving. My strength-to-weight ratio is highest it's ever been. I also feel Leangains is very sustainable over a long period of time, which really is what's important about a diet working versus not.

One of the things I love most about Leangains is that with the calorie/carb cycling, I have virtually ZERO desire to 'cheat' and go off my planned eating. With carb refeeds almost every other day (3 days a week), I literally can eat a whole packet of Red Vines or cocoa krispies, or a whole box of mac 'n cheese* plus huge burrito bowls from Chipotle and a variety of other delicious treats. When you eat like this, it's very easy to never burn out or feel deprived. The fasting also gets easy very quickly and I often fast for 18+ hours daily.

Just wanted to reemphasize and encourage people who haven't tried it, to give it a go for a week and see how you like it.

Leangains.com

* made with skim milk and subbed butter for cottage cheese--delicious
 
08April11

BJJ

Went over the brabo; rolled a bit but didn't perform too well. Just felt slow and low-energy, low-aggression. I hate when "that" guy shows up.
 
Dean Lister is an extremely accomplished submission grappler who has fought in the UFC.

"Coach" has always been more no gi and mma oriented, but Coach Bruno is huge on gi work. Even though (or because) he's won big no gi tournaments, he feels training in the gi makes no gi seem easy, but it doesn't work the other way around.

You have me very intrigued about this Intermittent Fasting. I went to the website but had a hard time finding the basic tenets I was looking for on the mobile version. Could you give me some details about what an average week looks like for you?

You mentioned your strength to weight ratio, but what about your conditioning. How many training sessions a week are you getting in on this diet?

I have already gotten back to eating "cleaner" and cutting down my caloric intake which has always done the trick for me (though I've never gotten to as low a bf% as you). My training schedule starting next week will be 2x/wk weight training and 8x/wk bjj/mma training. Since Coach Bruno got here the intensity level of skill training has increased tenfold so I'm mostly concerned with my energy levels.
 
I love IF. I recently realized that that's what I'm doing when I'm too lazy to eat for an entire day.
 
TheJewBear said:
Just wanted to plug LEANGAINS one more time in this thread. Intermittent fasting is the best, most satisfying 'diet' i've ever been on. Every week, I think to myself "this is the best physique I've ever had", then a week later I'm like "oh wait, no, THIS is the best" and it just keeps improving. My strength-to-weight ratio is highest it's ever been. I also feel Leangains is very sustainable over a long period of time, which really is what's important about a diet working versus not.

One of the things I love most about Leangains is that with the calorie/carb cycling, I have virtually ZERO desire to 'cheat' and go off my planned eating. With carb refeeds almost every other day (3 days a week), I literally can eat a whole packet of Red Vines or cocoa krispies, or a whole box of mac 'n cheese* plus huge burrito bowls from Chipotle and a variety of other delicious treats. When you eat like this, it's very easy to never burn out or feel deprived. The fasting also gets easy very quickly and I often fast for 18+ hours daily.

Just wanted to reemphasize and encourage people who haven't tried it, to give it a go for a week and see how you like it.

Leangains.com

* made with skim milk and subbed butter for cottage cheese--delicious
Click to expand...

Your successes with IF have made me give it some serious consideration. I am in the process of doing some research and figuring out how it could mesh with my life schedule.
 
ThunderhorseMMA said:
You have me very intrigued about this Intermittent Fasting. I went to the website but had a hard time finding the basic tenets I was looking for on the mobile version. Could you give me some details about what an average week looks like for you?

You mentioned your strength to weight ratio, but what about your conditioning. How many training sessions a week are you getting in on this diet?

I have already gotten back to eating "cleaner" and cutting down my caloric intake which has always done the trick for me (though I've never gotten to as low a bf% as you). My training schedule starting next week will be 2x/wk weight training and 8x/wk bjj/mma training. Since Coach Bruno got here the intensity level of skill training has increased tenfold so I'm mostly concerned with my energy levels.
Click to expand...

The Guide: Using IF / Leangains to Get Ripped | RippedBody.jp
The Leangains Guide | Intermittent fasting diet for fat loss, muscle gain and health

I haven't been doing any conditioning outside of BJJ (interesting that my physique is far better now than when I was doing BJJ 5x a week plus daily conditioning, sprints, military PT and 5/3/1). You would add in any conditioning work into your macro calculations, increasing your daily energy expenditure and resulting in a higher caloric allowance. It's all explained in those links.

I don't know how sustainable it would be with only strength training 2x a week. Part of the long-term sustainability IMO is the 3x/weekly refeed days based on a 3x/weekly strength training schedule. It would be tougher for me personally to only get to 'splurge' twice a week. Three times feels perfect, and back when I was doing 4x (5/3/1) it felt like too much.

As far as energy goes for fasted workouts/BJJ/MMA sessions I have seen zero adverse side effects--It is crucial to take some BCAA's before training fasted though, as Martin Berkhan advocates.
 
GiJoe said:
Your successes with IF have made me give it some serious consideration. I am in the process of doing some research and figuring out how it could mesh with my life schedule.
Click to expand...

I think you'll find it works far better than the bro-science eating plans of eating like a bird every 2-3 hours all day. It has required some pre-planning for me because I work rotating shifts 24hrs but for most 9-5r's it should be a breeze.
 
09April12

BJJ

Fundies class; went over back escapes, about 3 of em and got a good amount of drilling in with a blue belt from another gym. We went one round, and he smashed me pretty bad. Great strength for his size and very well-rounded, catching me in a heel hook and an arm bar. Tougher than some purples I've gone with, maybe on par with some browns. Tough night.
 
I got frustrated trying to read stuff on the site today. My schedule seems to make it a pain too.

Monday- 10-4:15 work, immediately go to gym after until at least 8:30.

Tuesday/wed/thurs- 10-2:30 work, 2:30-3:30 weights(tues only), 3:45-8:30 bjj/mma.

Friday-10:30-4:30 work, lifting after.

Saturday-10:30-4:30 work, possibly lifting or cardio afterwards.

Advice?
 
ThunderhorseMMA said:
I got frustrated trying to read stuff on the site today. My schedule seems to make it a pain too.

Monday- 10-4:15 work, immediately go to gym after until at least 8:30.

Tuesday/wed/thurs- 10-2:30 work, 2:30-3:30 weights(tues only), 3:45-8:30 bjj/mma.

Friday-10:30-4:30 work, lifting after.

Saturday-10:30-4:30 work, possibly lifting or cardio afterwards.

Advice?
Click to expand...

What frustrated you specifically?

I would fast from 10pm-2pm. Skip breakfast and have a pre-workout meal before leaving work, about 20% of the total calories for the day. Then a post-workout meal and finally a post-MMA training meal. Or, on days where you go back-to-back strength training/MMA, definitely get some whey or BCAAs in after lifting but two meals (one pre-workout, one late after all training is done) would suffice, assuming you don't mind eating a SHIT TON after training.

A quick calculation on this web site: IF Calculator will help you figure out your macronutrient requirements.
 
Would it be alright if I printed out a poster of your abs and put it on my bedroom wall/phone background?
 
10April12

Conditioning

Running ~15 minutes

Just getting acclimated to running again and felt easy and fine.

BJJ

Worked same back escapes as earlier, with a few more variations. Did round robin rounds in both positions; had a mixed performance but survived well overall with higher belts. Then rolled a couple of rounds with a blue and a white; tapped the white several times and did okay with the blue, maintained dominance but had a hard time finishing.
 
TheJewBear said:
What frustrated you specifically?

I would fast from 10pm-2pm. Skip breakfast and have a pre-workout meal before leaving work, about 20% of the total calories for the day. Then a post-workout meal and finally a post-MMA training meal. Or, on days where you go back-to-back strength training/MMA, definitely get some whey or BCAAs in after lifting but two meals (one pre-workout, one late after all training is done) would suffice, assuming you don't mind eating a SHIT TON after training.

A quick calculation on this web site: IF Calculator will help you figure out your macronutrient requirements.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I guess I got frustrated trying to sift through all of that crap in 5 minutes at work when I really just wanted a sample plan. Like how long I should go between meals and macro breakdowns for pre/post training and off day meals.

Plus it had much more of a bodybuilding feel to it and I dont think it accounts for the intensity of my bjj/mma training. On top of that I'm just always frustrated with my job now, and it will be difficult to follow any meal plan with my hectic schedule.

I ain't sweatin it now though. I'm just gonna go back to eating "smart". I often don't eat until after 2 anyway and the bulk of my calories are consumed at night. From now on I will just make sure that I am not eating as much crap and that I am taking pre and post workout supplements/protein shakes.
 
11April12

Bench
180x10 (Rep PR?)
160x10
145x12

Weighted Push Ups
+25x15
+25x15

Incline Push Ups
20

DB Side Raises
35'sx12
30'sx12

Notes

-These reps are getting easier. I trained at the school's gym and I swear the bar was thinner or lighter and everything felt easier. At LA Fitness it always feels heavy as shit.

-Taking the day off from BJJ; also messing around with calories and macros some more, trying to optimize things.

-Moving to So Cal in a few days!!!
 
12April12

Conditioning

~15 minute run

Calves are killing me from these damn vibram shoes. They tried to warn me...

BJJ (no-gi)

More of the running-man escapes and even more options off of it. Really shows the depth of grappling when you can spend weeks exploring branches off of just one escape and all the possible scenarios.

Rolled with a couple of blues, a brand new white and a very good white. Worked some of Bodycomb's footlock strategies with the blues and had repeated success with one, though not much with the others. Single leg takedowns are improving.
 
13April12

Squat
270x8
240x10
210x10

Hanging Leg Raises
12

Calf Raises
90x12
90x12

Notes

-Awful sleep the past two nights due to insomnia. Skipping BJJ tonight due to no energy
 
14April12

BJJ (open mat)

Rolled with a purple, a few blues and a big white belt. Got a couple of triangles and worked spider guard somewhat...Also did a round of just alternating single/double leg takedowns with another blue. Overall felt...ok, kind of sluggish or lazy, like my body wouldn't "go".
 
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