Q: I started cleaning up my diet shortly after New Year’s with your X-treme Lean Diet. I lost about 8 pounds of fat, but my losses have stalled. Should I reduce my portions again (I’ve done this twice already)? Or should I do more cardio? Any help would be appreciated. Abs and veins are the goals.
A: Fat loss is a long-term proposition if you want to retain as much muscle as possible. Losing two pounds a week is the most you should shoot for…
The concept is simple: To tap into fat, your bloodstream must be completely EMPTY of energy substrates. That translates to multiple hours without food (eating every two to three hours doesn’t allow that)…
Steve used two different versions, one with six hours between meals and the other with 12 hours. He prevented muscle loss in multiple ways…
1) He kept his protein the same as his low-glycemic carb intake on “diet” days—around 100 grams of each TOTAL.
2) He did not “diet” two days in a row, which prevented metabolism slow-down.
3) He used branched-chain amino acid capsules with his 2 or 3 meals on “diet” days.
4) He had a small whey/casein protein drink right before bed.
5) He only used the 12-hour “fast” on NON-workout days. If a “diet” day fell on a workout day, he used the three-meals approach…
No muscle was lost whatsoever. In fact, Steve GAINED muscle mass and lost a lot of fat (his progress pics are in the SSCC e-book).
The second four weeks produced even better results. That’s when he decided to put both of his 2 “diet” days on NON-workout days…
In other words, he used ONLY the two-meals approach (12 hours between) on days he didn’t train—usually Thursday and Sunday, so it was just 2 days a week. And it worked amazingly well, which surprised Steve the skeptic…
Research shows that
On days he didn’t diet, he ate six meals a day, around 2,000 calories a day, as shown in X-treme Lean.
Bottom line: This roller-coaster diet outlined in the Super-Size Crash Course can get you a bigger and leaner physique–with only 2 “diet” days a week.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
ANABOLIC HORMONE RESET SOLUTION
Yes, it is possible to simultaneously build muscle while losing fat…
The right form of intermittent fasting will help you gain more muscle while you burn fat…
That’s because it supercharges your anabolic environment, including testosterone and growth hormone production.
According to Dr. Michael Mosley, it results in “better metabolic adaptations, improved muscle-protein synthesis and a higher anabolic response to post-exercise feedings.” [J App Phys., Jan. 2011: 236-45]
Proper fasting will NOT have you burning muscle—just the opposite as your body fat decreases and your testosterone and growth hormone increase. [Webber, J., et al. (1994). Br J Nutr.]
Still on the fence? Our friend Shaun Hadsall used an approach similar to how The Rock does it, which is explained in the new 1-Day Hormone Reset protocol, developed specifically for the over-40 crowd (women use it too, as you’ll see). Check out his results at the link below…
–> Your anabolic hormone RESET to melt fat, build muscle, and slow aging