FT Questions....

[Scott Stevenson]

Me again!

This has more to do with carb intake / peri-workout shake timing when coming off an extended low carb period, or being more depleted ...

During my current intensive cruise, per FT, I've been keeping my carbs near zero on my non-training days. Weight has dropped off as it often does when you go low carb for a day or two. Coming into my Muscle Round training days during the intensive cruise, it feels like I have no "zip" on the first set or two. I know the strength is there, but its difficult to get a pump going, and the muscle "feels" weak.

I'm guessing this just has to do with not having any carbs in my body and it just taking a bit for me to warm up and the quick acting carbs to get into my system. I usually try to take in a few good pulls of my shake about 15 minutes before training as laid out in the FT book.

So it not only got me thinking about getting a better quality training session in during my intensive cruise, but also in periods of dieting where you would be depleted. In periods like this does it make more sense to start on your shake earlier to get into your body? (I was thinking either 30min. Or standard 15 min, and take 15 min to warm up) or to take in more? Or would it be better to say take in a small mixed macro meal before training (more of a mountain dog style diet). To make sure you at least have something in the system before you get hitting the iron hard?

Granted, best way is to just TRY and see. Which I will probably do anyway. Figured it was worth an ask.

VERY good question, yet again.

First thought is that some of what you're experiencing just reflects your need to cruise, as well as being in the depths of dieting. Training just gets tougher and you can tend to find that glycogen levels progressively decline.

Second thought is that there are many guys who do much better with a pre-workout carb containing meal. This can just be b/c it pulls them out of ketosis (which you may be in after a no-carb day previous after this period of time and dieting for this long) and that it helps will the pump/ fullness and thus how well they connect with the muscles training initially (which sets up a psychological state).

What you do during the IC depends on you, and your goals. It sounds to me like I might make the IC a change to *at least* eat at maintenance (~15kcal / lb) and set yourself up metabolically for further fat loss during the next Blast.

Recall that the purpose of the Blast when trying to grow is your main goal would be to create a taper / rebound effect, so you should be eating at least as much as during the Blast and this may mean using a training day diet on non-training days (since your training frequency will be less during the IC). To harness the effect of slightly overreaching, you want to kcal to be there to support the muscle growth. What you're describing sounds exactly like a case where you could grow really well from simply eating more overall, as well as including a mixed macro meal (if that keeps blood sugar stable for you) pre-workout.

-S