My Results

I don’t have any fancy techniques for measuring my success – just a scale and my workout log.  In the first 4 weeks though I lost 5 lbs and gained about 25% strength in each of my muscle groups.  The difference was easily visible even within the first 2 weeks and drew comments without prompting.  This is keeping in mind that I spent a weekend in Vegas, a weekend celebrating the 4th of July (America’s other other other drinking holiday), etc.  After the next few weeks I’ll try to provide a more detailed and accurate report of my results.

I never thought that a diet + exercise program could work so well or so quickly.  There are way too many diets and programs out there that simply don’t work.

I was never really the dieting type, though I have been plagued by a constant frustration through my life: I can put on or lose muscle (I’ve varied all the way from 180lbs to 220lbs), I seem to maintain a consistent body fat percentage.  I have never achieved the “lean” or “cut” look.

Just over a month ago I ran into Tim Ferriss’ workout routine and fat-loss diet.  I didn’t have much to lose, so I decided to give it a 4-week trial.  It is now the last day of these 4 weeks and I must say I’m very happy with the results.  I’ve been consistently increasing the weight I lift each week, going up about 30% in most exercises without decreasing reps.  I lost about 5 lbs but definitely put a few inches on my shoulders, chest, etc.  Keep in mind I was already lifting and working out before I started this routine, as well.

The problem is simply that this routine is hard.  Working out until your muscles fail is not something the human brain is inclined to allow happen.  Eating different a combination of 9 foods without sauces is, well, bland.  I’ll admit that once a week when the “free day” comes around I usually go wild and eat everything in sight (quarts of ice cream, whole pizzas, 3-course Thai meals, and six-packs of beer in a single day).  Still, I dare say it has been worth it.

I don’t want to restate what Tim has said in his blog (read the above posts if you’re looking for specifics), but I’ll give my approach to it here.

The Workout

Every muscle group (biceps, triceps, shoulders, abs, chest, back, legs) I start at a weight I can do about 10-15 reps of and go until I fail, keeping in mind the important 5/5 cadence.  Then I decrease the weight by 10-20 lbs and do it again without any rest.  I repeat this process until I can hardly lift the bar, and then take a 3 minute break before moving on.  The entire workout takes me about 1 hour.  My recovery period started at 3 full days between workouts, but has grown to at least 4 (I wait until any and all soreness is gone).

I’ve been lifting weights for somewhere around 6 years.  It has taken me a long time to really understand the difference between making myself tired and being effective.  Honestly, I see a lot of very very bad form in the gym and it is hard not to walk over and tell someone that their exercise is ineffective.  When you’re doing this sort of workout, you should be able to elicit a very specific muscle soreness across each of your muscle groups.  If you don’t know what I mean (or even suspect that you might not) I highly recommend finding a good personal trainer to help you for your first few sessions.  As long as you focus intently on perfect form and the 5/5 cadence you should be able to accomplish this sort of soreness.

Tip: Form and Cadence Matter

Oh, and one more thing – the first time you ever get the form correct, it is not uncommon to be incapable of lifting the amount of weight you expect.  Many of us have cheated at our lifting exercises for years and don’t even realize it, so it becomes hard to correct and have perfect form when it feels like we’re regressing.  Have no fear!  A week of perfect form will bring faster progress than a lifetime of poor form.

Tip: Full Recovery Time

Full recovery to me means that you spend an entire day without any muscle soreness whatsoever.  At the beginning of the program this meant 3 days between each workout for me, and now I’m up to 4 (on average).

The Diet

I track my diet using Daily Burn and eat very simply.  I shop almost entirely at Trader Joe’s, buying turkey/chicken cutlets and 85/15 organic ground beef, asparagus and spinach, as well as black beans and pinto beans.  Other than that and black coffee / ice water, a glass of red wine every night is all I consume.  The only exception (excluding the “free day” once a week) is that immediately following workouts I throw some brown rice or other items into the mix and eat the largest meal I can stomach (usually 1200 or so calories), though on other days I simply eat when I’m hungry.  Interestingly, I’ve found that most non-workout days this means I only eat about 2500 calories (pretty low for a 6″ 183 lb. guy).  However my appetite has increased steadily throughout this experiment (I started at only 1800 average calories on an off-day!).  Counting calories is useful to an extent, but you should let your body tell you how much food it needs, as well.

Tip: Be Consistent!

By not breaking from my diet in even the slightest amount, the whole thing became a lot easier.  In fact, when Saturday rolls around and I can eat whatever I want, I have a hard time eating too many salty/sugary things because the taste is simply too overwhelming!  Looking forward to your “free day” gives you something to work towards, and being consistent helps you to avoid the small temptations along the way.  Even a single can of soda should be considered a “lapse” in my opinion.

Tip: Know what a Serving Is

Even if you don’t care to actually count calories, take a look at the packaging on each of your products and measure out a serving of each.  Get used to this size and be aware how much you’re eating, if nothing else.

Tip: Drink Ice Water

Drinking ice water is negatively caloric (burns calories) because it requires heat to return your body to homeostasis.  Perhaps even more importantly, with all the protein you’ll be taking in water can help make sure that your kidneys stay in good health.

For My Next Month…

I’m going to continue to push myself even harder over the next weeks.  Unfortunately I didn’t plan ahead and take any “before and after” photos.  However I’ve really gotten the workout/diet down at this point, and the results are coming faster and clearer than they were at first.  I expect to start gaining weight now – muscle can’t come from nowhere, after all, and there’s only so much fat that can be lost.  Already I’ve felt my appetite increase steadily, and I’m sure it will continue to do so.

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