Author: Martin Berkhan and Alan Aragon
ASIN: B07G3GFLTX
I read the book because I really liked two Berkhan's blog articles. You get the gist of it if you read both articles (links below) and the excerpts. In my opinion the author recommends waaaaay too much protein!
EXCERPTS
[Best blog articles:
If it was hard back then, it’s impossible today. While there are more reasonable voices today, there’s exponentially more bullshit as well. If finding a needle in a haystack pertained to good information two decades ago, finding the right grain of sand in Sahara applies today. That’s how confusing and diluted information has become.
The nail in their coffin came in the form of “Top Ten Fasting Myths Debunked” in 2010, a lengthy and undeniable article that dispelled most of what people falsely believed back then. It was the atom bomb that blew up the fitness industry. That’s how I learned that all is not right in science and academia. How I realized that titles and pedigrees are nothing but a guarantee of conformity and stagnation. Because it took nothing more than a student in his mid-twenties to topple them all.
If you ask most smart or successful people where they learned their craft, they will not talk to you about their time in school. It's always a mentor, a particularly transformative job, or a period of experimentation or trial and error. —Ryan Holiday
NUTRITION
You may use MyFitnessPal or FitBit religiously to track calories, but do you know the thermic value of those calories? Those apps won’t tell you. Yet thermogenesis plays an important role in accomplishing the goal you’re using these apps for in the first place: fat loss.
Each gram of carbohydrate and protein contributes 4 calories of metabolizable energy (ME), while fat and alcohol contribute 9 and 7 calories, respectively (ref. 1). ME is roughly defined as the gross energy in food, specifically the calories converted by your metabolism. ME is the portion of calories that remain and are used by the body after those lost in feces, urine, and digestive processes. Consider, for example, the amino acid leucine. In its basic, undigested form, leucine contains 6.5 calories per gram. After bodily assimilation, this figure drops to 4.6 calories (ref. 2). But the equation has a shortcoming. Leucine doesn’t provide 4.6 calories; the actual number is somewhere between 3 and 3.7 calories. That’s because ME doesn’t factor in the thermic effect of food (TEF)—that is, the increased resting energy expenditure after feeding attributed to the digestion and storage of nutrients consumed (ref. 3). It’s the key element of diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT).
DIT, as it’s commonly known in the scientific literature, or TEF, as it’s generally known among educated laymen, is the amount of energy (calories) expended above resting metabolic rate. While influenced by a few factors, DIT is basically the caloric cost of processing food for use and storage during digestion (expressed as a percentage). It is, along with basal metabolic rate (BMR) and physical activity level (PAL), one of the three components of daily energy expenditure.
In essence, DIT burns energy to store energy.
Taking DIT into account, proteins should be counted as 3 calories instead of 4.
An increase from 6 percent to 9 percent isn’t bad—and possibly, the effect would be greater still after a more thermogenic meal. Importantly, this effect is additive to the effects of caffeine on metabolic rate. Other benefits of caffeine include appetite suppression, improved exercise performance, better insulin sensitivity and increased muscle glycogen synthesis
Taken together, research suggests a difference between one meal compared to four or six meals, but no difference between one, two, or three meals.
Fat loss is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want to make it to the finish line, find ways to balance compliance with the perceived challenge of staying compliant.
What’s the point of perfect if your brain eventually flips a switch and sends you charging to a bakery? Most people think rigidity is the solution, when the opposite is true. Be flexible, and bend these principles to suit you. Don’t let them bend you.
Strategy: Get as close to 60 percent protein as possible. Why 60 percent? Through experience, I’ve found this to be the highest percentage maintainable without feeling deprived or tempted to cheat. Personally? Fifty-five percent is the sweet spot for me, though your mileage may vary. Hitting 60 percent protein on the dot is not important; getting as close to 60 percent as possible and being able to maintain it in the long run, is. Perhaps you’ll find 60 percent protein too challenging or restrictive, but 50 percent protein doable.
The latest research shows one to three meals produce a higher DIT than four to six (ref. 6). Other studies find fewer meals also make you fuller.
We get hungry at the times we’re used to eating, governed by the hormone ghrelin. You’ll only make it harder on yourself by constantly varying meal times.
Nutritional labels and calorie-logging software overestimate caloric values for leafy greens, which contain a high amount of fiber—and it’s insoluble, so no calories. Calorie software adds soluble fiber to the total carbohydrate count and counts it separately. So, there will likely be discrepancies between logged intake and total macronutrients combined.
The thermic effect of whole foods are significantly higher than an equal number of calories from processed foods.
Both groups ate the same number of calories, but DIT burned off 137 calories in the wholesome group and only 73 calories in the processed group. This suggests the former may produce higher DIT than the latter—even if calories and macronutrients are equal
Eating carbs directly before or after training yields a higher thermic effect (ref. 11,13). Additionally, eating carbs at these times may also lead to better workouts and enhanced post-workout recovery. With the Leangains Method, carb intake is limited, and usually not much higher than 100 grams per day—so make the most of it, and center them around training.
Aside from amping you up, and boosting strength and performance, studies suggest coffee enhances muscle glycogen storage after exercise.
Caffeine increases metabolic rate and DIT (ref. 13,14). It also suppresses appetite if consumed before a meal (ref. 15). It’s the best legal fat loss supplement money can buy. I suggest 100-milligram caffeine pills.
Drink one cup of coffee or take 100 milligrams of caffeine first thing in the morning. From there, ingest 100 milligrams of caffeine every other hour for as long as possible without interfering with sleep.
While dieting, there will be a special event, dinner, or party you just can’t skip. Maybe it’s your birthday, your sister’s wedding, or an old friend in town. And why should you? Unless you’re dieting for a competition, sometimes it’s not worth missing out on life just to be “perfect.” Strategy: There are two viable strategies in these situations. The first requires more discipline, and is arguably more effective. It’s simple: don’t go overboard. Have one slice of cake, a maximum of three drinks, and be content. Be an ideal dieter and a responsible drinker. If you can. The second is for those who acknowledge they can’t or won’t keep their shit together. It’s less effective, requires little discipline, and is more fun. I call it thermogenic damage control. There are three rules to follow: Up until the occasion or party where your decadence will manifest, consume only lean protein and vegetables. At the party, eat as much as you want—but keep fat intake low. No matter what. You may drink to your Bacchanalian heart’s content, with one caveat; it must be pure alcohol, i.e., vodka, tequila, brandy, or any other drink with zero or negligible carb content.
“The one who wants everything often loses all.”
Those who already know the basics—that’s probably you, reading this—fail because they do too much, eat too little, and don’t have the patience or discipline to pace themselves.
Practice patience. Fat loss is swift with the Leangains Method, but your goal isn’t reached in a matter of weeks. To see striking visual changes, you’ll need eight to twelve weeks. For a complete body transformation, double that. Make it easy on yourself. Look forward, but don’t count days. Focusing on time left will make things harder. Focus on the here and now instead; you’re dieting, not serving time in prison.
Maintenance is a term for the number of calories required to maintain your weight. There are various ways to calculate it, and knowing it is essential for altering your body composition, be it fat loss or muscle gain. Everything starts with maintenance, which is why it’s the first thing I go over with a new client. In my experience, traditional models complicate and overestimate actual needs—case in point below.
Aside from three weekly weight training sessions, the formula below assumes a sedentary lifestyle typical of men and women living in a world where much time is spent in front of a computer, be it for work or leisure:
How to calculate Maintenance Intake - Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE):
Your body weight in kilograms, multiplied by a base value of 28 for men, or 26 for women.
Several attributes affect the base value.
- Height
Tall: +1 Men: > 185 centimeters (6 feet, 1 inch) Women: > 170 centimeters (5 feet, 7 inches)
Short: ˗1 Men: < 167 centimeters (5 feet, 5 inches) Women: < 153 centimeters (5 feet)
- Body Fat
Men < 10 percent body fat: +0.5
Men 20 to 24 percent body fat: −0.5
Men 25 to 29 percent body fat: −1
Women < 18 percent body fat: +0.5
Women 28 to 32 percent body fat: −0.5
Women 33 to 37 percent body fat: −1
- Muscle Mass
Muscular: +0.5
Very Muscular: +1
Very Muscular is only applicable to males. Muscular requires a fat-free mass index (FFMI) of > 22. For Very Muscular, the FFMI is > 24.67
Note: The effect is not cumulative. A Very Muscular male adds 1, not 1.5.
- Age
>45 years: −0.5
< 25 years: +0.5
- Activity
To get an idea of how active you are, take note of your steps using a pedometer or an app such as Health (iOS) or Google Fit (Android). 6,000 to 7,499 steps per day: +0.5 to base value. For every 1,250 steps above 7,500 steps per day: +0.5 to the base value. 7,500 to 8,749 steps per day: +0.5 8,750 to 9,999 steps per day: +0.5 10,000 to 12,499 steps per day: +0.5 Note: The effect is cumulative. Someone taking 12,000 steps a day should add 2.5 to the base value.
Now that you know your maintenance intake, let’s determine your daily calorie intake with the Leangains Method. For most people, it’s simple. Men subtract 500 from maintenance, and women subtract 350.
On a typical diet, subtracting 500 and 350 calories from maintenance will result in fat loss of 0.5 kilograms (1.1 pounds) and 0.35 kilograms (0.77 pounds) per week for men and women, respectively. With the Leangains Method, these numbers increase to 0.6 to 0.7 kilograms (1.32 to 1.54 pounds) and 0.4 to 0.5 kilograms (0.88 to 1.1 pounds) per week, respectively—thanks to the power of thermogenesis. Now for the big elephant in the room. How do we count calories in a world using Atwater’s outdated figures? Answer: As usual. Why? Because the alternative isn’t practical, and would drive anyone crazy.
The only fixed variable of the Leangains Method is protein. As mentioned earlier, protein should make up 50 to 60 percent of your caloric intake. Aside from that, you may customize the diet based on your personal taste preferences.
Here’s a typical scenario. A person hops on a diet. Everything’s going great, and they’re happy to watch the scale hit new lows every week. And then suddenly, their victory streak comes to a screeching halt. The number on the scale is not budging. So they panic, quickly resorting to desperate measures. Some lower their calorie intake drastically, while others double down on cardio. Many do both. And as hunger and fatigue sets in, the downward spiral begins. Why? Because more often than not, these reactions are unnecessary and extreme. Unnecessary because people have uninformed expectations, and extreme because they’re people. They rely on the scale to give them their hard-earned reward at the end of each week, a new low to record and brag about. To them, this number is very important. It serves as motivation, receipt and reward for their hard work and discipline. As long as it keeps dropping, they know they’re on track. But fat loss is never linear, and it’s often unpredictable. It’s common to see virtually no progress one week, followed by twice the progress next week. Sometimes two weeks go by without moving the needle. Then in the third week, you wake up looking like a new person—and the number on the scale is showing two weeks of fat loss and then some. Those in the know call this the “whoosh” effect. After coaching people for more than a decade, it’s something I’m very familiar with. Most people aren’t. And they fuck everything up by trying to solve the problem with more cardio and less food—a problem that would resolve itself soon enough with patience and know-how.
First lesson: stop thinking days, and start talking weeks. As implied earlier, it’s important to adopt a weekly perspective, since day-to-day fluctuations in weight don’t matter.
Step by step: Weigh yourself first thing in the morning, every day or as often as you can. More days mean more data, and seven weigh-ins are ideal. At the end of each week, add up the numbers from your weigh-ins. Divide the result by number of weigh-ins, and you have your weekly average.
Look at it this way. The weekly average is how you measure. Biweekly is how you judge. Meaning, how’s your diet going—good, or not good enough? Because there’s no in between. Things are either going according to plan or they’re not. If they are, just keep on keeping on. If they’re not, you need to adjust your intake.
A plateau is simply the lag between a transaction and the time it takes for the money to reach your account. Look at it as a test of patience. Or learn to love the plateau, as it’s often a sign that progress awaits around the corner,
STRENGTH TRAINING
Enter reverse pyramid training (RPT). Hands down, RPT is the most effective training method for dieting ever conceived.
Every set is AMRAP, or as many reps as possible. For the uninitiated, the acronym means exactly what it says. Every set, do as many reps as physically possible. Preferably with passable technique, and without failing or getting stuck with a loaded barbell over your chest.
RPT is not easy. But it is time-efficient, and extremely effective. You won’t be spending more than forty-five minutes in the gym thrice a week at the most.
Breakdown Load decreases by 5 percent to 10 percent after every set. Percentage depends on the movement. This is referred to as breakdown. For the bench press, overhead, and seal row, it’s 5 percent. For everything else, 10 percent.
As long as you’re able to complete at least 8 reps in the first set, increase the load by roughly 2.5 percent in the next session.
Sooner or later, it’ll happen. You’ll fail to complete the goal, and that’s fine. For now, just work on increasing reps instead of load. Be patient. Usually, what happens is you’ll increase first on Set 3 and/or Set 2, then finally on Set 1. This strategy of increasing load and repetitions is called double progression. And when applied consistently, it works.
Here are the key guidelines to follow to ensure success with the Leangains Method training routine.
- Use the following training routine on Monday (A), Wednesday (B), and Friday (C). If you can’t train on those days, choose three others and adhere to the same format: A/rest day/B/rest day/C/rest day/rest day.
- All movements should be performed AMRAP-style. Put as much as you can into each set. Don’t hold back.
- Rest at least three minutes between sets (preferably more between sets of deadlift and squat)
- After each set, reduce the load by 5 to 10 percent for that exercise. −10 percent: Squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, and assistance movements −5 percent: Everything else
- Once you achieve the goal in the first set, increase the load by 2.5 percent (2.5 kilograms/5 pounds).
- In the routine below, movements are listed “Movement: Sets x Goal.” Deadlift: 2 x 6 Meaning: “Two sets of deadlifts, with a goal of six.”
Start with a weight with which you’re comfortable performing 10 to 15 reps. For the second and third set(s), reduce the load by 5 to 10 percent per RPT breakdown rules.
Monday
Deadlift – 2 x 6
Row or Overhead Press – 3 x 8
Accessory: Calves, biceps or triceps – 2 x 10
Wednesday
Bench press – 3 x 8
Row or Overhead Press – 3 x 8
Accessory: Calves, biceps or triceps – 2 x 10
Friday Squat – 3 x 10
Weighted Chin-Up or Chin-Up – 3 x 8
Accessory: Calves, biceps or triceps – 2 x 10
Notes on Routine “2 x 6” means two sets with a goal of six. “3 x 8” means three sets with a goal of eight. Etc.
Starting out, select a load you can manage no less than Goal −1 in the first set. More than seven reps in the bench press is fine; fewer than seven is not. If this is the case, reduce the load by 5 percent next time.
Each workout has two compound movements and one accessory movement. Always start big (squats) and finish small (calves, biceps/triceps, etc.).
In the example above, you can choose whether you want rows on Monday and overhead press on Wednesday, or vice versa. With regard to accessory movements, you can choose whether you like one each workout or two; to save time, for example, you can do biceps and triceps back to back, e.g. alternate curls and pushdowns with sixty to ninety seconds of rest between movements.
Notes on Movements
For exercise tutorials, I recommend the YouTube channel of a gentleman named Alan Thrall. Search for “Alan Thrall squat” or “Alan Thrall deadlift” (or any exercise of your choice) and you’ll receive excellent instruction and advice on the technical aspects of the lifts, far superior to the abhorrent advice you’re likely to suffer from your run-of-the-mill personal trainer.
When deadlifting, take your shoes off, and use chalk to help with the grip. Don’t use a “touch-and-go” style of lifting where you’re bouncing each rep off the floor; instead, treat each lift like a single, starting from a dead stop with a few seconds of rest between each rep. Lastly, make sure to learn the difference between upper back rounding and lower back rounding. The former is fine if you have the flexibility to do it. Lower back rounding, however, is not okay and should be avoided at all costs. During the lift, your lower back should be neutral.
Row can be any row you’re comfortable with, but the best row is the seal row—demonstrated by yours truly in the picture earlier in this chapter. The seal row is the premier row because it removes cheating; a repetition only counts when the bar hits the bench. When performing other types of rows, however, it’s all too common to see people increase the weight from week to week while reducing the range of movement and letting body language do the lifting. Be mindful of this lest you risk fooling yourself and potentially shortchanging progress.
If you can’t do weighted chin-ups, do chin-ups. Once you’re able to do ten chin-ups with your body weight in the first set, add weight, starting at 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of extra weight attached via a weight belt (most gyms have these). You can also hold a dumbbell between your thighs. If you can’t do chin-ups, get bands for assistance. You can find them on Amazon. Alternatively, do pull-downs instead of chin-ups. As you lose weight and get stronger, you’ll eventually be able to do chin-ups and make the switch accordingly. Lastly, keep in mind that chin-ups have palms facing you, while pull-ups have palms facing away from you.
When squatting, go as deep as your mobility allows, and to parallel as the bare minimum. If you can’t go to parallel, Alan Thrall has plenty of mobility advice and instructionals on his YouTube channel; I suggest you invest the time in getting your mobility up to a point where your squats are passable, or don’t bother squatting at all. The world doesn’t need more quarter-squatters with chicken legs.
When lifting, especially when squatting and to a lesser extent overhead pressing, don’t use running shoes. Use shoes with a flat sole, such as Converse or similar ones, because balance is important. Those with money to spare may also consider shoes especially made for lifting, such as Adidas Adipower, which is a personal favorite that greatly improves your squatting experience.
Always use full range of motion, no matter what some halfwit on YouTube says.
There are arguments for and against the use of a belt in the squat and deadlift. I’m a minimalist, so I wear neither. Whether that’s why I’ve never had back problems, and very rarely tweak my back despite deadlifting 300 kilograms (661 pounds) or more on a regular basis, is anyone’s guess. The use of straps and gloves, however, is inexcusable.
Whey protein is not a good pick as your go-to protein powder. It’s fine after training, but that’s that. If you only want to buy one protein powder, make sure it’s casein, or a milk protein isolate (80 percent casein and 20 percent whey).
A: For all training-related questions, see the “Reverse Pyramid Training Guide” (ref. 1) and “Reverse Pyramid Training FAQ” (ref. 2).
A: For men under 10 percent body fat and women under 18 percent body fat, I recommend fat loss of no more than 0.4 to 0.5 kilograms (0.9 to 1.1 pounds) per week and 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) every third week, respectively. This is achieved by subtracting 350 and 225, respectively, from maintenance, instead of 500. Those who are very lean may opt for even less. If you’re wondering why, grab a notepad. Mathematical models suggest that 69 calories worth of fat per kilogram of body fat can be mobilized without muscle loss (ref. 10,12). An 80-kilogram (175-pound) man with 25 percent body fat has 80 x 0.25 = 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of fat mass. Theoretically, he can sustain a caloric deficit of 20 x 69 = 1,380 calories without losing muscle mass. An 80-kilogram (176-pound) man with 10 percent body fat has only 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) of body fat. He can only mobilize 552 calories from his already depleted fat stores. If his deficit is 652 calories, 552 calories will be mobilized from adipose tissue and 100 calories from muscle. In this case, a 500-calorie deficit could therefore result in muscle loss with the Leangains Method. Because although “only” 500 calories is subtracted from maintenance intake, net effect on deficit exceeds 552 calories due to DIT.
The only people who do higher-intensity cardio on my programs are those in need; athletes, military, firemen, and the like—not weekend warriors who just want to look good naked. You can have a lot on the Leangains Method—fat loss, muscle growth, strength gains, and an easy time dieting. But you can’t throw cardio into the mix without rocking the foundation. You’re welcome to try, but remember what I said earlier. It’s so for a reason.
Q: Is the Leangains Method a ketogenic diet? A: Thank God, no. Ketogenic diets sap performance and cause unwanted muscle loss. That’s according to research and extensive personal experience (ref. 10).
Strength Goals: Intermediate
These numbers are for a raw (no straps, belt or knee wraps) single repetition.
- Bench press: bodyweight x 1.2
- Chin-ups or pull-ups: bodyweight x 1.2 or 8 reps with bodyweight.
- Squat: bodyweight x 1.6
- Deadlift: bodyweight x 2
Strength Goals: Advanced
Under the exact same conditions as the previous example, three out of four of the following goals should be reached within five years, along with all of the strength goals listed under “intermediate”:
- Bench press: body weight x 1.5
- Chin-ups or pull-ups: body weight x 1.5 or 15 reps with bodyweight.
- Squat: body weight x 2
- Deadlift: body weight x 2.5
Strength Goals: Highly Advanced
Under the exact same conditions, all of the following goals should be reached within ten years. Alternatively, three out of four should be reached, and one should be “elite”:
- Bench press: body weight x 1.5, or x 1.8 (elite)
- Chin-ups or pull-ups: body weight x 1.5 or 15 reps with bodyweight, or x 1.8 / 20 reps (elite)
- Squat: body weight x 2, or x 2.4 (elite)
- Deadlift: body weight x 2.5, or x 3 (elite)
“Elite” denotes one lift that is often ahead of the others. For example, people who are natural pullers (long arms) may very well hit a 3 x bodyweight deadlift before a 1.5 x bodyweight bench, and vice versa for the presser (short arms, stocky and barrel-chested) benching 1.8 x bodyweight but not being able to pull 2.5 x bodyweight in the deadlift. The highly advanced strength goals falls in line with what could be considered the pinnacle of physique and strength development for most average and natural trainers (ref. 4). At this point, progress is very slow. A 185-pound male who has been training consistently for five to ten years should therefore be expected to:
- Bench press 275–280 pounds.
- Do a chin-up with 90–95 pounds hanging from his waist.
- Squat 370 pounds.
- Deadlift 460–465 pounds.
If you’re adding two to three sessions of HIIT to your three sessions of weights, it is almost comparable to adding two to three days of weights. Keyword is “almost”; I’m obviously not drawing direct comparisons. That’s all fine and dandy if you think working out five to six days a week is a good idea on a diet. But I don’t think anyone—no matter what level of experience—needs more than three days a week in the gym when cutting. (Yes, this goes for competitors and beginners alike.)
In conclusion, if conditioning is not terribly important for you, if your goal is really about getting shredded while keeping your muscle, I highly suggest limiting moderate to high intensity cardio on a diet – or ditch it completely. Save it for some other time when your recovery is good and not limited by your diet. A calorie deficit is a recovery deficit. Avoid deficit spending.
A warm-up is a warm-up. Treat it as such. It should be light, just enough to get the blood flowing and prepare the nervous system for the real stuff. It should never cause fatigue or interfere with your performance in the work sets. All the time, I see people doing sets of ten to fifteen reps before they get to something that remotely resembles their real set. Which is completely retarded, because you will be fatigued and glycogen-depleted, and your performance in the work sets will be limited for metabolic reasons, and not limited by your actual strength.
The only standing recommendation I have regarding warm-ups is for compound movements: one to three sets of four to six reps of 40 percent to 80 percent of target weight for the first work set.
What kinds? If you’re fat or pre-diabetic, intermittent fasting seems to improve blood pressure and insulin sensitivity.
