[PowerManDL]

Originally Posted by Leigh P.

*Rubs Hands Together* Good questions Matt, pretty much the ones I knew would be thrown most at me.

High reps-I wanted this program to be useful as a break in program for "newbies" as well as present a different challenge to perhaps more advanced trainees. The thought isn't too different than Cosgroves approach in NROL which was something I always enjoyed about that program. The first 30 days of this program is really vicious on your muscular endurance but also really primes you for the rough lifting that is coming ahead, the main goal to prevent injury. You take a newbie in training and put them on a lower rep/higher set scheme and it just leads to problems more than not, even if in between a higher rep layout. So the minimum LBM loss you COULD occur on that higher rep pattern for 30 days is far outweighed by what I consider the "priming" phase.

Ok, if that's directed at a raw-noob that changes the equation a little bit and at least makes more sense in my head now.

Protein Cycle-I new this would be the chief "WTF?" about this program. Being that I work on a caloric and nutrient cycle I felt the need to keep the protein really high on lower days, this is larger due to the women that will be using this program with a lower body weight. A woman at 125 on a low day will get 1125 calories. That's vicious. You take the protein level really high and you are creating a body feeding frenzy on amino acids, raising body temperature levels (assuming quality of protein use of course), helping with fullness, the list goes on. That amount of protein is just not needed on a lifting day when she will be getting 1750 calories to use. Her gram amount of protein on that day will be high enough for repair but she will also have room for a nice carb load.

Oh your reasoning makes sense on paper, I'm just looking at it more from the adherence standpoint.

If you take someone new, and a chick especially, then you've got a whole 'nother set of issues to deal with that aren't automatically apparent to those of us that have been doing this for awhile.

While on paper it's at least a well-reasoned approach, I'd be very worried about someone new even digesting all the information, let alone being able to apply it day to day.

It tends to be a lot easier if you just give them one (maybe two, but preferably one) goal to shoot for, let them handle that, then move on to more complex things if/when needed.

Again, assuming we're talking raw-noob here, they can get discouraged by things as easy as "multiply your weight by 12, set your protein to 1g/lb, eat 100g of carbs, and fill in teh rest from fat". It might seem silly, but to someone new and getting bombarded with all this stuff for the first time, I can see how it would be boggling.

Somebody that's got a handle on it, from understanding the macros and being able to create meal plans in Fitday and whatnot will be fine. But it's the ones just learning and starting to develop eating habits that I'd worry about. Simpler is almost always better in those cases.

Some have looked at it an gone "well I mean really its carb cycling isn't it?" Yeah it's all of it. You cycle fat, carbs and protein, nothing stays exactly the same, as it shouldn't in my mind because each day brings a different need and response of the body. I also didn't want to put too much of a focus of carbs yet again being a reason I can't achieve my body comp.

Why take out certain carbs?

Taking away these carbs allows for a almost guarantee that the trainee will get in the really need nutrients in this program (fruit and greens) and the best of veggie starch sources.

Again, I can't really argue with the rationale. It's the practical aspects considering the target audience that would make me think twice.

Overall what is this? Is this some earth shattering everything is about to change program? Of course not. It is though more than just a program but an ideal and/or style of training that values eating more and training hard more so over eating less and training to get by. I have found the latter when done wrong leads to more damage and more of a headache especially for those who are involved in the never ending dieting down process. The average person I get contact from doesn't eat near enough for their training. So I take the problem and reverse it, make you train enough for what you eat. That reversal can bring about a great metabolic advantage...when done right. Can it be done wrong? Very much so. There are always pros and cons. But this program can do a good amount for any trainee in fat loss.

Oh I agree with you there. Women especially if you let them will spend 20 hours a week in the gym, 15 of that on the treadmill, while eating 1000 cals/day. Then wonder why they aren't getting anywhere.

Not to mention a whole slew of bodyfat issues. You've got to be a psychologist more than a nutritionist or trainer in most cases, sadly.

They get down into diet hell where it's a self-feeding cycle of needing to eat more and do less, but as soon as the scale goes up or the jeans start getting tight, they're right back to square one.

As a trainer I keep seeing over and over again two things.

-Those not achieving results because they are overstressing their body with exercise and lack of nutrition intake.

-Those not achieving results because they keep being taken out of the game due to injury. Usually this is not of a "freak" nature accident, but due to overuse patterns,training styles, too much cardio and isolation work.

To me this program solves most problems in one shot and I believe in works well in both its scientific approach and ease of application.

You know it's funny you bring this up, because in looking at "standard" contest preparation for any given physique athlete, the expectation is lots of time in the gym, lots of time doing cardio, and very low-calorie and food restrictive diets. I decided to challenge the dogma and do things differently, based on input from our group over on BR.

So far the results in my admittedly limited test cases have been very good, with the girls doing things like eating candy and drinking beer up until ridiculously close to the show (and only then stopping simply due to the need for water manipulation) and still being in show condition. Also other neat things like setting PRs on the way in. My gf set a bench press PR (she hit 77.5kg easy, with room in the tank for more) around 5 weeks out, was still able to hit her DL PR in terms of weight (~335) around the same time frame.