Diet, Nutrition and SupplementationPost here for supplement reviews or nutritional advice. If you're trying to get "ripped abz" THIS is where you should be.
Anyone out there living the G-flux lifestyle and has success stories to share?
I for one am starting this lifestyle. I'm about 157lbs, eating about 4000kcals on workout days and 3500kcals on non-lifting days. I try to get at least 30 minutes of activity on non-lifting days, which include some light cardio and some light lifting. I've only started this kind of lifestyle a few weeks ago, I have maintained my weight, and loss a little bodyfat (based on the mirror).
A few weeks back I was taught a lesson in G-Flux (or perhaps I was reminded of what I already know).
Talking with a friend of mine, a guy who's read my articles for years, he asked about my current workout program.
So I outlined it. And he asked the next logical question: "Are you happy with your results?"
Unfortunately, I hesitated...
Sure, I'm pretty happy with my physique right now. I'm about 183 or so and I'd guess about 6% body fat (at 5'8"). That's nothing to sneeze at.
Yet I've been better - much better. I've been both bigger and leaner simultaneously. And compared to that physique, my current physique is just sorta "average".
So I asked myself the question: "why aren't I better RIGHT NOW?"
The answer - I haven't been totally practicing what I preach. All this talk about G-Flux lately and I discovered that I haven't been maximizing my own!
Although my nutrition is pretty well always on point, tallied up, my workouts have been barely achieving the weekly 5 hour mark that I set as a minimum for improving the body. (And, just for the record, minimums don't produce noteworthy results.)
Pissed at myself for not being as good as I could be, I decided to up and make some changes. Just like that.
So I went out and bought a used exercise bike, a swiss ball, a med ball, and a foam roller for home. Here's my new bike (it's awesome!):
And I comitted to doing 30 additional minutes of exercise 5 mornings a week upon waking.
Now I get up, I do some mobility work, do some light ab and "core" work, and I ride the bike. This has brought my exercise tally up to nearly 8 hours a week. And to compensate for this extra exercise, I eat significantly more good quality food.
Interestingly, this increase in G-Flux has had immediate benefits. Within just a few weeks, I've gotten visibly leaner. My legs are nearly shredded and my abs are very sharp. Everything else is very lean. Yet, at the same time I've gained about 3 lbs.
Interesting how that works, eh? Practice what you preach and the results follow. Practice what you know to work and, gasp, it works.
I don't know what it is but sometimes I miss the obvious. It's like looking all over for your glasses while they're sitting right there on your face.
Hopefully none of you are "pulling a JB" and missing out on the obvious. If you are, hopefully this little blog can help you get back on track.
I know what you mean, JB. Last time I was 183 at 6% I just about slit my wrists. Disgusting! All I could think was "What's wrong with me? Does God hate me?"
Seriously, though, if I followed half of the advice I give out, I'd be all set.
Do 5hr min exercise each week. Composed of weights, anaerobic sessions and aerobic sessions. As far as I'm aware you don't worry about calories just eat more. If not losing weight then eat less or do more. Guess and check kind of thing. Metabolism advantage is worth picking up regardless of whether you are planning on doing the 8 week program as it has lots of great info and is farely cheap.
So what macronutrient combination do you use in a G-Flux lifestyle. i've just heard about this so i don't know much yet.....
And if you don't mind me asking how do you work out how much to eat...how many calories to ingest? Sorry if this is a stupid question....
Like Josh said, Metabolism Advantage is a great starter, particularly if you are trying to lose fat.
G-Flux is the underlying principal used in Metabolism Advantage and Precision Nutrition. Both excellent products, by the way. There are no set macros or calories, since it's all dependent on your body and your goals.
Not sure if the good Dr. would like this wording, but MA is a little like Precision Nutrition Lite. Only in the sense that it gives you a flavor for the types of foods that one eats when living the Precision Nutrition lifestyle, of course.
Personally, I've recommended both PN and MA to the same people. If you start with MA, you'll see the success with your own body and want to take things further. PN will then give you all the tools to help you get where you want to be. PN simply has a ton of great stuff in it. Cookbook, how-tos, manuals, etc. It's got a lot.
If you start with PN, but are new to the lifestyle, MA is a great "primer" on the new lifestyle. It's not expensive. It doesn't contradict or conflict with anything in PN, itself. You can read and implement MA's plan very quickly and take all the time you need to digest (pun definitely intended) the info in PN.
Sorry to turn this into a commercial... I'm not affiliated. Just convinced.
I appreciate that. Is MA like the Anabolic Diet?
Don't know when i would be able to pick up the book....but I was going to follow Adam's Diet and just eat more....making sure to eat my carbs around my workout............and of course i have been looking at JB site.
MA is based on Dr. Berardi's 7 Habits, but more refined and with some good background and explanation.
It's got nutrition advice, recipes, and workout plans.
I would say that MA, Adam's Diet, and The Paleo Diet For Athletes fall into similar categories, as far as diets go. They have much in common. Emphasis in complete/animal proteins and veggies and fruits. Different styles where fat choices and pwo nutrtion come in, though.
LD, the articles you posted have made me even more excited about getting my PN packet. It arrived in the mail yesterday at home, it will take it about another 10 days to get it here. I can't wait!
__________________
Your accomplishments can only be as big as your heart.
That's an oldie.
Since NEAT is the new flavour of the year , an addition would be to say that essentially G-Fluxers aren't just busy 3-4 times a week in the gym, they STAY busy all the time and do something strenuous most days.. which can be both actual intentional exercise as well as NEAT, provided it's not too tame: gardening, snowshoveling , you get the picture.
An example in my direct surrounding would be a friend who trains on Olympic lifts as well as some bb & PL exercises 6 times/week, uses rowing for cardio, has a high NEAT from cycling & standing around.
A while ago we did the math on a diet that was given to her and figured she must have a maintenance of approx. 3500kcal. Nothing to sneeze at, I'd say. It's a safe bet that her maintenance would only have been slightly over 2000kcal when completely sedentary.
So, yes, I suppose this is G-Flux.
People who fail at "g-flux" are the ones who try to add in too much and get burned out. Maybe not consciously, but even subconsciously start to drop activity levels while calories remain higher.
Another big mistake is failing to use the flowchart to check your results every week or so. The system states to start off with x and increase/decrease calories based on the tracked results. No on wants to wait, so they jump to the high point because they want to be able to eat "more food."
Any G-flux success stories?
Linear Mode
