From 60 to 80 kgs at 4% bf (my training and nutrition)

[galya]

I love how Misho and you stay connected WHILE installing the BBQ
We should take pics of the fire and smoke tricks you've learned since then!

[Milko Georgiev]

10-pack abs

[Milko Georgiev]

22 pull-ups
still can't reach my old 25 reps record

[gregl515]

Originally Posted by Milko Georgiev

10-pack abs

All I can say is Holy Shit!

[ljk]

Hi Milko...
Obviously you stay lean year round and continue to get stronger. I know you also eat low carb consistently. I thought I’d ask you a question since I think you could give me some good insight. I think of you as a perfect example and role model of what I aspire to (staying lean while still getting stronger…)

I am also a consistent low-carb eater and do enjoy this way of eating for several reasons. I’m also pretty lean and seeing muscle definition that I’d like to keep and maintain as I continue to become more fit!

So my question is pertaining to your diet:
Do you count your calories at all or just eat as you feel your body needs? Do you ever incorporate starchy carbs strategically as a ‘refeed’ for your body as some people who eat low-carb do? Do you plan meals in advance or not?

Thanks, Milko!

[Milko Georgiev]

Originally Posted by ljk

Do you count your calories at all or just eat as you feel your body needs? Do you ever incorporate starchy carbs strategically as a ‘refeed’ for your body as some people who eat low-carb do? Do you plan meals in advance or not?

Low-carb congrats to you ljk
I don't count calories. But I don't have appetite and this helps me to do a natural caloric restriction.
I have bad experience with post workout carb-loads. In 2005 Galya tested some JB voodoo on me ... a lot of pain and malfunction I felt in my muscles. I never beleived in carb-loads and my bad experience is a proof.
A carb day every week is a weak conception for candy lovers.
I don't plan meals. I'm constant in my nutrition.

Rules:
- eat enough animal fat (beacon, butter, cream, lard)
- eat enough animal protein (meat, eggs, cheese (calcium!), liver (vit-A!))
- cod liver oil (3-5 grams daily)
- drink water (0.8 us gallons = 3 liters daily)
- greens for fun
- max 12h between two meals (generally dinner->breakfast)
/there is another conception for anvanced low-carbers: 1.eat less or nothing and feel hunger in the morning and at noon 2. eat as much as you can between 2pm and 10pm (8h zone). I use this conception last 9 months./

lean meat + fat = balance /good/
excess of lean meat = lean meat + sugar /bad/

Do more right things, do less plans!
Do more right things, do less voodoo in vain!

Train heavy with compound movements.

[Frank.S]

nice work, i could have done without that photo though.

[Lost Dog]

Originally Posted by Milko Georgiev

Low-carb congrats to you ljk
I don't count calories. But I don't have appetite and this helps me to do a natural caloric restriction.
I have bad experience with post workout carb-loads. In 2005 Galya tested some JB voodoo on me ... a lot of pain and malfunction I felt in my muscles. I never beleived in carb-loads and my bad experience is a proof.
A carb day every week is a weak conception for candy lovers.
I don't plan meals. I'm constant in my nutrition.

Rules:
- eat enough animal fat (beacon, butter, cream, lard)
- eat enough animal protein (meat, eggs, cheese (calcium!), liver (vit-A!))
- cod liver oil (3-5 grams daily)
- drink water (0.8 us gallons = 3 liters daily)
- greens for fun
- max 12h between two meals (generally dinner->breakfast)
/there is another conception for anvanced low-carbers: 1.eat less or nothing and feel hunger in the morning and at noon 2. eat as much as you can between 2pm and 10pm (8h zone). I use this conception last 9 months./

lean meat + fat = balance /good/
excess of lean meat = lean meat + sugar /bad/

Do more right things, do less plans!
Do more right things, do less voodoo in vain!

Train heavy with compound movements.

If you stretched this post out by about 120 more pages, you'd have an ebook.

Only how can I NOT have an appetite, too? Maybe if I only ate liver?

I tend to agree with you on the carb days. There may be some slight benefit to it, but I think 90% of the benefit is in keeping people sane, since they (we) love carbs. Most of the time, they'd lose more fat if they kept going on the low carb and just skipped that carb day.

Do you have clients that eat like you do? Any that are also runners?

The biggest complaint I hear is that "I can't do my cardio or running without the carbs." I mostly tell them to stop doing cardio and running then, but some of them actually like doing it. Like it's fun or something.

[ljk]

Thanks, Milko.
I try to stop overthinking things and just listen to my appetite and body. I've read that fat, post workout, is not great, but I suppose in the end I won't die if I have some fat after weights

I do eat a lot of veggies, fats and some meats (more fish than meat.)
I try to get enough fats, eat lots of green stuff...and other veg. like tomatoes, etc.

I love the "carb load for candy lovers" line.

i know that if i ever eat some honey or sweet things, even natural sugars, it messes me up for a few days. So I try to avoid it.

My starchiest carbs are squash (not all that calorie dense, really)...

and I love my compound moves!

[Milko Georgiev]

Originally Posted by Lost Dog

Do you have clients that eat like you do? Any that are also runners?

The biggest complaint I hear is that "I can't do my cardio or running without the carbs." I mostly tell them to stop doing cardio and running then, but some of them actually like doing it. Like it's fun or something.

Everyone knows that pain in the liver after few minutes running. After my first low-carb high-fat year (or even sooner) my liver pain dissapeared. I can run w/o pain until I just die w/o energy. Am I a runner - no! I do not train running. My last running was before 10 years, part of my taekwon-do training.

Two of our Spider Sport trainers are sprinters, another is a grappler. They eat 90% as I eat.

Before 4 months I started to train a 20 years old girl. Linda Zetchiri is a Bulgarian national badminton player (No.2 BG, No.50* WLD). She plays at international events against top 20 world players. You can imagine the complete load of 50 minutes of world class badminton - I can say WAW! *Linda has bad knee injury that makes it harder to play. After first 3-4 months LCHF she start to feel more power then ever and lost 4% body fat! She fell in love witn low-carb high-fat. This love helps her to stand up against her favorite candies http://elitesmash.com/linda-zetchiri.php

So, you don't need candies/carbs to run. You need low-carb with high-fat nutrition!

[ljk]

You could be a spokesperson

[Lost Dog]

Good stuff, Milko. Thanks!

[xanderd]

wow, I can't beleive Ive only just found this post.

the only physique i can compare yours to is Bruce lee, and that's saying something. plus everything you say is concise, makes sense, inspirational. Truly amazing work!

I have never seen a training reigime like yours before, but it is working for you, so

tell me, do you honestly beleive this is just down to your genetics? If somebody else followed your diet and exercise would they make your gains?

Also, for me, your diet is impossible. i am 'pescatarian' - i eat dairy and fish but no meat. i also eat out regulary and am often constrained by time and budget. Any meal I can think of that i eat is dominated by carbs e.g. cereal/toast for breakfast, cereal bars/bananas/peanuts/sandwiche s/pasta for lunch, dinner is usually a 'healthy' variety such as veggie lasagna with salad, prawn curry, baked potato with beans etc. I cant imagine how I could 'improve' on this.

Any suggestions on meals that could work for me?

-alex

[galya]

I am speaking on behalf of Milko I think, since I have been close to him during the last 5 years. He doesn't believe in genetics much, he's more of a do-the-right-thing-strictly-for-a-long-time-and-results-will-follow guy. We have other guys following his training and nutrition that have similar gains, it will just take some time for them to get to the extent that Milko has since it's taken him some time.

As for your question, it is possible to follow a low carb high fat diet even if you are under the restrictions of your chosen diet. Fish and dairy and eggs (if you eat them) can provide some considerable amounts of protein, then you have butter, olive oil, and nuts for fats. You would have to pick foods that provide a source of protein without a source of carbs and maybe learn to cook more. Any changes are possible if you choose to go this way, but cooking more, buying raw foods in bulk, and bringing food with you to work/school would work great.

[xanderd]

thanks a lot for your reply galya!

I was thinking about this thread all day yesterday I was so in awe!

I am an enthusiastic cook and do bring lunch to work every day, its just that everything I know has revolved around carbs, but i will try to at least push the balance a bit more towards fat as an experiment.

I will address you for my next set of questions, just because you seem to be replying, but also Milko please feel free to reply

Another thing Im curious about is energy and fatigue. When I work out I have to push hard, its a real struggle to get the last rep out, and I feel out of energy. But in milkos videos it looks effortless! Does milko struggle alot too?

Related to this: what is Milko's training cycle? For example, I have just started AREG training and am trying to train in the 'neuro-muscular supercompensatory phase' which in my case is training the same body part every 7 days. Does milko train the same body part at set intervals, or just when he feels like it?

Also related: Strength increases and pushing the limit: I often feel my energy inhibits me more than my muscular strength and I am exhausted by the last rep. Perhaps consequently, I progress in weight extremely slowly.

As an example, on lat pulldown I started at around 40kg (3 sets 10 reps perfect form) 2 months ago, just to get back into it, then moved to 50kg after a few weeks, but now I have been 'stuck' on 55kg for about 4 weeks. Milko has made incredibly fast strength gains up to an amazing 130kg lat pulldown which I can only dream of! I want to lift more weight to prevent stagnation, but I also am extremely aware of the importance of form, and also range of motion. I feel that if i add more weight I will definitely sacrifice the number of reps, and possibly form and ROM as well.

Should I just 'force' more weight on every few weeks and do less reps...or be more patient and continue the slow strength increases in coming months?

many thanks!