My Leangains Journey page

[BuffaloGrok]

So here goes. This is an attempt to chronicle my 16 week Leangains journey and share with everyone my successes, failures and everything in between.

Some background: I am an ex-crossfitter and general fitness lover who has been toying with the idea of a leangains style fitness/nutrition regiment for quite some time.

Main Goal: Lose the bit of belly fat I have left and a general re-comp of my body.

Strength goals: Break 315 back squat/415 deadlift plateau.

I have never been much of a journal keeper but I will try to update this as frequently as possible and hope to see some measurable results at the end of the 16 weeks. I will try to make this more than just a workout/nutrition log as I'm sure nobody really cares to read that.

[BuffaloGrok]

My workout schedule. All lifts follow a reverse pyramid structure unless otherwise noted. Also, I

Day 1:

Deadlift
Chin ups
Leg Extension
Tricep pushdown

Day 2:

Bench Press
Pull up
Pushups
Seated row

Day 3:

Squat
Walking lunge
Military press
Calf Raise

I do plan on sprinting one day per week if I can find the time/its not so damn cold. I will post my sprint workout once it begins.

[StackingPlates]

Are you doing this on your own or under Martin's direct supervision?

[BuffaloGrok]

Today was my Day 3 workout and it felt great. The squats were fluid and and I had great bar speed throughout the 3 sets. I am aiming for a mix of hypertrophy and fat loss and have found for me the optimal back squat pyramid is 9-14 reps.

Highlights:
Ready to add 10-15lbs to back squat set
Added 10lbs and 4 steps to walking lunge
Added 25lbs to calf raise

Failures:
Military press is still incredibly weak in proportion to other major lifts. I continue to work on shoulder strength and mobility outside of workouts.

Lunch:
12 oz lean ground turkey cooked with onions/serrano peppers
1.5 sweet potato fries baked
8oz fat free greek yogurt/hot sauce recipe courtesy of The Caveman Eats | Eat Like A Human

Dinner:
Sushi with the girlfriend. Will opt for veggie/shrimp rolls and keep the fat content low.

[BuffaloGrok]

Are you doing this on your own or under Martin's direct supervision?

I am doing this on my own. I created the workout scheme based on Martin's articles/blog posts on fitness as well as an old workout plan that a former coach (Level 2 olympic power lifting coach) provided me with in a past life.

[StackingPlates]

Very cool, how many days are you giving yourself rest between these workouts? Are you working out fasted or fed?

[BuffaloGrok]

Thanks for taking an interest! I am resting 1-2 days between workouts. I took two days between days 1 and 2 this week, simply due to my level of soreness. I think my pull-ups would have seriously suffered had I not.

Usually fed. Due to my work schedule, I fast until 1-2pm, eat a small lunch, 5pm workout then a larger meal.

Today was my first fasted workout. I supplemented with 10mg of BCAA's as directed, but I will still only eat 2 meals during my feeding window

[StackingPlates]

If you are beginning to see your workouts suffering, try spacing your workout days so that squats and deadlifts are at least 72-96 hours apart. These are very intense movements and so your body needs a little extra time to recuperate...

If you are at the point where you are getting below 12% BF, and want to shred that last few percent, you might try and get stricter and lift in fasted states as often as possible. If you can intensely lift for 60 minutes or so and follow that up with some low level intensity activities for an hour before breaking the fast, it should get you where you want to be...

Just my experience and the experiences of some clients (believe this is what Martin prescribes too)...

[BuffaloGrok]

Thanks for the tip. Squats and deads are on day's 1 & 3 so there is usually 72 hours in between.

I am right around 15% at the moment so I am hoping to get close near the end of the 16 weeks. Based on experience, I don't lose fat super fast so I may get stricter even sooner than that.

Are you a current/former client or just follow this regiment on your own?

[StackingPlates]

I've developed my own program through my own research, trials, and errors for clients that happens to share quite a few core principles with Leangains. I like a lot of the innovative techniques that Martin has brought into the mainstream....