Body By Science (aka 1xweek workout) - WOMEN!

#1

I’ve been reading a lot about Body by Science as my goal in 2020 is to start working out again (with a goal of being strong in the second half of my life; not for weightloss) after a year of not working out (I had stopped because I didn’t know what I was doing and hurt myself lifting weights). I’m already at my goal weight (I wouldn’t cry if I lost more butt/thigh fat though). And if it matters, I’m about to turn 40.

The reason I am intrigued by this is because I actually don’t like working out. So I like the idea of working my booty off for 15-20 minutes but then resting 7 days. I read the whole book “Body by Science” and have been reading a lot of your stories on here, men and women, but mostly men!

So I want to hear from the women…

If your goals are similar to mine, where you just want to be lean and strong as you age:
What does your BBS routine look like?
Which machines (I like the idea of machines for safety)
Timing to failure? how heavy are the weights for each machine (Idk where to start)
How do you feel during and after?
What does your eating look like if you track?
Are you hungrier?
Do you need more carbs? I am currently below 10 TOTAL carbs per day and do not want to increase!!
If you need more food, is it only on the training day?
Do you need more protein? Only on the training day?

Give me the deets :slight_smile:

I tried it for the first time yesterday after reading the whole book and reading about other people for a week. So I will answer the questions in my own poll. PLEASE feel free to comment on my answers.

What does your BBS routine look like?
My routine yesterday took 9 minutes (I think I failed too soon on some of them, or maybe didn’t understand what “failing” should really feel like), and that was on 5 machines. My husband followed me around with the stopwatch. lol
Which machines (I like the idea of machines for safety)
Seated row, chest press, pulldown, overhead press, and leg press
Timing to failure? how heavy are the weights for each machine (Idk where to start)
Not knowing where to start, I had to guess on how to choose my weights.
seated row - 50 lbs, chest press - 50 lbs, pull down - 30 lbs, overhead- 30 lbs, leg press -110 lbs
I failed by about 90 seconds on the first 3. I failed a little after a minute on the last 2, so I think I need to go lighter, right?
How do you feel during and after?
I was able to talk to my husband in between machines and I was able to let out a short laugh at a couple of his jokes during the reps… lol… it made me wonder if that means I didn’t work hard enough. Afterwards I didn’t feel like dying. I was like… well… that was it? When I got home my entire body did feel like it got a workout, but I wasn’t suffering. Today I can feel it in my arms (not legs) and I’m able to type and not suffering.
What does your eating look like if you track?
I am a very clean keto eater, no processed foods, mostly carnivore, about 1400 calories
Are you hungrier?
I was hungrier than usual in the evening before bed and needed to eat about 2 ounces of chicken that was in the fridge. I had already had a lot of fat that day and my protein was still at 90 grams so I decided to add protein and not fat, for that snack.
Do you need more carbs? I am currently below 10 TOTAL carbs per day and do not want to increase!!
I did not add carbs. The protein seemed to make me feel better before I went to bed.
If you need more food, is it only on the training day?
Don’t have an answer for me yet.
Do you need more protein? Only on the training day?
Don’t have an answer for me yet, but yesterday the extra protein did seem needed.

Body By Science, Fasting and BFR Training Results (with pics!)
BBS and fasting
#2

and just to make conversation, I’ll share this… this is the wife of the author who wrote Body By Science.

Interesting. I’m reading and listening to some of the podcast clips.

#3

Hi :slight_smile:
I’m starting BBS, in the gym, sometime next month. I’ve been training at home with BFR bands for the past two months and it’s been great. I will add more to your thread once I actually try BBS and I am looking forward to comparing notes :slight_smile:
I am using BFR bands to try to get to failure, but I need a trainer to help me understand, so I’m sure my technique will improve over time. BFR is a nice complement to BBS, so I can maybe answer your questions and we can definitely compare as we both progress with BBS.

I noticed that once I start heading towards failure, my heart rate increases close to 160 bmp (wrist measure on my Polar) and I definitely wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone. :joy:

I noticed an increase hunger after a few exercises, no increase in hunger after the last two - this could be due to a weaker workout or a change in my diet. I had a “stuff my emotions with nuts” week and I’m pretty sure nuts increased my hunger, so I will test this some more.
I don’t add carbs, I’m not a body builder and I feel better on as little carbs as possible. I’m a bit higher protein now, testing Dr.Neiman’s P:E ratio and I’ve been doing well with this. I eat OMAD - bone broth, around 300g of beef, 5 eggs with butter and a small salad.

(Mame) #4

@KetoMomof2teens

I read BBS in 2010 or so and could never quite make it ‘work’ on my own but I did it for over a year with a trainer last year. There is a thread I updated quite a bit during that time under the weightlifting category.
-my goal was/is always to build muscle and get stronger
-one day a week, 630 am, done in 20-30 minutes
-yes to machines, same machines you listed.
-my trainer did all the timing for me and machine set up, (no competition for machines) no rest at all between machines, I did track my weight amounts a bit, if I did more than 8 reps I wanted the weight up the next week. I wanted to work to failure in an average of 8 repetitions. That why I was paying for training and the space and time
-I worked out in the clothes I wore to work, they point fans at you when hot so the sweat just goes away…
-during I felt like my trainer was a big meany for making me work so hard. LOL :crazy_face: then after I felt awesome. soreness never lasted long. You sometimes tears would just some to my eyes but not in a bad way…
-I don’t track food
-some times I was more hungry after, sometimes I did it in the middle of a 3 day fast no problem
-didn’t change carb amounts or protein amounts consciously…
-I am not at maintenance, and wasn’t then. body composition changed but I didn’t feel like I was getting a metabolism up level out of it…

Not sure how helpful this is :grinning: wishing you good luck. I hope you love it.

I loved it but the costs and logistics just weren’t working for me this winter. the plain “bodybyScience” thread is where I put quite a few updates and other discussed it as well.

(Bunny) #5

What does your BBS routine look like?

Squats with weights:

”…Example of a legs and bum workout would be three rounds of this:

•x10 Box Squats

•x10 Close Stance Squats (put your feet quite far forward so it’s a sitting motion, to really get that booty burn)

•x10 Sumo Squats …” …More

”… One thing to keep in mind is that at 362, squatting (per @atomicspacebunny - working the glutes) is similar to a 200 person doing squats with a 100 pounds bar on their back (not a 162 pound bar because weight is distributed around your body).

So, if you start out doing “air squats” (squats without a bar) and practice form and getting low (which will take time) you can - as you lose weight, retain the fat burning and (once uncovered) great looking set of glute muscles. Drop 25 pounds, squat with a 20 pound dumbell, drop 75 pounds, squat with a 50 pound bar - as the weight comes off the body, add it to the bar. It will seem easy and - especially as you get older - you want to avoid muscle loss if possible (which is inevitable as you lose a lot of weight but still worth fighting against). …More

Which machines (I like the idea of machines for safety)

I also do squats with no weights done eccentrically [1] [2] [3] [4]

Upper body: kettle weights and barbells only, no machines.

What does your eating look like if you track?

Are you hungrier?

Do you need more carbs?

If you need more food, is it only on the training day?

Do you need more protein? Only on the training day?

The less muscle you have the harder it will be to oxidize any carbohydrates you put in your body rather than being stored as fat. Fat volume to muscle volume ratios?

So the more muscle you have, the more carbohydrates you can eat without being stored as fat?

10 grams of carbs? Are way to low in my opinion:

•”…When you work out to lose weight, without knowing how to do it the right way, you end up creating a smaller version of your unmuscular self . …”

•”…The body burns sugars first. Low glycogen levels (stored carbohydrates) combined with high-intensity exercise creates opportunities for the body to burn higher amounts of muscle —not what anyone wants. …” The Right Way to Burn Fat, Not Muscle

• Acetyl-CoA from pyruvate of glycolysis, beta oxidation of fatty acids, ketogenic amino acids, and ketones enter this pathway for energy production. .…Ketogenic Amino Acid

• “…Pyruvate is formed during glucose metabolism and if glucose is not present, pyruvate cannot do its job in the energy process. Therefore, fat has nowhere to attach in the body’s mitochondria, which in turn slows the metabolism, and will halt or extremely lessen the body’s fat - burning capabilities…” …More

• “…When the calories you burn equal the calories you eat, you reach a plateau. …” - Mayo Clinic

• “…But also Steric acid (saturated fat) or its equivalent Palimitic acid is going to be produced endogenously from carbohydrates…” …More

#6

Thank you ladies for your cool input!! :v:

#7

well maybe in the future we will get more comments on the poll questions, but for now perhaps I (and anyone else who wants to) can use this thread as general discussion/updates. :slight_smile:
I did my second BBS workout last night. What I really wish I could do is have a trainer follow me and make sure I’m doing it right, but the trainers at my gym don’t really follow this method and the one I asked about it, isn’t supportive of it. But anyway I kept track of my own time. I failed super quickly on some, and after forever on a couple others (so I need to adjust my weights next week I guess). I have a hard time moving sslllllooowwwwllllyyy. I am not the kind of person who moves slowly on anything in life. lol. So my brain doesn’t want to do that. After my 12 minute (lol) workout, I went home to finish eating, and my entire body was moving in slow motion the rest of the evening because of the depleted strength. I was tired by 9:15pm and slept 9 hours. This morning I feel great, don’t really feel sore or tired. Well this is fun so far, and I hope I’ll just be a strong little old lady one day!

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #8

I hope it is okay for me to post here. Sounds like it worked. Do go slow and adjust your weights up for the high rep routines. Make sure to feast the day of your BBS and get enough protein in your first meal.

#9

@daddyoh it is TOTALLY ok for you to post! :slight_smile: Men or women are welcome to contribute, I just wanted the subject matter to be related to women since it seems like that was sparse and hard to find. A lot of the content can be relatable to either sex! I appreciate your comment and support! :slight_smile:
That’s a good tip about making sure I get enough protein. Just like with last week, I was hungrier in the evening, and I listened to my body which put me over my “usual” protein goal (usual is about 90 grams, but yesterday ended up being 120… I track because it’s interesting data). I’m curious if I need to eat more (especially protein) today, too? I guess I’ll listen to my body some more.
This is a random comment but I’m a little disappointed that I don’t feel more sore, and the soreness that I do feel is only in my arms, not my legs. It makes me wonder if I’m working hard enough, but I DID reach failure, so that’s all that matters, right?

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #10

I don’t get very sore. If you have been keto for sometime your mitochondria get much more efficient at using lactic acid for energy. This obviously is a great thing. Lactic acid makes you sore. I usually get sore day 2. You should look to improve wt or reps each time you workout but even 1 rep more is improvement.

According to the dr/PHDs that have studied this you need 3g (3,000 mg) of leucine amino acid to build strength and muscle fiber. It is best to get this within 90 mins of the workout but even some of the people studying this do the BBS in the morning and then eat first meal at lunch. I eat 3 meals on BBS day.

Eggs & meat are the best sources but even whey protein powder is good. I don’t know how good fish is and I know vegetable protein is deficient in leucine. I make sure to get 30g or more of protein in the first meal.

#11

thank you, what a great bunch of information!! this is all so intereting.

(Mame) #12

Most times I would feel exhausted in body (and wired mentally) for several hours right after. It was a rare week that I had muscle soreness … at least that is how I remember it. lol, I don’t have time to review my own posts from last year, perhaps i am not remembering correctly.

However due to my trainer and his ‘mean-ness’ I feel confident that I always worked to failure. That’s what was important to me not whether I was sore …

#13

that’s exactly how I felt the past two times! Body (but not mind) exhausted for the following hours… my arms moving in slow motion for every activity I did up until bed! Legs slow-moving too, but mostly my arms. Even brushing my teeth and washing my face. It was like, it didn’t hurt, just moved slower as if any additional energy simply didn’t exist.

(Mame) #14

I think you are rocking it then. You’ll probably get better at slowing down and doing less reps and you up your weights such fun!

#15

yay! thanks!

(Kenny Croxdale) #16

Soreness

Using soreness to determine if you training hard enough is an ineffective method.

Soreness is produced when you have started off an a new exercise or movement with too much weight. This produces a build up of metabolic waste, creating the soreness.

It take time for the body to eliminate it over time.

The reason that no soreness continues with the exercise is…

"The Repeated Bout Effect"

This means the body adapts to the new exercise; The General Adaptation Syndrome.

Flu Shot Example

When given a flu shot, you may not feel good. However, you bounce back and become resilient and immune when exposed the flu. The same occurs with training.

Avoiding Soreness

The key to avoiding or minimizing soreness is to start of with a weight that is very light and then progressively increase the load.

(Kenny Croxdale) #17

[quote=“daddyoh, post:10, topic:98898”]A ccording to the dr/PHDs that have studied this you need 3g (3,000 mg) of leucine amino acid to build strength and muscle fiber.
[/quote]

Leucine

Good point.

Older individual need around 3.0 gram of Leucine per meal to maintain or increase muscle mass.

Tha means you need approximately 38 gram of quality protein (Meat and/or Dairy) to obtain enough Leucne.

Not Necessarily

It may help to promote Muscle Protein Synthesis a little but isn’t necessary.

Research by Dr Brad Schoenfeld determined that eating and consuming later is just as effective.

Leucine In Proteins

A good general rule of the content of Leucine is…

  1. Whey: 10%. It is the highest. That is one of the reason Whey is touted as "The Anabolic (muscle building) Protein.

  2. Meats and Dairy: 8% Leucine

Protein: how much and how often?
Dr Layne Norton

image

(Roxanne) #18

We (hubby and I) are about to embark on a BBS journey. I used to weight train twice a week with a personal trainer, but we have since moved, and I’ve been slack ever since, because I hate weight training on my own.

I was intrigued by BBS and bought the book and made my husband read it, because he used to be into the science of body building and did a lot of weightlifting earlier in his life, and I wanted to know what he thought. (Plus I did all of the keto and fasting research these past 3 years, and I figured it was time for him to do some of the research, lol).

He was sceptical to say the least when he saw the “12 minutes a week” claim on the front of the book, because he had spent many many hours a week lifting weights int he past, but after reading it, he has been busy modifying some of our weight equipment so we can do it at home - we have a lat pull down machine and a cable row machine and he has come up with modifications so we can do all of the exercises using these machines, just one more thing to finish before we can start. We’ll be the “mean trainer person” for each other. I’m very curious to see how it goes and will follow this thread with interest!

(Debra J griffith) #19

I’ve done BBS on and off for a few years.
I use a barbell with 30 lbs total weight.
Each of the 5 moves I do, I count to about 100 seconds, give or take.
I know I don’t get to complete failure but it seems I get close enough because my body comp has changed dramatically.
I eat zero carb/carnivore. I don’t get hungry doing BBS, but I sure do after Zumba! Which I only do occasionally and more for my mood than health!

(JJ) #20

Following with interest. I am BBS curious :grinning: