Weight Training Recovery

(Michael ) #21

I don’t think I have it completely figured out yet. I like to lift fasted and break fast within a few hours of lifting but the longer i wait, the more HGH benefits. When i do longer fasts, i wait until the day I’m breaking fast to weight train and then break fast. I don’t do strength training on days im not eating since i won’t get any protein for muscle repair. These methods are a work in progress that I’m still exploring

(Michael ) #22

Check out thomas delauer on YouTube if you want to get some great info on this

(Tim) #23

Thanks for the info Mike. I’ve watched a couple of his videos and will look for more.

One last question, how have your results changed by adopting this approach? Thanks again and have a great Christmas.

(Michael ) #24

I’ve managed to slightly increase my lifts while losing 35 pounds of fat so I am pleased with the results. I have about 15 more pounds to go and then i will increase calories and see how much progress i can make. It’s difficult to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously so the fact that I’ve progressed at all is great for me

(Ken) #25

Your prolonged soreness will eventually go away, it’s normal for beginners. You’re just using parts of your muscles that have never been worked hard before, so they have to “adapt up”.

Initially, the initial adaptive process can last several weeks. It you’re experiencing post workout fatigue, that’ll eventually go away as well.

Generally, there’s two levels of stimulus. First, there’s the lactic acid threshold, or the burning sensation you feel in the muscle. This is what beginners concentrate on initially. Just go to a slight burning sensation for the first several sessions, to prevent excess DOMS. Only one set is necessary. As time goes on, increase the level of work (reps) to gradually increase the stimulus, with the goal of being able to work to complete muscle failure on one set without excessive stiffness the next day. This usually only takes a couple of weeks. Once you reach that point you can add additional volume to your workouts, but it’s arguable that working one set to failure, say in the 8-12 rep medium range is just fine for beginners. If you are able to do 12 reps, go up in weight.

Whey is not necessary, whole foods are fine, but I suggest a vitamin/mineral supplement, taken twice a day.

#26

As super-slow master teacher, LCHF/keto advocate, and originator of the slow burn strength training routine Fred Hahn points out -DOMS/delayed onset muscle soreness actually can occur at any time in your training life. It’s not limited to beginners, as some of us longtime lifters and martial artists know.

Some factors I think play roles can be stress levels and mineral balances, as well as “proper form” anytime during the experience of both initiation of weightlifting for beginners, as well as every time you increase the weights as you go (which is what we do to keep creating new strength).

Also, structural issues like adhesions (which are decades old scarring of muscle which reduces its mobility in relation to joints) from past childhood injuries that are stressed with new muscle development (I went through a time when I had post-workout hip & knee joint/tendon pains due to quad and piriformis adhesions - and was fortunate to find a physical therapist who was an A.R.T. PhD - they specialize in adhesion recovery bodywork to free up the stuck tissues).

So, always good to get proper sleep & proper recovery - and def proactively take breaks if your stress/cortisol levels are too high rather than pushing through, which can waste the potential of a workout when its trapped by cortisol levels. And have the self-care remedies in place in your medicine cabinet for when DOMS hits. Ginger capsules are a great anti-inflammatory pain relief alternative to the liver-stressing Ibuprofin/Tylenol. DOMS is also an opportunity to prioritize taking an Epson Salts bath for ache relief as well as magnesium absorption. And the usual keto bone broths/bouillon can soothe the soul.

While recovering, revisiting the book Body By Science by Doug McGuff (a LCHF/keto advocate) can be helpful too.

#27

I have a question. I recently started a Body By Science training program. I do it a specialized gym that only does this and work one on one with a trainer. I have been ketogenic for 10 months with lots and lots of extended fasting. Lost 45 lbs in the first 7 months but have been on a stall ever since. Some of the stall is all me. Really needed a break from all the long fasts both physically and mentally. Also holidays and holidays etc. I don’t cheat with carbs per se I usually just eat too much of keto, probably too much protein in moments and can not stick to just eating in a window. I am an IDM person, so have received lots of help with that. But some of the stall is definitely not my doing but the insulin resistance. I have now completed 7 weeks of once a week BBS workouts. I love it. Quite a bit of DOMS at first. But now just fatigue. Here is my question. I always have done my workout fasted. Usually at the end of a 42 hour fast. The last few workouts I feel hungry for the next couple of days. It feels like cortisol kind of hunger. It is stressful workout for sure, especially as the weights increase. Any tricks for managing that cortisol or for how to deal with the hunger? I apologize if someone has asked this before and I missed it. I have looked around. I want this to work. I really like the workout and it feels so good in a good-for-me kind of way.

#28

@Lkd25 Sounds like you’d do well with a longer recovery break - maybe try for 14 days off? In the book Body By Science Dr. McGuff goes into quite a lot about the value of recovery in general - as well as longer recovery times. Post-workout fast-breaking meal choices are another thing to look at, to restore a certain balance or comfort (some people eat the highest carb + protein meals post-workout).

Also, Vit. C is considered to counteract excess cortisol - it reduces both the physical and psychological effects of stress. I started taking “liposomal” Vit. C which is the most effective molecular delivery of it for absorption (a little of it goes a long way in comparison with non-liposomal Vit. C) - and I feel the difference related to cortisol.

Collagen/bone broth: has tons of nourishing amino acids for body recomposition - such as Glycine which increases creatine levels, which leads to an increase in anaerobic (high-intensity) exercise capacity, and stimulates the secretion of human growth hormone (HGH), which enhances muscle repair. Vit. C is essential for collagen synthesis - so I take it sometime around the time I have a nice big mug of bone broth/hydrolyzed collagen peptides - and the body seems to love it! Adding some coconut oil to it can also be great, as coconut oil also promotes collagen synthesis.

In addition, if you’re not incorporating organ meats into your weekly menu, considering supplementing with Liver - which is so rich in all the B vitamins. Liver is a very restorative anti-fatigue remedy - and in its anti-inflammatory actions, it chases excess cortisol out of the system. I try to take 3 grassfed liver capsules each time I break my IF (which means, 4-5 times a week) - though someday I hope to start eating liver from humanely raised chicken/beef, using some of the marination/cooking techniques that are said to make it tasty!

Highly recommend Cristi Vlad’s book Periodic Fasting: Repair your DNA, Grow Younger, and Learn to Appreciate your Food with a Forward by Richard Feinman. Vlad is centered in “ketone power” and covers lots of interesting historical & scientific ground - as he shares his journey towards it and looks at fasted-workouts, the benefits of fat-adapted fasting, and post-fasting foods :slight_smile:

#29

Thanks so much for info. Interestingly, I just started eating chicken livers (which I like fine) and planned to do so after my next workout. Was starting to think about some grass-fed beef liver but don’t love it, like I do the chicken. But I will have to give it a try. I started taking lipomosal vitamin c a few weeks ago but will increase my dose around workout time. I overdosed on bone broth when I first started my extended fasting routine, but could very easily be into it again. So I will add that too. A lot of weight was added to my workout last time and this is the first time I am not fully recovered yet by 4-5 days. So I am monitoring that too.

Thanks again for your reply.

#30

You’re very welcome!

One thing I’d add is that the liposomal Vit. C is so potent and quickly absorbed that it’s caused me a bit of stomach upset/slight nausea when I’ve taken it on an empty stomach or just with liver capsules. So, I’ve started a protocol of only taking it along with fatty broth or a meal, which then goes well :slight_smile: