What You Need To Know About Fasting for Fat Loss, Muscle Gain

You’ve heard the preachers, including me, talk about how important it is to eat every 2 to 3 hours.  And how important breakfast is.

But are we right?

Two counter-approaches contradict the above recommendations:

a)      Intermittent Fasting (complete fasting for at least 24 hrs once a week or so)

b)      Semi-Fasted Cardio (first thing in the morning after about 12 hours of not eating)

Today we’ll cover the pros and cons of intermittent fasting.  Then next week we’ll cover “semi-fasted cardio”.

Here’s today’s outline:

• Pros and Cons of Fasting
• Roots of Fasting
• Fasting for Fat Loss
• Fasting for Muscle Gain
• Making Fasting Easier – 10 Tips

Let’s start with a summary, then follow with the details:

Pros And Cons Of Fasting For Fat Loss And Muscle Gain

Pros For Fasting

• Possibly very effective for fat loss, as studies show increase fat burn compared to carb burn, during fasting (much more detail on this in the rest of the article!)
• Easier, for some people, than being in slight caloric deficit each day
• Most people get a natural “high” on those days; better attention; surprising increase of energy
• More time for life; less time cooking, eating, and doing dishes
• Increased natural growth hormone:  potentially good for muscle gains (much more detail on this in the rest of the article!)
• Disrupts the body’s expectations about food, thus preventing diet plateaus (hypothetical)
• Confidence – any time you try something difficult, and then turn that into a habit, you will feel more confident in yourself; this will lead to you accomplishing more over the course of your life
• Bragging rights – most people are impressed with someone who has the discipline to fast one day a week
• Potentially clears the body of toxins and waste
• Anecdotal benefits to a whole range of health issues, from reducing arthritis and migraines to improved skin and hair

Cons For Fasting (more…)

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How many stories have you heard about how Taylor Lautner, the 17-yr old kid in the popular Twilight movie “New Moon“, went from scrawny to brawny?

Some of you might saying “who?” but if you’ve got teenage daughters, you are probably sick of hearing about him.

Well here’s another story about how Taylor Lautner gained so much muscle.  But I’m taking a different angle than other writers.

I’ve dug up interviews with him and with his trainer to dissect what he did and what you can learn from it.  Although I’m a fan, this is not a “fan post”.  This is about your physique and how you can improve.

I think any guy out there has to be impressed with this kid.  He gained 30 pounds of muscle in a year, all naturally, and looks fantastic.  Who wouldn’t want that? (There is one imbalance we’ll need to talk about though.)

But here’s the question: If you want those results, why don’t you have them?

Reason: Because it takes hard work!

He’s no genetic superior to you!  The only advantage he might have over most of you (and me included) is that he’s younger.  Ok, so I’ll handicap him 10% because he’s at a great age metabolically to see muscle growth without fat growth.  But that’s only 10%.

So why don’t you look 90% as good as him?

Taylor Lawtner did two critical things:

a) he got great advice from someone who knew more than him

b) he worked incredibly hard, even when he didn’t feel like it

Can you say the same about yourself?  If not, why not?

Ok Darrin, Enough Lecture.  What Are the SECRETS He Used?

First, hear his own words for some of the techniques:

From what I can tell (using many resources beyond this video), he used 8 techniques that made a difference:

(more…)

Continue reading about Taylor Lautner’s Workout For Muscle Gain – Yet Another Story