Page 20 – Tony Gentilcore

Calorie Cycling Strategies For Fat Loss

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Nevada based strength & conditioning coach, Travis Hansen.

Travis has contributed several articles to this site in years past and he always impresses me with his diversity in knowledge.

(FYI: His ebook, The Complete Speed Encyclopedia, is one of the best resources on the topic I’ve ever read.)

NOTE: 👆👆 Not an affiliate link.

Anyway, he also knows a thing or two with regards to helping his clients/athletes shed fat and the “minor” nutritional tweaks that they may need to consider; like calorie cycling.

Check it out.

Copyright: vladimirsoldatov / 123RF Stock Photo

Calorie Cycling Strategies For Fat Loss

We humans are cyclical creatures in terms of our overall behavior, and when it comes to nutrition and our calorie intake there are no exceptions.

The fundamental reason for why we need to cycle calories over the course of weeks and months when attempting to lose weight/fat is because of natural adaptations and guaranteed reduction of our metabolic rate and calorie burn that naturally occur when calories are lowered below a certain level necessary to cause effective weight/fat loss.

Fortunately for you, all guesswork for how to cycle calories will be eliminated for you through a specific diagram provided for you shortly.

Cycling calories is so powerful and essential that our body literally fights back and sets our body’s natural weight range, otherwise known as our “metabolic set point,” higher when we attempt to keep our calories fixed aggressively too low for too long.

So the take home message here is that cycling calories is inevitable and there is a very specific way you can approach this nutritional law and have it work to your advantage so that you maximize all aspects of your results and feel physically and mentally satisfied in the process.

via GIPHY

Some of the most notable evidence supporting the idea of cycling calories in the “short term” centers around the hormone, leptin.

According to Lyle McDonald and his research on the matter, leptin levels drop dramatically within the first week or so of dieting.

The drop can be as much as 50%.

For the non-nerds reading, leptin is our primary metabolic regulator, acting on several areas of the body. So in theory, if we cycle our calories during the week we can boost leptin and keep our metabolism higher.

Note From TG: For a more thorough discussion on the topic of Leptin and it’s affects on metabolism you can check THIS out. Grab a cup of coffee. You’ll need it…;o)

Moving forward I want to break down three categories of structured eating that will need to be built into your collective nutrition plan that feeds into (<—HA, see what I just did there) and supports the concept of calorie cycling.

Free Meals
Structured Refeeds
Full Diet Breaks

Free Meals (Cheat Meals)

Free meal(s) can be considered structured eating where calories are higher and you overfeed more.

Key Word: Structured. Also, meal (as in singular).

This is basically where you pick one single meal of your liking, set aside all the rules, and you enjoy some pizza or tacos.

Or both…;o)

To note: There’s really no inherent physiological benefit happening here. One single meal isn’t going to break or make a dietary approach or be the panacea of success.

It can’t help, nor can it hurt you in terms of actual fat and weight loss, so you shouldn’t worry much.

Rather, the main benefit here is psychological.

The feeling of complete deprivation of desired and enjoyable foods for weeks and months on end can become very stressful and completely depressing.

A free meal is one method that provides a “light at the end of the tunnel” per se.

Research has shown consistently time and time again that flexible dieting strategies are far more effective than extremely strict and rigid approaches both in terms of overall results and healthy eating behavior.

Structured Re-feeds

A structured reefed is simply a 4-5 hour window where you don’t count calories and you deviate from both the quantity and type of food that you are eating with your normal fat loss diet.

Moreover, carbohydrates are supposed to be higher during the re-feed.

It’s also worth noting that carbohydrates are highly “anti-catabolic” in nature. Meaning they prevent muscle tissue and others from degrading or breaking down through the increases in insulin production. For example, a recent study from Campbell et. al 2020 found that a two day reefed in resistance trained individuals preserved RMR, and FFM a.k.a muscle mass. 2 .

Lastly, in my experience re-feeds should generally come in the evening for two reasons.

1) It’s psychologically much easier to resume normal dieting and healthier eating at the start of the next day where you interpret a clean slate rather than attempting to pwn a industrial sized bag of Skittles in the middle of the day and then attempt to get back on track after the fact.

2) It just seems to work well and mirrors normal human behavior.

A good general rule of thumb is to reefed from 5-10pm.

This works well since structured re-feeds are programmed on the weekend where a majority are partaking in social activities and get-togethers where higher food consumption is almost guaranteed to occur.

SIDE NOTE: It’s also ideal to perform a workout at or near a re-feed so that the carbohydrates and other nutrients are automatically soaked up in the muscles. This is especially true for those who are overweight or have sensitivity issues to carbohydrates. When you eat your carbohydrates around intense lifting times you are conditioning your cellular components to better handle and manage carbohydrates to help limit potential feelings of hunger and overeating.

Full Diet Breaks

Just as the name states, full diet breaks are periods lasting as high as two whole weeks where you increase calories to maintenance levels and are allowed much more leniency with food selection.

Recent research has also supported that intermittent calorie maintenance may be ideal for faster fat loss.

Not only from a psychological standpoint, but also in terms of feelings of “confidence” that you’ll be able to stay on track once stricter eating resumes again.

Another huge potential benefit to diet breaks is that they can programmed around periods of vacation or special events.

Anecdotally, it has been shown that breaks from dieting can be viewed much more positively by dieters, since it’s actually part of a strategic plan, and people report an easier time returning to diet once the break is over.

General Diet Breaks Guidelines

1️⃣ Raise calories by 500-1000 calories daily.

2️⃣ Keep weight training hard and regularly and maintain at least 50% of your cardio work.

3️⃣ Don’t worry about counting macro’s until the end of the break.

Body-Fat Percentage
(Men / Women)

Diet Break Frequency

<10% / 18%

Every 6–8 weeks

10-15% / 18–23%

Every 8–12 weeks

>15% / >23%

Every 12–16 weeks

(I.e., the leaner you are, the more frequent “breaks” you can get away with).

(Chart courtesy of Andy Morgan, RippedBody.com “How to Use a Diet Break for Fat Loss to Get Shredded Lean”)

About the Author

Travis Hansen has been involved in the field of training for over a decade, and he has over 60,000 hours of hands-on training experience.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and he holds three training certifications—from the ISSA, NASM and NCSF.

He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League during their 2010 season, and The University of Nevada-Reno golf team in 2015.

He was the former Director of the Reno Speed School. He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to the professional ranks.

He is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association. Check out his website HERE.

February 21, 2021 Tony

Stuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/19/21

Copyright: conneldesign / 123RF Stock Photo

STUFF TO CHECK OUT FIRST

1. Virtual Coaching Competency Workshop – Coming in March

Since I won’t be traveling anytime soon to present, I decided why not bring one of my workshops to YOU? I will be putting on my popular Coaching Competency Workshop this March.

I figured chances would be high many attendees would be fighting off the urge to commit seppuku staring at their computer screen for seven straight hours so made the executive decision to spread things out over three consecutive weekends:

3 Hours on 3/7
2 Hours on 3/14
2 Hours on 3/21

The course has been approved for CEUs via the NSCA and all attendees will receive a recording in case Eastern Standard Time doesn’t bode well for your schedule.

For more info go HERE.

2. CORE @ Home

You can now purchase CORE @ Home for whatever you want to pay.

During the first quarantine I started a platform where I’d deliver 20-40 minute workouts that could be performed in everyone’s living room using minimal equipment.

In all I filmed 36 workouts using nothing but bodyweight, bands, and kettlebells and/or dumbbells. With many people still reticent to head back to their regular gyms (not to mention the scarcity of gym equipment out there to purchase) I figured this would be a nice opportunity to help.

Whether you want to spend $1 or $99 (FYI: the latter enters you to win a 5×7 shirtless pic of me), the workouts are ready and available to start.

For more information go HERE.

3. I Care A Lot

I am not one to toot my own horn (that often), but I am giddy about this.

I had the opportunity to work with the lovely Rosamund Pike while she was in Boston back in 2019 filming her latest movie, I Care A lot, which was just released on Netflix today.

I love deadlifts and movies.

So, of course, when I had the chance to work with a bonafide movie star, I had her deadlift…;o)

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A post shared by Rosamund Pike (@mspike)

Anyway, I Care A lot has been getting rave reviews, as has her performance as the movie’s main character, Marla Grayson, which has been getting compared to Rosamund’s most iconic character, Amy Dunne, from Gone Girl.

Rosamund is the sweetest person on Earth, but she seems to excel at portraying sinister characters. In fact, Rosamund was just nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in this film.

Looking for something good to watch this weekend? Check this out!

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

I am so tired of writers/editors reaching out asking me to contribute to pieces about what I think are the “latest trends or innovations in the health/fitness industry?”

Go to the gym, strain a little bit, make sure nutrition supports your goals, go to bed, be consistent.

Done.

— Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore1) February 16, 2021

Instagram

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Blood Flow Restriction Training: Everything You Need to Know – Mike Reinold

I remember when BFR started gaining traction several years ago I had to do all I could to prevent my eyeballs from rolling out of their sockets.

Really? We’re gonna “cut off” circulation to our limbs in order to elicit just a smidgeon more of a pump?

As it happens, yes.

And, too, as it happens, there’s a bevy of other legitimate applications as well. For example (and speaking personally), I used BFR as part of my Achilles rehab.

But I’ll let Mike to do the talking. He does a better job anyway in this extensive article.

Not the King of Exercises: The Bench Press – Christian Thibaudeau

Ohhhhh, shit.

Shots have been fired.

3+ Plank Substitutes That Make Solid AF – Julia Eyre

The next time that plank holds are in your program or in your head, do me a favor. Pause for a moment and ask yourself one simple question:

“Why?”

February 19, 2021 Tony

coaching

Do Bad Workouts Exist?

I liken this question to pizza.

Is there such a thing as “bad” pizza?

Sure, we’ve all had a sub-par slice of pizza here and there. I mean, pizza made in middle-of-no-where Montana cannot be held in the same regard as one born from a brick oven in Manhattan.

I have zero doubts the former is still good pizza, but let’s be honest…

…it’ll pale in comparison to the latter.

That said, salt, fat, tomato sauce, and gluten will always be tasty.

Do Bad Workouts Exist?

To quote a good friend of mine, Nia Shanks, who wrote a similar article recently:

There’s no such thing as a “bad” workout.

“Every workout, regardless of performance improvements or decreases, is a productive workout.”

Every time you step foot in the weight room or on the track or beat Jason Bourne in a street fight (that’s a workout, right?), you did it.

You won.

You (likely) did something good and productive for your body that day.

The metric that every workout has to set some sort of personal record or that it wasn’t an effective use of your time unless you’re swimming in a pool of your own sweat or you can’t feel the right side of your face is, well…

…ludicrous.

The 80% Rule for Workouts

Note: I originally got this “rule” from coach Paul Carter.

The gist is as follows:

10% of your workouts you’ll feel like you can beat The Mountain in an arm-wrestling match.
10% of your workouts you’ll feel like you got run over by a Mack truck.
80% of your workouts you’ll just show up.

Those 80% workouts are where the magic happens and where you’ll actually make progress. There’s no glory, smelling salts, or Instagram highlight videos involved.

You show up, do the work, and leave.

Sometimes this means completing what was planned for the day.

Sometimes this means completing what was planned, albeit with the weights adjusted slightly lower.

That’s okay.

You didn’t besmirch your family name because you didn’t add ten pounds to your bench press this week.

You did work.

That’s the real “win.”

Stop “Should’ing On Yourself”

We’ve programmed ourselves into an endless game of comparison (in no small part to social media). Many of us form these beliefs and inevitably turn them into doctrine:

I “should” be working out 5x per week like “so and so.”
I “should” be performing “x” exercise.
I “should” be lifting “x” amount of weight.
I “should” look a certain way.
I “should” attack every workout as if I were Leonidas leading the Spartans to battle.

via GIPHY

Even if a reliable source makes a professional recommendation about what you “should” be doing – does that mean it’s come down from the mountain?

It’s All Made Up

The thing to point out – especially as it relates to YOUR goals and YOUR happiness – is that there are no rules. Everything – more or less – is someone else’s belief.

Someone else’s opinion.

[Not coincidentally to help sell a book, course, or, I don’t know, Gluten-free, GMO, organic, Acai Pills soaked in Unicorn tears.]

That doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

So, bringing this conversation full-circle.

I don’t believe bad workouts exists.¹

“Bad” (lofty, force-fed, unattainable) expectations do.

February 12, 2021 Tony

Nutrition

Set Yourself Up For Nutrition Success With a Kitchen Refresh

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Minneapolis based personal trainer and nutrition coach, Megan Schall. Megan’s been a distance coaching client of mine for a number of years (I write her training programs), but is someone I’ve referred many other clients to when they have any nutritional needs or questions.

She’s an awesome coach.

I’m always excited when I can provide sound nutrition based content on the site and I think you will appreciate Megan’s down-to-Earth approach and tone.

I hope this will be the first of more submissions from Megan (hint, hint. nudge, nudge).

Enjoy!

The Kitchen Refresh

When I first started distance coaching with Tony, I told him one of my goals was to be able to do a pull-up. So for the first several months my program included a shit-ton of upper back work (so. many. rows.) and core stability exercises.

After a steady progression from month to month, the day finally came and…

…I walked up to the bar (well, I walked up to a box underneath the bar because I’m short) and did my first strict pull-up, no problem.

via GIPHY

I admit I was a little nervous that it wasn’t going to happen! But looking back I realize I had no need to worry – Tony had set me up for success. His plan had created an environment where it was basically impossible for me to ‘fail’ because all the pieces were already in place.

This same concept applies when it comes to our eating habits and food choices: setting up your environment in a way that makes better choices easy and less great choices difficult (or impossible) allows you to conquer your nutrition goals.

Enter the Kitchen Refresh

The kitchen refresh is exactly as it sounds: You are going to clean out and refill your kitchen, updating it to support your needs and goals.

It’ll be fun, I promise!

This can be especially helpful right now, as most of us are spending a lot more time at home and thus a lot more time in or near the kitchen. As hard as it might have been to avoid treats in the office, having your kitchen a few steps away (or maybe your kitchen is your office now) makes it that much more challenging, not to mention the stress, boredom, and social isolation also affecting our food and eating choices.

Let’s walk through it step by step:

Step 1: Prepare

This is where you will make a plan for what will stay and what will go. Determine criteria that will make it easy to decide whether to keep or toss items – there’s the obvious ‘toss’ items (anything that has expired or that looks like a lab experiment), but otherwise this will vary for everyone. Defining clear guidelines for what you want to have around and what needs to go will make the cleaning out process much easier.

One strategy for doing this is to make a list of red, yellow, and green light foods.

Red Light Foods = Things that you know don’t make you feel good or are just too tempting if they’re in the house (this may include things like highly processed foods and/or certain ingredients, and anything that feels mentally challenging to have around or you find difficult to eat in moderation).

Yellow Light Foods = Those that may not be the ‘best’ choice but that you are comfortable keeping around and can eat in moderation.

Green Light Foods = Items that make you feel great and help you reach your health and wellness goals (generally all whole/fresh foods, fruits and veggies, etc.).

(Note From TG: My “red light foods” are honey wheat pretzels, Cheez-Its, cereal, and those pills that Bradley Cooper took in that movie Limitless).

Step 2: Toss

Grab a trash bag (or several) and get to work. Read labels carefully. Remove red light foods and move yellow light foods to harder to reach areas or out of sight.

Put green light foods front and center.

This can also be a chance to clear out some of the extra “stuff” that might be hanging around the kitchen. Those 17 extra spatulas you never use? Give one to each of your friends, donate them, or find a creative new use.

Step 3: Restock

Use your green/yellow light foods to make a grocery list and stock up. Rearrange or reorganize so the “better” choices are also the easiest – keep fruits and veggies accessible and visible in the kitchen or fridge. Keep the items you use most often in easy to reach places.

BONUS Step 4: Upgrade

Is there anything that would make life easier when it comes to your food prep or kitchen organization?

A great blender that would make you happy to put together a post-workout smoothie?
A sharp knife and good cutting board to chop veggies?
Decent food storage containers?
A time machine to head back to November 2019 to invest in Zoom stock?

Investing in some equipment can make a world of difference, and now’s the chance to take inventory of what you might want or need.

Wasn’t That Fun?

Okay, “fun” may have been a bit of a stretch. The kitchen refresh isn’t like demo day in an actual renovation where you get to pile drive your old cabinets.

However, what WILL be fun is the better sense of control you’ll have over your eating habits.

Cleaning out the kitchen can feel overwhelming, and it certainly does not have to be done all at once. Start with one drawer or cabinet. Set a timer for five minutes and go to town. Maybe you keep a trash bag in the kitchen and get rid of whatever isn’t working for you whenever you come across it, or aim to toss one item a day.

Make a game out of it and get the whole family involved!

Use this as a guide, but feel free to be creative and find what works best for you.

One more thing to note: This process can be challenging if you have multiple family members who all have different wants/needs/food allergies etc.

Some compromises may need to happen – if your red light foods include ice cream and tortilla chips but your significant other or kids likes to have them around, are there compromises that make it work for both of you? (eg: buy smaller containers and keep them in the back of the freezer or out of sight.) It may take a little problem-solving to make sure everyone’s needs are met, but it can be done!

Just as your workout program helps you reach your fitness goals, the kitchen refresh is a great way to make your environment work for you and set yourself up for success. Give it a try and you’ll be well on your way to your first nutrition pull-up!