I box and am currently in off season. As such I only train three times a week (Mon, Wed, Thurs) and jog/hillsprints once or twice a week also.
Should I increase my caloric and carb intake on these days if I’m also doing a resistance work out as part of your programme?
I have just invested in 1MM and cant wait to get started. 1 question i do have however is when it states CHINS in the workouts, is this underhand or overhand (pull ups)?
Hi Matt,
you discuss protein/carb blend pre and post workout. I have a high quality protein powder with no carbs. Is there anything i can mix it with or take with it thats a good source of carbs? Maybe grape juice or organic raisins.
Also when it says ‘Chins’ on the workouts, is this underhand or overhand?
You could add a fruit juice to get the extra carbs in.
However it’s an idea to get a whey and carb blend as well as plain whey. You can use the plain whey for meal replacements and then the whey and carbs for post training.
I cant resist the urge to undertake some form of cardio training in a week, and currently I’m doing 3-4 days on the weights and 2-3 days spinning.
My aim is to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously, and my inclination is to keep carbs down in order to do this, but I have resisted and followed the diet plan here. Am I right to do so in view of my aim?
Secondly, should I be altering my diet for cardio days, or maintaining a constant diet throughout this training plan (save for days off when carbs drop a bit)?
In fact, should I cut back on cardio to ensure I hit 4-5 days weights….I’m guessing the nature of spinning as interval training/high intensity is ago is thing to hang on to.
Losing fat and building muscle simultaneously is the holy grail. It’s quite hard to do and to really be sure you are doing it correctly you need to monitor your body fat levels regularly and accurately. We cover this in detail in Regenerate
You may want to bring down the level of carbs that you are having if you find you are adding a bit too much fat.
It all depends on how overweight you are, you may benefit from going on a strict fat loss phase for a couple of weeks like we do in Four Week Fat Loss and then follow that with a hypertrophy program as your body will be in a more anabolic state ( ever added weight on quickly after a diet?)
If you were not trying to lose fat I would say keep your diet the same on your cardio days as you are trying to lose fat then I would take a lower carb approach on those days.
I’ll ask Matt to chime in with his thoughts as well.
I have the the Four Week Fat Loss plan, and I was thinking about doing this for a fortnight and coming back to 1month. I’ve also considered Regenerate, but fancied trying 1month first.
hi there just purchased 1mm…i have worked out that i have been consuming around 100g too much protein and 150g too few carbs previously.
1) should i change straight away or do i need to do it gradually to avoid fat gain?
2)should carbs be in every meal? if so, then is it just smaller portions in pm.
3)im reluctantn to drop protein intake down as i am at college so can only eat between lessons, so sometimes i have to have more (7-8) ferquent meals than the 5-6 i would have on a weekend. i normally just split my 5-6 meals up in order to do this- im scared that if i drop protein intake, there will not be enough in each meal! does this matter?
im sorry for the questions, but i try so hard for ages and i get nowhere, or feel like i get fat (even wityh less carbs than reccomended)
What are you currently eating ?
Have you been getting fat or adding muscle.
Eating more often is Ok as long as the overall amount stays the same?
Maybe try and keep the same level you are at at the moment and drop the protein by 100g and increase the carbs by 100g, so the overall calorie level stays the same.
about me:
18 years old, gym memmber 2 years (used to be fat, got eating problem and got horribly underweight (but still belly fat), now 6ft 2 and 78kg.
*on non-weights days, i have 10g less pasta each meal and replace the PW0 with another egg.
this is the pattern i aim for, but sometimes i have to split the total amount up more. the salmon meal is larger due to it being a family meal.
i have been trying to bulk up for a good year nd have gained some weight but atm i ramain similar, then increase calories and feel fat, so redue carbs again!
i know its chheky to ask, but would you mind suggesting where i might make changes.ive spent all day working out ratios etc for potential new diets, but cant see how it would fit in.
p.s. i train 4 times per week (+i would like to include 1 cardio session for general fitness) and some days i have to walk to and from college (1oo mins total).
long post i know, but im desperate to get sorted.
the quick reply was fantastic,m thanks
Your diet looks ok. We prefer it if people don’t have so much pasta and bread and go for brown rice, quinoa and veggies. Unless you have. Wheat allergy or intolerance I’m not sure that would be the issue.
How hard are you training?
How strong are you?
Have you done any specific strength training or have you just focused on hypertrophy type weights?
ok, if diet is ok, do u mean not to change it?..im happy to continue as i am if needed!!
i will swap pasta for rice though.
i train hard i think. i have just atarted an upper/lower split (4 days per week)…1 hour per workout. i feel sick after lower body, but dont always feel hot and sweaty after upper body (although i go to failure)
i have done a bit of strength in the past-but have recently felt discomfort in my hip when doing squats/deads so have gone up to reps around 12.
strength wise..not very!
bench-60kg for round 8 reps
squats-85-90 for 12
deads-145 for 5
in terms of diet, its knowing whether, when and where to increase calories when neccessary i think….im scared of getting fat again and fear carbs. (i currently have a layer of belly fat but thin arms legs etc). AND LACK OF CONFIDENCE.. i need to follow something that has been approved and will work so i have confidence!
The challenge is that it’s hard to give specific advice without seeing you in person and getting a feel for how you look now and how hard you are training.
It sounds like you are training hard.
You must be fairly lean to be 6th 2 and 78kg. So it s hard to gauge exactly how fat you think you are.
I’m the same height and 95kg and 11% bod fat. I am 42 though, you may still be growing as well at 18 years of age.
oh, i forgot to ask…do you count prtein, fats and carbs from all sources?..
eg if having broccoli, the protein, carbs AND fat in this goes towards daily total?
I woul suggest switching your carbs around and going for lower gi carbs, than potatoes and pasta, as these could be leading to a spike in insulin and extra body fat.
sorrry, just wondering what kind of results i should look for/ expect on 1 month muscle?
ie, should i expect to:
gain/lose fat and how much should i be looking for my weight to increase each week? as im only interested in “good” weight and my mind tells me im fat even by from increasing carbs slightly for 3 days!
im not sure ive understood it correctly. i read it as doing the workouts in order so i may be doing W2 the day after W1. i am unsure because it seems to be the same muscle groups on consecutive days; eg split squat +lunges etc in W1, then squats in W2……..does it matter that the same muscle is trained on consecutive days?
Hey guys,
Firstly great program love the information. Lots of science done in a way I can digest (pardon the pun). As a father of a type 1 diabetic some of it has helped me understand some grey areas we had struggled with like the GL Gi difference.
I’m still reviewing the material with a look to starting on Monday and have a couple of Quick questions.
1) How much before my work out should I take my shake. I have a busy schedule and tend to fit my work outs in about 5:30 so don’t have a big window between getting up and training usually a quick coffee and I’m in to it.
2) I had just bought some suppliments before the program, Myportein Recovery I noticed this has a higher Carb ratio than kinetica but can’t afford to but kintetica till this has gone, should I use whey to top up the protein content or just adjust my daily intake to suit?
Sorry for more questions just trying to get stuff clear in my head.
Warm ups and Cool Downs do you recommend these are not? I usually do Bodyweight and Mobility work for them will this be ok?
I train at home and don’t have a lat pull down machine will substituting for pull up and resistance band work be ok?
Also I’ve been doing a lot of CrossFit style Met Con work and dont want to loose my conditioning to much will the program maintain this or should I try and find time for some extra burpees
Thanks Again though guys I’m really looking forward to the program.
Also SB Half Hack Knife is this similar to a Jack Knife can I sub Montain climbers for this?
Hi, what are your view on cheat meals when aiming for lean mass?
Yes or no? How bad? How often? I about junk type food at all costs but feel antisocial if the family have fish and chips once a week and I’m cooking salmon and borccoli!
Sorry for the delay, I think I may have answered direct by email.
Yes warm ups and cool downs are important, do them.
You can do conditioning after your session and on days in betwee try notto overdo if muscle mass is your number 1 aim.
Swiss ball half jack knife.
Sam
Re cheat meals. Every now and then is ok, try and have it on a day when you have trained. If you are really strict the rest of the time it is not going to be a deal breaker.
Hi,
I am new to this and I have a number of basic questions:
1. Is there any difference between a protein supplement and a recovery supplement?
2. When looking at the different brands/types etc. what ratio should I look for in terms of protein/carbs/fats
A protein supplement is likely to be just whey protein.
Whereas a recovery supplement has a blend of protein and carbs, usually the ratios are 1:4 protein carbs which is typically for an endurance athlete up to 1:1 for building lean muscle.
The carbs help replenish the glycogen in the muscles, cause an insulin spike to help get the protein into the muscle cells as well.
When looking at brands fat doesn’t really feature as most brands will be low in fat. You need to consider the quality of the whey protein and how much carbs are in there. We recommend Kinetica a good Irish brand!
Hi again, in terms of cardio, how much is ok for lean muscle? I’m doing 4x weights per week and would like to do 2x hiit rowing. This ok bearing in mind I walk everywhere also?
After a first week trial can I ask a couple of questions about quantity and timing?
Calories – I’m 85kg (6ft, 40yrs) but have a sedentary desk job. Should I revise the calories down to account for this e.g. use the 75kg row?
Timings – It’s alot of food to cram in on an evening when lifting. I pick the kids up and have a quick snack at 17:30. Change and lift weights roughly 19:30 until 21:00. Then sleep at 10:30. Any suggestions on timings? Post-workout shake and full meal in such a short time and before sleeping feels alot (especially if I need to cook it can be 22:00 when I eat). Are some recipes better than others when considering this (Palm Plan is on order)?
Hi Gavin and Matt,
I have just bought 1MM and I’m really impressed with the content, I do have a few questions tho…
I’m not looking for bodybuilding sort of muscle gain just a good healthy shape to me, something I can be proud of. Is this program therefor a good program to follow protein/carbs/fat amounts? And can I switch a few days to cardio as I started running a few months ago and really enjoyed it and don’t want to cut it out completely.
Could I do a bit of cardio at the end of the sessions for example?
Hope you can help,
Dave
P.s what’s your stance on ab work? Could I do this at the end of a session aswell?
34 Comments
February 10th, 2012 at 5:49 pm
Hi,
I box and am currently in off season. As such I only train three times a week (Mon, Wed, Thurs) and jog/hillsprints once or twice a week also.
Should I increase my caloric and carb intake on these days if I’m also doing a resistance work out as part of your programme?
Thanks,
Conor Clifford.
February 18th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Hi Matt and Gavin,
I have just invested in 1MM and cant wait to get started. 1 question i do have however is when it states CHINS in the workouts, is this underhand or overhand (pull ups)?
Many thanks
David
February 19th, 2012 at 11:56 am
Hi Matt,
you discuss protein/carb blend pre and post workout. I have a high quality protein powder with no carbs. Is there anything i can mix it with or take with it thats a good source of carbs? Maybe grape juice or organic raisins.
Also when it says ‘Chins’ on the workouts, is this underhand or overhand?
Many Thanks
David
February 21st, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Hi David,
You can mix and match but I do them underhand as you state.
Gavin
February 21st, 2012 at 12:23 pm
Hi David,
You could add a fruit juice to get the extra carbs in.
However it’s an idea to get a whey and carb blend as well as plain whey. You can use the plain whey for meal replacements and then the whey and carbs for post training.
Gavin
February 22nd, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Hey Matt/Gavin,
So far so good! Just a a few questions:-
I cant resist the urge to undertake some form of cardio training in a week, and currently I’m doing 3-4 days on the weights and 2-3 days spinning.
My aim is to lose fat and build muscle simultaneously, and my inclination is to keep carbs down in order to do this, but I have resisted and followed the diet plan here. Am I right to do so in view of my aim?
Secondly, should I be altering my diet for cardio days, or maintaining a constant diet throughout this training plan (save for days off when carbs drop a bit)?
In fact, should I cut back on cardio to ensure I hit 4-5 days weights….I’m guessing the nature of spinning as interval training/high intensity is ago is thing to hang on to.
Thanks,
James
February 23rd, 2012 at 9:44 am
Hi James,
Losing fat and building muscle simultaneously is the holy grail. It’s quite hard to do and to really be sure you are doing it correctly you need to monitor your body fat levels regularly and accurately. We cover this in detail in Regenerate
You may want to bring down the level of carbs that you are having if you find you are adding a bit too much fat.
It all depends on how overweight you are, you may benefit from going on a strict fat loss phase for a couple of weeks like we do in Four Week Fat Loss and then follow that with a hypertrophy program as your body will be in a more anabolic state ( ever added weight on quickly after a diet?)
If you were not trying to lose fat I would say keep your diet the same on your cardio days as you are trying to lose fat then I would take a lower carb approach on those days.
I’ll ask Matt to chime in with his thoughts as well.
Gavin
February 23rd, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Okay, thanks Gavin. Makes sense.
I have the the Four Week Fat Loss plan, and I was thinking about doing this for a fortnight and coming back to 1month. I’ve also considered Regenerate, but fancied trying 1month first.
I’ll give it a go and see how I get on.
Thanks again,
James
March 7th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
hi there just purchased 1mm…i have worked out that i have been consuming around 100g too much protein and 150g too few carbs previously.
1) should i change straight away or do i need to do it gradually to avoid fat gain?
2)should carbs be in every meal? if so, then is it just smaller portions in pm.
3)im reluctantn to drop protein intake down as i am at college so can only eat between lessons, so sometimes i have to have more (7-8) ferquent meals than the 5-6 i would have on a weekend. i normally just split my 5-6 meals up in order to do this- im scared that if i drop protein intake, there will not be enough in each meal! does this matter?
im sorry for the questions, but i try so hard for ages and i get nowhere, or feel like i get fat (even wityh less carbs than reccomended)
sam
March 7th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Hi Sam,
Questions are good please don’t be shy.
What are you currently eating ?
Have you been getting fat or adding muscle.
Eating more often is Ok as long as the overall amount stays the same?
Maybe try and keep the same level you are at at the moment and drop the protein by 100g and increase the carbs by 100g, so the overall calorie level stays the same.
What supplements are you using?
March 7th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
thanks for the quick reply.
about me:
18 years old, gym memmber 2 years (used to be fat, got eating problem and got horribly underweight (but still belly fat), now 6ft 2 and 78kg.
typical day diet currently:
6:30- 2 scoops whey, 80g oats, apple
PWO- 2 scoops whey, 1 banana*
10:00-215g chicken breast, 60g wholewheat pasta, salad
12:30-215g chicken breast, 1 wholemeal pitta, salad
3:15-1 tin tuna, 2 whole eggs, 40g wholewheat pasta, peas, 25g sunflower seeds
6:00-280g salmon, 225g baked potato, whole broccoli, half cauliflower
9:00-1.75 scoops casein
*on non-weights days, i have 10g less pasta each meal and replace the PW0 with another egg.
this is the pattern i aim for, but sometimes i have to split the total amount up more. the salmon meal is larger due to it being a family meal.
i have been trying to bulk up for a good year nd have gained some weight but atm i ramain similar, then increase calories and feel fat, so redue carbs again!
i know its chheky to ask, but would you mind suggesting where i might make changes.ive spent all day working out ratios etc for potential new diets, but cant see how it would fit in.
p.s. i train 4 times per week (+i would like to include 1 cardio session for general fitness) and some days i have to walk to and from college (1oo mins total).
long post i know, but im desperate to get sorted.
the quick reply was fantastic,m thanks
sam
March 7th, 2012 at 5:25 pm
Hi Sam,
Your diet looks ok. We prefer it if people don’t have so much pasta and bread and go for brown rice, quinoa and veggies. Unless you have. Wheat allergy or intolerance I’m not sure that would be the issue.
How hard are you training?
How strong are you?
Have you done any specific strength training or have you just focused on hypertrophy type weights?
Gavin
March 7th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
ok, if diet is ok, do u mean not to change it?..im happy to continue as i am if needed!!
i will swap pasta for rice though.
i train hard i think. i have just atarted an upper/lower split (4 days per week)…1 hour per workout. i feel sick after lower body, but dont always feel hot and sweaty after upper body (although i go to failure)
i have done a bit of strength in the past-but have recently felt discomfort in my hip when doing squats/deads so have gone up to reps around 12.
strength wise..not very!
bench-60kg for round 8 reps
squats-85-90 for 12
deads-145 for 5
in terms of diet, its knowing whether, when and where to increase calories when neccessary i think….im scared of getting fat again and fear carbs. (i currently have a layer of belly fat but thin arms legs etc). AND LACK OF CONFIDENCE.. i need to follow something that has been approved and will work so i have confidence!
sam
March 7th, 2012 at 5:49 pm
The challenge is that it’s hard to give specific advice without seeing you in person and getting a feel for how you look now and how hard you are training.
It sounds like you are training hard.
You must be fairly lean to be 6th 2 and 78kg. So it s hard to gauge exactly how fat you think you are.
I’m the same height and 95kg and 11% bod fat. I am 42 though, you may still be growing as well at 18 years of age.
March 7th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
so keep diet the same and add in carbs weekly if no weight is gained?
March 8th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
oh, i forgot to ask…do you count prtein, fats and carbs from all sources?..
eg if having broccoli, the protein, carbs AND fat in this goes towards daily total?
March 9th, 2012 at 9:38 am
Sam,
I woul suggest switching your carbs around and going for lower gi carbs, than potatoes and pasta, as these could be leading to a spike in insulin and extra body fat.
Gavin
March 9th, 2012 at 9:40 am
Yes count the macros from all sources, so broccoli for example has as around 3G protein and 3 g of carbs per 100g.
We will upload a spreadsheet we use for calculating the macronutrient content.
Gavin
March 9th, 2012 at 9:53 am
Thanks gavin
will switch pasta for rice and potato for sweet potato?
Do you think I should increase carbs(ATM I’m getting 300+ grams of protein and 250 ish carbs I think(excluding PWO) ???
1mm is a good read by the wag, thanks
Sam
March 9th, 2012 at 10:01 am
Monitor your progress is the only way to be accurate.
Get your self measured and weighed regularly.
take photos of yourself to review
Gavin
March 11th, 2012 at 5:43 pm
sorrry, just wondering what kind of results i should look for/ expect on 1 month muscle?
ie, should i expect to:
gain/lose fat and how much should i be looking for my weight to increase each week? as im only interested in “good” weight and my mind tells me im fat even by from increasing carbs slightly for 3 days!
sam
March 12th, 2012 at 5:39 pm
final question..this one on the training!
im not sure ive understood it correctly. i read it as doing the workouts in order so i may be doing W2 the day after W1. i am unsure because it seems to be the same muscle groups on consecutive days; eg split squat +lunges etc in W1, then squats in W2……..does it matter that the same muscle is trained on consecutive days?
even if i have doms?
sam
March 21st, 2012 at 5:11 pm
Hey guys,
Firstly great program love the information. Lots of science done in a way I can digest (pardon the pun). As a father of a type 1 diabetic some of it has helped me understand some grey areas we had struggled with like the GL Gi difference.
I’m still reviewing the material with a look to starting on Monday and have a couple of Quick questions.
1) How much before my work out should I take my shake. I have a busy schedule and tend to fit my work outs in about 5:30 so don’t have a big window between getting up and training usually a quick coffee and I’m in to it.
2) I had just bought some suppliments before the program, Myportein Recovery I noticed this has a higher Carb ratio than kinetica but can’t afford to but kintetica till this has gone, should I use whey to top up the protein content or just adjust my daily intake to suit?
Thanks Guys
Andy
March 21st, 2012 at 8:47 pm
Hi Andy,
Take it as early as you can. Start drinking it as you train and then have the rest after its important you get the total ammount in.
Yes it is ok to top up the mp product with extra whey.
Let us know how you get on.
Gavin
March 21st, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Thanks for the quick response Gavin. I’ll try that and let you guys know.
Cheers
Andy
March 22nd, 2012 at 3:13 pm
Hey Guys,
Sorry for more questions just trying to get stuff clear in my head.
Warm ups and Cool Downs do you recommend these are not? I usually do Bodyweight and Mobility work for them will this be ok?
I train at home and don’t have a lat pull down machine will substituting for pull up and resistance band work be ok?
Also I’ve been doing a lot of CrossFit style Met Con work and dont want to loose my conditioning to much will the program maintain this or should I try and find time for some extra burpees
Thanks Again though guys I’m really looking forward to the program.
Also SB Half Hack Knife is this similar to a Jack Knife can I sub Montain climbers for this?
April 29th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
Hi, what are your view on cheat meals when aiming for lean mass?
Yes or no? How bad? How often? I about junk type food at all costs but feel antisocial if the family have fish and chips once a week and I’m cooking salmon and borccoli!
Interested in your views
Sam
April 29th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Hi Andrew,
Sorry for the delay, I think I may have answered direct by email.
Yes warm ups and cool downs are important, do them.
You can do conditioning after your session and on days in betwee try notto overdo if muscle mass is your number 1 aim.
Swiss ball half jack knife.
Sam
Re cheat meals. Every now and then is ok, try and have it on a day when you have trained. If you are really strict the rest of the time it is not going to be a deal breaker.
April 30th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Hello,
I was wondering how I get hold of the second months workout routine?
thanks
Robert
May 2nd, 2012 at 9:42 am
Hi,
I am new to this and I have a number of basic questions:
1. Is there any difference between a protein supplement and a recovery supplement?
2. When looking at the different brands/types etc. what ratio should I look for in terms of protein/carbs/fats
Regards,
Cormac
May 2nd, 2012 at 11:12 am
Hi Cormac,
A protein supplement is likely to be just whey protein.
Whereas a recovery supplement has a blend of protein and carbs, usually the ratios are 1:4 protein carbs which is typically for an endurance athlete up to 1:1 for building lean muscle.
The carbs help replenish the glycogen in the muscles, cause an insulin spike to help get the protein into the muscle cells as well.
When looking at brands fat doesn’t really feature as most brands will be low in fat. You need to consider the quality of the whey protein and how much carbs are in there. We recommend Kinetica a good Irish brand!
Gavin
May 10th, 2012 at 7:06 am
Hi again, in terms of cardio, how much is ok for lean muscle? I’m doing 4x weights per week and would like to do 2x hiit rowing. This ok bearing in mind I walk everywhere also?
Sam
September 14th, 2012 at 11:41 am
Gavin
After a first week trial can I ask a couple of questions about quantity and timing?
Calories – I’m 85kg (6ft, 40yrs) but have a sedentary desk job. Should I revise the calories down to account for this e.g. use the 75kg row?
Timings – It’s alot of food to cram in on an evening when lifting. I pick the kids up and have a quick snack at 17:30. Change and lift weights roughly 19:30 until 21:00. Then sleep at 10:30. Any suggestions on timings? Post-workout shake and full meal in such a short time and before sleeping feels alot (especially if I need to cook it can be 22:00 when I eat). Are some recipes better than others when considering this (Palm Plan is on order)?
Thanks
Kev
November 19th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Hi Gavin and Matt,
I have just bought 1MM and I’m really impressed with the content, I do have a few questions tho…
I’m not looking for bodybuilding sort of muscle gain just a good healthy shape to me, something I can be proud of. Is this program therefor a good program to follow protein/carbs/fat amounts? And can I switch a few days to cardio as I started running a few months ago and really enjoyed it and don’t want to cut it out completely.
Could I do a bit of cardio at the end of the sessions for example?
Hope you can help,
Dave
P.s what’s your stance on ab work? Could I do this at the end of a session aswell?