Be sure to read Part I, Why and How I Combined The 40 Day Program and The PLP Program, and Part II, Some Results and Q&A About Combining The 40 Day Program and the PLP Program, before reading this.

A question that frequents my inbox:

“Well…are you still skinny-fat? Sometimes you say you are. Other times you say you’re “formerly” skinny-fat. What gives?”

Good question.

Body composition is a symbol in more ways than one.

Not only does it symbolize the kind of life you live, but it also symbolizes the state of your physiology.

Physiology forms from many factors. With body composition, it kinda boils down to genetics, training, and nutrition. Of course this is an overly simplified look at things. But sometimes overly simple is a good thing.

Genetics form the base “code.” But the code is also influenced by environment — which is shaped by culture.

Doesn’t matter if you have skinny genes if you go ahead and down five gallons of Coke every day. Combine that with a lack of physical activity and you’re in a bad place. (Probably in a bad place regardless of physical activity.)

Once you work your way into a tricky situation, you gotta fight your genetics to get out.

Combine overeating on terrible things and lack of physical activity with a physiology not genetically primed for muscle growth and you get no muscular development and a lot of fat development.

Enter skinny-fat.

“But since you have the genetics for skinny, wouldn’t it be easy to lose weight?”

No. Not really.

Overly processed foods and soda make it easy to vandalize genetics. Eating 600 grams of potatoes is tough stuff. But 600 grams of sugar via soda? Less so.

Then you face the reality of physiology: Fat cells don’t really disappear. They just shrink. I once heard that an emptied fat cell takes about ten years to fully die off. (Believe I got this from John Kiefer.)

Here’s the example of myself:

I was born to be skinny. Didn’t have a touch of fat on me. But as I grew I developed the “fat” part — poor nutrition and lack of physical activity (among other things).

So my genetics are hardwired for skinny. But physiology is more than genetics. Otherwise you’d be impossible to change.

So it’s like this: I may not look skinny-fat anymore. But I’m still hardwired to fill up my fat cells when I overeat, just as I’m genetically hardwired to be skinny.

Hence skinny-fatness.

What the combination did for skinny-fatness

I’ve been hinting that combining The 40 Day Program and PLP program did “something” that altered my skinny-fat propensity. It worked against my “code.” This goes back to an article I wrote earlier this year: Skinny-Fatness, Hardgainers, and High Frequency Training.

Training often forces your body to adapt a certain way. (As long as you don’t overdo it and injure yourself.) Even if your genetics “go against” the adaptation.

If you do 2370 chin-ups over 60 days, does your body have a choice as to whether or not it can adapt?

No.

It has to.

By constantly living in an environment that demands muscular contractions and moving your body through space (of which body fat is a factor), you’re “hinting” at “needing” a certain physiology—a physiology that contrasts what most skinny-fat people have.

Just as overfeeding on gushers fruit snacks (used to love those things, especially the sour kind) can derail genetic propensity, so can training.

Put yourself in a position in which the body doesn’t have a choice. Put your body in a position in which it has to adapt in a way that contrasts your current physiology.

The tricky part is doing this and living to talk about it. (Staying injury free.)

But as you still skinny-fat as an intermediate?

Another common idea is that no one “strong” is skinny-fat. And that to cure skinny-fatness you only need to get “strong.”

Not true.

“Strong” is a relative term. But when the picture above was taken I could squat 405 pounds at about 190 pound body weight. Yet I had a “soft” appearance.

Right now I can squat 325 for mediocre 5. Not overly difficult. (My foot gives me the fritz. I’m hoping my new Nike Romaleos help my Morton’s Neuroma.)

And yet here’s a picture taken of me at around 205 pounds. And then you can even compare these to when I weighed about 190 in the midst of my PLP and 40 Day Program extravaganza.

I’m “weaker” in both the squat and bench press. Yet I look better and am undoubtedly more muscular.

Just some food for thought…

Is this…blasphemy?

I love squats. I’ve done a lot of them. I squat often. But here are somethings to think about:

• I haven’t squatted anything above 405 since that picture above was taken. (Hurt my back on the third rep.)
• Haven’t benched anything more than 245 since the picture. (Was my max at the time of the picture.)

Yet I was able to gain 15+ pounds of lean body mass.

What gives?

How have I gained muscle without getting that much stronger on two exercises that most would consider necessary?

Because at some point — when you can stress the body enough — sheer volume over time is enough to churn adaptation.

And if you’re doing this right, everything else trickles into place. You get stronger. You gain muscle. You get better.

Interested in learning more?

Good.

Are you a skinny-fat soldier?

This idea of getting better on account of sheer volume — just showing up — is all about basic stress and adaptation. The way you live, the way you train, and the way you eat come together to “nudge” your body in certain directions.

You can even add more to the list. How you sleep. How you deal with stressful situations. How you perceive yourself.

All of it funnels down and contributes to the “nudging.” The key is doing the right things to nudge it in the direction that opposes skinny-fatness. This includes doing the right lifts in the gym. Eating the right foods at the right times. Doing the right things in life.

How your body adapts in response to all of this is the cornerstone of The Skinny-Fat Solution.

The Skinny-Fat Solution is the resource I hinted to in my last article — the one that would be available early at a discounted price pending on whether or not I wanted to accept charter members.

I’m here.

You’re here.

Yeah, let’s do it.

Charter members will help refine and shape the product. They’d also gain access to a private Facebook Group where I’d give regular feedback and coaching advice.

Here are the full details:

• There’s going to be a soft launch where I only allow a limited amount of people to purchase. This is because I’ll be soliciting feedback. I’m only one man and can only handle so many questions. So this isn’t like a lot of internet dudes that claim there’s only 20 *products* available and you have to “act now.” Really? Dude, you’re selling a PDF. There’s infinite quantities. What gives?
• Buyers will be invited to a private Facebook Group where the discussions and coaching will take place. Questions will be encouraged. As a charter member, you’re expected to help shape the final product. You’ll also be updated on the product’s progress. So you’ll see glimpses of the design process and back end stuff.
• I’m doing this because I want to create the best and most comprehensive product possible. But because you’re an eager soul and buying a beta version (90% of the content is there and ready to consume though) the price will be heavily reduced.
• You get to see the secret sauce. No one ever gets to see secret sauce. Blasphemy!
• I want the product to represent skinny-fats as a whole. I’m far removed from the original skinny-fat days and it’d be nice to have perspective from those currently living them. We all share the same wounds. But mine are more like scars. I want the blood. The guts. The stuff that’s yet to dry. (This is also why an interview with Nate Miyaki — fellow skinny-fat sufferer turned nutrition dude — is included. [P.S. This interview is well worth the price of admission.])

So if you can excuse the dust and want some hands on attention, or you want to see the back end of product development, listen up. The fairest way to do this is through e-mail.

I’ll send an e-mail to everyone when it goes live. The first one’s to grab the deal before I cap enrollment are the lucky ones.

To get notified of when everything will go down, you have to sign-up for the exclusive e-mail list below. This is separate from my main newsletter!

This exclusive list will notify you of when you’re going to need to be at your computer to get a crack at being a charter member for the skinny-fat resource at a discounted price.

So if you’re one of those that’s been pestering me about this, I expect to see your name and e-mail soon.

See you then.

When people compliment Beast Mode Fitness Systems, it makes me happy. When people compliment Beast Mode Fitness Systems and  tell me how they’re putting the information here to good use, it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

A lot goes on behind the scenes here. When I’m not writing or answering e-mails, I’m helping the members of my coaching program.

Now, I’m not very overt with my coaching members. But I get quite a few requests to talk about that facet more—especially about skinny-fat success stories. And while I have clients that could vouch for my methods, especially on the skinny-fat side, I’m going to 1UP that by sharing a skinny-fat success story from a casual reader.

This person hasn’t paid me a cent. Yet he changed his life by soaking in the  stuff I put out on a regular basis—free of charge, mind you—and putting it to practice.

A few months ago, Johannes Dee contacted me and thanked me. I was so flattered and proud of his story, I asked him if I could feature it here. (Ok, Ok, it helped that he called me his idol.) Good news for you: He gladly agreed.

Enter: Johannes Dee

I used to be your classic skinny-fat ectomorph. My body composition was born from too many video games and too little physical activity—a lifestyle that also caused debilitating back pain for me as a teenager.

Despite the negatives of sitting in a computer chair, it beat the alternative: finishing last in every physical fitness test at school. Needless to say, my athleticism didn’t do me any favors in the “interested in team sports” department either.

I was called names. Teased. I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. I didn’t enjoy the way I looked.

At the end of 2008, I started exercising regularly. Training was usually three days per week with an hour of aerobic work thrown in. This exercise alone (without dietary considerations) helped with both weight loss and my back pain.

It got better and better until 2009. Although things climbed—I was biking to work, I could finish the physical fitness tests I once failed—they also fell. When the winter came around, I was no longer biking to work. The weather eroded my motivation, and I stopped training.

I caught fire again in March 2010. I was lucky enough to come across a friend that taught me the meat and potato barbell exercises. But like most people, I fell into the trap of “bulking.” I got thicker, but my muscles didn’t exactly come along for the ride. I

Bulking didn’t go as planned.

In 2011, I came across Anthony’s article, “11 Training Tips For the Skinny-Fat Ectomorph,” and it revolutionized how I went about training and eating. I fully bought into what Anthony preached, which turned out being a great decision because it worked.

I started looking lean and athletic. My body felt better day by day and I lost 15kg in a relatively short time period. Every exercise I did improved. My pull-ups (that Anthony put such high praise on in Skinny-Fatness, Hardgainers, and High Frequency Training) went from 3-4 reps per set to 11 reps per set.

Here’s a quick glimpse of some of the things I did:

• I started intermittent fasting.
• I started counting calories a bit more dilligently.
• I followed “complicated carb cycling” principles.
  • More carbs on training days
  • Less carbs on off days
• I increased my protein intake as a whole.

(Anthony’s Note: See The Diet to End All Diets for help.)

All in all, that article, Anthony’s perspective, and Anthony’s website helped me create not only a better body, but also a better life. I look and feel better than I ever have before.

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How’s that for some motivation? Got a success story of your own? Let me know about it below. Got any ways you’re using the information here? Do the same — drop it below.

And thanks for being here. I really appreciate it.

—–

photo credit: 1UP

“So what do you think, Anthony? Does he take steroids?”

Questions like these, I’ve come to expect over the years. So I sipped my beer and peered into the crowd of people tailgating at the Pittsburgh Pirates game, trying to find the person of interest.

Looking at the mass of people drinking cheap lite beer and eating overly processed meats struck something within me. A concept I intuitively knew was brought to life: everyone is so damn different.

Some people looked like Snoop Dogg. Others, like Biggie Smalls. And then, of course, there were those that were some kind of LL Cool J jacked.

This made me think about skinny-fat ectomorphs, and how people tell me that the body-type doesn’t exist. And it’s true, to a point. Somatotypes were created for psychology. Not physiology.

But everyone reacts differently to food. To exercise. To life. The mechanisms as to why don’t really matter. So for those of you that balloon around the waist and lower chest and yet somehow sport tiny wrists and upper arms, this is for you. From one skinny-fat to another.

1. Create a solid base – get lean

Let’s talk about “bases.” Having a solid “base” to work from is an underrated commodity in the physique business, especially among those that don’t want to get overly fat in the muscle building process.

People are quick to recommend a full out “bulk” to those looking to gain muscle. This is what I like to call, the sculptor method — throw as much clay together as possible and carve away at the details.

But us skinny-fats have perceived ourselves as “fat” long enough. Prolonging this mental turmoil through “bulking” is a failure waiting to happen.

Instead, think “bases.” Building muscle is much easier when starting from a solid base—a physique that you’re comfortable with, allowing  nutrient autoregulation to be used more effectively.

The “lose fat, gain muscle” route is tempting to follow. While it can be done, the process is slow and inefficient when you’re at a higher body fat. Mentally, it’s more refreshing to make serious and tangible progress towards a goal. So for most everyone worried about body fat, it’s better to get lean and be done with it.

If you have skinny-fat baggage, you’re probably sick of excess body fat. So get rid of it. Now. And don’t let it come back to a discomforting level ever again.

Tariq Qureshi was kind enough to let me use him as an example, as his personal situation is perfect for this reminder. Below is a before and after photo of Tariq. 

Tariq’s story starts out similar to most other’s. He wanted to get bigger so he pounded down protein and carbs, thinking that fat would somehow into muscle. After realizing he was going down the wrong path, he spent the next few months leaning down.

During the process, he lost a lot of muscle. So he tried bulking again, but with only excess body fat to show for it. Eventually, he leaned down while questing for strength using intermittent fasting.

What I like about Tariq’s journey is that it’s an echo of mine. But looking back, we share similar feelings about our failures.

It has taken me much longer than some of the others to achieve a reasonable level of leanness, but I have learned a lot about my body during that time.

- Tariq

Tariq’s story is important because he created a wonderful “base” to work from. Sure, he lost some muscle getting to the “base.” But once there, slowly building up is much easier because a lean physique affords a lot of freedom.

Now, most skinny-fats cringe when I tell them to lean down and forget about muscle mass. Don’t get me wrong, do your best to retain muscle. But don’t obsess over it. Our genes aren’t prone to the whole idea of being “jacked and strong”  in a calorically deprived state.

But the short term loss is a long term gain. Reaching an ideal “base,” makes building easier. You can err on the side of “more calories” more frequently, which means better muscle building potential.

So take two, four, six, whatever, months and lock yourself in on fat loss. Lean down to a comfortable level. Get to that solid “base,” and then slowly build from there.

2. Cheat days usually mean game over

During the week, you kill it. You’re on your way to an awesome base physique.

And then comes the weekend.

You worked hard. You deserve a little freedom, don’t you? So you have a drink or two. Maybe some french fries…and ice cream. Hot wings. Cake, too. And some of that sweet tea you were practically addicted to. And before you know it, you’ve gone “overboard.”

While cheat meals can be a powerful rejuvenation tool, most people that implement them on a weekly basis don’t fare too well unless a calorie counteracting strategy is used. (Like in John Romaniello’s Fat Loss Forever, or something.)

I know, I know. Tim Ferriss said cheat meals were OK. And I’ve not only written about, but also employed cheat meals more than most people.

But at the beginning of your journey, you need structure. You need to learn discipline. So while I talk about sipping beer and indulging here and there, know that there was a stretch where I didn’t look at any sweets or “junk” food. Cheating is better suited for those already lean enough and disciplined enough to handle the effects.

Although I’m growing away from the concept of “cheating” (a decision made for many reasons that will be written about in the future), I still technically “cheat” every week. The foodie inside of me wins most times, especially because I enjoy food challenges. (There’s a three pound hamburger challenge that I’ve been eying up, for instance.)

But there’s a difference between a minor indulgence and gorging yourself into oblivion (which I used to do regularly). Overall, I think the concept of “cheating” is murky water that carries a lot of psychological baggage.

After a year of feasting, fasting, and everything in between, I’m of the opinion that most people aren’t prepared for “cheating,” as it’s difficult to manage and tends to cause frequent setbacks and mental lapses. So when you’re trying to lean down, don’t think about cheating. (Unless you’re prepared to fast or use a calorie counteracting strategy, as referenced above.) Once you reach a comfortable body fat, however, feel free to experiment. But tread lightly. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.

3. Do isolation exercises, but don’t go overboard

An old mentor of mine, Adam Wehmann (some may know him as Chicanerous) subconsciously taught me about the concept of “important work.” Important work was the stuff you would do if you were strapped for time. In other words: you have thirty minutes to train, which lifts are you going to do? Of course, this always corresponded to the big compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, presses, and pulls.

Now, I’m known for telling skinny-fats to train their arms. And they should. Anyone that wants big arms and doesn’t directly train them showcases flawed logic.

But training your arms doesn’t mean devoting one hour to curls, or having an “arm” day. To clarify, I simply mean picking one or two direct arm exercises and spending ten or so minutes getting some work in after the “important” work for the day is done.

As for what arm exercises are best, I’m a fan of simplicity. The standing barbell curl is an underrated exercise. It raises the heart rate more than any seated exercise, bench press included. It also hits the upper back and “core” pretty well. It’s gotten some negative press for not being very anatomically friendly. But if they don’t bother you, you’re better off having included them in your program

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What do you think about starting from a solid “base?” About not cheating? And about including isolation work?

I’d love to hear your opinion, especially if you feel you are a skinny-fat sufferer. Leave your comments below, and I’ll be sure to reply.

For a long time, people ate six meals per day and the enjoyed every second of doing so. Lunking around Tupperware containers was a badge of honor, symbolizing a dedication to health. Then came intermittent fasting. Tupperware?Obsessive eating habits? So not cool.

When I first got into the game I devoutly counted every calorie I ate. It’s an obsessive lifestyle that I don’t wish upon anyone. But the past is important. The only reason I am nutritionally sound now is because I slaved over every calorie years ago. And overall, I think everyone that is locked in on their body composition has, at some point, gone through the same obsessive-calorie-counting-food-weighing phase.

So instead of blabbling that I don’t count calories or weigh food, the truth is that I used to, and it contributed to who I am. I know eggs have 70 – 90 kcalories and 1/4 cup of oatmeal is 150 kcalories. And if you’re ignorant of these nuances, maybe you need more obsession. It’s the four stages of learning, and you can’t jump from conscious incompetence to unconscious competence.

No, because after years of doing it slavishly and trying all sorts of eating styles, I’ve got a really, really good idea of how my body reacts to foods.  I’m really tuned into what’s going on so I don’t need to do that anymore.  But I couldn’t have gotten this way without keeping records and doing the experiments.

-          Jon Call (Jujimufu) in response to weighing food

The clean bulk

A few years ago, the consensus was that the clean bulk—gaining muscle without fat—was impossible. But since, the consensus changed. An idea still proliferates, however, that pancakes, maple syrup, and total disregard for body composition are keys to solid mass gain. But muscle creation isn’t expedited by an over ingestion of nutrients. If eating 3000 kcalories builds muscle, 6000 kcalories isn’t going to build twice as much muscle.

There’s an old adage about muscle growth being akin to laying bricks. Assuming a fixed number of workers, more bricks yield more building to a point. Once the workers have enough bricks to keep busy all day, sending more won’t lead to more output. So if we can only build ten pounds of muscle per year (plus or minus five to ten pounds for beginning and advanced trainees), trying to jam all ten pounds into a three month “bulk” window is silly. Even worse, fat cells (usually created during a “bulk”) are permanent. They shrink, but never really “dissolve.”

One reason for the popularity of the clean bulk comes from Martin Berkhan of Leangains.com, who regularly posts client updates showcasing the ability to get big and strong without getting fat and ugly. Martin is a pioneer of intermittent fasting, which refutes the superiority of a higher meal frequency. As I mentioned in Solutions for the Skinny Fat Ectomorph Part II, I’ve settled into intermittent fasting and carb cycling (a bastardization of Leangains) and it’s the basis of the strategy explained below, even though I’ve seen gains with both frequent and infrequent feedings.

Personally, I think most fitness professionals cling to the intermittent fasting boat out of necessity. Planning and pre-cooking six meals every day, seven days of the week becomes mentally taxing. The encouraging aspect of intermittent fasting and carbohydrate cycling, however, is that it better manipulates hormones. Hormones control both building muscle and losing fat. The specifics are complex, but the premise is simple: build muscle when you’re best suited for muscle growth and combat fat accumulation with you’re not suited for muscle growth.

The ins and outs

Partitioning describes how well the body handles excess calories. The guys mentioned in Solutions for the Skinny Fat Ectomorph Part I are good partitioners. Good partitioners have a hard time gaining fat, and gaining muscle is all about sacking up and eating.

For a skinny fat ectomorph, sacking up and eating leads to sacking up around the waist. We are on the low end of the partitioning totem pole for two reasons. First, genetics and hormones. Second, we have a judgmental eye when it comes to self body composition evaluation. We obsess over the slightest subjective imperfections, as mentioned in Part I. This can negatively affect hormone levels. How well partitioning goes depends — in general — on how hormones are working.

Carbohydrate cycling manipulates insulin — a storage hormone usually released in response to eating carbohydrates. A generalization is that when insulin levels are high, the body is prone to “build” and “store” things. So when insulin spikes, fat intake should be low to avoid its storage.

Again, that’s a generalization. Carbohydrate cycling can get complex, turning people away from its use. But by sticking to a few basic rules, it’s not complicating. The jist is this: more carbs, less fats, and enough protein on training days; less carbs, more fats, and more protein on rest days. And to get a little more specific:

Training Days

• High protein intake
• Mid-High carbohydrate intake
• Trace fat intake
• At least one gram of protein per pound of body weight
• Leaner cuts of meat
• Carbohydrate intake around one to three grams per pound of body weight

Off Days

• High(er) protein intake
• Mid-High fat intake
• Trace carbohydrate intake
• Carbohydrate intake comes from cruciferous vegetables
• Fattier cuts of meat allowed
• One to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight
• Less than 100 grams of carbohydrates

For the specifics, and how to structure the intermittent fasting philosophy around your training schedule and daily life, check out the Leangains Guide. There’s no need to plagiarise Martin’s fantastic body of work. Below, however, is my personal adaptation and overall structure on how I use intermittent fasting.

Wave your way to gains

Building muscle is a long term process. You don’t suddenly add one pound of muscle to your frame after eating turkey legs, corralling wenches, and downing some mead. It’s not an “either-or” process. You’re not “either” building muscle “or” losing fat.

The goal of bulking is to linearly gain weight and then linearly lose the fat that accompanied the journey. The rationale is that during the “bulking” period you’re optimizing the ability to gain muscle. And truly, you are. You’re in a caloric surplus and you’re telling the body it will be fed plentifully. But the body isn’t a linear creature.

When gaining muscle while minimizing fat, there are no straight lines or steep climbs. Instead, there are small waves that gradually increase in gradient over time. So every day is an experiment. Every day can vary. Everyday you can signal your body to do different things. You can bulk one day and cut the next. It works like this: If you wake up feeling super lean and ripped, eat more. If you wake up feeling puffy for a few consecutive days, eat less. Daily caloric intake depends on how you feel. Consider this nutrient autoregulation.

A generally accepted caloric increase for building muscle is 500 kcalories above maintenance. Now, “maintenance” level will vary as not one equation can predict everyone’s metabolic rate. But a gross formula is multiplying your body weight by anything from thirteen to sixteen. Here’s an example:

Body Weight = 200 pounds, 90.7 kilos

x 13

Maintenance Intake =  2600 kcalories

Note: I’m guessing this equation assumes a relatively lean body fat. When comparing two people of the same weight, the person with more muscle and less fat will have a higher metabolic need. This little nugget is precisely why relying on calculators is difficult and why I prefer coming to a “maintenance” level by eating a set amount of food for a week or two and seeing how the body reacts. I’d set a baseline with thirteen first and move up from there.

Instead of sticking the maintenance level day in and day out, the idea is to fluctuate the intake depending on both training status and subjective feel. Think of it as daily, yet controlled, mini bulking and cutting cycles.

If you’re already at a comfortable body fat level…

 If you’re leaning out…

The more precise version of the above advice…

A note on food types:

There are a lot of philosophies that dismisses gluten, dairy, and other foods. These kind of debates are outside of the scope of this article. My advice: experiment. Some people feel awesome after eliminating gluten. Some notice no difference. I’m a fan of the old school bodybuilding staples. Meats. Fish. Eggs. Vegetables. Fruits. Potatoes. Oats. Rice. Beans. Nuts. Dairy (if tolerable).

Carbohydrates peri-workout

The age of superultratectonicperi-workout nutrition is over. You don’t need to gorge on liquid sugar pre-workout to refuel your glycogen (it’s filled long before the immediate pre-workout hours). Likewise, you don’t need a Super Mass Gainer Pro Z X Grade post-workout shake.

Following Leangains, I’m a fan of working out in a fasted state after the ingestion of BCAAs. (Although for a few months now I haven’t used them and I’ve yet to notice much.) Post workout, no shakes are required. Just a wholesome carbohydrate dense meal. Precision Nutrition, another damn good nutrition resource, also recommends secluding most carbs to the post-workout window (especially when trying to lose fat).

 Hormones and fasting

Warning: If you don’t have a solid grasp on the above nutritional concepts, below will only confuse you. But discussing this is in the best interest of everyone reading, and I feel it will be popping up in the future. Just another issue to think and tinker with. For the most part, however, the following section is broscience. Proceed with caution.

Fasting can boost growth hormone and may do the same with testosterone. When both of these hormones are churning, lipolysis (breakdown of fat) is primarily rocking to fuel the body. The moment insulin surges, however, both testosterone and growth hormone levels fall. Theoretically, ingesting a monsoon of carbohydrates post-workout kills the workout enduced surge of growth hormone and testosterone . So there’s compelling evidence for saving the carbohydrates until hours after the workout. After all, feasting later in the day may be better for fat loss. And about the immediate post-workout refuel — there might not be a need. Have you ever noticed that, after a workout — for the most part – you’re not overly hungry?

The problem with making this an absolute is that there are many factors to consider. By carbohydrate cycling and fasting, you’re already benefiting from elevated growth hormone and testosterone levels through out the day. And because you’re limiting carbohydrate intake on rest days, your body might better utilize post-workout carbohydrates.

So if you don’t carb cycle or fast, avoiding carbohydrates in an eight hour window (-+ 4 hours before and after workout) may be your only shot to bask in elevated growth hormone and testosterone levels. In this case, a good post-workout meal would be eggs and meats with trace carbohydrates from vegetables or something similar.

Odds and ends

There are a lot of nutrition programs and protocols out there. Truthfully, most of them probably work to certain degrees. For the skinny fat ectomorph looking to lose weight with no regard for retaining muscle mass, detailed nutrition isn’t necessary. It’s more about reducing overall caloric intake and jacking physical activity through the roof. Understand, however, that this method tends to take  muscle mass with it (as it does for most people without the use of steroids). But if that’s the goal, that’s the goal. Skinny fat ectomorphs don’t have good muscle retention genes when nutrient deprived. It’s a tradeoff you have to be willing to take.

The better way to go about both losing fat and gaining muscle is the long term training approach mixed with mini periods of bulking and cutting – otherwise known as nutrient autoregulation – by fluctuating hormones through dietary manipulation that concide with your training days.

I need your help

Skinny fat brethren, I need your help. This article is all over the place. I know there are loose ends that remain loose. But after working on this article for over twelve hours, I simply don’t have “it” in me anymore. Whether it be in the comments, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever else, I need your feedback. Tell me what I’m missing and what needs more detail.

To give you an idea of what’s to come, specific topics like GOMAD and other popular principles are in the wing. If you have any others, request them. Also, I plan on writing a post about my specific nutritional strategy (eating only twice per day) and a “storytellers” version of the information above (I’m going to tell a story of a guy or gal using these principles so you can see what a typical day would look like). Lastly, I’m thinking of giving away one or two free coaching spots for my readers. So show your face and give me some feedback. I’d appreciate it.