I want to share with you a great resource- Dr. Layne Norton.Â
If you have not heard of him or seen any of his video logs, you most definitely should look into it. He is a bodybuilding, power lifter, and coach. It is refreshing to hear from a guy who has the bodybuilding experience, the PhD education, and the guts to say it like it is. He offers some scientifically proven evidence to give proof to common training/nutrition practices, but dis-prove others. He challenges us to think about our standard training/nutrition plans. And the research articles he provides are great evidence to back up what he says!
So he currently has 21 great Video Logs that I have watched and taken notes on. I want to share a few key points that I thought were applicable to most people. These are from his video logs so please refer to his website (biolayne.com) and videos for the full version. (Credit: Dr. Layne Norton)
HAVE PASSION
It is not the details of your nutrition/training that make you successful. It is your passion and attitude. Don’t overanalyze things, just work hard and eventually things will work out.
OVERTRAINING
Overtraining means training to the point where you experience decriments in performance due to being tired. Layne believes overtraining exists but is not necessarily a bad thing. You may feel like crap but you are still making gains. Short periods of overtraining are okay, but you don’t want to chronically over-train.
TRAINING ONE BODY PART >1x/WEEK
If you had to increase your max squat by 100 lbs in 12Â weeks would you train legs just once a week? No. A couple times a week is fine. Over time your body will adapt and you will be less sore.
PROTEIN
You can only absorb “x” amount of protein in a meal. False. You can absorb any amount, but if it is a lot your body will slow down metabolism to eventually get it out of your bloodstream. On average, your max is 30-40g/meal for a good anabolic response so that should be your goal.
INTERMITTENT FASTING
Intermittent fasting is not a good nutrition plan because you cant make up low protein you missed early in the day with high protein later because there is an anabolic cap (threshold for each meal of 30-40g). Therefore, it is best to spread out your protein intake. This cannot be done with the fasting program which requires fasting half the day.
EATING BEFORE BED
It is okay to eat before bed. Whoever said don’t eat after 10pm is wrong. You do not want to fast before bed. Some people say not to eat before bed because it increases IgF1, but IgF1 is only affected by training. In fact, you actually want your carb meals to be the 2 meals after your workout. Spreading it out is better than having all your carbs at breakfast or some at all 6 meals. Your post-workout meal should be a carb & protein because that is proven to be best for anabolic response. He does not believe a fast digesting carbs like dextrose or glucose are necessary.
CREATINE
If you are going to use creatine, the only one to use is creatine monohydrate. Hundreds of studies prove it is the best form.
COACHES
There are many bad coaches out there- even popular ones. Make sure they are ethical and not requiring use of performance enhancer drugs, especially if you are competing in bikini. A degree does not mean they are an expert. Education plus experience is the best.
LIGHT WEIGHT / HEAVY REPS
It does not tone. Tone comes from fat loss. You have to lift heavy to increase muscle. So always lift as heavy as you can and continually try to increase your max! If you feel you are getting “too big” which women use as an excuse, then maintain what you lift. But trust me, you won’t get too big. So lift heavy!
ABS
Your abs come from genetics and body fat levels. Everyone has different symmetry and stacking of your abs that you cannot change because they are genetic tendon lines. All you can do is train them and lose body fat. Focus more on diet to get abs.
IIFYM
It means eat whatever you want as long as it adds up. Layne does not agree with this. Is there a limit on daily sugar intake? You must still make sure you are getting proper fiber intake too. Fiber 40-60g a day is best. Any more is bad and can cause bloating. So if you do IIFYM, at least make sure you get enough fiber. Count Carbs, Protein, Fats, Fiber, and Sugar. You will only have success with IIFYM if you have a great metabolism. Layne thinks it is better to eat healthy and then have just tiny cheats of low sugar ice cream or popcorn here and there. It helps avoid binging. Healthy balance is key.
# MEALS A DAY
Resesarch testing 2 vs 4 vs 8 showed that 4 meals over 12 hours was superior to the others.
METABOLIC DAMAGE
Definition is lack of weight loss not predicted by amount of caloric input and activity output. Metabolic capacity is the number of calories you maintain your weight on. So someone who maintains at 3000/day will be able to cut easier than someone who maintains at 1500/day. It is normal to stall in fat loss for 3-6 weeks, so increase cardio and decrease calories if you stall. Just don’t go to the extreme of cutting down (never <1000 calories).
REVERSE DIETING
After you have leaned out for a show, it is important to reverse diet back to your normal weight so you avoid gaining tons of weight and body fat. The goal is to add calories as slow as possible without gaining weight. So Layne recommends adding 5g carbs and 1g fat per week. So over a year, you will have increased by 250g carbs. With this plan, you should only gain about a pound a month. If you gain more than that, then stay put for a week before adding more calories/carbs.
PEAK WEEK
There is no magical secret for peak week. You should be where you want to be before that week and just maintain without any drastic changes in your plan. Layne does not believe in cutting water, sodium, or carbs. He also does not have his clients use diuretics.