Tom and I competed on Oct 25th. We had our day of indulgences the 26th and started on a new Bev diet the 27th. Our advisor (Mark Ritter) suggested we both follow the diet that alternates gaining and hardening phases. We both want to remain relatively lean yet gain lean mass.
Has anyone else used this approach??? Any women???
I started this just 4lbs. over contest weigh-in. My first week on the Gain diet my weight jumped 3.6 pounds -- my bodyfat measurements remained unchanged. The first gain cycle is supposed to last 4 weeks or 5 lbs. I am sure I will be up 5 lbs. by the end of week 2. I am going to call Mark but wanted to get other's input on this. Would you do a week of harden yet???
I know part of the 3.6 pounds is full glycogen stores --- not all lean mass -- however I am looking and feeling bigger & my clothes are getting tight already.
Any input?
<Jeremy>
Posted
I will be interested in this as well. I have gained a bit of fat my last gaining phase. Unfortunately, I have not the diet to blame - I am guilty of deviating and grabbing a few extra carbs (salty pretzels, no less) so I am waiting to get a few weeks CLEAN on the hardening phase before I pass judgement.
I will say this ... simply switching out calories a BIT and adding lean out & musclean has made incredible differences. I lost a bit of fat and am now maintaining despite a 4300 calorie intake, and cheating ... so imagine what I'll see when I am CLEAN for a few weeks!
I'll keep you up to date.
My goal is to keep clean through the weekend and next week, then post my pictures and get feedback. I'd like to, regardless of gaining or hardening phase, hit myself with some Glutamine Select and 24 Muscle Synergy for a 4 week cycle of high intensity (4 - 6 rep range) training and see what happens!
Im almost positive all that is just glycogen refilling. I would not stress in the least bit. Im a smaller competitor and I gained 11lbs from stage weight to the next day and I was tapering potassium. I immediately began following a lean gain phase as well, that worked pretty good. In the end I found even on the gain phase I was constantly hungry, so I slowly increased cals on both phases to better suit my metabolism. I followed it for 10 weeks and at the end I was around 8.5% and was up 15 lbs from show weight. Of course I got a little greedy and added more cals and gained a little bodyfat which Im in the process of ridding myself of.
Id stick with the gaining phase as planned because while you are lean, your lean mass to fat gain will be relatively high compared to if you began at a higher bodyfat.
I was also just put on this diet by Jeremiah - and I'm only one week off 2 back-to-back shows. Also, Tom - I'm female.. so if your wife is doing the gain/harden.. I'd like to know how she reacts to it also. I, personally, need to adjust some of the portion sizes and types of food. I have NEVER used Ultra Size and Heavy Cream..or taken 4 scoops of Mass Maker post workout. But - I'm only weighing 115 lbs. postcontest, 1 week. Jeremy and Jason - are you both doing cardio while on the Gain portion? And.. I don't ever want to go up 8-10-15 lbs. in the gain phase! I'd freak out! Maybe it's a female thing..?
Posts: 309 | Location: PA | Registered: Mon July 28 2003
I dont do cardio in the offseason. I feel as though its just burning extra cals that could go to building more muscle. With that said I play outdoor soccer in the summers and indoor will begin here soon for 2 mos. I use these times to burn some of the fat off without having to monotously pedal away on a bike or stair stepper year round.
Hi, Jeremy, Jason & Valarie. Thanks for your input.
I have read just about everything published by Beverly on this diet but haven't come across any women who have successfully used this plan. Guess I will be the first to give it 100% and then write about it.
I loved the contest lean feeling -- although I know I can't remain that lean -- it is mentally difficult to overcome the fear of gaining too much bodyfat. However I want the muscle gains more than I fear the fat.
Are there any other women out there that have used this diet after a comp.?????? I would love to hear from you. (Thanks for the e-mail Valarie!)
Vanessa. this diet was recommended to me after my competition last year. I had a problem with all the food on it !! I never had one day where I ate as the plan stated! So needless to say I opted for another plan. SO I join the list of women who cannot give you feedback on folllowing it to the T.
Leslie
Posts: 287 | Location: Elmira,NY, USA | Registered: Mon August 11 2003
I have been following the gaining + hardening diet. I am male and I gain very fast on the gaining diet (approx. 5-6 lbs) hardening I gain (1-2 lbs). I just cut the gaining phase down-this is what I did after my show 1-2 weeks gaining, 3-4 weeks hardening, 5-6.5 weeks gaining, 6.5-8.5 weeks hardening, currently on week 9 of gaining. I am performing cardio 2 days a week on both phases, and lifting 4-5 days a week. Every workout I am gaining strength I have been trying to perform 5-6 heavy reps with negatives on the gaining phase, and 8-12 reps on the hardening phase-I am very pleased with the results that MarkR's diet has produced.
Mike Spinka
lifter
Posts: 333 | Location: temple PA usa | Registered: Sun November 09 2003
GUNS-I competed in the Steel Jungle Xtravaganza-Scranton PA I am currently looking for another this summer-August- Let me know if you hear of anything (Natural Show)
Mike -I live near Reading PA 30-45 min. from king of prussia
lifter
Posts: 333 | Location: temple PA usa | Registered: Sun November 09 2003
Mike and Guns.. chiming in here.. I apologize - but I, too, live in Central PA.. and if you check out Ocbbodybuilding.com website - click on contest calendar.. they have an extensive list of most federations and upcoming shows.. also links to each show and sorted by region. Hope this helps..
Posts: 309 | Location: PA | Registered: Mon July 28 2003
Mike - I just competed at the NGA Natural Olympus in Buffalo, NY on nov. 1 (won Masters Women), then I did the OCB show in Pittsburgh, PA - Golden Triangle (the pics on the website) and I won Womens Masters and Open/Overall. Next.. I think I'm going to do two shows in New York.. Buffalo Can/Am and INBF Northeastern Super Natural. But, OCB and ANBC both have shows in the Pittsburgh area in April. Matt just updated the 2004 calendar on the OCB site..it's a super organization!
Posts: 309 | Location: PA | Registered: Mon July 28 2003
I am a female also starting the gain/harden diet. I'd love to hear how all of you are doing on it. I have a question about my meal 5. It calls for 6oz lean meat 2cups veggies 2tsp flax oil Any suggestions on how to take the flax? Do I mix it with the beef? I've previously mixed the flax with my shake but want to go by what the diet says. I'd appreciate any comments. Thanks ya'll
I just take the flax straight like medicine. I find it's not the best-tasting so I prefer to just get it down & let the food get the taste off my tongue, plus it's somewhat expensive so I want to get the most out of every drop and not have to **** it off of the container it's in (sorta kidding ).
<Pam>
Posted
hmm, I wasn't swearing there, the word was ****, I guess I am not used to this system censoring certain words? ok then.
I shotgun my flax as I dont like it messing with the taste of my shakes. Its not so bad, course I eat tuna out of a can and chicken plain so go figure.
Jason, I second that. Sometimes I seriously think about putting my chicken in a blender with some water so I can just drink it down, the goal being just to chomp it up so it is digestible & get it down the hatch.
Maybe it's a female thing..?
).
