Intermittent Fasting to Lose Fat

Written by Logan Franklin

06 February 2023

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Intermittent Fasting to Lose Fat

The Texas Oak

By Logan Franklin

Q: Have you ever tried intermittent fasting? What do you think about it as a way to lose fat?

A: I can see where it would be effective for someone with digestive issues and poor gut health. It’s also an easy way for obese people to limit how much they eat, since they only have a limited window of a few hours every day in which to eat. I don’t practice it. I eat moderate-size meals every couple of hours, and I’d rather do that than try to cram all the nutrients I need in a 24-hour period into six to eight hours of eating. I don’t think it’s a good idea for bodybuilders. One aspect no one mentions for us is that it could create waistline issues, since you’re slamming huge portions of food down at once. If you want to keep your waist small, you need to eat smaller portions and never feel uncomfortably full. Also make sure to take your time and chew your food. This will both improve your digestion and help you avoid eating more than you should, since it takes the brain a little while to sense that you’re full while you’re eating.

Joint Pain Relief

Q: Do you have any pain in joints like the shoulders, elbows or knees? If so, how do you manage it?

A: I’m definitely in my 30s now, because I’m starting to feel the little battle wounds from training. I do have nagging pain in my left forearm and my right elbow, and my right shoulder was bothering me for a couple of months. I couldn’t hang from anything. Hanging leg raises for abs were a chore, because it really pulled on my right shoulder girdle. I had that worked on and it’s feeling much better. I found that my elbow pain isn’t nearly as bad if I warm up really well, especially on chest and arm days. It won’t bother me until hours later that night when I’m relaxing at home, and then I do often feel elbow pain. My elbow pain, like most, is just a matter of chronic inflammation, so icing it always helps in that respect. I find that being consistent with icing my elbows keeps them mostly pain-free as opposed to only icing them when the pain is severe. I ice mine right after the workout, then again that evening shortly before I go to bed. I also take the Joint Support product from GAT Sport with ingredients like Glucosamine HCI, Chondroitin Sulfate, Collagen Hydrolysate, Indian Frankincense (Boswellia serrata) and Hyaluronic Acid, which promotes bone and joint health. Also be sure to drink plenty of water, because hydration is critical for keeping the joints lubricated.

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Annihilate Your Muscles?

Q: How far do you take your sets? Some people say only go to positive failure, while others will say you should actually leave a rep or two. Then you have others who will tell you that you should totally kill the muscle with things like partial reps, forced reps and drop sets. It’s tough to know which method is the best, so any insights would be appreciated.

A: I used to annihilate my muscles with methods like partial reps once I couldn’t do any further full reps, static holds and forced negatives, meaning someone would push down to make the negatives even heavier. It works, but I think there’s a better way. More recently I started training more like Hunter Labrada after seeing him train many times at his private gym. It’s lower volume and high intensity, not so different from the style Dorian Yates used. I do a couple of warm-up sets and then one all-out work set taken to absolute failure. I don’t always get to that point because I train alone, without a spotter or anyone to push me. I have to figure out ways to push myself to that point. After that one all-out heavy set I do a back-off set with a bit less weight. Doing that has worked well for me this past year as I can see the progress in my physique. I’m not saying other styles and methods aren’t effective. I just wanted to try something different to see if it worked. It did, and I enjoy these workouts a lot more.

Training Like the Pros

Q: We hear a lot of times not to follow the training routines of the pros, because they usually train differently now than they did in the early years when they were first putting on all their size. Do you think you train very differently now than in your early 20s? Do you think it would be a bad idea for a beginner to train like you?

A: I train very differently now than I did in my early 20s, much more effectively. I wish I trained then more like I do now. It’s more a matter of exercise selection to target specific areas of my physique that need to improve. Now I will focus more on those muscle groups and less on areas that are already strong points, because it’s all about balance for me now. Ten years ago, I was just trying to build everything, but now it’s all about filling in the gaps so everything flows artistically. Beginners should focus on building overall size and muscularity before they worry about specific aspects of a muscle group. So in that respect, you don’t want to follow the routine of an advanced pro who already has all the mass he needs and now is focused on refining it.

Athletic But Not Massive

Q: Aside from the usual dopey questions like “how much can you bench?,” what are some ignorant things people ask you when you’re out in the “real world”?

A: I think I’m very fortunate in that I haven’t had many experiences like that. Maybe it’s because in clothes, I look athletic but I’m not so massive that people point and stare at me. I’m sure people might mumble something about me to their buddy, but I almost never hear anything and certainly never to my face.

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