p90x vs. occam's protocol as described by tim ferriss in 4-hour body
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Tony Horton’s P90Xvs.
Tim Ferriss’ Occam’s Protocol
Dan Dascalescu
@dandv #qs2011
Goal: muscle gain
• I’m an ectomorph, aka hardgainer
• No serious prior weight training
P90X – 2008/9
P90X cons
- 3 months
- 6 days a week
- 1-2 hours a day
- hard to follow diet (for the first month)
- extremely intense
- low muscle gain
- confusing guide/nutrition, but see my wiki
P90X pros
confidence boostfat lossstrength gain ~2xenduranceleast boring – 11 workout DVDscan be done at homepredictable dietlong-lasting results
Compliance
• Diet: 95%
• Workouts: 90% (alternatives to cardio)
• Rest: ?
P90X results
Permanence of results
Right after P90X
A year later
+ / -
Chin-ups 12 10 .. 11 -1 .. -2
Abs definition
“Holy sh*t” Padding, but still visible
Endurance Excellent Very good -10%..-25%
From Geek to Freak34 lbs of muscle in 4 weeks
Occam’s Protocol - 2011
• easy version of “From Geek to Freak”• for beginners• "More than four hours per month of gym
time is not necessary to reach your target weight in record time.”
• only two exercises per workout• ~5 minutes, including rest
• you need to eat A LOT
Occam’s Protocol Claims
• Triggers muscular, neural and hormonal growth mechanisms
• “In just over four weeks, Neil [Strauss], who’d never been able to gain weight, gained 10 pounds of muscle and grew from 125 to 135 pounds, a near 10% increase in total body mass”-- The 4-Hour Body, p. 195
• That implies no fat gain (!)
Diet
• 20 calories per pound of lean bodyweight for 10 pounds more than your current lean bodyweight115 + 10 lb, x 20 => 2500 calories
• drop calories by 50% one day per week to prevent protein uptake down-regulation
• protein - at least 1.25g per pound of current lean bodyweight => 144g
• carbs(not mentioned in 4HB) – 1.5g - 3g per pound of body weight => 230g – 460g
• supplements
Water – why I stopped short
• 3 weeks into Occam’s I had a sudden attack of stomach pain
• went to ER
• diagnosis: gastritis? (doctor not sure)
• blood test results:– protein levels too high– renal function too high (BUN)
• drink water - 2.8% of your body weight
Workouts, ~2 / week5 up/5 down count
• Workout A– Close-grip pull-down (palms facing you)
x 7 reps– Machine shoulder press
x 7 reps
• Workout B– Bench press x 7 reps– Leg press x 10 reps
Occam’s Protocol compliance
DXA scans for maximum precision~$60, ~30 minutes total
Occam’s Protocol resultsbody composition
Start After 3 weeks
+ / -
Fat % 21.8% 22.6% +0.8%
Lean mass 115.7 lbs 117.7 lbs +2 lbs
Total mass 153.4lbs 157.6 lbs +4.2 lbs
Conclusions
• P90X - strength, endurance, fat loss;don’t expect muscle gain
• Occam’s Protocol– easy workouts– eat like a pig
• DXA scan for body composition
• You’ll have to shed the fat you gain via Occam’s, but that’s for another talk
P90X vs. Occam’s Protocol
Dan Dascalescu
@dandv #qs2011
Q&A
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