Hey guys

I`m 6.5 and about 242 lbs. I do kettlebells in the morning and the Crossfit WOD`s in the eve. I started zoneing again some weeks ago...I started with 5 blocks ( breakfast, lunch, dinner ) and two 2 block snacks. I`m not sure if this is enough for me?

I was about 21 % bf when I started and lost a lot of it...but also a lot of lean muscle mass! I would like to supplement with BCAA`s to stop loosin`that much of lean bodymass.

Is it a problem to take in BCAA`s ( brain chained amino acids), do they kick me out of the zone?


thx a lot for some answers and experiences!


Tibor

To check your correct block number go here: http://www.zonediet.com/BodyFatZone...fault.aspx

Dunno about BCAA's myself I'm afraid. However if you are eating enough protein to maintain or increase your muscle mass while remaining in the zone you should not need BCAA's. I don't supplement with anything and I'm crossfiting 3 days on 1 day off and have noticed in the last month an increase in muscle mass and no BF. I'm at about 11-12% BF atm. Once you have your recommended block number calculated come back and we can help you further


Diego

hey diego

thank you very much for your answer!

the calculation was like : 6 blocks / 6 blocks / 3 blocks / 6 blocks / 3 blocks.....I started eating with this much blocks today....until now I was on 5 / 5 / 2 / 5 / 2..maybe that wasn`t enough! I eat all my protein and fat, but I usually eat just round 3 blocks of carbs instead of 6...I think 3 blocks of carbs are enough for me, especially with `round 20 % of bodyfat that I carry around with me.

so do you think I should try it with 6 blocks and wait with the bcaa supplements?

I've seen CrossFit mentioned, here a lot. Just hadn't asked about it, before. Is there a reference website, where I can learn more and get a good idea of what it is about, what the exercises are like, why?, and the science or history behind it?
I think I tried a CrossFit website, once, a while back, and it required membership or the purchase of a book or something - just to get more info ... which is ludicrous to me .. so I never bothered persuing it any further.

Tibor: Balance the meals. Make sure you're eating the same number of blocks or protein as you are of carbs in each meal. If you're exercising a lot double the amount of fat. Carbs and protein balanced causes your body to release the good eicosanoid hormone, which regulates all your body's functions, and makes you burn your stored fat instead of adding to it. This process takes about a week or two in newcomers to the zone so you won't notice the benefits immediately, and might even find yourself slightly tired as your body starts to adapt to this way of functioning. The increase in fat intake is to have readily available energy for your exercises. You don't want to drop your carbs because they are essential in the production of ATP, which is the energy you need for physical activities. Ever heard of the phrase "Carb Loading!"? This is something many athletes do to have available a source of energy that is able to convert to ATP quickly. There is a lot of science behind it which I don't know by heart I'm afraid! In any case, bear in mind The Zone is a muscle maintenance diet, so in order to increase muscle mass you will have to raise your total block count. Don't do this yet, wait until you are firmly inside the zone and then start tweaking it. And use the calculator weekly or bi-weekly to continue adjusting your block numbers. You won't be at 24 for too long!!

Diego

John: Crossfit is a Strength and Conditioning Program which offers a mixture of the following disciplines: Olympic Lifting, track and field, and gymnastics. It is a HIGH INTENSITY program and is totally Kick Butt I doubt it is what you saw some time ago because all the exercises you can find FREE OF CHARGE off the main website: www.crossfit.com. It is a lot of information to go through, so let me just give you a quick rundown of what to do to start working out.

Go to http://www.crossfitbrandx.com/index.php/forums and register yourself. Read the activation email (or else one of the moderators will have a fit ) Introduce yourself. Go to the CrossFit WOD Forum inside the aforementioned link. Here you will find the WOD= Workout of the Day. At BrandX they scale it down to different levels of fitness. I do the WOD one day behind the official WOD so I can lookup any exercises I don't know how to do or scale it even further if it comprises exercises I'm good or bad at. Don't be afraid to ask questions (in the appropriate Forum). People here are very helpful and offer sound advice. Start Working out and boggle at what it does to your body! I took a few days to wade through the information, not knowing where to start, what to do, etc. so just do the WOD, a day or two behind, and you'll learn all you have to just by checking out the exercises you need to do for that day. Today's WOD, for example, is run 5Kms. Yesterday's was do as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of: Row 250Ms, 21 reps of Sumo Deadlift High Pull and 15 Pull ups. This is all at sprinting pace and NO REST!!!! Some days there will be high intensity exercises like these and others you will just have to do heavy lifts. There are also skill exercises before and after the WOD which you can include to learn certain skills (power cleans, cleans, deadlifts, snatch, etc.) or to work on your weak points, like push ups, pull ups, dips, handstand push ups, etc. These are called Buy-ins and Cash-outs. And they are NOT a warm-up... Scared yet?
Soon you will understand why CrossFitters like to wear T-Shirts that say: My Warm-up is your Work-out

If there's anything else I can help you with just give me a holler!!!

Diego

Diego!!

Thank you again for your advice! I will do it exactly as u recommend it!!

Kepp up your great work!!!!! You really helped me !!


3-2-1 GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tibor

My husband and I are crossfitters and have been for a year or so now. My husband is a hard gainer ( muscle mass) meaning he has a hard time putting on extra muscle due to his lean nature and the intensity level at which crossfit is preformed keeps the body fat down for sure. About two months ago he started taking bcaa supps and what a huge difference! Not only is he lean muscle he is alot of lean muscle! He added inches to his biceps and his shoulders look like Lebron James! Long story short is that the zone and crossfit and bcaa altogether has my husband constantly saying hes never felt better in and out in his life.

This is interesting to know Meredith. A question: Did your husband maintain his blocks or did he increase them to include more protein before including the BCAAs? I've been CFing for a very short time and having increased my block number I've already noticed an increase in size. I am 5'7 and weigh 155lb, so I'm pretty thin. This is the weight I was at just before hitting 30, so you could say I'm at my prime again (10 years later!), except that my muscles now seem better formed and more natural than when I was doing the classic BBing routine and not eating properly.
Personally I wouldn't supplement unless I was aiming for a competition of one sort or another. I prefer to just be healthy, get strong and feel confident by just working out intensely and eating well


Diego

Hi Tibor,

I have been doing some research on BCAA's. These are amino acids that our body already uses. We get them from the proteins that make up most of our meat and dairy products. They are Valine, Leucine, and Isoleucine. I think they are essential amino acids. If you ingest these amino acids, they will be used to build and repair our muscle tissue after weightlifting. Protein Powders already have a substantial supply of BCAA's.

With that being said, the only way to get more BCAA's is by eating more protein. Perhaps more than you need. This would throw you out of the Zone depending on how much activity you do. If you go to a store like GNC or the Vitamin Shoppe, you can get these amino acids and put more in you shakes if you use them.

Diego, my husband had tried as much as doubling his protien and trippling his fat to keep from losing his muscle and it helped to a point but he just couldnt eat enough of what he neede to build on so in came the bcaa's and he was able to come back down from all the extra blocks and is going along beautifully, if I dont say so myself he is looking hotter than ever!