Lunch Starch pre-workout timing + rest days

Hi Jeff, thanks for the course it's truly awesome.

I'm just wondering, if training between lunch and dinner how long before the workout ideally would you eat lunch with a starch?

And also would you recommend eating a starch with lunch on rest days?

Many thanks!

I would say that you should eat lunch 1-3 hours before training. If you go any longer than that lunch and dinner will be too far apart and any closer and your food will not get digested. Don't stress out about it too much.

I would eat a starch on rest days. Rest days are also known as recovery days and if you want recovery (which you do) you need the starch. 

The common advice to avoid carbs is a knee jerk reaction of people way way over eating them then just as ignorantly go to the exact opposite extreme and cut them all together. Low/No carb is a very powerful short term tool that when used needs to be used by the advanced because the negatives that you pay need to be met with equal to or greater than fat loss. Example; In properly set up fat loss specific micro cycle I can do 2.5lb of fat drop a week with my clients. Thats going from 15% body fat to 10% in about a month. Its extreme but its a very specific program that produces results that far outweighs the negatives. This allows you to lean out making you stronger at all body weight stuff and gets you back to performance eating for performance training. 

There is a huge difference; eating for performance vs. eating to look good standing still. So when we do decide that improved body composition (losing body fat) is the best way to increase performance at the current time then we need to get in, cut that weight then get back to perforce training ASAP. Because in the advanced athlete there is no such thing as cutting fat, getting stronger, developing more technical skill and adding muscle mass at the same time. Anyone that says they have is a beginner. On a side note thats why beginner is the best place to be! 

People may think physique competitors look cool but you send one of them out on the battlefield with my Seal Team or train w/ Coach and they will get embarrassed. 

Peekay, 

You weirdo. How have you made it to level 10 and this is the first time Im hearing from you? You are on the watchlist. Suspect 004. 

Jeff Serven said:

Peekay, 

 

You weirdo. How have you made it to level 10 and this is the first time Im hearing from you? You are on the watchlist. Suspect 004. 

Haha, just been keeping my head down and doing the work 

I asked the question because for the past 12 months or so i've been backloading my carbs (but still keeping it clean), so i haven't been avoiding them, just eating them all after training. I'm sure it's helped me to lean out quite a bit but i don't know if it's made my performance suffer somewhat. So i'm embracing the lunch starch thing to see what impact is has on my afternoon training.

Thanks for the in-depth reply, it's much appreciated and it makes good sense. 

Jeff Serven said:

... There is a huge difference; eating for performance vs. eating to look good standing still ...

Very well said.

Some of our clients who have struggled the most with GST are surprisingly physique competitors. It seems that the typical diet which they employ leaves their work capacity fairly non-existent (by GST standards) after 20 minutes. Very difficult to make progress when you are exhausted from the day's warmup.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach Sommer said:

Very well said.

Some of our clients who have struggled the most with GST are surprisingly physique competitors. It seems that the typical diet which they employ leaves their work capacity fairly non-existent (by GST standards) after 20 minutes. Very difficult to make progress when you are exhausted from the day's warmup.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

It's mindblowing how many times you've had to make this observation

On 4.2.2016 at 6:22 PM, Jeff Serven said:

So when we do decide that improved body composition (losing body fat) is the best way to increase performance at the current time then we need to get in, cut that weight then get back to perforce training ASAP

Hi Jeff, I'm really curious to how do you decide when it' the proper time to go for that strategy as I've struggled for quite some time to improve my body composition even though I was already eating quite close to the Thrive way even before it came out. In another thread you mentioned the health and performance benefits of a low body fat and being able to see your abs. The maximum I ever got to see something was the top 2 while flexing... I assume such steps/strategies would come maybe on Thrive 2, and that's ok as there are still a few more steps on level 1 to master

I like your style Rich.

Its an easy call to make when you're at that cross road. Yes, after Thrive 1 is the time to concern yourself with that type of stuff. The reason is lets say that we do a focus cycle of Extreme Fat Loss and get you "ripped up" then what? You will slowly slide back to where you were. You need a solid base, a foundation if you will. Thrive is that foundation, its your base to jump from and return to. We will get you there don't worry!

Great Jeff! I'm not worried, I trust the system

Just wanted to say that Step 10 and this thread is really enlightening. I'm just happy about all the starches I can include in dinner and lunch these days, because I used to be one of those low-carb weirdos who was afraid of carbs for no good reason, and end up not making any progress on my strength training. Self defeating cycle of "eat more to get stronger" and then flip flopping to "oh no, not lean enough, eat less!" Obviously, that wasn't going too well. Can't believe I've been avoiding delicious potatoes, rice, and even some fruits for no reason!

I've been eating pretty close to the Thrive steps before the program, but this is really keeping me consistent. Much less stress about what I'm eating.

Jun,

Glad to hear! Im glad its working for you.