G-Flux (I hate fancy terms)

[maverick]

Just wondering what other people's thoughts were on Berardi's (or other's) concept of "energy flux" or "g-flux". The basic principle is that the strongest, most powerful, leanest body is built through extreme calorie turn-over. This means training as much as possible and consuming as much food as possible to support it. Here's an article where he goes over the basics:

TESTOSTERONE NATION - G-Flux: Building the Ultimate Body

I was particularly interested in the section where overtraining is addressed. He states that workload can be drastically increased without overtraining by splitting our training into categories, and keeping the workload in those categories at a reasonable volume. For example, 10 hours of intense weight training a week may be too much for the average human, but 3 hours of heavy weight training, 2 hours of speed (light) weight training, 2 hours of plyometrics/coordination/mobility, and 3 hours of GPP/cardio might be completely doable, schedule allowing.

For me, I think there's a lot of truth here. I've mentioned in other posts that I'm into the 180's and as lean as I've ever been since introducing MMA training and reducing overall weight training, and subsequently eating like a madman. So its roughly 4 MMA sessions and 1-3 weigh training sessions a week, with some cardio mixed in. All in all my workload is up to about 8 hours a week. Its been 6 weeks and my first telltale sign of overtraining (restless sleep) has not reared its head. In fact, I sleep like a baby lately.

So what do you guys think? Got the time, wanna give it a shot?

I have said it before: the program has got to match the personality and we will naturally gravitate to that way of training that suits our personality.

It is amazing how much training can be accomplished when we are in our manic modes. And it is amazing how little training can produce great maintenance and even continued growth when our personality, or other life commitments, directs us to this type of training.

It is all good and hopefully we have fun doing it.

[TomG]

A young man's program.

No family.

[Rufiedodg]

Great article Mav-thanks for sharing.

While it should not be a shock to discover the amount of hours these athletes spend training, it is. But IMO, its more about controlling the amount of intensity than juggling disciplines, that ultimately allows these athletes to train so much. Although it plays a part, the discipline is really secondary.


Endurance athletes have been controlling intensity systematically forever. The TDF riders put in a massive amount of hours per week with varying intensities prior to the race-- with cycling the primary discipline ( if not the only ). Why then would juggeling disciplines be so key to peak performance?

Think about it--a massive amount of hours training at one discipline. Again, its all about systematically controlling intensity no matter the discipline, IMO

How about that girls legs!

Dan

[Khaine]

During my 8-week stint as a mover, I was up to prolly 5000 cals a day, easy... Haven't been this cut since I got out the army, definitely single digits, at 185... Didn't eat as clean as I wanted to, but it didn't seem to matter much (not huge amounts of junk either, just felt like too much carbs)... Also, my traps, quads (v.lat in particular), forearms and biceps have never looked this good... My conditioning is through the roof as well...

During this period, I weight trained 2, occassionally 3 times a week, simple full body stuff with focus on the parts that didn't get hammered during the day... Swimming twice a week was the closest I came to any conditioning work...

I had to quit as my boss was a useless hunk of garbo who couldn't get me enough damn hours, and eating was just getting too damn expensive...

So yea, Berardi is spot on with the energy fluctuations theory... I figure this is why complexes and intervals are so effective during fat loss phases; they drive the energy output through the roof...

And yes, as with any training theory, this may not be for everybody, but age or family are hardly the limiting factors... If your workday can be physically active, I don't see how this theory can't be applied to any program...

There aren't enough of these threads on DF...

[maverick]

Originally Posted by Khaine

During my 8-week stint as a mover, I was up to prolly 5000 cals a day, easy... Haven't been this cut since I got out the army, definitely single digits, at 185... Didn't eat as clean as I wanted to, but it didn't seem to matter much (not huge amounts of junk either, just felt like too much carbs)... Also, my traps, quads (v.lat in particular), forearms and biceps have never looked this good... My conditioning is through the roof as well...

During this period, I weight trained 2, occassionally 3 times a week, simple full body stuff with focus on the parts that didn't get hammered during the day... Swimming twice a week was the closest I came to any conditioning work...

I had to quit as my boss was a useless hunk of garbo who couldn't get me enough damn hours, and eating was just getting too damn expensive...

So yea, Berardi is spot on with the energy fluctuations theory... I figure this is why complexes and intervals are so effective during fat loss phases; they drive the energy output through the roof...

And yes, as with any training theory, this may not be for everybody, but age or family are hardly the limiting factors... If your workday can be physically active, I don't see how this theory can't be applied to any program...

Glad to hear that someone else is independantly coming to the same conclusion. I think many of us tried so hard to dodge overtraining that we forgot there are other ways to supplement weight training and athleticism without piling on the fatigue, so long as the calories come with it.

Originally Posted by Khaine

There aren't enough of these threads on DF...

Though many use it as their excuse for a collection of skin magazines, I think too many people don't read DF for the articles.

[etothepii]

I was eating more and exercising more for a few months. Looked and felt great!! Then I exercised a little less, ate a lot more and started getting fat. Then I ate less and exercised more to compensate -- overcompensate. In the middle of a 4 mile jog, I fell apart. Could barely walk home. I didn't have strength to stand the next day. Between a few naps, 13 hours sleep at night,and a day off from work, I started to feel better. I took a week off from exercise and feel better now!

A great example of the never-ending story of fitness self-discovery. Been there and done that.

One good thing about being superfit is that the body has an amazing ability to communicate with us when we are abusing it.