ABCDE Thread (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=3514)

The links in the thread explain it. Important to read the article at the link (especially since in the middle of the four part series he explains adjustments for women.)

Basically you eat extra low calories for two weeks, then high calories for two weeks. This is supposed to prime your hormones for muscle building.

I'm trying to time it in with the monthly female hormone cycle. I read that you're more likely to put on fat the more estrogen that is in your system, so I'm timing the low calorie times during the times of highest estrogen. In the graph below, I'm low calorie from Day 7-21 which I think is roughly the first two weeks of pills for those on the pill.

I'm eating 1300 calories during low calorie times and 2300 during higher calorie times. Right now I'm in the low calorie time. Hard, but I got used to it fast. Especially knowing that I only have to do it for two weeks. :claplow:

I'm not trying to get huge, but I like the idea of getting the muscles I want faster. :) Actually my main motivation is that I'd get to eat higher calories every 2 out of 4 weeks. And I just plain think it's interesting.

Anyone else trying this?

I'll be very curious to see what your results are. Please report back after your first cycle.

ABCDE Thread (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=3514)

The links in the thread explain it. Important to read the article at the link (especially since in the middle of the four part series he explains adjustments for women.)

Basically you eat extra low calories for two weeks, then high calories for two weeks. This is supposed to prime your hormones for muscle building.

I'm trying to time it in with the monthly female hormone cycle. I read that you're more likely to put on fat the more estrogen that is in your system, so I'm timing the low calorie times during the times of highest estrogen. In the graph below, I'm low calorie from Day 7-21 which I think is roughly the first two weeks of pills for those on the pill.

I'm eating 1300 calories during low calorie times and 2300 during higher calorie times. Right now I'm in the low calorie time. Hard, but I got used to it fast. Especially knowing that I only have to do it for two weeks. :claplow:

I'm not trying to get huge, but I like the idea of getting the muscles I want faster. :) Actually my main motivation is that I'd get to eat higher calories every 2 out of 4 weeks. And I just plain think it's interesting.

Anyone else trying this?

You look like a slim person, are you where you want to be bodyfat%? Just curious about what made you decided to try this, would love info. on it to see if this would be something I should try! GOOD LUCK

ABCDE Thread (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=3514)

The links in the thread explain it. Important to read the article at the link (especially since in the middle of the four part series he explains adjustments for women.)

Basically you eat extra low calories for two weeks, then high calories for two weeks. This is supposed to prime your hormones for muscle building.

I'm trying to time it in with the monthly female hormone cycle. I read that you're more likely to put on fat the more estrogen that is in your system, so I'm timing the low calorie times during the times of highest estrogen. In the graph below, I'm low calorie from Day 7-21 which I think is roughly the first two weeks of pills for those on the pill.

I'm eating 1300 calories during low calorie times and 2300 during higher calorie times. Right now I'm in the low calorie time. Hard, but I got used to it fast. Especially knowing that I only have to do it for two weeks. :claplow:

I'm not trying to get huge, but I like the idea of getting the muscles I want faster. :) Actually my main motivation is that I'd get to eat higher calories every 2 out of 4 weeks. And I just plain think it's interesting.

Anyone else trying this?

I have read about this diet on Testosterone Magazine website and this is what they said, "Synopsis: You may remember a diet called the ABCDE Diet (Anabolic Burst Cycling of Diet and Exercise) proposed by Torbjorn Akerfeldt in an old issue of Muscle Media 2000, you know, back when it was a men's bodybuilding magazine. Basically, you were supposed to eat your lungs out for two weeks, which would elicit all sorts of cool anabolic reactions and cause you to add muscle like gangbusters. Then for the next two weeks, you’d turn things around by going on a strict cutting phase. Done correctly, you’d lose the fat you gained during your hog fest and keep most of the muscle.

The only drawback was that, well, the darned thing didn’t work! Personally, I tried it three times and every time I’d gain and lose the same ten pounds, even after modifying the diet. Most others who tried it either gained too much fat or lost too much muscle. Some did both."

I tried it in 1998 and while I did gain muscle, I gained a lot of fat as well. Sounds like a good theory, but in reality I have my doubts.

I read that too. It's not exactly accurate. You're not supposed to just eat like crazy during the high calorie phase.

Currently I'm one and a half weeks through my 2 week bulk phase, and I've only gained 1.5 pounds. That's less than what I lost on my initial 2 week cut phase. So it doesn't seem to be packing on the fat since I'm still at a deficit and I haven't even done the follow-up cut yet. :tu:

I read that too. It's not exactly accurate. You're not supposed to just eat like crazy during the high calorie phase.

Currently I'm one and a half weeks through my 2 week bulk phase, and I've only gained 1.5 pounds. That's less than what I lost on my initial 2 week cut phase. So it doesn't seem to be packing on the fat since I'm still at a deficit and I haven't even done the follow-up cut yet. :tu:

How many calories are you taking in on your cutting and bulking cycles? Keep us updated on your progress.

Cutting I took in 1300. I counted very carefully because 1300 seems like so little that I knew I'd go over if I didn't watch it like a hawk. During the bulking I was going to shoot for 2300, but I've been eating way more than that and not tracking it. I try to eat mainly clean foods, but I eat a lot more of them. And I do have some not so clean foods (okay, sometimes some really not clean foods like brownie batter :o ) each day. I would guess I've averaged more like 2500-2800 calories per day.

Of course, my metabolism may be higher or lower than other people's so those calories counts may or may not work for others.

I'll post some pics in 2.5 weeks when I finish the next cut. :)

Just thought I'd post an update on this.

Yesterday was the last day of my 2 week bulk. I'm at 121.6 lbs. Now it's back to 1300 calories per day.

I have decided, however, that after this 2 week cut, I don't plan on continuing with ABCDE. It seems to work, but it also seems to wear on my discipline.

To me, discipline is something that carries over across the board. When I'm disciplined in one area, I seem to naturally become more disciplined on other areas. The converse of that also seems to hold true. When I'm less disciplined in one area (like eating during the 2 week bulk) I tend to become less disciplined in other areas (like working out, working on the new business, etc.)

One of my most important goals for myself is to become more disciplined in general. I've come a very long way, but I think I have a very long way to go. So, I've decided to go back to regular, disciplined eating all the time with one cheat day each week. :)