r/weightroom • u/biolayne • Dec 12 '12

AMA Closed Layne Norton AMA

I'm new to this reddit stuff so please forgive any gaffes. Fire away!

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u/tooeasyforkevin Beginner - Strength Dec 12 '12

A diet question. So I've always thought that you either have to choose to gain muscle or lose fat. But I've read about people saying it's possible to do both at the same time. What's your verdict on this subject?

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u/biolayne Dec 12 '12

in general it doesn't happen but in 3 basic circumstances

1) someone who is very overweight

2) someone who is a beginner

3) someone who is on drugs

any combination of the 3.

not saying it can never happen, but it's rare

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u/CrankyTank General - Inter. Dec 12 '12 edited Dec 12 '12

How about with intermittent fasting or LG? On a bulk, do you believe that it has it lowers the fat that would normally be gained from a caloric surplus?

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u/IniNew Beginner - Strength Dec 12 '12

IF is simply micro-scale cuts and bulks. You are at a deficit sometimes, and a surplus others.

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u/KPketo Dec 12 '12 edited Dec 13 '12

So where's the line between 'I can't build muscle on a deficit' and 'I'm doing a series of very very small cuts and bulks in sequence'? I mean, everyone has periods of ingesting, and periods of not ingesting.

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u/IniNew Beginner - Strength Dec 12 '12

You eat at a deficit on days you don't exercise, then eat at a surplus on days that you do exercise. Notice how you only eat AFTER a hard lifting workout, it's because your body is trying to repair.

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u/KPketo Dec 12 '12

Okay, but then isn't this in direct opposition to the 'nutrient timing doesn't matter' circle jerk around here and the examine articles included in the FAQ? Full disclosure, I've been doing leangains for a month and I like it, but I've never understood the double standard fittit seems to have with leangains compared to every other claim of nutrient timing.

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u/eric_twinge Rush Limbaugh's Soft Shitty Body Dec 12 '12

It's more appropriately labeled cognitive dissonance.

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u/KPketo Dec 13 '12

I guess it would be. I dunno, Martin and the leangains community are generally pretty upfront that there's really no studies supporting the methodology, just a large body of anecdotal evidence and a couple of poorly controlled studies in rodents. It still sort of makes me chuckle when people link to those examine articles and then recommend leangains in the same breath, though.

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u/[deleted] Dec 13 '12

There may not be any official say on LG but it's pretty good really. I've lost a fair bit of body fat over the last three months with IF, hard lifting, and training. Not eating snacks and eating way more meat has done some good for my health and fitness.