Tim Martin Q&A

[scoobysnacks]

I used the Keto diet for about five weeks before the TU, and wish I had started it earlier. I kept the cheat meal in all the way to the show, which meant the Saturday before I was still going to Pizza Hut and downing a medium deep dish works pizza, family style breadsticks, and a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone for dessert all by myself! For some reason this was what I craved every week, so I kept it simple and just repeated it all the way to the show.

Since I've added carbs back in the diet I don't have anymore cravings, but can tell you dieting this way makes it EASY!

Tim Im curious why you didnt reload on high glycemic carbs with low fat and medium protein intake all day long. It seems the pizza being high fat and high carb would have had more liklihood to store as fat. I thought during a refeed for keto you want to keep the fat relatively low?

Was there a specific reason you chose this refeed/cheat meal?

[Tim Martin]

Tim Im curious why you didnt reload on high glycemic carbs with low fat and medium protein intake all day long. It seems the pizza being high fat and high carb would have had more liklihood to store as fat. I thought during a refeed for keto you want to keep the fat relatively low?

Was there a specific reason you chose this refeed/cheat meal?

You could be right SS. My understanding was to try to keep the cheat meal to under 500g carbs, and I think pizza has an index of about 80 (pizza hut may be lower). I had the cheat meal as the last meal of the day so I wouldn't be tempted to continue to gorge. I will tell you that as good as it felt to eat Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon I would always feel lethargic, probably when I went back into ketosis.

As for why I chose this meal, no reason except that's what I craved - I hadn't eaten at Pizza Hut in years!

[Tim Martin]

Did you follow the basic diet Dave outlines or did you get him to customize one for you? I'm interested in trying this version of a low carb diet. I've used carb cycling for several years but I've never done a full blown keto diet.

As far as I know the basic outline is 1.5g protein and 0.65g fat per pound of lean mass. I've always kept my protein pretty high, so I adjusted the diet to fit my needs, and I kept getting harder so I didn't make any adjustments.

Like I said before, my friend Vinnie Galanti had used Dave for his NPC Master's Nationals win, so I had faith in his guidance. Other than a slightly higher protein intake, the only other change I made was near the end. Dave advocates periods of protein/no carbs/no fat, but after trying that for three days about two weeks out I decided just to cruise into the show without making those drastic changes. I really felt like shit without the fat, and it took me a few days afterwards to get any fullness back so I kept it simple.

[Clemens1989]

You look amazing for a natural an inspiration to all naturals. My question is how often do you vary the exercises you do?

[Tim Martin]

You look amazing for a natural an inspiration to all naturals. My question is how often do you vary the exercises you do?

Thank you. That pic was one of the progress pics I took during the diet this summer. To anwer your question, I vary the exercises every workout, meaning I never repeat the same workout consecutively. That means switching movements, angles, machines, rep schemes, and advanced techniques like drop sets, giant sets, rest-pause, forced negatives... from week to week.

When I do cardio in the morning I usually pop in a training DVD and listen to my iPod. I try to pic a segment highlighting the same bodyparts I'll be training that evening which may give me some ideas I wouldn't have thought of. Last night, for example, I tried glute-ham raises for the first time ever. I used a bar for assistance, but liked the way it forced a slow and deliberate contraction of the hamstrings.

[mrky03]

Thanks for your reply Tim, I'm always looking ways to tweak my diet for better results! I want ripped glutes and hams like you have next contest!

Do you use any certain brand of whey? I've been using whey isolate from True Protein don't know if I actually get any better results than I get from concentrate/isolate blend and it costs alot more.

[SLICED]

did you have protein/veggies only days at all only during the final weeks? if so how many pro/veg days in a row for natties? thanks for all the help ,bro.

[Tim Martin]

Thanks for your reply Tim, I'm always looking ways to tweak my diet for better results! I want ripped glutes and hams like you have next contest!

Do you use any certain brand of whey? I've been using whey isolate from True Protein don't know if I actually get any better results than I get from concentrate/isolate blend and it costs alot more.

I use Nature's Best Isopure, mainly because I get a good deal from a friend who owns a nutrition store. I switched to an isolate a few years ago, and since I eat about every 2-3 hours (including the middle of the night) I think the fast digesting protein works well for me.

[Tim Martin]

did you have protein/veggies only days at all only during the final weeks? if so how many pro/veg days in a row for natties? thanks for all the help ,bro.

I tried three days of protein/veggies two weeks out and felt very flat and tired. It was really difficult just making through work, let alone the workout. Who's to say that if I had repeated that the final week I would have been harder, but I decided to keep my fats in because I felt fuller and had more energy. What I'd suggest is doing a trial run two to three weeks out when you are very lean to see how your body responds.

[ShaneH]

Tim,


I was curious as to which brand of ephedra you use?

[Tim Martin]

Tim,


I was curious as to which brand of ephedra you use?

I'm not too brand loyal with that stuff, I just ask what is the cheapest when I go to the store. Currently I use "Tri-Matrix", which has 25 mg epedra and 225 mg caffeine. I take one at 5:00 A.M. before starting cardio, and usually feel it in about 10 minutes.

I realize ephedrine is one of those supplements that has some controversy behind it, but my feeling is that as long as your blood pressure is in check and it isn't abused then it can be beneficial. When I use it my mood actually improves.

[dpd555]

I realize ephedrine is one of those supplements that has some controversy behind it, but my feeling is that as long as your blood pressure is in check and it isn't abused then it can be beneficial. When I use it my mood actually improves.

Does WADA ban ephedrine now? I know they have a pretty extensive list.

Regarding elbows. Lately I have been using MSM and feel that it's helping.

How often do you deadlift Tim?

[Tim Martin]

Does WADA ban ephedrine now? I know they have a pretty extensive list.

Regarding elbows. Lately I have been using MSM and feel that it's helping.

How often do you deadlift Tim?

I'll have to look into that. Last year off-season I deadlifted almost every week, then stopped during the summer and replaced them with hyperextensions (holding a weight above my head). I think heavy deadlifting can widen the obliques, an area I need to work on.

Last month when I pulled a rib-cage muscle attachment I had planned on resuming regular deads, but that put a hamper on that. The ribs are feeling better gradually, although there is still pain on anything heavy. I love the feeling of lifting "heavy ass weight", and my goal this year is to get 7 plates up, so as soon as I'm healed it's back to heavy pulling for me.

[dpd555]

I'll have to look into that. Last year off-season I deadlifted almost every week, then stopped during the summer and replaced them with hyperextensions (holding a weight above my head). I think heavy deadlifting can widen the obliques, an area I need to work on.

Last month when I pulled a rib-cage muscle attachment I had planned on resuming regular deads, but that put a hamper on that. The ribs are feeling better gradually, although there is still pain on anything heavy. I love the feeling of lifting "heavy ass weight", and my goal this year is to get 7 plates up, so as soon as I'm healed it's back to heavy pulling for me.

Your back really set you apart on stage this year. I figured you did lots of heavy deads.

I found this link with the banned list (2007). I'm assuming this is what they test for at the IFBB Worlds
http://www.ifbb.com/pdf/wadaprohibited.pdf

[Sporto]

Thanks for your reply Tim, I'm always looking ways to tweak my diet for better results! I want ripped glutes and hams like you have next contest!

Something to keep in mind - striated glutes and hamstrings also need to be developed in order to see them at their fullest, even when at the very lowest of bodyfat. Granted, glutes and hamstrings are normally the last things to come in and you usually only see them at very low body fat levels, but you also need to really focus on developing them in the offseason. I know dieting long enough and in the right way will help bring these out, but it's a combination of really working them properly in the offseason. I know you weren't implying that it's all about diet, I was just making a point for those that lurk and read these great threads

Sporto