Have You Heard Of “Bro Science”?

I have a confession to make…

…I used to believe in it.

Here is some typical “bro science”:

1. Consume a meal every 3 hours on the clock;
2. Consume a meal before you work out;
3. Consume a meal within an hour of your workout;
4. Consume 6 meals a day;
5. Consume a protein shake after workouts;
6. Consume a “clean” diet of chicken and broccoli;
7. Consume a calories surplus; and
8. Work out 6 days a week.

Etc. Etc. Ad nausea.

And in my experience it was a bit of nonsense (I’m not a doctor or personal trainer or qualified in anyway and what follows is only my experience – nothing more.)

On New Year’s Eve I decided to ignore common fitness “wisdom” and do the following every day:

1. Consume all my calories in a 5-8 hour window;
2. Consume no food before working out;
3. Consume meals when I’m hungry;
4. Consume only 2 meals a day;
5. Consume no liquid meals;
6. Consume a moderate amount of junk food;
7. Consume a calorie deficit; and
8. Work out 2 days a week.

I.e. the opposite of “bro science.”

And based on that here is what happened to my measurements:

• Body Mass: down 9kg;
  Waist: down 4”;
  Bench Press: up 15kg;
  Push Press: up 20kg;
  Weighted Pullup: up 22.25kg; and
  Deadlift: up 27.5kg.

My measurements were going in the right directions…

Body mass and waist went down and all my lifts went up.

Ice hockey is back and I feel like a warrior – faster & stronger than ever.

So what was the lesson for me out of this?

Just because I assume something is true, doesn’t actually make it true.

Test assumptions, not just in fitness but everything in life…

As Venture Capitalist Marc Andreessen said “strong opinions, loosely held.”