I started on Monday, at about 10am, and broke the fast today, Saturday morning at 7.42am. That’s 4 days and almost 22 hours.
The reason I didn’t go a full 5 days or more was simply that I wanted to hit the gym again, and I felt I needed something as a pre-workout. So, I ended the fast with a tablespoon of fish roe, followed by a small 40-gram whey shake and some rice cakes. An hour later I was at the gym, and the training session was actually pretty good.
But first, my starting weight was 78 kg (172 lbs.). This morning, my weight was 73.5 kg (162 lbs.). So, a drop of 4.5 kg (10 lbs.). I did have some creatine monohydrate last night and this morning, but apart from that, all I had during the fast was my electrolyte water (water with sodium and potassium, and a little bit of magnesium).
Last time I did my seated unilateral chest presses, I did 280 kg (616 lbs.), or 140 kg per arm, for 5 strict reps at a body weight of about 78 kg. So, matching that after not eating for almost 5 days and only weighing 73.5 kg would be tough, and it was. However, I did manage 270 kg (594 lbs.), or 135 kg per arm for 4 strict reps and a half. That’s actually really good.
At 78 kg, that was 3,589 times my body weight for 5 reps. At 73,5 kg, that was 3,673 times my body weight for 4 reps. My CNS was on point, that’s for sure!
There you go, fellow bodybuilders, no need to be afraid of fasting. It’s the fastest way to lose body fat and as a bonus, heal your body! Everyone, no matter what you do, should fast at least twice a year for a minimum of 3 days, preferable close to 5 or more.
Although, my strength was on point, my endurance lacked a little. I did two sets at 270 kg and then did a drop set of 220 kg x 8, 190 kg x 7, 160 kg x 7, 120 kg x 8. I usually hit way over 10 to 12 reps on all of those, but it was still a really good effort!
And the picture was taken after I got home from my training session, about 20 minutes after – at about 73.5 kg (162 lbs.). Still a bit cold from fasting and very low vascularity. Still, I can see some improvements. It will look a lot better once I refill my glycogen stores and get some more water inside my cells. When I get back at 76 to 77 kg in a few days, I will hopefully look a little bit better than my previous photos.
As for the fasting, my second day was the only “hard” one this time. A bit low on energy and feeling “weak”. It all turned on day 3 and I’ve been very energized and productive all through the fast. And that is what I enjoy the most about fasting. The mental clarity and energy you get from being in deep ketosis and autophagy.
That’s it for now, my previous post, when starting the fast, is located here: https://bartoll.se/2021/08/august-2-2021-another-fast-coming-up/