Roadmap/07 - Bodybuilding/Weight loss

Philosophy: Metabolic-friendly training

• 2–3×/week resistance
• Avoid failure / marathons
• Fuel pre/post
• Emphasize sleep
• Think: regular, gentle, deliberate exercise; stop before fatigue
• One-hour outdoor walks with friends > intense gym workouts
• Enjoyable goals; sustainable; minimal stress

Training principles

“Concentric resistance training has an anabolic effect on the whole body. Sprinting is probably o.k. Endurance exercise is the worst. I don’t think martial arts are necessarily too stressful.” - Ray Peat

Do's

• Concentric, anaerobic activities
  • Weight lifting
  • Bodyweight exercise
  • Walking in stimulating environments
  • Uphill hiking, deadlifts, sled pushes (anabolic exercises)

Don'ts

• Prolonged aerobic work (hypothyroidism, lactic acid, catabolism)
• Training to failure (produces excess lactic acid) Link to harm reduction

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Concentric Focus

• Concentric = muscle shortens under load
• Less injury, less tissue damage, stronger metabolic support
• Mentioned twice in your notes (both from functionalps.com)

Stress Reduction + Glycogen

“Forty minutes of moderate exercise can drop T3 to zero if glycogen isn’t replenished.” - Ray Peat "One of the overlooked things is that muscle activity increases your body temperature and the increased body temperature increases your calorie burning ability. And so it's similar to what thyroid supplementing does. The good body warming effect of physical activity keeps your metabolic rate going with an anti-inflammatory effect. If you're sedentary, your body's temperature falls and you go into a pro-inflammatory state." - Ray Peat

• Avoid raising stress
• Muscle recovery depends on glycogen restoration
• Don’t train fasted (FunctionalPS: intense fasted training triggers TNF-α, IL-6)
• Avoid fatigue (use nose-breathing gauge); limit prolactin/growth hormone with aspirin, baking soda, caffeine, carbs; reduce tryptophan/serotonin from protein; avoid bulking/cutting; use DHEA/testosterone with aspirin/nicotine; thyroid boosts reflexes (Ali’s method); anabolic exercises include uphill hiking, deadlifts, sled pushes.
  • One study says that lifters were able to do 27% more reps on squat using baking soda
• Regular, gentle, deliberate exercise; stop before fatigue; favors one-hour outdoor walks with friends over intense gym workouts; should be moderate, continuous, with enjoyable goals.

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Overload & Frequency

• 2–3 days/week
• Volume vs intensity must be managed
• Avoid prolonged eccentric/trauma
• “The effectiveness of any load depends on the condition of the muscle at the time the load is applied.” – Bryan Haycock

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Breathing / Form

• Nose breathing as fatigue gauge
• Maintain tongue posture
• Slow, controlled lifting (no momentum; longer TUT)
• Check asymmetries (“trauma patterns”)

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Mind–Muscle Connection

• Visualize workouts
• Flex in mirror
• “No weight” mental training can still cause growth
• Kinesthetic control → direct stimulation signals

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Minimal Stimulation Needed

• High-metabolism diet → minimal inflammation/stress → anabolism more default
• Muscles “itch” when needing activation
• Feel for correct reps/resistance instead of counting

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Other Activities

• Walking, rucking, dancing, chopping wood
• Making love, wrestling, gardening
• “Gym focus needs scrutiny”

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Cardio

• No formal cardio
• Running/cycling on treadmill/stationary bike
• Cardio = incidental
  • Beach swims
  • Hikes/Rucking
  • Roaming cities/marinas
  • Lindy walks
  • Wind sprints

Fueling principles

Eating Guidelines

• Pro-metabolic diet = Minimal inflammation/stress, anabolism is default
• Pre-workout: egg yolks + yogurt 1h before, honey right before
• Post-workout: chocolate milk
• Avoid tryptophan excess (reduce serotonin)
  • Don't main muscle meats without adequate gelatin
• Avoid combining starchy carbs with PUFA fats
• Avoid fasting
• Maintain high Ca:P ratio
• Eat nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest foods
  • Milk, fruit, gelatin, seafood, liver, eggs
• Use food to recover, not willpower

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Fueling Calculator

Input: BW, activity level, fat %, goal

Outputs:

• Maintenance calories
• Carb/protein/fat distribution (e.g., 80/15/5 template in the fat-loss section)
• Milk/juice/gelatin targets
• Mineral targets (Ca, Na, K, Mg)

(Maybe build an actual calculator)

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Recovery principles

• Sleep emphasized
• Avoid stress buildup
• Prevent glycolytic exhaustion
• Warm body temp = good metabolic function
• Cold hands/feet = metabolism tanking → add milk/juice
• Stop workouts before fatigue

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Red flags

• Feeling hungry all day
• Feeling cold (hands/feet)
• Excessive sweating + stress
• High prolactin (B6 deficiency during training spikes prolactin)
• Fatigue from nose-breathing test
• Crash dieting
• Training fasted
• Overtraining with endurance work

Muscle gain

"The effectiveness of any load depends on the condition of the muscle at the time to load is applied." - Bryan Haycock

• Train like a sprinter
• Preserve muscle to support fat loss
• Low-carb undermines thyroid and metabolism
• Avoid PUFAs (interfere with digestion and enzymes)
• Build muscle to raise metabolism
• Back training emphasized (posture, V-shape, metabolic demand)

  

  Fig. 1 Relative telomere length of master sprint athletes and age-matched non-athletes. effect size (Cohen’s d). Data expressed as mean ± SD.

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Supplements

Taurine	Improves protein utilization, increases anabolic hormones (LH, testosterone, thyroid hormone), stimulates muscle protein synthesis, reduces cortisol (directly catabolic)
Creatine	Supports ATP production, improves strength and lean mass, buffers lactic acid, reduces myostatin (inhibits muscle growth)
HMB	Anti-catabolic leucine metabolite that reduces muscle breakdown, supports recovery, preserves lean mass during caloric deficits or stress, improves nitrogen retention, supports mitochondrial function
Vitamin D3 + K2	Supports testosterone synthesis, calcium metabolism (important for muscular contraction), reduces inflammation, improves insulin sensitivity, supports bone strength and muscular function
Aspirin (low dose)	Lowers systemic inflammation and prostaglandin production (catabolic mediators), supports thyroid function, reduces muscle breakdown via COX inhibition, protective against excessive stress response
Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)	Increases NAD+ and mitochondrial respiration, anti-lipolytic (preserves glucose for energy use), reduces cortisol and free fatty acids
Vitamin B6	Avoid prolactin spike during exercise
Vitamin E	Protects against PUFA-induced oxidative stress, supports testosterone and pituitary function, enhances recovery, reduces muscle damage and inflammation after training
Gelatin / Collagen	Provides glycine and proline (supportive amino acids for tendon, ligament, and connective tissue recovery), anti-inflammatory, balances methionine intake from muscle meats, supports thyroid and liver detoxification
Redbull//Coffee	Great pre-workout
Choccy milk	Post-workout recovery

Haidut raising Testosterone stack

For achieving >1500 ng/dL testosterone via supplements (1-month experiment).

Diet: Normal high-protein, high-sugar. Not healthy; purely experimental.

Warning: Not for bodybuilders/athletes obsessing over raising T, Ray implicates excessive T in diseases (e.g., ALS).

Supplements (divided doses):

• 150g taurine/day
• 6-7g aspirin
• 2,500mg mixed tocopherols
• 45mg vitamin K2 (menaquinone)
• 30mg zinc
• 10mg B6
• 1,500mg thiamine
• BCAA (dose unspecified)
• Tyrosine: 1,500mg per BCAA dose
• Caffeine: 200-400mg
• Niacinamide

Plans

Novice (2–3×/week)

• Concentric-dominant compounds (push, pull, squat/hinge)
• Slow tempo, no momentum, stop before fatigue
• Add 30–60 daily minutes of pleasurable walking

Intermediate

• Add sled pushes, uphill walking
• Moderate load increases
• Emphasize technique and mind-muscle awareness
• Track body temp/pulse

Garage/Home Options

• Dumbbell pullover (ribcage expansion, Landshark approved)

• Bodyweight squats
• Bands for concentric work
• Slow push-ups, rows
• Sled pull (homemade)
• Walking inclines outdoors

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Equipment

• Glass bottle

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Weight loss

Ray quotes

"Q: What would you do to lose 50-60 lbs?

Peat: First stop eating for a while, then go on a low fat milk and cheese diet, with a little bit of orange juice and an occasional egg and oyster. Calcium and vitamin D are supportive of the thyroid hormone."

"On a 1000 calorie short term diet:

It isn't good for your health, but if you have to lose weight. Keeping the minerals up is very important. Calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium are very protective against too much of the stress reaction."

"What should be the focus if a person is gaining weight?

"Not to eat too many calories first and then to gradually shift towards a lower fat intake, whatever keeps your temperature up without having an excess of calories."

"Sucrose itself, some experiments show that you can increase the metabolic rate by 20% just with sucrose. And so when you do it just right, sugar is a very powerful weight loss instrument."

"As your ability to burn fat decreases with your falling thyroid, the cortisol eats up your skeletal muscles that burn fat, and so the unburned fat gets laid down in your trunk and neck and face area."

"I saw people lose weight stably when they had the habit of eating large amounts of tortilla chips fried in coconut oil, but those chips disappeared when their producers were pressured into switching to other oils"

"The anti-obesity effect of coconut oil is clear in all of the animal studies, and in my friends who eat it regularly"

"If a person really wants to concentrate on losing weight, using milk as their main protein, milk and gelatin are the most favorable for weight loss, partly because the milk comes with such a generous supply of calcium, and calcium powerfully stimulates the metabolic rate."

"Q: What about weight loss for women who are in the menopause if they lose that weight do they then poison themselves with estrogen as it comes out of the cells?

Peat: "Just temporarily but it's better to get rid of it than have it local."

"So even as a matter of weight gain, the worst fats for gaining weight are the polyunsaturated vegetable oil fats. The saturated fats don't stimulate weight gain to the same degree."

""One thing that often surprises people who want to lose weight is that milk drinkers as a group are the least likely to be fat... Calcium itself is a major factor in preventing the inflammation process which is important in turning on the fat storage."

"Q: So you're okay with cow dairy?

Peat: "Thats the best practical major protein because of the very high calcium ratio to phosphate."

"The starch isn't quite as stimulating to the metabolic rate as sugar. So the things that I chronically mention in connection with a therapeutic diet happen to be ideal for a weight-loss diet, low-fat milk and orange juice."

"On a water fast for 10 days, they found that 80% or more of their weight loss came from destruction of their muscle and skin mass. But if they had a 500-600 calorie diet with adequate minerals, almost all of the weightloss was in the form of fat loss rather than muscle"

"On adding ~200 calories of coconut oil a day:

"[My weight] had been steady at 185 pounds for 25 years, but over a period of six months it dropped to about 175 pounds. I found that eating more coconut oil lowered my weight another few pounds, and eating less caused it to increase"

"An increased intake of calcium is the single most important nutritional thing for losing weight."

"If you lose too fast, that is going to cause damage by oxidative decomposition of the unsaturated fats as they're being oxidized at a higher rate. So I think slow weight loss is the best thing. And having enough protein and minerals in your diet during weight loss can make a tremendous difference in the amount of stress."

Diet

“The ratio of calcium to phosphate is very important; that’s why milk and cheese are so valuable for weight loss, or for preventing weight gain. For people who aren’t very active, low fat milk and cheese are better, because the extra fat calories aren’t needed.” - Ray Peat

Macros

• High carb, low fat, moderate protein
• 80% carbs / 15% protein / 5% fat

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Slow Fat Loss

• Don’t lose fat too quickly
• Rapid loss releases stored toxins → liver overload → metabolic crash
• Aim for 6–12+ months

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Activity for Fat Loss

• Walking uphill/stairs (burns more calories than running, less stress, no equipment)
• Strength training as main stressor
• Add walks (30 min/day) if desired

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Do

• Eat enough food to feel satisfied, not stuffed.
• Maintain High Ca:P ratio
• Nutrient dense foods only
• Slight calorie restriction by lowering fat and maybe starch intake
• Focus on easy-to-digest foods rich in nutrients (milk, fruit, gelatin, seafood, liver, eggs, etc.  - typical Peat staples).
• Get sunlight, good sleep, and spend time with supportive people.
• Use stress wisely
• Let your main stressor be training (resistance work, moderate cardio, walking).
• Avoid piling on unnecessary stress (long fasts, excessive cardio, under-eating).
• Train sustainably, increasep physical activity outside of the gym too
• Strength training as the main stress input.
• Add manageable cardio (e.g., 30-min walks) if desired.
• Gradually increase volume/intensity, not all at once.
• Go slow
• Aim for fat loss over 6–12 months (or more).
• Use how you feel and the mirror as guides rather than daily weigh-ins.
• Focus on easy-to-digest foods rich in nutrients (milk, fruit, gelatin, seafood, liver, eggs, etc.)
• Stay metabolically supportive
• Ensure minerals, vitamins (especially vitamin D), and adequate protein.
• Keep body temperature, pulse, and energy levels as signs metabolism is supported.
• Use food to recover after training instead of relying only on willpower.

Don’t

• Crash dieting (T3 plummets, metabolic rate downregulates, famine response)
• Keto/fasting (raises stress, hair loss, burns muscle too)
• Extreme cardio
• Chronic stress lifestyle
• Obsessive calorie counting
• Expecting quick fixes (3 months ≠ undo 10 years)

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Core Principle

Always balance stress with nourishment.

Core Principle: Restrict calories without slowing metabolism. Maintain OMAD (one big meal at day's end, protein-focused macros). Avoid feeling hungry (day or night).

Hunger Management: Consume quick calories on hunger cues:

• Cup of juice
• Cup of skim milk
• Sugary creamy coffee w/ coconut oil
• Raw egg w/ milk + maple

By OMAD, significant calories ingested but minimally felt.

Caveat: If fewer calories consumed (sans fasting damage) yield no weight loss, intensify Peating to address root causes (estrogen, stress, gut issues, thyroid). Prioritize body repair over weight loss—natural loss likely follows. Temporary weight gain possible during experimentation.

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Hunger & Satiety

• Never “feel hungry” all day
• If always full → “Peating too hard” → reduce fat/snacking
• If cold hands/feet→ eat more milk/juice

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