Q: I've read Xtreme Lean, and it makes sense to gradually lose fat so that no muscle is lost. Great e-book, excellent diets. But I also have the Super-Size Crash Course that contains The 2-day intermittent fasting diet [12-hour fasts two nonconsecutive days a week]. How can I combine those? Should I use the fasting method first?

A: That's one way (there's another way coming up). You can start with one 12-hour fast day a week...

For example, eat a high-protein breakfast of about 400 calories. Then 12 hours later have a second meal with about the same amount of calories.

After three weeks, move to two intermittent-fasting days a week, say Monday (after a cheat Sunday) and Thursday.

We know what you're thinking: "Oh, no! Won't I lose muscle by not eating for 12 hours?"

NO! In fact, fasting is shown to boost anabolic hormones, like GH. And doing it short term like the above has been shown to actually increase muscle gain as you lose body fat. [Webber, J., et al. (1994). Br J Nutr.] (See Steve's pics below--he gained muscle.)

Right before the warm weather hits (now!) is the perfect time to experiment with it.

If you're really paranoid about losing an ounce of muscle, you can use the three-meal approach outlined in the Super-Size Crash Course [Chapter 8]. 

Also, you can use branched-chain amino acid capsules liberally. Remember, leucine is the anabolic amino, so BCAAs will thwart any possible muscle loss.

The reason IF works so well is because during most of those 12 hours, there are zero energy substrates in your bloodstream, so your body taps into fat reserves. You essentially retrain your body to use its stored energy (blubber).

Another way to use the 2-day iFasting method is at the END of a diet phase—to drop that last bit of fat…

When you get lean, but you're not quite ripped, drop in a day of intermittent fasting—then bump it up to two nonconsecutive days a week after two weeks or so...

Intermittent fasting once or twice a week can help pack on mass as you rip up your physique. Check out Steve's progress with it over 8 weeks—notice how much fuller his arm is and how his abs came in sharp and etched [his exact IF diet and method are outlined in Chapter 8 of the Super-Size Crash Course e-book]…

> Super-Size Crash Course—mass building workouts plus the 2-day Intermittent-fasting diet method, ONLY $10