Experimenting with a different approach too Skiploading.

[Shred]

Hello all, this is my first post on IntenseMuscle, I've been lurking on here for quite some time now and decided to get part of the community. Want to thank you all for the amazing information here, and you all have expanded my knowledge tremendously reading through the forums. My stats as of right now, 20 years old, 5' 11", 200lbs, around 13 percent bodyfat (i'll have photos below), 6 years of training. Training style P/P/L with a rest day in between each full cycle. Goal is to drop from %13 to around %7~8. Anyways with that aside, I've been dieting down the past few weeks. Currently doing a keto/low-carb diet on 2,300 cals. I have had great success with Skiploading, and find it to be an amazing way to stick to your plan and keep progressing week to week. Originally I was planning on keeping a (8 Hour load) once a week. Making this a CKD style diet. My question is, would it be possible to do a "Mini Skipload" every 4 days for say (3 Hours). Instead of a traditional once a week Skipload. My reasoning behind this is by the time my second cycle of P/P/L come around I'm beyond depleted, and workouts suffer. Obviously from low-carbs... but curious if it will work just as good as a once a week Skipload. I feel every 4 days will allow me to smash that cycle of P/P/L and i'll for sure be depleted by the time legs come around. Anyways curious if anyone has approached this style, and if it would even work? Thanks in advance!

These are some recent photos I have.

Front:
front.jpg

Back:
back.jpg

[Kaaha]

basically no one dares to answer this question except skip so i will just wait here until the master comes , but i am telling you it requires a lot more input than what you put, how is your weight pattern after the load, how much are you losing during the week of the load weight and when are you back to baseline, what is your progress like weight-loss wise, etc.

[Ken Skip Hill]

basically no one dares to answer this question except skip so i will just wait here until the master comes , but i am telling you it requires a lot more input than what you put, how is your weight pattern after the load, how much are you losing during the week of the load weight and when are you back to baseline, what is your progress like weight-loss wise, etc.

lol @ "no one dares to answer..."

Let's just say that I have done skiploads every single way possible in the last 20 years (19 to be precise, I guess). I absolutely have experimented with smaller skiploads closer together not just with myself but even with clients and it has not been as effective. However, that doesn't mean that it won't be for you. You would have to try it and see how it works.

The main reason that I found that it doesn't work as well is if the load is smaller, there isn't as much fullness gained so the workouts don't get the surge of "productivity" that most people get from once per week. It typically takes about 3 or 4 days to baseline after a skipload for most people and that is where the workouts benefit the most. After that, you are going flat again and those workouts are not as productive (though still productive but just not as much).

You also run into the potential to lower insulin sensitivity when the loads are closer together, too. Going once per week, the body tends to be able to stay relatively sensitive and the loads are more productive.

What I would recommend if staying with the once per week loading is to do your heavier workouts early in the week and faster, not as heavy sessions later in the week while more depleted. This is actually what I do right now and it works great. That way, I can put up top weights when I'm still full and then not have to train as heavy as I get depleted.

However, as stated before, there are a lot of variables that I don't know about you and wouldn't dig into unless I was working directly with you. About the only time that I have seen more frequent skiploads work is when you simply can't load longer than a full day and you are baselining in only a couple of days. In a situation like that, then a smaller skipload might help BUT... it could be argued that if you are baselining that fast after a full day load, your regular diet is too low in calories. I would actually check your diet calories and make sure that you aren't too low before I would recommend trying to load more frequently.

Keep in mind that when you're in a cutting phase, your workouts aren't going to be skin splitting because to get lean you have to be in a deficit. If you are in a deficit, you can't be full all of the time. Being flat is a necessary evil to getting really lean.

And I don't know where you came up with 13% but those pics don't look like 13%. You appear much leaner, visually, than 13%.

Skip

[doug1]

Looking great Shred! Single digit BF levels.

[Shred]

lol @ "no one dares to answer..."

Let's just say that I have done skiploads every single way possible in the last 20 years (19 to be precise, I guess). I absolutely have experimented with smaller skiploads closer together not just with myself but even with clients and it has not been as effective. However, that doesn't mean that it won't be for you. You would have to try it and see how it works.

The main reason that I found that it doesn't work as well is if the load is smaller, there isn't as much fullness gained so the workouts don't get the surge of "productivity" that most people get from once per week. It typically takes about 3 or 4 days to baseline after a skipload for most people and that is where the workouts benefit the most. After that, you are going flat again and those workouts are not as productive (though still productive but just not as much).

You also run into the potential to lower insulin sensitivity when the loads are closer together, too. Going once per week, the body tends to be able to stay relatively sensitive and the loads are more productive.

What I would recommend if staying with the once per week loading is to do your heavier workouts early in the week and faster, not as heavy sessions later in the week while more depleted. This is actually what I do right now and it works great. That way, I can put up top weights when I'm still full and then not have to train as heavy as I get depleted.

However, as stated before, there are a lot of variables that I don't know about you and wouldn't dig into unless I was working directly with you. About the only time that I have seen more frequent skiploads work is when you simply can't load longer than a full day and you are baselining in only a couple of days. In a situation like that, then a smaller skipload might help BUT... it could be argued that if you are baselining that fast after a full day load, your regular diet is too low in calories. I would actually check your diet calories and make sure that you aren't too low before I would recommend trying to load more frequently.

Keep in mind that when you're in a cutting phase, your workouts aren't going to be skin splitting because to get lean you have to be in a deficit. If you are in a deficit, you can't be full all of the time. Being flat is a necessary evil to getting really lean.

And I don't know where you came up with 13% but those pics don't look like 13%. You appear much leaner, visually, than 13%.

Skip

Thanks Skip for the response! You actually have some really valid points on why the once a week would fit better. I’ll just stick with that approach then, even though maybe once I’m closer we’re I want to be, I may experiment for the heck of it. Also glad you mentioned going lighter on the second round of P/P/L, I feel that would be a smarter approach. I always try to kill myself the second go around, and feel like a pancake that wants to shrivel up and rot. Also to answer your question on how fast I baseline, it’s usually 3-4 days with a larger skipload. Usually then 1.5-2 pounds drop before load. Anyways what I had theorized, is that a smaller load would result in a faster baseline. Then again you made very valid points on insulin sensitivity, and also not gaining the fullness one would want. So it’d could be counter productive to do them that often, then again it’ll make a great experiment down the line. Also for the BF percentage, I like to be a little hard on myself on it. Can’t tell you the amount of people say “Ya I’m blah blah %12 body fat” and we look at the photos. Damn near %18-20 on a good day haha. Anyways thanks again for taking the time out to respond, looking forward to following weeks, and also eventually giving this excitement a go!

[Ken Skip Hill]

Thanks Skip for the response! You actually have some really valid points on why the once a week would fit better. I’ll just stick with that approach then, even though maybe once I’m closer we’re I want to be, I may experiment for the heck of it. Also glad you mentioned going lighter on the second round of P/P/L, I feel that would be a smarter approach. I always try to kill myself the second go around, and feel like a pancake that wants to shrivel up and rot. Also to answer your question on how fast I baseline, it’s usually 3-4 days with a larger skipload. Usually then 1.5-2 pounds drop before load. Anyways what I had theorized, is that a smaller load would result in a faster baseline. Then again you made very valid points on insulin sensitivity, and also not gaining the fullness one would want. So it’d could be counter productive to do them that often, then again it’ll make a great experiment down the line. Also for the BF percentage, I like to be a little hard on myself on it. Can’t tell you the amount of people say “Ya I’m blah blah %12 body fat” and we look at the photos. Damn near %18-20 on a good day haha. Anyways thanks again for taking the time out to respond, looking forward to following weeks, and also eventually giving this excitement a go!

I am not usually a fan of 20-year olds but you seem wise beyond your years -- and respectful.

Keep me updated on your progress.


Skip