Powerlifting while Fasting

I’ve religiously been intermittent fasting the last 2+ years (no breakfast and lunch, only dinner) with great success. A new level of energy, focus, and strength has been unlocked within myself.

Also a new discovery:

I’m actually stronger when powerlifting and in a fasted state.

Why is this so? My theory:

My theory is that when you’re in a fasted state, your muscles are sharper, more keen, and more ready to twitch and attack.

For example, there is a good reason why Arab falconeers keep their falcons always a bit hungry before they go hunting. Why? If the falcons are well fed, what motive do they have to go and hunt? It is the hunger which motivates them to hunt!

We humans are no different. What motive do we have to hunt, move, or exert ourselves physically if we just had an all you can eat buffet? After gorging on food, are you motivated to move? No! You just want to take a nap! This is apparently what lions do; have a big kill (and in one sitting, eat kilograms of meat), then proceed to sleep for the next 3-4 days (until they get hungry again, and then go for another big hunt).

New PR in all my lifts while fasted

The common misconception:

Humans are automobiles who need to consume “fuel” (food) before working out.

This is false. Humans aren’t mechanic machines. We are biological beings and our human metabolism is 1000x more complex and advanced than any piece of machinery. We have fat stores which we can draw energy from, and when there is a lack of glucose in your system your body enters a state of “ketosis” in which it draws primarily upon your fat stores for energy (this is why I follow a “ketogenic diet” to maximize my fat loss, and keep my body fat percentage as low as possible).