To me, Occam’s represented the perfect balance of resistance training and time commitment, in other words it seemed like something I could stick with for a long time.

And it has been, I have been using Occam’s protocol as the foundation of my weight training program for the last 3 years.

Occam’s protocol has been overshadowed by the 4-Hour Body Slow Carb diet and often gets completely overlooked.

Yet, they should be approached as a team. Although Tim claims that everyone can have success with slow carb without the addition of exercise, in my experience working with literally 100’s of patients over the past 3 years this has proven not to be the case.

The slow carb diet can be improved exponentially with the addition of an effective Occam’s protocol routine.

But Occam’s is Complicated!

Occam’s protocol seems complicated but once you have determined your starting weights it is really very straight forward.

Tim created some confusion in the 4-Hour Body with the addition of an overly complex “adding muscle” section that produced a bit of overlap among his various workout routines. This is most noticeable with his “geek to freak” protocol which is difficult to follow and shares many of the same ideas as Occam’s Protocol.

Given the rather complex mix of supplements that Tim recommends throughout the book, the entire adding muscle section can become a red-hot confusing mess.

You can see my simplified breakdown of 4-Hour Body Protocols here.

Occam’s protocol may thus appear to be a hard corp routine designed solely for professional bodybuilders looking to get “buffed” when in reality, it is an extremely simple routine that just about anybody could do.

It is incredibly effective for women who are looking to tone and tighten and it is equally effective for men who may want big arms and 6 pack abs. It can even be an extremely effective workout for seniors.

Occam’s protocol is backed by hard science. The slow, systematic core body movements that we see in Occam’s is what was behind Arthur Jones and Nautilus which he had been trying to convince people of since the 1960’s. Not surprisingly even in 2014 very few people want to listen.

Simplicity is Sexy

Occam’s can have many iterations, in my opinion it is best when broken down into 5 basic movements that are simple to perform and train every single muscle in the body in under 20 minutes.

This simple routine takes the best of what science and research has to offer and is effectively designed to maximize time under tension and eliminate time in gym (TIG).

In my opinion “time in gym” (TIG) should always be set to the Minimum Effective Dose (MED). Not that TIG is necessarily a bad thing, but there are better uses of your time. Like carving out your niche and building your passive income stream.

The Slow Carb Diet and Occam’s Protocol – Like “Peas and Carrots”

The slow carb diet is designed to optimize your body’s hormone levels for fat loss and in doing so it will optimize your body for muscle hypertrophy in the presence of effective weight training.

By adding weight training to the slow carb diet you will increase your bodies basic metabolic rate and further optimize your insulin levels (weight training will make you more insulin sensitive for up to 15 hours after a single workout) so will having a 15 minute orgasm. Or so I tell my wife.

You do not need to get caught up in the various supplement protocols that plague the 4-Hour Body.  Although PAGG has been slightly better than placebo in my “trials” the evidence of long-term efficacy here is lacking.

If you are doing slow carb you may consider the addition of Occam’s protocol with something incredibly simple such as PAGG and then consider a “5 a day” meal plan that includes supplemental shakes.

A sample could look like this:

1. Breakfast
2. Snack – Shake
3. Lunch
4. Snack – Shake (post workout)
5. Dinner

My favorite shake currently is a wonderful (yet a bit on the pricey side) nutritional product called Vega One. It has a healthy dose of omega 3 fatty acids, additional probiotics and just happens to be dairy, soy and gluten free. It is a great post workout shake or mid-day snack. It can work very well with the Slow Carb Diet.

An Effective Occam’s Routine

If you are following the slow carb diet and have not yet given Occam’s a gander now is the time.

The routine is not nearly as difficult as the book makes it seem and can be done very effectively as 6 simple exercise.

1. Incline Press
2. Leg Press
3. Seated Row
4. Shoulder Press
5. Lat Pull Down
6. Six Minute Abs

I created an Occam’s 8 routine a while back although I don’t feel the K-Bell swings are truly necessary. You could perform K-bell swings once mid week if you like, but you don’t need to. I think the modified six exercise approach above is perfectly enough.

• This entire workout takes less than 20 minutes.
• You must read the Occam’s section in the book to understand the fundamentals of finding starting weights, this is essential.

Like 4HWW Finances, and The Slow Sarb Diet – Automation is Everything

• Start with 5 Rules of eating and nail this down over the first month.
• After 30 days add in Occam’s protocol at least once weekly using the 5 resistance exercises I mentioned above plus the six minute ab’s workout seen in The 4-Hour Body.
• Add in some cardio that you enjoy a couple times a week for good measure. This could be anything, just make sure it is something you enjoy.

That is all you need to stay healthy for life. It really is that easy.

• The Slow carb diet is extremely simple to follow.
• Occam’s Protocol can be done effectively once per week for 20 minutes, you can add in a second day if you like.

In combination with a 4-Hour Workweek you should be all set to escape the 9-5, live anywhere and join the new rich, while enjoying a healthy and vibrant 4-Hour Body!

Until next time…

– Stephen

It also has little in the form of efficacy data to justify the added expense. The truth is, the slow carb diet alone is probably more than enough to stimulate the kind of long-term noticeable weight control you desire.

That being said, I have read enough anecdotal evidence to recommend a 3-4 month trial while initiating the slow carb diet.

In 2013 you have several reasonable options.

Below is a cost analysis of  the three most popular PAGG/AGG supplement combinations on the market.  We are going to look specifically at a 3-4 month supplement plan.

Which of these options fulfills the combination of low price and ease of use?

Lets look again at the recommended dosing of PAGG:

Daily PAGG intake is timed before meals and bed, which produces a schedule like this: (AGG is simply PAGG minus policosanol)

• Prior to breakfast: AGG
• Prior to lunch: AGG
• Prior to dinner: AGG
• Prior to bed: PAG (omit the green tea extract)

This dosing schedule is followed six days a week. Take one day off each week and one week off every two months

PAGG on AMAZON: $62 per month

I have always assumed that it was cheaper to buy my PAGG combo online as separate components through Amazon.

Not only is this a false assumption, but the amount of work it takes to correctly dose the individual components makes any cost savings you could have (if you are a hard corps deal finder) negligible.

Let’s take a look: Here is the pre-assembled PAGG pack based on the 4 Hour Body and Tim’s recommendations (Amazon.com).

PAGG	Daily Dose	Total Cost for 3 month supply
Policosanol 20mg vcaps $40 for 90 caps.	One tablet per day. Take one tablet prior to bed.	One bottle is good for 90 days. Total Cost for 3 month supply: $40
Source Naturals Alpha Lipoic Acid 300mg. $18 for 120 tablets.	Four tablets per day. Take one 300 mg 3 times a day prior to each meal and then one table prior to bed.	Must purchase 3 bottles to make a 3 months supply. Total Cost for 3 month supply: $54
Life Extension Decaffeinated Mega Green Tea Extract $17 for  100 tablets.	Three tablets per day.  Take one tablet 3 times a day prior to each meal but DO NOT TAKE PRIOR TO BED.	You will have to purchase 3 bottles to complete the 3 months supply. And you will 30 tabs left over. Total Cost for 3 month supply: $60
Nature’s Way Garlicin, $16 for 180 Tablets.	Four tablets per day.  Take one table 3 times a day prior to each meal and then one tablet before bed.	You will need to purchase 2 bottles to complete 3 months. Total Cost for 3 month supply: $32
	Total Cost for 3 Months of PAGG through Amazon	$186
7 Day x 4 Large Capacity Pill Box $17′	This is must have purchase if you want to stick with your PAGG plan.

Note: The cost above is based on daily dosing. If you follow the regimen as Tim recommends it is actually a bit cheaper. You will have roughly 19 days worth of PAGG left over after 3 months. So the $186 actually buys 3 months and 19 days worth of supplement.

You will also need a vitamin box to organize your supplies. It is  a lot to keep track of!

PAGG NewHealth Solutions (BEST BUY) $49 per month

I was extremely surprised to see that New Health Solutions PAGG is The Best Deal.

There is no option for a 3 month supply but I give them a nod for creative marketing. You basically get a 4 month supply for less than what you would pay for 3 months from both Pareto and Amazon.com.

It comes pre-bottled and involves much less thinking which means you are more likely to take it as directed.

You can purchase directly from New Health Solutions on their web site. It is also available for sale at GNC.

PAGG From Pareto $65 per month

$92	$152	$195

Pareto has been around since day one of the 4 Hour Body launch and they have done the most marketing.

They were also the first company to offer affiliate commissions to online sellers. For this reason many of the 4 Hour Body bloggers post their banner ads (as have I) and have offered their product.

They have good customer service and seem reputable.  They also have sexy bottles, that remind me of the matrix!

They are a more expensive option, but given the ease of use it may be worth the extra cost. Priced at $65 a month for a 3 month supply.

If you are ordering outside the US this may be a good option. You can purchase online directly from Pareto.

There are some other options available online as well, but I would probably stick with one of these two.

Let us know in the comments section if you have found an amazing deal or had noticeable results with a particular PAGG product!

Resources:

1. Best Buy: New Health Solutions
2. Ships internationally and good customer service: PAGG/AGG from Pareto
3. Amazon.com: Free and fast shipping, can purchase individual components

When it comes to just about everything for sale now a days I am a skeptic. I think you should be to!

Being a skeptic is extremely important. Especially when it comes to your health… and your wallet.

As a health care provider I have always prided myself on staying up to date with the latest recommendations based on high quality evidence. But, over the last several years big Pharma has proven to be untrustworthy. Prompting me to withhold my recommendations of newer (often more costly) drugs until they have had time to prove efficacy without the side effects.

I see a lot of people selling PAGG, in fact it is a prominent banner on just about every single 4 Hour Body website out there.

But has anybody actually tried it? Tested it? And if so for an extended period of time?

I have been hard pressed to find anybody with data on it’s efficacy, especially given the high cost:

Per month: $60 for PAGG by New Health Solutions and $92 for PAGG by Pareto Nutrition. Yes that is over $720 for the most inexpensive 1 year supply. Compare that to over the counter (OTC) Alli which is about $60 for a 3 month supply.

A quick note on Alli (because I can’t stop myself):

“The problems with these drugs goes deeper than reported: The entire concept of blocking fat absorption belies the truth that “fat does not cause obesity” and “good fats are necessary” for proper cell membrane functioning  (or all of life, all organ systems, all chronic diseases, all health).

I can’t count the number of times I hear from patients that they are trying to reduce their fat intake.  A mistake promulgated by the Media, Medicine and Pharma. These drugs block the absorption of ALL fats (good and bad) and fat soluble nutrients (like ACEDK, and flavonoids)…We need to ask ourselves: Can we really mess with digestion/absorption of nutrients in a way that doesn’t have long-term, negative consequences. The answer is No!

What we have found with most OTC weight loss supplements and prescription supplements as well, is that they are often effective only while you are taking them. This is one reason I am very hesitant to recommend them to my patients. I suspect that PAGG may be the same.

I was excited when Tyler from New Health Solutions who is the VP of Sales and Marketing recently sent me a 2 month supply of PAGG for free. I have written a lot about the components of PAGG but was excited to actually test the product and see if it could really work as Tim has proposed in the 4 Hour Body.

So last week Jennifer from our 4 Hour Body Challenge agreed to be my “guinea pig”!

I actually began by taking the supplements myself for 2 weeks, but I wanted to use this in somebody I felt could get more out of it, who had hit a plateau and  had over 30 lbs. to lose.

Jennifer has lost 100 lbs. and is looking to lose that last 30. What better than a little bit of PAGG?

On February 7’th we began our first test of PAGG and it’s efficacy over 2 months for stimulating weight loss and overcoming the plateau effect.

To make it even more interesting Jennifer will also be testing her blood sugars both in the AM and then 2 hours after her biggest meal of the day to see if the AGG has effects on her blood sugars.

We also will be comparing various laboratory blood tests both before and after to see if their is any noticeable difference. I am interested to see the Policosanol’s effect on her fasting blood lipid levels.  I speculate a 2 month testing period may not be enough to see a difference.

This of course is not a controlled study and there are a million outside effects that may skew our data… Which I will discuss when I present our results.  But either way it will be interesting to see if this stuff actually works.

Once again I want to thank Tyler who is aware of our “study” for the free PAGG and willingness to stand behind his product. That is rare now-a-day’s and I respect that.