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quickly losing 5-7 pounds w/o loss of strength?

post #1 of 25
8/2/09 at 2:31am
Thread Starter 
Hey guys,
I've bulked from 153 to 165 this summer (starting strength + lots of food). I'd like to cut 5-7 pounds bodyfat in the next month or so. Losing weight is pretty easy for me, but I'd like to do so without totally ruining my strength/muscle size gains.

I was thinking I'd eat at my BMR or a little lower (1700-2000 cals/day) and keep lifting, but cut the increments at which I add weight to lifts by 50% in order to account for the decrease in caloric intake. Should that do the trick?

Thanks,
wmmk
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post #2 of 25
8/2/09 at 4:00am
Colon cleanse?
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post #3 of 25
8/2/09 at 6:13am
I'm not sure what real fitness people would say, but why artificially alter the rate at which you add weight? If you plateau, you plateau. No reason to slow the climb.
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post #4 of 25
8/2/09 at 9:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wmmk View Post
Hey guys,
I've bulked from 153 to 165 this summer (starting strength + lots of food). I'd like to cut 5-7 pounds bodyfat in the next month or so. Losing weight is pretty easy for me, but I'd like to do so without totally ruining my strength/muscle size gains.

I was thinking I'd eat at my BMR or a little lower (1700-2000 cals/day) and keep lifting, but cut the increments at which I add weight to lifts by 50% in order to account for the decrease in caloric intake. Should that do the trick?

Thanks,
wmmk

Go for it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by db_ggmm View Post
I'm not sure what real fitness people would say, but why artificially alter the rate at which you add weight? If you plateau, you plateau. No reason to slow the climb.

Linearly that works, but I could also ask the inverse: why induce a plateau when steady progression will avoid one?

This is essentially just an issue with fatigue. Most people tend to try too hard when they start lifting and never really see any gains as a result. It's always better to undertrain than overtrain, since fatigue tends to accumulate exponentially and strength gains don't.
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post #5 of 25
8/2/09 at 9:39am
In my opinion you should keep bulking. Try and add lean muscle mass, as opposed to muscle and fat, which will naturally decrease your bodyfat percentage (obviously the same absolute amt of fat will remain, but in relative terms will be lower).
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post #6 of 25
8/2/09 at 10:56am
When I cut I rarely lose strength. It's mass that is really the issue on the cut for obvious reasons. But assuming you cut properly you shouldn't see a strength drop off.
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post #7 of 25
8/3/09 at 4:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by why View Post
Linearly that works, but I could also ask the inverse: why induce a plateau when steady progression will avoid one?

This is essentially just an issue with fatigue. Most people tend to try too hard when they start lifting and never really see any gains as a result. It's always better to overtrain than undertrain, since fatigue tends to accumulate exponentially and strength gains don't.

Did you mean "It is better to to undertrain rather than overtrain" as opposed to what is written?
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post #8 of 25
8/3/09 at 7:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by db_ggmm View Post
Did you mean "It is better to to undertrain rather than overtrain" as opposed to what is written?

Oops, yep.
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post #9 of 25
8/3/09 at 5:35pm
Thread Starter 
Cool, thanks guys. It sounds like getting down to 160 shouldn't be too hard, but I don't really know where to go from there. What would be the best way to keep gaining strength & muscular size without putting the bodyfat right back on?
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post #10 of 25
8/3/09 at 5:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wmmk View Post
Cool, thanks guys. It sounds like getting down to 160 shouldn't be too hard, but I don't really know where to go from there. What would be the best way to keep gaining strength & muscular size without putting the bodyfat right back on?

Strength is doable, while size really isn't. The best way is juice, but that's not an option for a lot of people.

Just keep your strength up and getting big is easy. People that have a base of strength and athleticism can lose and gain weight easily.
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post #11 of 25
8/3/09 at 6:19pm
Couldn't you just cut out a few hundred calories from your daily intake to reduce to the amount of fat you put on? Fat is just your body's way of holding on to surplus energy isn't it?*

*I realize that I'm probably missing something here, so I'm not dishing out advice- just asking a question.
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post #12 of 25
8/3/09 at 8:12pm
Here's the thing. You're doing Stronglifts, right? Re-read it. The dude clearly says - keep eating, keep lifting. You're making it complicated when you shouldn't. Dude also says if you get stronger, you get bigger. There's not a lot to it. That doesn't mean you'll be the same size as a guy who lifts the exact same max's, but it does mean if your max goes up, your size will, too.

If you want to lose 5 lbs over 3 weeks, keep working hard and eat less. You won't lose any weight, actually, you'll just lose the love handles and you'll be stronger. That's what you want, right? Or are you done getting stronger?



With that said, I am beginning to fear over training more. I eat what I can, but I am catching an injury every couple weeks it seems. A pulled muscle, a stitch in my neck, a sore knee. It's getting harder to keep my weight up and I am wondering if it's causing me injuries. Lack of sleep on days that I work (12 hr shifts) appear to have definitely caused an injury or two, so I stopped working out on work days (3 work days per week).

So, 'why' - this letter is to you using your M.O. of dissenting opinion. What do you think wmmk and I should do?
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post #13 of 25
8/3/09 at 8:37pm
Wmmk,

You need to put your body in a state of ketosis. High protein and low carbs. Very low carbs.
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post #14 of 25
8/3/09 at 8:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BWB View Post
Wmmk,

You need to put your body in a state of ketosis. High protein and low carbs. Very low carbs.

Given your other thread I really don't think you're in a position to be giving anyone advice.

Then again, it's no worse than half the shit - scratch that, most of the shit - that's spewed around here.
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post #15 of 25
8/3/09 at 8:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by db_ggmm View Post
So, 'why' - this letter is to you using your M.O. of dissenting opinion. What do you think wmmk and I should do?
Constant injuries means overtraining. Drop workout volume for a week or two and come back. Overtraining (and especially injuries) take longer to come back from than a slight loss in strength. Connective tissue, bone, and everything in the body is affected by the body's daily experiences and stressors. Training is not about muscle size and getting laid, it's about bodily systems and how working out affects them. Think about it this way -- 5lbs. off your squat takes a week to put back on. A pulled hamstring takes two months. A ruptured disc could take forever.
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