Recomposition: Maintaining weight while losing fat
Replies
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For sure! I loved lifting from the beginning and I think a large part of that was actually seeing progress so quickly.
Yup, female. Awesome! Thanks again0 -
I've determined that doing a recomp is probably what I need. I'm at a weight where I'm reasonably comfortable (5'5", 143 lb) ... but I have a little more fat/flab than I like. This is really the top of the weight range I'm happy with though. I'm eating around 1900-2000 calories and it's just clear that I'm not going to eat less than that long term and be happy. I'm not willing to eat less, but I love exercise and I'm happy to do that.
Here's my question: Right now, I do a fair amount of exercise, but most of it is cardio-focused on the theory that I like to eat as much food as possible therefore I should burn as many calories as I reasonably can. If I start heavy lifting, the time for that is going to come by reducing other exercise - I just don't have time for more. What should I drop or reconfigure in my exercise routine to accommodate lifting? I have access to a gym at work with equipment. I have to admit I'm scared that if I drop some of the cardio workouts to add heavy lifting without reducing calories, I'm going to gain. Right now my routine is something like this:
Mon - 45-60 min HIIT Workout (FitnessBlender Website)
Tue - Jog 3 mi, walk 1 mi.
Wed - 45-60 min HIIT Workout (FitnessBlender Website)
Thur - 60 min Power Yoga
Fri - Jog 3 mi, walk 1 mi.
Sat - Something light, like a 45 minute walk with the dog. Maybe a hike or bike ride if it's nice.
Sun - 60 min Power Yoga1 -
HIIT is not as big a calorie burner as many think. At least true HIIT.
And for that length of time you mention - I'm betting this is actually a non-HIIT workout with the faddish term slapped on it to get interest.
This is probably attempting to get close to resistance training, so could be dropped.
Yoga would serve well on recovery day after lifting, as would walking and if jog isn't full effort.
To increase avg calorie burn on lifting day and the week in general (if you do TDEE method instead of MFP method), whatever time you have available (and a 3x weekly routine could be 45 min) - after lifting do a bike or run at whatever max intensity you can handle, no intervals, just max that doesn't hurt you.
That will burn the most calories to allow you to eat more on the day (or week on avg) lifting isn't burning as much.
Of course for 3 x weekly, you'll have to shift some of those days around.
If you really have that kind of time available almost daily, a 3 x weekly 2-day split (upper/lower) would allow for shorter lifting time and more other time, upper days could be yoga, lower could be that hard cardio effort to increase calories in general.7 -
@robingmurphy
Good advice (as usual) from Heybales above .
I found having a gym at work was a big factor in fitting in a heavy exercise routine into a busy life.
Lifting routine could fit quite nicely into your lunch-breaks.
Yes strength training is a low calorie burn (about the same as a brisk walk despite feeling really hard!) so if you want to compensate for the drop in calories then I would drop the interval work unless you really enjoy that kind of workout. You could get a much higher burn in the same time doing moderate to high steady state cardio.
It's a balancing act but start with planning your schedule around the activities that are the most important to you and build the rest around that in a way that compromises your performance and recovery the least.
Worth considering increasing NEAT as a way of getting a higher calorie allowance in a way that's time efficient and non-intrusive.2 -
New guy here - I have learned a lot from this article. I was just trying to get in better shape after some injuries held me back but the recomp is exactly what I'm doing - I want to maintain the same weight (after making up some lost from my initial workout re-motivation), cut fat, and increase muscle definition. I've inadvertently dropped about 10lbs so far and want to gain it back slowly while also continuing to lose fat. I'm eating very clean and really emphasizing complex carbs. I work out 5-6x per week, but mostly high intensity, 800+ cal workouts. Primarily "boot camp" type fitness classes, running, ultimate football, and mountain biking. Hiking on the weekends. Since I'm fitting all this in, I usually only do one true weightlifting session per week. My goal is 11% BF and making up some of the weight I've inadvertently lost while jumping back into it after some injuries.
30yr male, 6'2"
Current: 173lbs, 15% BF (per calipers)
6mo Goal: 185lbs, 11% BF
While I am eating clean, I'm still learning how to cook to meet macro goals. I am just not sure on what my ratios should be. What macro ratio should I shoot for? I assume I should keep fat low, near 15%; I'm just not sure what I should input for carbs vs protein. Finally, is it unrealistic to think that I can gain back 10lbs over 6mo.s while considerably dropping BF% along the way? Should I focus on one goal first, then the other?
Thanks!0 -
HIIT is not as big a calorie burner as many think. At least true HIIT.
And for that length of time you mention - I'm betting this is actually a non-HIIT workout with the faddish term slapped on it to get interest.
This is probably attempting to get close to resistance training, so could be dropped.
Yoga would serve well on recovery day after lifting, as would walking and if jog isn't full effort.
To increase avg calorie burn on lifting day and the week in general (if you do TDEE method instead of MFP method), whatever time you have available (and a 3x weekly routine could be 45 min) - after lifting do a bike or run at whatever max intensity you can handle, no intervals, just max that doesn't hurt you.
That will burn the most calories to allow you to eat more on the day (or week on avg) lifting isn't burning as much.
Of course for 3 x weekly, you'll have to shift some of those days around.
If you really have that kind of time available almost daily, a 3 x weekly 2-day split (upper/lower) would allow for shorter lifting time and more other time, upper days could be yoga, lower could be that hard cardio effort to increase calories in general.
I love fitness blender, but the HIIT workouts I’ve done are exactly what @heybales described - a trendy label and not true HIIT.
I’d call them interval or circuit workouts, usually combining body weight resistance exercises and cardio. Which I love, don’t get me wrong! But if you’re logging them as HIIT, you may be overestimating your burn. I personally find their lower estimates about line up with my Apple Watch, but that’s with a big grain of salt, especially the more a workout focuses on resistance work.3 -
Hi guys! I was wondering what bodyfat percentage is recommended before starting a recomp? I'm 5'10.5" and weigh 145 pounds, which I'm fairly certain is within my healthy weight range but based on estimations from online my bodyfat % is somewhere between 25-30%. Based on this, should I still be eating in a deficit to try and bring my percentage down before trying to recomp?
As far as fitness goes, I work from home so am pretty sedentary but I've recently started the bodyweight Strong Curves program doing either 3-4 workouts a week depending on what is happening that week (currently just using bodyweight but I plan on picking up a weight set to help with muscle growth after next payday). I'm currently aiming for a 1800 calorie, 120 protein goal, but am still kind of new at this and am unsure if I'm eating too much/too little/just enough considering my work is so sedentary.
I appreciate all thoughts and advice you have for me!2 -
rainingribbons wrote: »Hi guys! I was wondering what bodyfat percentage is recommended before starting a recomp? I'm 5'10.5" and weigh 145 pounds, which I'm fairly certain is within my healthy weight range but based on estimations from online my bodyfat % is somewhere between 25-30%. Based on this, should I still be eating in a deficit to try and bring my percentage down before trying to recomp?
As far as fitness goes, I work from home so am pretty sedentary but I've recently started the bodyweight Strong Curves program doing either 3-4 workouts a week depending on what is happening that week (currently just using bodyweight but I plan on picking up a weight set to help with muscle growth after next payday). I'm currently aiming for a 1800 calorie, 120 protein goal, but am still kind of new at this and am unsure if I'm eating too much/too little/just enough considering my work is so sedentary.
I appreciate all thoughts and advice you have for me!
I would say when you get to a weight you are comfortable maintaining. As long as you are not looking for quick/drastic results, you should be fine where you are. But then again, I may not be the best advice giver. My plan of recomp turned into a really slow bulk.
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rainingribbons wrote: »Hi guys! I was wondering what bodyfat percentage is recommended before starting a recomp? I'm 5'10.5" and weigh 145 pounds, which I'm fairly certain is within my healthy weight range but based on estimations from online my bodyfat % is somewhere between 25-30%. Based on this, should I still be eating in a deficit to try and bring my percentage down before trying to recomp?
As far as fitness goes, I work from home so am pretty sedentary but I've recently started the bodyweight Strong Curves program doing either 3-4 workouts a week depending on what is happening that week (currently just using bodyweight but I plan on picking up a weight set to help with muscle growth after next payday). I'm currently aiming for a 1800 calorie, 120 protein goal, but am still kind of new at this and am unsure if I'm eating too much/too little/just enough considering my work is so sedentary.
I appreciate all thoughts and advice you have for me!
I'm no recomp expert as I'm going through my first "official" one.
For me, I'm in a healthy-for-my-height weight range (not for my frame), and fitness is far more important to me than losing fat right now, so recomp seemed like a better way to go.
Historically, when I was very fit and did not have the extra fat, I was about 25 pounds lighter than I am now (currently 155, then I was around 130). I know I could cut and trim the scale down a bit, but with my fitness goals that's just not reasonable to expect my body to do all of that at once, plus, I'm trying to put on a bit more muscle. Since it's been over 8 years since I was last in my goal weight range, and currently I have more demanding fitness needs, I decided to quite worrying about the scale and just go with how happy I am with my body.
Thus far, the plan seems to be working fairly well, as I'm noticing differences even if they aren't huge, and my workouts aren't suffering which is the main thing right now.1 -
rainingribbons wrote: »Hi guys! I was wondering what bodyfat percentage is recommended before starting a recomp? I'm 5'10.5" and weigh 145 pounds, which I'm fairly certain is within my healthy weight range but based on estimations from online my bodyfat % is somewhere between 25-30%. Based on this, should I still be eating in a deficit to try and bring my percentage down before trying to recomp?
As far as fitness goes, I work from home so am pretty sedentary but I've recently started the bodyweight Strong Curves program doing either 3-4 workouts a week depending on what is happening that week (currently just using bodyweight but I plan on picking up a weight set to help with muscle growth after next payday). I'm currently aiming for a 1800 calorie, 120 protein goal, but am still kind of new at this and am unsure if I'm eating too much/too little/just enough considering my work is so sedentary.
I appreciate all thoughts and advice you have for me!
Do you have a picture? I am 5'4" ad 145. I can't imagine you being 30% bodyfat at 5'10" and 145.
Being comfortable where you are is a start. Remember that the results are not fast so if one does have a decent amount of fat to lose, it may be best to get to 22-25% at the highest before you give recomp a try.1 -
Do you have a picture? I am 5'4" ad 145. I can't imagine you being 30% bodyfat at 5'10" and 145.
Being comfortable where you are is a start. Remember that the results are not fast so if one does have a decent amount of fat to lose, it may be best to get to 22-25% at the highest before you give recomp a try.
Here's a picture from earlier. From online images I've seen I'm guessimating around 27%? And that's what i was thinking too, I just wasn't sure if it would do much to continue to the deficit until then, or just start maintinence now.0 -
Squats and push-ups, are they good for recomping and can be done in place of lifting weights? Bodyweight instead of weights.4
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rainingribbons wrote: »Do you have a picture? I am 5'4" ad 145. I can't imagine you being 30% bodyfat at 5'10" and 145.
Being comfortable where you are is a start. Remember that the results are not fast so if one does have a decent amount of fat to lose, it may be best to get to 22-25% at the highest before you give recomp a try.
Here's a picture from earlier. From online images I've seen I'm guessimating around 27%? And that's what i was thinking too, I just wasn't sure if it would do much to continue to the deficit until then, or just start maintinence now.
You're slim with little muscle. How do you feel? It's really fun to train in maintenance because you have more energy and can get strong faster. I think I would choose to recomp if I were you. Or at least take a little break from dieting
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Fatvaporizer wrote: »Squats and push-ups, are they good for recomping and can be done in place of lifting weights? Bodyweight instead of weights.
Not likely for very long, you'd start having to do so many reps it would be endurance not muscle training.
For the body to feel the need to build more muscle, and use your extra fat as energy source while you eat at maintenance - you need to overextend your existing muscle for load placed on it that will cause damage to it.
That damage is what requires repair, and body to make more muscle if possible.
But after too many reps (I've seen study with 20 still in range to cause damage), there is no longer overload by weight.
To see what I mean, do as many pushups as you can in a row. Note how many.
Now in 2 days (so a rest day), hold your breath for 15 seconds, and then while holding do as many as you can.
Now you see why not to do with squats.
Same number?
Doubtful.
Did you just increase the weight load on the muscles that would cause damage? No.
Was it harder? Oh yeah.
Besides, squats with a bar puts a load on almost the whole body, body-weight squats not nearly as much.
And push-ups just one side.
At least add in pull-ups, and horizontal pull-ups.
There are several body-weight only programs to at least get you along to lifting-like resistance, like 1-legged squats.0 -
Fatvaporizer wrote: »Squats and push-ups, are they good for recomping and can be done in place of lifting weights? Bodyweight instead of weights.
You'll need progressive overload; make them harder and harder to do. Programs like Convict Conditioning do this.
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Hey guys, so i have lost around 20 kgs in the last few months. So far so good, i'm happy with my weight (69/70 kgs at 178 cm). But ofcourse, i still look skinny fat. I have been eating 1500 calories a week and have calculated my maintenance based on my weight loss and caloric intake. Monday the new semester starts and i'll be back hitting the gym 3 times a week. How would i transition to a recomp? TDEE should be around 2100. Would like to add a bit of muscle while losing some fat1
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Starting eating 100 extra daily for a week at a time.
Then add another 100 for another week.
Get up to that 2100 - which frankly sounds rather low if you are having any kind of decent workout.
Confirm you understand correctly how to use the TDEE sites - or use the spreadsheet in my profile for TDEE, and track your measurements too.2 -
Fatvaporizer wrote: »Squats and push-ups, are they good for recomping and can be done in place of lifting weights? Bodyweight instead of weights.
they can be ... If you progressivly make them harder and harder .. like lifting its best to follow a plan otherwise you can find you just do the same 20 pushups a day and your body will not adapt.
you need to aim for something, ie Pistol squats and one arm pushups ... foollow the progression to get there will increase the difficulty and build strength and in turn muscle.
Have a look at Convict conditioning or and of Danny/Al Kavadlos work2 -
What are some recommended weightlifting programs to start with?0
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This thread provides a pretty solid list of programs along with a bit of discussion on each:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you
Ultimately, it will come down to a program that you will do... So, think of what equipment you have access to (and where that equipment is), along with the time involved and complexity and stuff.
I try to point people at Strong Lifts 5x5 (Starting Strength is probably better) and would eventually require access to barbells, plates, and related safety equipment, which not everybody would be able to comply with...
The best program is a program that you can and will do!2 -
I'm confused on whether I should try recomp or just try losing another few lbs. I'm 5'4,115 lbs, don't know bf% but visually it's kind of high. I've been trying to lift but incosistently due to childcare issues and constant winter illnesses, and eat around 1200-1500 cal a day though not tracking closely right now. I've felt my best at 108-110 lbs which I had maintained easily for ten years, but after having my second child I got stuck at 115 and simply cannot lose a single pound
I'm a classic pear shape and mostly just feel wide through the midsection and hips, and just want to be smaller all over 
I also suck at getting enough protein, I'm a carboholic and dislike most protein foods aside from dairy and eggs, so this is my biggest challenge. [i
mg]https://us.v-cdn.net/5021879/uploads/editor/ad/4n3yzegv5tsd.png[/img]
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nettiklive wrote: »I'm confused on whether I should try recomp or just try losing another few lbs. I'm 5'4,115 lbs, don't know bf% but visually it's kind of high. I've been trying to lift but incosistently due to childcare issues and constant winter illnesses, and eat around 1200-1500 cal a day though not tracking closely right now. I've felt my best at 108-110 lbs which I had maintained easily for ten years, but after having my second child I got stuck at 115 and simply cannot lose a single pound I'm a classic pear shape and mostly just feel wide through the midsection and hips, and just want to be smaller all over I also suck at getting enough protein, I'm a carboholic and dislike most protein foods aside from dairy and eggs, so this is my biggest challenge. [i
mg]https://us.v-cdn.net/5021879/uploads/editor/ad/4n3yzegv5tsd.png[/img]
Based on what I see you are at a good place for recomp, I don't think losing upwards of another 7 pounds is going to help you reach desired results that recomp can do. What you perceive as wide is not wide at all and your body fat is not that high either, maybe a little under muscled, but recomp will fix that.
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nettiklive wrote: »I'm confused on whether I should try recomp or just try losing another few lbs. I'm 5'4,115 lbs, don't know bf% but visually it's kind of high. I've been trying to lift but incosistently due to childcare issues and constant winter illnesses, and eat around 1200-1500 cal a day though not tracking closely right now. I've felt my best at 108-110 lbs which I had maintained easily for ten years, but after having my second child I got stuck at 115 and simply cannot lose a single pound I'm a classic pear shape and mostly just feel wide through the midsection and hips, and just want to be smaller all over I also suck at getting enough protein, I'm a carboholic and dislike most protein foods aside from dairy and eggs, so this is my biggest challenge. [i
mg]https://us.v-cdn.net/5021879/uploads/editor/ad/4n3yzegv5tsd.png[/img]
Based on what I see you are at a good place for recomp, I don't think losing upwards of another 7 pounds is going to help you reach desired results that recomp can do. What you perceive as wide is not wide at all and your body fat is not that high either, maybe a little under muscled, but recomp will fix that.nettiklive wrote: »I'm confused on whether I should try recomp or just try losing another few lbs. I'm 5'4,115 lbs, don't know bf% but visually it's kind of high. I've been trying to lift but incosistently due to childcare issues and constant winter illnesses, and eat around 1200-1500 cal a day though not tracking closely right now. I've felt my best at 108-110 lbs which I had maintained easily for ten years, but after having my second child I got stuck at 115 and simply cannot lose a single pound I'm a classic pear shape and mostly just feel wide through the midsection and hips, and just want to be smaller all over I also suck at getting enough protein, I'm a carboholic and dislike most protein foods aside from dairy and eggs, so this is my biggest challenge. [i
mg]https://us.v-cdn.net/5021879/uploads/editor/ad/4n3yzegv5tsd.png[/img]
Based on what I see you are at a good place for recomp, I don't think losing upwards of another 7 pounds is going to help you reach desired results that recomp can do. What you perceive as wide is not wide at all and your body fat is not that high either, maybe a little under muscled, but recomp will fix that.
I agree here. I am just going to be flat out honest and say I don't think you'll look better with more weight loss. Might as well keep the base muscle you have now and work on body composition. Great work btw. I'm 5'4" and have never ever been able to get down to 115 or anywhere close.7 -
Question to the group. Based on your experiences/experiments do you think its better to do high volume lifting with recomp or do you feel you get better results with mass gain lifting programs? Obviously it depends on how you balance your calories to make sure you aren't gaining or losing. But I just wonder f you guys/gals have experience with high volume lifting programs, where you tend to burn a lot more calories and are pretty great for cutting. On the other hand it seems the power lifting strength programs, like strong lifts, canditos, etc. are more to suited to bulking given the low calorie burn/ coupled with high intensity you can gain weight easier. Do you feel if there is any advantage to either style for fat burning when in recomp maintenance calorie mode? Or what is your philosophy here?
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mutantspicy wrote: »Question to the group. Based on your experiences/experiments do you think its better to do high volume lifting with recomp or do you feel you get better results with mass gain lifting programs? Obviously it depends on how you balance your calories to make sure you aren't gaining or losing. But I just wonder f you guys/gals have experience with high volume lifting programs, where you tend to burn a lot more calories and are pretty great for cutting. On the other hand it seems the power lifting strength programs, like strong lifts, canditos, etc. are more to suited to bulking given the low calorie burn/ coupled with high intensity you can gain weight easier. Do you feel if there is any advantage to either style for fat burning when in recomp maintenance calorie mode? Or what is your philosophy here?
"High volume" training doesn't necessarily mean your calorie burn is going to sky rocket. It's not like cardio circuit training or something. You may find your expenditure increases a little but nothing that's outrageous to adjust calorie wise.
High volume programs are not really great for cutting. You can burn out. You would have better luck keeping the intensity on the bar for as long as you can and cutting volume first. Heavy compound lifts are going to help maintain muscle mass and help you get a bang for your buck.
When I'm in maintenance or bulking I do not like running strictly strength based programs. It makes more sense to isolate muscle groups when you have a better chance at muscle growth. I like a hybrid.
I consider my training to be high volume. 3 squat days, 3 barbell bench day and one dumbbell, 2 deadlift days, then two upper body hypertrophy days and 2 lower body hypertrophy days. I would prefer something like this for a recomp.5 -
mutantspicy wrote: »Question to the group. Based on your experiences/experiments do you think its better to do high volume lifting with recomp or do you feel you get better results with mass gain lifting programs? Obviously it depends on how you balance your calories to make sure you aren't gaining or losing. But I just wonder f you guys/gals have experience with high volume lifting programs, where you tend to burn a lot more calories and are pretty great for cutting. On the other hand it seems the power lifting strength programs, like strong lifts, canditos, etc. are more to suited to bulking given the low calorie burn/ coupled with high intensity you can gain weight easier. Do you feel if there is any advantage to either style for fat burning when in recomp maintenance calorie mode? Or what is your philosophy here?
High volume programs are not really great for cutting. You can burn out. You would have better luck keeping the intensity on the bar for as long as you can and cutting volume first. Heavy compound lifts are going to help maintain muscle mass and help you get a bang for your buck.
When I'm in maintenance or bulking I do not like running strictly strength based programs. It makes more sense to isolate muscle groups when you have a better chance at muscle growth. I like a hybrid.
I do a kinda hybrid myself, I just happen to be on calorie deficit at the moment. I don't find that I lose my willpower and intensity. Also heavy compounds are a feature part of my routine, but I just add a lot volume lifts and isolation moves with little rest to burn out. FTR according to my tracker I burn more cals lifting than I do cardio. so. Not that I trust those all that much.. And like you mentioned I do 5 day splits focusing on specific muscle groups.
I was just wondering if doing 3 days of straight power lifting strength with more energy and rest, then going balls to the wall, and then allowing my muscles to grow and recover would add any benefit during a maintenance phase or is that best reserved for bulking? But it seems you like a 5 day split for bulking as well? Perhaps a 5 day upper/Lower split would make a good compromise. Just wondering what people's philosophies are for recomping. I've alway's either been on deficit or a surplus, I've never tried the maintenance recomp, before so I'm not sure what kind of strategies make sense.
BTW Your routine is a whole lotta! Are you doing two a days? or something.
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mutantspicy wrote: »mutantspicy wrote: »Question to the group. Based on your experiences/experiments do you think its better to do high volume lifting with recomp or do you feel you get better results with mass gain lifting programs? Obviously it depends on how you balance your calories to make sure you aren't gaining or losing. But I just wonder f you guys/gals have experience with high volume lifting programs, where you tend to burn a lot more calories and are pretty great for cutting. On the other hand it seems the power lifting strength programs, like strong lifts, canditos, etc. are more to suited to bulking given the low calorie burn/ coupled with high intensity you can gain weight easier. Do you feel if there is any advantage to either style for fat burning when in recomp maintenance calorie mode? Or what is your philosophy here?
High volume programs are not really great for cutting. You can burn out. You would have better luck keeping the intensity on the bar for as long as you can and cutting volume first. Heavy compound lifts are going to help maintain muscle mass and help you get a bang for your buck.
When I'm in maintenance or bulking I do not like running strictly strength based programs. It makes more sense to isolate muscle groups when you have a better chance at muscle growth. I like a hybrid.
I do a kinda hybrid myself, I just happen to be on calorie deficit at the moment. I don't find that I lose my willpower and intensity. Also heavy compounds are a feature part of my routine, but I just add a lot volume lifts and isolation moves with little rest to burn out. FTR according to my tracker I burn more cals lifting than I do cardio. so. Not that I trust those all that much.. And like you mentioned I do 5 day splits focusing on specific muscle groups.
I was just wondering if doing 3 days of straight power lifting strength with with energy and rest going balls to the wall, and then allowing my muscles to grow and recover would add any benefit during a maintenance phase or is that best reserved for bulking? But it seems you like a 5 day split for bulking as well? Perhaps a 5 day upper/Lower split would make a good compromise. Just wondering what people's philosophies are for recomping. I've alway's either been on deficit or a surplus, I've never tried the maintenance recomp, before so I'm not sure what kind of strategies make sense.
BTW Your routine is a whole lotta! Are you doing two a days? or something.
You're hurting my brain.
BTW, HRMs are NOT accurate for weightlifting. Google it for the proper answer as to why.
I don't know what "energy and rest going balls to the wall" means.
The best program for recomp his one you will do, that has a progressive overload, that hits each muscle group twice per week. How you get your progressive overload is up to you.
No, I don't do two-a days.5 -
mutantspicy wrote: »mutantspicy wrote: »Question to the group. Based on your experiences/experiments do you think its better to do high volume lifting with recomp or do you feel you get better results with mass gain lifting programs? Obviously it depends on how you balance your calories to make sure you aren't gaining or losing. But I just wonder f you guys/gals have experience with high volume lifting programs, where you tend to burn a lot more calories and are pretty great for cutting. On the other hand it seems the power lifting strength programs, like strong lifts, canditos, etc. are more to suited to bulking given the low calorie burn/ coupled with high intensity you can gain weight easier. Do you feel if there is any advantage to either style for fat burning when in recomp maintenance calorie mode? Or what is your philosophy here?
High volume programs are not really great for cutting. You can burn out. You would have better luck keeping the intensity on the bar for as long as you can and cutting volume first. Heavy compound lifts are going to help maintain muscle mass and help you get a bang for your buck.
When I'm in maintenance or bulking I do not like running strictly strength based programs. It makes more sense to isolate muscle groups when you have a better chance at muscle growth. I like a hybrid.
I do a kinda hybrid myself, I just happen to be on calorie deficit at the moment. I don't find that I lose my willpower and intensity. Also heavy compounds are a feature part of my routine, but I just add a lot volume lifts and isolation moves with little rest to burn out. FTR according to my tracker I burn more cals lifting than I do cardio. so. Not that I trust those all that much.. And like you mentioned I do 5 day splits focusing on specific muscle groups.
I was just wondering if doing 3 days of straight power lifting strength with with energy and rest going balls to the wall, and then allowing my muscles to grow and recover would add any benefit during a maintenance phase or is that best reserved for bulking? But it seems you like a 5 day split for bulking as well? Perhaps a 5 day upper/Lower split would make a good compromise. Just wondering what people's philosophies are for recomping. I've alway's either been on deficit or a surplus, I've never tried the maintenance recomp, before so I'm not sure what kind of strategies make sense.
BTW Your routine is a whole lotta! Are you doing two a days? or something.
You're hurting my brain.
BTW, HRMs are NOT accurate for weightlifting. Google it for the proper answer as to why.
I don't know what "energy and rest going balls to the wall" means.
The best program for recomp his one you will do, that has a progressive overload, that hits each muscle group twice per week. How you get your progressive overload is up to you.
No, I don't do two-a days.
Lol. Sorry for making your brain hurt. I missed a couple words when I typed that line, hopefully it makes more sense now. I'm just wondering what people's thoughts are on low volume near max type strength training vs high volume dynamic sets when maintaining body weight, and you seem to be in favor of high volume with few rest days.0 -
Well, the idea is to do the most damage to cause body to try to do hypertrophy the best it can - that process will use up the food you eat the most, requiring more fat to be used for daily life.
So best method to grow, is best method to use the fat up. At maintenance.
https://bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/effects-of-low-versus-high-load-resistance-training-research-review.html/
Long but useful perhaps.3 -
mutantspicy wrote: »mutantspicy wrote: »Question to the group. Based on your experiences/experiments do you think its better to do high volume lifting with recomp or do you feel you get better results with mass gain lifting programs? Obviously it depends on how you balance your calories to make sure you aren't gaining or losing. But I just wonder f you guys/gals have experience with high volume lifting programs, where you tend to burn a lot more calories and are pretty great for cutting. On the other hand it seems the power lifting strength programs, like strong lifts, canditos, etc. are more to suited to bulking given the low calorie burn/ coupled with high intensity you can gain weight easier. Do you feel if there is any advantage to either style for fat burning when in recomp maintenance calorie mode? Or what is your philosophy here?
High volume programs are not really great for cutting. You can burn out. You would have better luck keeping the intensity on the bar for as long as you can and cutting volume first. Heavy compound lifts are going to help maintain muscle mass and help you get a bang for your buck.
When I'm in maintenance or bulking I do not like running strictly strength based programs. It makes more sense to isolate muscle groups when you have a better chance at muscle growth. I like a hybrid.
I do a kinda hybrid myself, I just happen to be on calorie deficit at the moment. I don't find that I lose my willpower and intensity. Also heavy compounds are a feature part of my routine, but I just add a lot volume lifts and isolation moves with little rest to burn out. FTR according to my tracker I burn more cals lifting than I do cardio. so. Not that I trust those all that much.. And like you mentioned I do 5 day splits focusing on specific muscle groups.
I was just wondering if doing 3 days of straight power lifting strength with with energy and rest going balls to the wall, and then allowing my muscles to grow and recover would add any benefit during a maintenance phase or is that best reserved for bulking? But it seems you like a 5 day split for bulking as well? Perhaps a 5 day upper/Lower split would make a good compromise. Just wondering what people's philosophies are for recomping. I've alway's either been on deficit or a surplus, I've never tried the maintenance recomp, before so I'm not sure what kind of strategies make sense.
BTW Your routine is a whole lotta! Are you doing two a days? or something.
BTW, HRMs are NOT accurate for weightlifting. Google it for the proper answer as to why.
Ditto - if you want to give your tracker a chance at overall accuracy, and if syncing to MFP might as well use it well - you'll want to manually log your lifting workouts.
Small calorie burn compared to cardio, or the HR-based estimates - but that's true. But still meaningful too.
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