Powerlifting and cutting
MelissaSheklian
Posts: 141 Member
I’ve been lifting for a few years and just switched to powerlifting, planning to do my first meet in October.
Obviously getting stronger is a goal right now but from the physique side I’d like to cut about 10% bodyfat (not necessarily by October, just in general, I’m around 28% now).
Any advice for doing both?
Obviously getting stronger is a goal right now but from the physique side I’d like to cut about 10% bodyfat (not necessarily by October, just in general, I’m around 28% now).
Any advice for doing both?
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Replies
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Change your diet and eat very lean and clean. You're going to burn plenty of calories lifting so your diet will be the main factor.9
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having been lifting for a few years you'll need to balance being in a deficit with your performance aspirations more than a novice lifter would. Probably should try to stick close to maintenance calories or at a slight deficit between now and your meet. After the meet you'll have more flexibility to cut a little more aggressively without worrying about losing strength so much.5
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Hi Melissa getting to 10% BF as a lady and getting stronger at the same time are somewhat opposing goals. IMHO you need to prioritise one or the other.
For a female 10% is pretty shredded which good power lifters are not usually....1 -
Stockholm_Andy wrote: »Hi Melissa getting to 10% BF as a lady and getting stronger at the same time are somewhat opposing goals. IMHO you need to prioritise one or the other.
For a female 10% is pretty shredded which good power lifters are not usually....
From my understanding she wanted to cut 10% from 28%, to be at 18% which is pretty reasonable for a female5 -
having been lifting for a few years you'll need to balance being in a deficit with your performance aspirations more than a novice lifter would. Probably should try to stick close to maintenance calories or at a slight deficit between now and your meet. After the meet you'll have more flexibility to cut a little more aggressively without worrying about losing strength so much.
This.0 -
Since it's not a short term goal it attainable though there are definitely holes in the path.
From a more optimal performance angle, powerlifters tend to be on the higher body fat range. I myself as a male hang in the 15-16% oppose to my usual 11-12% of when I played football or baseball for 30+ years. Females will be higher depending on how male they are genetically.
The problem lies with losing weight with a goal of gaining strength. It will happen for a quick moment depending how trained you are, but most people tend to stall out because of lack of understanding of what is needed or they running a program that they don't respond to well.
Your programming will be key and hopefully it will have autoegulation incorporated in some fashion. For strength, volume at a useful intensity is the motor. People who lose weight and begin stalling will sometimes drop their volume when they should be adding a set at a appropriate intensity. If the weight loss is slow and programming and revovery is on point, gaining strength will not be a issue until you must gain more muscle or need more advanced programming.
I would look at your lifting logs and don't stray to far from what works and add things with specificity to powerlifting as well as direct accessories. Adjust volume at the appropriate intensity and not chase numbers rather look at the long term. Strength gains are not linear and can be just the opposite with bad advice or coaching.1 -
The powerlifters I've seen (both male and female) are not interested in cutting. They are all big/heavy for their height because, in general, the more you weigh, the more you can lift.
So, if you truly want to maximize strength, you should be bulking, not cutting.
If you just want to get stronger than you already are during a cut, that's possible provided you don't lose any muscle mass during the cut and haven't yet maximizesd the strength of your existing musculature but otherwise your expectation during a cut should just be to maintain your existing strength and muscle mass as much as possible.
Good luck!1 -
Thanks all, very helpful!
To clarify, yes I meant lose 10%, my goal is 18-22% body fat. I was mostly afraid that I was being entirely unrealistic but understand that gaining strength and cutting fat should be done in cycles2 -
I would find out what weight class you are going to be in before changing your weight substantially1
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moogie_fit wrote: »I would find out what weight class you are going to be in before changing your weight substantially
Agree....100%.....and I would suggest, generally speaking, that for your first Power Lifting competition I would not even think about cutting. The first Power Lifting competition is all about becoming familiar with the rules and the format and the lifts. It is different in the gym vs. in a competition.
If I might ask, in what "federation" are you? I am in USAPL (don't do Power Lifting any longer....that might change at some point...we will see).
And, how is your training? What does that look like?0 -
I'm doing my first cut as an intermediate powerlifter. It's miserable... I've lost 10 lbs so far, but all of my lifts (squat, deadlift, press, and bench) are down by 10% or more. Since you say you "just switched" to powerlifting, you might be able to increase your lifts a little while cutting. I'm looking forward to the future and getting my bodyfat down so I can start another bulk... hopefully it will push me over the hump and I can hit the 1000lb club before I turn 50.2
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billkansas wrote: »I'm doing my first cut as an intermediate powerlifter. It's miserable... I've lost 10 lbs so far, but all of my lifts (squat, deadlift, press, and bench) are down by 10% or more. Since you say you "just switched" to powerlifting, you might be able to increase your lifts a little while cutting. I'm looking forward to the future and getting my bodyfat down so I can start another bulk... hopefully it will push me over the hump and I can hit the 1000lb club before I turn 50.
I started doing Keto (because of high A1C) while I was doing Power Lifting...I had to do Carb Timing to have a chance. I would eat a Sweet Potato about one hour before...otherwise the training session that day was horrible.
I am 51....had not squatted since high school (started Power Lifting some 18 months ago...well, 20 months ago at this point) and never deadlifted before (as in never) and these are the best numbers I had:
Squat: 5x5 @ 295lbs.
Dead Lift: 5x5 @ 365.
Bench: 5x5 @ 225lbs.
6'0" @ 205lbs....
I did that shortly before turning 51 (end of April). So, if my noggin is working right, that is a total of 885lbs. And, not 1RM. Five sets of Five Reps each....so, maybe 1,000lbs was attainable? Point is, if I can do this (or come really close) then I know that you can!
Cutting is going to kill the performance. No doubt. And, you know this. So, don't let it discourage you.0 -
LiftHeavyThings- fantastic 5x5's. What program are you on? If I squatted 295x5x5- pretty sure I wouldn't be walking for a few days (and I'm among the best "old man squatters" at my gym).0
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The powerlifters I've seen (both male and female) are not interested in cutting. They are all big/heavy for their height because, in general, the more you weigh, the more you can lift.
So, if you truly want to maximize strength, you should be bulking, not cutting.
If you just want to get stronger than you already are during a cut, that's possible provided you don't lose any muscle mass during the cut and haven't yet maximizesd the strength of your existing musculature but otherwise your expectation during a cut should just be to maintain your existing strength and muscle mass as much as possible.
Good luck!
Powerlifters are very interested in cutting, maybe not in the traditional bodybuilder sense but there are weight classes and weigh ins.
@OP You really are going to have to decide what you want to do. I see two options that you have right now.
Option 1 and I personally would do this one. Don't worry about cutting that body fat% right now and focus on your first power lifting meet. After this do your cut and see where you are and if you want to do more in the future.
Option 2 is cut now and figure out where you'll be weight class wise as you approach your meet date.
Overall do what you feel is best for you and have fun at your first meet! Good luck on both of your journeys!0 -
billkansas wrote: »LiftHeavyThings- fantastic 5x5's. What program are you on? If I squatted 295x5x5- pretty sure I wouldn't be walking for a few days (and I'm among the best "old man squatters" at my gym).
I was following Strong Lifts for a few months...and then started doing my owm programming. Which is why I am not doing power lifting any longer (have not for some three months). I was training balls to the wall all the time and would do great until I hurt myself. No bueno. I was at 85% of 1RM all day, everyday. Dumb dumb dumb. Learned my lesson. I tone it down and do planned de-loads and listen to my body...anyway, I could not do those numbers again. Not now. Will see if/when I do dead lifts and squats again.0 -
broseidonkingofbrocean wrote: »The powerlifters I've seen (both male and female) are not interested in cutting. They are all big/heavy for their height because, in general, the more you weigh, the more you can lift.
So, if you truly want to maximize strength, you should be bulking, not cutting.
If you just want to get stronger than you already are during a cut, that's possible provided you don't lose any muscle mass during the cut and haven't yet maximizesd the strength of your existing musculature but otherwise your expectation during a cut should just be to maintain your existing strength and muscle mass as much as possible.
Good luck!
Powerlifters are very interested in cutting, maybe not in the traditional bodybuilder sense but there are weight classes and weigh ins.
@OP You really are going to have to decide what you want to do. I see two options that you have right now.
Option 1 and I personally would do this one. Don't worry about cutting that body fat% right now and focus on your first power lifting meet. After this do your cut and see where you are and if you want to do more in the future.
Option 2 is cut now and figure out where you'll be weight class wise as you approach your meet date.
Overall do what you feel is best for you and have fun at your first meet! Good luck on both of your journeys!
I like Option 1. The first competition is all about the experience and learning what happens when and how. Cutting would not be something I would want to do. But that is me.0 -
Honestly just cleaning up my nutrition and increasing training volume is already changing my physique (not much movement on the scale but looking leaner and feeling stronger).
I like the idea of just training for the meet and enjoying what my coach calls "newbie gainz" from developing proper form with existing muscle.
Federation is USAPL, lifting 4 days a week (split 2upper, 2 lower days) with a separate conditioning day.1
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