Starting to lift...again. Anyone up for brain picking?
Irontri7
Posts: 143 Member
I'm a triathlete looking to drop some BF, and in turn weight. I'm at the end of my season with only some running races that I'll be doing, so I wanted to start lifting to add some muscle mass and drop body fat in the next 3-4 months. During this time I'll still be doing a decent amount of running, with some swimming and biking mixed in. Late December I'll return to my normal swim/bike/run regimen, but continue a little lifting.
I'm not focused on weight gain/loss, I'm more focused on making myself stronger and dropping my BF%. I have a pretty good background in lifting, and know what I'm doing form-wise. I've done a lot of research but, as everyone knows, there are a ton of conflicting "studies." My basic questions are: What route should I go for lifting, read: routine? Should I be eating at a surplus?
If anyone feels like being really helpful and PMing me to bounce ideas around...that'd be cool.
I had a pretty successful tri season, and would like to go into next year and really kick some *kitten* and win some races.
I'm not focused on weight gain/loss, I'm more focused on making myself stronger and dropping my BF%. I have a pretty good background in lifting, and know what I'm doing form-wise. I've done a lot of research but, as everyone knows, there are a ton of conflicting "studies." My basic questions are: What route should I go for lifting, read: routine? Should I be eating at a surplus?
If anyone feels like being really helpful and PMing me to bounce ideas around...that'd be cool.
I had a pretty successful tri season, and would like to go into next year and really kick some *kitten* and win some races.
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Replies
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I recommend Stronglift 5x5. There are a lot of programmes based around it but do a bit of digging and you can find a good programme. 5x5 is a strength training regime with no isolation exercises so your whole body becomes stronger, not bigger per se. I think Madcow's programme is a good start, just google it. Its just squats, deadlifts, bench press, pendlay rows and shoulder press. I recommend adding pull ups and dips to the programme at the end of a session.
As to eating at a surplus it depends. if you want to add muscle then yes you should otherwise your body will not be able to build the muscle fibres. If you want to lose bf then you need to eat under your basal metabolic rate. Still lift heavy though.
I recommend searching on Youtube for a channel called "Elliot Hulse Strength Training." There's a lot of good info in his videos.0 -
I'm not focused on weight gain/loss, I'm more focused on making myself stronger and dropping my BF%.some races.
Lifting heavy using foundational sets is probably the best way to do what you want. It will increase your strength and add muscle, which will help reduce BF.
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.0 -
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
I was looking at that and got the same impression from the website0 -
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
I was looking at that and got the same impression from the website
Hehehe...Mehdi is an @$$. Gonna break my no-forum rule for you, Nate. I agree with SL5x5. Your goals are same as mine and I just (re)started 5x5 last night. I'd say eat at your TDEE (maybe 100-200 below). You're not trying to gain muscle, just drop fat and add strength, so that should work. Also, diet is huge when it comes to body composition.0 -
How often do you plan on lifting?
I had good luck with 5x5 during the offseason, but it sounds like you plan on keeping your running/swimming workouts more frequent/regular than I do.0 -
I'm not focused on weight gain/loss, I'm more focused on making myself stronger and dropping my BF%.some races.
Lifting heavy using foundational sets is probably the best way to do what you want. It will increase your strength and add muscle, which will help reduce BF.
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
He won't add muscle and drop BF%. You can add strength, but a bulk/cut cycle is probably going to be what gives you the results you're looking for.0 -
How often do you plan on lifting?
I had good luck with 5x5 during the offseason, but it sounds like you plan on keeping your running/swimming workouts more frequent/regular than I do.
As much as I need to. I've been going back and forth on if I should just go harder with swimming, biking, and running OR if I should make lifting the main focus. I think I'm going with the latter for 3-4 months.0 -
If lifting is your focus, then I'd go with a 5x5 program. If not, I'd go with 5/3/1 as it's (IME) easier to work in cardio sessions when you're only hitting each body part 1x week.0
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I'm not focused on weight gain/loss, I'm more focused on making myself stronger and dropping my BF%.some races.
Lifting heavy using foundational sets is probably the best way to do what you want. It will increase your strength and add muscle, which will help reduce BF.
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
He won't add muscle and drop BF%. You can add strength, but a bulk/cut cycle is probably going to be what gives you the results you're looking for.
I'm at about 174lbs and 10% BF now. For next season I'd like to be about 165 and 5-6%. Is this even realistic?0 -
I'm not focused on weight gain/loss, I'm more focused on making myself stronger and dropping my BF%.some races.
Lifting heavy using foundational sets is probably the best way to do what you want. It will increase your strength and add muscle, which will help reduce BF.
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
He won't add muscle and drop BF%. You can add strength, but a bulk/cut cycle is probably going to be what gives you the results you're looking for.
I'm at about 174lbs and 10% BF now. For next season I'd like to be about 165 and 5-6%. Is this even realistic?
Sorry, I totally misread your OP. I thought it said drop BF% and add weight.0 -
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
I was looking at that and got the same impression from the website
Hehehe...Mehdi is an @$$. Gonna break my no-forum rule for you, Nate. I agree with SL5x5. Your goals are same as mine and I just (re)started 5x5 last night. I'd say eat at your TDEE (maybe 100-200 below). You're not trying to gain muscle, just drop fat and add strength, so that should work. Also, diet is huge when it comes to body composition.
Breaking the rules for me?!? Thanks!!0 -
Hehehe...Mehdi is an @$$. Gonna break my no-forum rule for you, Nate. I agree with SL5x5. Your goals are same as mine and I just (re)started 5x5 last night. I'd say eat at your TDEE (maybe 100-200 below). You're not trying to gain muscle, just drop fat and add strength, so that should work. Also, diet is huge when it comes to body composition.
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
I was looking at that and got the same impression from the website
Breaking the rules for me?!? Thanks!!
Anytime, honey! Also, you look damn good now,,,that's a lot of bf to lose and you don't have much to begin with. Id's concentrate on adding strength for now.0 -
I'm not focused on weight gain/loss, I'm more focused on making myself stronger and dropping my BF%.some races.
Lifting heavy using foundational sets is probably the best way to do what you want. It will increase your strength and add muscle, which will help reduce BF.
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
He won't add muscle and drop BF%. You can add strength, but a bulk/cut cycle is probably going to be what gives you the results you're looking for.
I'm at about 174lbs and 10% BF now. For next season I'd like to be about 165 and 5-6%. Is this even realistic?
This is based simply on numbers, and as we all know, it's not this simple/clean cut, but...
174lbs @ 10% bf = 17.4lbs of fat, 156.6lbs of lean mass
165lbs @ 5% bf = 8.25lbs of fat, 156.75lbs of lean mass
Based on those numbers, I'd say it's reasonable. Lose a little over 1lb per month with appropriate diet/lifting should get you to your goal.
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I'm not focused on weight gain/loss, I'm more focused on making myself stronger and dropping my BF%.some races.
Lifting heavy using foundational sets is probably the best way to do what you want. It will increase your strength and add muscle, which will help reduce BF.
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
He won't add muscle and drop BF%. You can add strength, but a bulk/cut cycle is probably going to be what gives you the results you're looking for.
I'm at about 174lbs and 10% BF now. For next season I'd like to be about 165 and 5-6%. Is this even realistic?
This is based simply on numbers, and as we all know, it's not this simple/clean cut, but...
174lbs @ 10% bf = 17.4lbs of fat, 156.6lbs of lean mass
165lbs @ 5% bf = 8.25lbs of fat, 156.75lbs of lean mass
Based on those numbers, I'd say it's reasonable. Lose a little over 1lb per month with appropriate diet/lifting should get you to your goal.
Haha. That's literally in the chicken scratch on the piece of paper in front of me right now.0 -
I wanted to start lifting to add some muscle mass and drop body fat in the next 3-4 months. During this time I'll still be doing a decent amount of running, with some swimming and biking mixed in. Late December I'll return to my normal swim/bike/run regimen, but continue a little lifting.
In this case - while 5x5 isn't bad - I'd suggest Starting Strength (3x5) instead. It's less volume, so you should be fresher for you runs/swims/biking sessions. But, your strength gains should be nearly identical. If you find this to be a little too much, jackson (I think) recommended 5/3/1, which can easily be tailored to your needs.0 -
Hehehe...Mehdi is an @$$. Gonna break my no-forum rule for you, Nate. I agree with SL5x5. Your goals are same as mine and I just (re)started 5x5 last night. I'd say eat at your TDEE (maybe 100-200 below). You're not trying to gain muscle, just drop fat and add strength, so that should work. Also, diet is huge when it comes to body composition.
This is what the StrongLifts 5x5 program does, but the guy who runs it rubs me the wrong way.
I was looking at that and got the same impression from the website
Breaking the rules for me?!? Thanks!!
Anytime, honey! Also, you look damn good now,,,that's a lot of bf to lose and you don't have much to begin with. Id's concentrate on adding strength for now.
Well, I did really well this year...a lot better than I've ever done in tris. I think next year I can actually be competitive, so I want to get the ideal body for it and become a monster on the pavement. (the water can kiss my *kitten*)0 -
On a side note... I've read a handful of articles/interviews from the pros that talk about the fact that at some point leaner isn't always faster. People have a target weight for optimal performance, and it's not always lighter/leaner. Just something to keep in mind.0
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I wanted to start lifting to add some muscle mass and drop body fat in the next 3-4 months. During this time I'll still be doing a decent amount of running, with some swimming and biking mixed in. Late December I'll return to my normal swim/bike/run regimen, but continue a little lifting.
In this case - while 5x5 isn't bad - I'd suggest Starting Strength (3x5) instead. It's less volume, so you should be fresher for you runs/swims/biking sessions. But, your strength gains should be nearly identical. If you find this to be a little too much, jackson (I think) recommended 5/3/1, which can easily be tailored to your needs.
I'm going to pretty much cut out the biking as I'm a really strong cyclist already, and getting stronger legs = being stronger cyclist. How many workouts/wk is 5x5? I haven't made my way through everything.0 -
On a side note... I've read a handful of articles/interviews from the pros that talk about the fact that at some point leaner isn't always faster. People have a target weight for optimal performance, and it's not always lighter/leaner. Just something to keep in mind.
I'm aware of this. Like I said, I've gone back and forth on this for the past couple months. I'm going to give this a shot for next year. I only have some 1/2 Iron distance races and marathons on schedule. If it works and I do well, I'll continue it for my next Ironman in 2015...when I age up. Doesn't work, I'll go back to my normal routine.0 -
I wanted to start lifting to add some muscle mass and drop body fat in the next 3-4 months. During this time I'll still be doing a decent amount of running, with some swimming and biking mixed in. Late December I'll return to my normal swim/bike/run regimen, but continue a little lifting.
In this case - while 5x5 isn't bad - I'd suggest Starting Strength (3x5) instead. It's less volume, so you should be fresher for you runs/swims/biking sessions. But, your strength gains should be nearly identical. If you find this to be a little too much, jackson (I think) recommended 5/3/1, which can easily be tailored to your needs.
I'm going to pretty much cut out the biking as I'm a really strong cyclist already, and getting stronger legs = being stronger cyclist. How many workouts/wk is 5x5? I haven't made my way through everything.
5x5 is full body 3x week... 5 sets of 5 reps of the big compound lifts.0 -
It sounds like you're a little beyond what SL5x5 has to offer and if you're entering your off-season, then you have limited time to work on strength and body composition. Start SL5x5 with just the bar is probably counterproductive for you at this time.
Since you seem to have the basics I would probably start here with Joe DeFranco's program. This program is basically built for athletes and the off-season.
http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/38-articles/65-westside-for-skinny-*kitten*-part3.html
Joe's program is a 4-day split that focuses both on the Max Effort and Dynamic Effort. The Dynamic Effort sessions actually have more plyometric jump focus which is actually going have positive effect on your running speed. I would read through this and give it some consideration.
You can also look at something like, The Cube Method (by Brandon Lily) or Beyond 5/3/1 (Jim Wendler). They are both solid Intermediate Programs that have a Dynamic Effort component to them as well.
You look pretty lean in your profile pic, do you really feel that you need to get that much leaner? If I were you, I would go through a bulk as clean as possible that focuses on Paleo style eating of course at a calorie surplus. Bulk is probably the wrong word for it, but you'll get the most strength gain from a calorie surplus. Then maybe a month out from in-season go through something like the "Rapid Fat Loss Handbook" by Lyle McDonald to drop whatever bodyfat you have left. The strength gains should help you tremendously and dropping bodyfat really isn't that hard if you commit yourself to it.0 -
You look pretty lean in your profile pic, do you really feel that you need to get that much leaner? If I were you, I would go through a bulk as clean as possible that focuses on Paleo style eating of course at a calorie surplus. Bulk is probably the wrong word for it, but you'll get the most strength gain from a calorie surplus. Then maybe a month out from in-season go through something like the "Rapid Fat Loss Handbook" by Lyle McDonald to drop whatever bodyfat you have left. The strength gains should help you tremendously and dropping bodyfat really isn't that hard if you commit yourself to it.
LMAO @ paleo.
(I eat strict paleo, but it doesn't tend to go over well on the main forums)0 -
You look pretty lean in your profile pic, do you really feel that you need to get that much leaner? If I were you, I would go through a bulk as clean as possible that focuses on Paleo style eating of course at a calorie surplus. Bulk is probably the wrong word for it, but you'll get the most strength gain from a calorie surplus. Then maybe a month out from in-season go through something like the "Rapid Fat Loss Handbook" by Lyle McDonald to drop whatever bodyfat you have left. The strength gains should help you tremendously and dropping bodyfat really isn't that hard if you commit yourself to it.
LMAO @ paleo.
(I eat strict paleo, but it doesn't tend to go over well on the main forums)
There's definitely nothing wrong with Paleo, though I do cheat on occasion and have oats and of course Whey. Eating clean is the way to go. Unfortunately too many people don't understand how different food affect your body's hormonal reaction to what you consume and will defend their low-fat yogurts and snacks till the death. LOL! My HRM said I burned a cagillion calories while I mopped the floor today so I can eat some of my calories back in the form of low-fat cookies, yogurt, etc. #HRMRFAIL0
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