Losing and lifting

rf1583

My husband and I are both logging and lifting heavy (on beginner program with compound exercises and a few isolation a 3 days a week). Only I am working to gain and he is working to lose weight so it's hard for me to advise him when I have different goals and I'm a newbie also. He wants to put in muscle too but he probably needs to lose fat first. He's 6'2" 203lbs but he has ALL of his fat in his midsection. His arms and legs and chest and back don't seem to have that much fat at all. Just his stomach. (In clothes he looks like he has no fat though) He used to lift years ago but would be considered new since it's been a while. I just want to make sure hes doing the right thing in losing fat first (and shouldn't be trying to gain muscle first). He is getting enough protein and he's lifting heavy but if he is right in losing how heavy should he be lifting? He's been overloading progressively since he's just starting out but he says it's sometimes hard to do the workout on a deficit. I suggested doing less reps or exercises but he said he's really been pushing hard so maybe he should just slightly lower his weight too?

Greenrun99

He should be doing the same stuff as you and lifting as heavy as possible... He should be lifting and eating at a deficit.. he shouldn't have kid gloves on in the gym.

cajuntank

Intensity and protein is key for muscle maintenance during calorie deficits. If the issue becomes one of recovery for the next workout, volume needs to be dropped some, but never intensity (heavier the weight the better). With him being 6'2" and 203lbs, sounds like he does not have a lot to lose, so muscle gains will be very minimal if any unless he's genetically gifted, but that does not mean he can't get stronger. You are correct that most of the time (in my opinion), the best thing to do is cycle between the two. Cut for a period till he is happy with his look, then bulk for a period till he's not happy with his look...rinse and repeat. If he's been lifting for close to a year, then it might be the training program he's on that needs addressing (assuming he's following one that is proven and not something he's come up on his own to do).

rf1583

He has just begun lifting. Years ago he lifted regularly but that was 10 years ago. He is 33 now. So then I think he's ok but what would you suggest for him finding it sometimes difficult to get through the workout? He does eat his carb and protein beforehand so I feel he shouldn't have that problem. We are both doing a "beginner workout routine" which is 3 days a week with the exercise A and B alternating. It focuses on Deadlifts, squats, bench press, pull-ups or lat Pulldown, rows etc. I'm thinking of changing to strong lifts as I see a lot of people on here have success with that.

AliceDark

If he lifted regularly before, he should be pretty comfortable identifying when he's legitimately having difficulty finishing a workout. (For brand-spanking-newbies, sometimes you have to talk about the difference between "good" fatigue and "bad" fatigue, since they often either go too light or push past where they should stop, but I'm going to assume that's not the case with him).

The previous posters were right -- he should still be lifting "heavy," whatever that means for him, even at a deficit. Especially if he's thinking about bulking later, he really needs to hold on to as much LBM as possible. There's no reason he shouldn't be able to lift while he's losing -- he just may need to tweak his routine a little if it's not currently working.

If he's really feeling like he's having difficulty finishing his workouts, he may be pushing too long/too heavy. He might be pushing the "progressive" concept too far and adding weight before he's ready. What rep range is he working in?

The other variable is nutrition. He might just have too big a deficit. Or, he might need to play around with his macros. I know you said he's eating beforehand, but everyone has a different "ideal" macro distribution and his might be off.

rf1583

This is very helpful. I think it may be that he's pushing the overload concept like you said. He may be adding too fast and he's not ready. We've been working in the 8-10 rep range for 3 sets. He's still kind of figuring out his true TDEE so you're right he could be in too much of a deficit. He started after me so he still needs time to figure all that out. I did notice he was lower on his fat macro and higher on his carb. Maybe he should try to up his fat and lower the carb a bit? I'm still learning about the macro balance too.

cajuntank

He has just begun lifting. Years ago he lifted regularly but that was 10 years ago. He is 33 now. So then I think he's ok but what would you suggest for him finding it sometimes difficult to get through the workout? He does eat his carb and protein beforehand so I feel he shouldn't have that problem. We are both doing a "beginner workout routine" which is 3 days a week with the exercise A and B alternating. It focuses on Deadlifts, squats, bench press, pull-ups or lat Pulldown, rows etc. I'm thinking of changing to strong lifts as I see a lot of people on here have success with that.

StrongLifts, Starting Strength, All Pros beginner, Ice Cream Fitness, etc... all good proven programs that have slight varied focus depending on your goals. With him being in a caloric deficit, he should concentrate on strength program which by definition will curtail volume and keep things getting progressively heavier. Also, read through some of the stickies on these forums (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read) about dialing in macronutrient ratios to get protein, fat, and carb ratios optimal for faster weight loss.