Lifting in a caloric deficit

smittybobitty917
smittybobitty917 Posts: 19 Member
edited December 24 in Fitness and Exercise
I understand it's hard or impossible to get significant strength gains while eating a caloric deficit. I'm currently on the Stronglifts 5x5 program and would like to keep doing it while losing weight.

Do you have any tips with this particular program while in a deficit?
Do you have any tips or tricks to maintain or marginally gain strength during a deficit?
What is your personal experience with lifting on deficit?
Do you know of any resources to help me understand what to expect?

I'm 6'1" and 280lbs and lifting 225lbs squat, 165lbs bench, 130lbs rows, 85lbs OHP, 225lbs DL.

Thanks!

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    smittybobitty917 wrote: »
    I understand it's hard or impossible to get significant strength gains while eating a caloric deficit. I'm currently on the Stronglifts 5x5 program and would like to keep doing it while losing weight.

    Do you have any tips with this particular program while in a deficit?
    Do you have any tips or tricks to maintain or marginally gain strength during a deficit?
    What is your personal experience with lifting on deficit?
    Do you know of any resources to help me understand what to expect?

    I'm 6'1" and 280lbs and lifting 225lbs squat, 165lbs bench, 130lbs rows, 85lbs OHP, 225lbs DL.

    Thanks!

    The bolded is not even remotely true - especially if you are a relative newcomer or returning to working out after a break gaining strength is not only possible it should be expected. (Assuming from your program choice either of those conditions might well describe you.)

    Tips would be:
    Don't make your deficit an excessive one.
    Watch yourself for signs of fatigue or poor recovery and react accordingly. There's a balance to be found between rate of weight loss and exercise performance, my balance of the two contradictory goals probably isn't the same as yours though.

    Personal experience in lifting in a moderate deficit is that it feels exactly the same and my body responds just the same as if I was at maintenance. If I'm under-trained I make quick progress in terms of strength increases, if I'm not returning after a break / currently at a good training level I make the expected slow progress.

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    After realizing newbie gains, it can be difficult to gain larger amounts of muscle MASS in a caloric deficit, but you can increase muscle STRENGTH just fine (up to a point, but that point is a long way off for the average person).

    Most early gains in strength are due to more efficient muscle fiber recruitment than by increased muscle size. This effect can persist for quite some time.

    While it sounds like you are more experienced at lifting, from a standpoint of percentage of body weight lifted, your numbers are still relatively low. So I suspect you can still improve your strength levels while losing weight.

    My personal experience was that, at age 56, I was lifting heavier than at any time in my life while losing 3-4 lb per week, and also burning an average of 4000-5000 calories a week doing aerobic exercise. I wouldn’t recommend that for anyone (or even for myself any more), but it just points out that one can still lift vigorously with a deficit.

  • jesselee10
    jesselee10 Posts: 31 Member
    Like the other poster said, you can still gain strength to a certain point but muscle mass gain will be minimal depending on how new you are to lifting. From a nutritional standpoint, eat more protein in a deficit (1-1.2 g/lb of your weight). I bought the RPstrength guide and that is what they recommended. Also fuel up before workouts and throughout with carb drinks to have a good energetic session. I went into a cut last spring to lose 12 lbs and still made gains in some of my lifts. (Deadlift especially)
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