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Thread: Losing weight and choosing work weights

  1. #1
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    Default Losing weight and choosing work weights

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    6-2 270 40 year old male. I'm trying to lose fat in an effort to not have to buy new clothes.
    My question is relatively self explanatory. It's easy to program when adding 5lbs a workout. When dieting this isn't reasonable. I've noticed an obvious increase in difficulty since reducing calories. My plan is to get to 250 then start eating enough to train again.

    Current lifts:
    Squat 430 x2 (failed the third)
    Deadlift 445 x4
    Bench 3x5x252
    Press 3x 5x 17
    I'm having trouble with how you structure the worksets when you know there's going to be deteriorating amounts. My main concern is the squat, as Deadlift thus far seems ok and bench and press aren't being stressed enough to hurt recovery.

  2. #2
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    As you lose abdominal fat the squat gets increasingly harder and this happens quick. You'll just have to reset the load and maybe add some extra sets. I would avoid all out grinders when you are running on fumes though. Easy way to get hurt IMO.

  3. #3
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    Thanks Robert. I'm really worried about going backwards on strength while I'm losing some fat but it makes sense to back off a little. There was definitely nothing in the tank for that squat set.

  4. #4
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    I'd stop worrying about it and accept it as a temporary reality. Training requires resources that fat loss requires you to reduce so it is an inevitable reality, which is why I refer to anything done under caloric restriction as exercise not training.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Santana View Post
    As you lose abdominal fat the squat gets increasingly harder and this happens quick. You'll just have to reset the load and maybe add some extra sets. I would avoid all out grinders when you are running on fumes though. Easy way to get hurt IMO.

    What is it that causes the squats to get more difficult? Leverage? Seems like you'd have less weight trying to pull you forward.

    At my 51" gut I have to really crank down the belt. I'd assume less fat would make the belt fit better as well.

  6. #6
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    You also have less leverage to contribute to the rebound at the bottom and less intraabdominal pressure from the gut. Sorry for the delay, I just saw this was unread on the second page.

  7. #7
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    JJ:

    50 yr old male here, 5'8" and 227 lb. I've fairly recently lost over 25 lb of BW and 10" from my equator on an aggressive cut, and another factor I noticed is that I've basically had to re-learn the squat, because of the change in proprioceptive cues from the change in geometry at the bottom of the ROM.

    Overall, I lost noticeable amounts of strength on the 3-month cut - much of that from doing keto + IF to do it - but it's taken less than three months since that for me to ease back into the 90%+ range on all my fives, so do be encouraged.

    That said, having lost over 90% of my BW on purpose, I'm just under a 40" abdomen for the first time in decades, my blood work is no longer into pre-diabetic range, I function, feel, and look noticeably better, and my clothes fit better, too.

    Moreover, my squat continues to progress steadily, and I'm five pounds away from my previous 5RM, and likely to hit and exceed that within the next few weeks... So, it's absolutely been worth it.

    I also want to take this opportunity, Robert, to thank you for all the info you've put out on this. Your posts and podcasts were very helpful and encouraging to me while exercising during the cut. Satisfaction is proportional to outcome over expectations, and you definitely helped me calibrate that denominator. I appreciate it.

  8. #8
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    Anytime Jason. I have recently lost some weight and have hit new rep PRs on the squat and deadlift. I initially took weight off the bar because I was injured and went up slow. I think that my leverage had fully changed as the intensity got higher and I just cruised right along. That said I don't lose large amounts of bodyweight so the change isn't as dramatic. My bench press took a giant dump though. That's pretty standard.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Santana View Post
    My bench press took a giant dump though. That's pretty standard.
    Sorry to butt in gentlemen, but just out of curiosity, I am nearing the end of my very protracted NLP. I expect to finish it with a bench press of 275ish at a bodyweight of about 240. Is it reasonable to expect to keep my bench at 225 if I drop some love handle fat to say 200-210 over a course of three to six months?

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    You may even keep it higher. Are you a fat 240 or a solid 240 or somewhere in between?

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