Training to drop weight class and maintain strength

[BigBrother33]

Hello Dr Santana.

I'm 35m 80kgs 171cm. I just finished a PL meet Squat 207.5, bench 142.5 deadlift 215.

Im being a vain person and I want to go to nationals (im aware ill get smoked ). Unfortunately my total currently won't get me there at 83 however if I drop to 74 weight class and maintain a similar total I would be able to go for nationals.

Now my question is would the nature of training change based on a cut, I've read that when cutting its better to do a hypertrophy/volume program and that will retain most strength, size and work capacity vs training for more strength.

So I was thinking of doing a 6 week hypertrophy program whilst cutting is that reasonable or stupid ?

[Robert Santana]

You do realize that your squat and bench press will likely suffer from dropping to that weight class. Keeping volume up maintains muscle mass. Strength can come back when you increase calories and increase training intensity but if you have out grown a weight class you've simply out grown a weight class. I learned this the hard way. Why don't you get your deadlift up at your current weight class. If you can squat that much you are leaving weight on the bar on the deadlift. No reason that isn't higher.

[Maybach]

The reason you do "hypertrophy" when losing weight is because you get weaker. The weight of higher reps goes down slower than lower reps. It doesn't mean you cram a shitload of extra volume in. That's a good way to fuck yourself.up.

[Robert Santana]

The bottom line is that lifting while restricting calories = lifting lighter weights. You can choose how to do that the most productively but I generally recommend more sets at the lower reps vs more reps for fewer sets because reproducing correctly performed reps becomes a challenge on the barbell lifts beyond 5 reps.

[BigBrother33]

You do realize that your squat and bench press will likely suffer from dropping to that weight class. Keeping volume up maintains muscle mass. Strength can come back when you increase calories and increase training intensity but if you have out grown a weight class you've simply out grown a weight class. I learned this the hard way. Why don't you get your deadlift up at your current weight class. If you can squat that much you are leaving weight on the bar on the deadlift. No reason that isn't higher.

That's reasonable okay I'll try to fill out that extra 2-4 kgs (83 is limit ) and get my deadlift further up, I think cos I came 5th in last Comp (local) and I'm already fluffy/soft in the abdo region so got a bit disheartened.

[Robert Santana]

Pull 250 and you won't be as soft in the mid section. Although I am curious at your definition of soft?