How to maintain strength while losing weight or cutting?

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2015-05-30

This question mainly concerns men. Every guy who hits the gym eventually gains not only muscle but also some fat. And the question of weight loss arises. In principle, men are not opposed to losing weight and getting rid of the extra fat. However, many realize that they will lose not only fat but also strength in the process. And parting with strength is something they really don't want to do. So, they ponder: How can one lose weight and maintain strength?

To begin with, if you plan to lose a small amount of weight (less than 5% of body weight), it is realistically possible to maintain strength at the same level. However, if the percentage of weight loss exceeds 5%, then almost certainly, you will lose at least a little strength. My task here is to tell you how to maximize strength preservation during weight loss.

Exercises

You should perform purely strength workouts twice a week. However, these should be short sessions consisting mainly of basic exercises. For example, a workout lasting 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes consisting of 4-5 basic exercises. Overall, that amounts to 8-10 such exercises per week. This is sufficient to engage all muscle groups in the body. For example:

First Workout:

Second Workout:

The point is that you will likely be doing a lot of cardio since you're planning to lose weight or get leaner. Therefore, you won't have the time or energy for a large number of volume-intensive strength workouts. And there's no need for that. A couple of sessions of around 1 hour and 20 minutes per week is quite manageable, and this won't sap the strength you need for weight loss.

Reps and Sets

You only need to perform 3 working sets per exercise with 1 to 6 repetitions per set. This applies if you are a man. If you're a woman, aim for 5 to 8 repetitions. This means you'll be lifting heavier weights, and the smaller rep range will help preserve strength because doing many repetitions will be challenging. In the first place, you will get tired from the cardio. Secondly, when on a weight loss diet, it's tough to complete a large number of repetitions.

Sports Nutrition

From sports nutrition, you will need supplements that do not have a DIRECT impact on mass gain but will have an effect (even if indirect) on strength gain. These include:

• Creatine
• Ecdysterone or tribulus
• Vitamin and mineral complexes
• BCAAs

While creatine does cause some water retention, it won't be in large quantities. Moreover, this water quickly leaves your system once you stop taking it. Ecdysterone or tribulus stimulates testosterone production in the body. The higher your testosterone levels, the stronger you become. Vitamins and minerals give you at least good well-being, which is also beneficial for your strength. And BCAAs help restore muscle structure, which can be compromised not only during strength training but also during cardio—often to a greater extent.

Thus, even consuming all these supplements simultaneously won't hinder your weight loss efforts. They will, however, help you maintain your strength.

Rate of Weight Loss

The rate of weight loss directly affects how much muscle you will lose. Naturally, the more muscle you lose, the weaker you will become. So, if you want to retain as much strength as possible, the rate of weight loss should be a MAXIMUM of 1 kg per week.

Of course, many people are impatient. They may not be satisfied with such a slow pace. Well, ultimately, it’s up to each individual to decide. I am simply providing advice on how things should be done. You decide what’s best for you.

Conclusions

If you, for example, weigh 100 kg and want to lose only 2 to 4 kg, by following all these guidelines, you should not experience a loss of strength. However, if you wish to drop from 100 kg to 90 kg, then, undoubtedly, your absolute strength (the strength not accounting for body weight) will decrease. Your goal is to retain as much strength as possible.

A good result is considered when strength decreases by less than 10% for every 10% drop in weight. For example, if you went from 100 kg to 90 kg and your bench press was 150 kg but dropped to 145 kg, that’s excellent! If you came down to 140 kg, that’s not bad. But if you can only lift 135 kg (which is 10% less), then that’s a significant drop in strength below the norm. So, lose weight, and may the strength be with you!