Priv Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Recently having become single again I am trying to look my best to gain some confidence and generally feel better about myself. I am a competitive amateur powerlifter, endomorph, and not fat. However, besides having a weightlifters gut (not bothered by this at all), there is also a substantial amount of fat around the abdominal area. I would very much like to get rid of this. Basically, I am sick of having a 'beer belly'. But have no clue how to. The irony is I know everything about strenght gains, and nothing about losing weight. I eat quite healthy, actually living with my brother atm since breakup who is health freak diet wise (paleo + other stuff you really should ask him about ). So at least half my meals are top notch. I also enjoy cooking well, no junk food or so. Due to my easy weight gains I also never had to bulk up or try anything special for strength gains. The last few months I have been rope skipping for an hour a day on my off-days. Lost some weight due to it not so much scale wise but pants size wise (92-94 kilo btw). But those gains are long gone. Besides rope skipping I am currently following 5/3/1 + first set last and joker sets if I feel like it as I have done for the last 3 years. Anyone got any tips on losing a bit of weight? Preferably without altering my weightlifting program. I pretty much gain weight just looking at food and truth be told, I have never been thin. I am not looking to be skinny or having a six pack or anything. But I do mind having a beer belly while being at pretty much peak physical condition. Perhaps trying for more volume on 5/3/1? I really haved no idea :S 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Phoe Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Burn more calories than you consume. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
John83 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 When i want to lean up i skip 1 meal per day and add in an hour of cardio daily. Have a look at the 5 3 1 boring but big. That has a bit more volume than the standard program. If wanting to really lean up id cut carbs from remaining meals. As you will know well dont cut too hard otherwise strength will plummet. Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Hey, a fellow powerlifter! I follow 5/3/1 as well (well, 3/5/1 really). As you know, we need to be concerned about recovery in order to maintain consistent strength gains. I'll second John83's advice to avoid dieting too hard. Mostly, just try to eat a little bit less in general. Keep protein high, of course, but start to learn to take smaller portions of everything else. Upping the volume a little (BBB is a good way to do this) could be a good thing too, as long as you start light. If you jump in with it too heavy (especially while dieting down), you might find yourself unrecovered and hurting in a hurry. I'd start with 35-45% 1rm for these sets, and view them more as "practice" than anything else. You can up the weight over time, but you want to avoid annihilating yourself. What's your total btw? Do you prefer to lift raw or geared? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Emilia Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I have found that reduction of carbs combined with BBBs made weight drop off me. Link to post Share on other sites
Author Priv Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Thanks for the responses. Good suggestions to try BBB again. Started first set last to implement some volume. Have tried BBB for a few months but wasn't ready for the volume. Especially with the DL. 5x10 DL felt insane. But I guess I can try again. Perhaps only take so much weight with the DL as I can use with a double overhand grip? Definitely also upping the cardio. I find it doesn't hurt training when done on off days. I'm not much for calorie counting and such, but will read up on it. Couldn't hurt. Total is: DL 285 BP 124 SQ 200 so 609kg, 1342 lbs. Not great, but as I said I am an amateur. My BP is lacking due to recurring tendonites which is killing my training. Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Id say start training like a bodybuilder... Spend less time between sets, more isolated movements, etc....Dont worry about losing strength, you might lose some just from dropping some lbs., but it wont be because of the different form of training..Most serious bodybuilders are VERY strong, even though thats not really what they are trying to accomplish.. Good luck.. TFY Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Nice lifts man! Especially that deadlift. Got dam. Anyway, I hear you on the BBB deads. I think that as strong as you are in that lift, you would be better off doing additional rep work with squats instead. Pause squats perhaps? Since you compete in a sport that requires you to train heavy consistently, and therefore necessitates a focus on good recovery, I'd say that that you'd be better off with a mild caloric reduction and possibly a slight increase in volume. Trimming down will take longer this way, but you should hopefully have a better chance of maintaining or improving your lifts along the way. Link to post Share on other sites
dichotomy Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Interesting, been thinking about going from 5x5 to 5/3/1 but worry that will take me more towards the power lifter build. I tend not to define - but bulk when lifting. I have actually started to add in some more bodybuilding routines into 5x5, but also I am planning more HITT cardio soon. That and laying off the beer Link to post Share on other sites
Author Priv Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 T-Mann - Thanks. Kinda proud of my DL . Head and shoulders above the rest of my lifts. Would have had my squat higher (and have had it higher) too if my pelvis wasn't twisted due to a stuck SI joint (happened twice actually). It's all minor stuff - tendonites - loose pelvis joint, but it takes some lifts out of the running for months on an end. When I just started lifting 4 years ago I read about how the pro's take as much time with injury prevention as with the actual lifts. I'm starting to see their point. kfc - yea, kinda accepted I will never look ripped. Doesn't reall matter to me though. As long as I get rid of the beer belly look. Might be just vanity, but becoming single again kinda makes this important in my mind. Sucks to be in this place again, but hey... gotta make the best of it. dichotomy - SL and 5/3/1 have the same lifts. There pretty much staple for all programs, BB and powerlifting. A nice thing about 5/3/1 is that you get stronger in multiple rep ranges besides 1rm. Maybe you should look at PHAT. Read about it once, and it is supposedly good but have no personal experience. Combines powerlifting and BB. Directlyfitness.com | P.H.A.T. Training: A Look At Layne Norton?s Workout System Just did my first BBB workout. At 50% (mp) I got 3 out of 5 sets 10 reps. The last 2 only 7 unfortunately. Will keep at it. See what the results are in a month or 2. Link to post Share on other sites
BOREDouttaMymind Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 calculate your BMR.. then calculate your maintenance caloric intake for a day. subtract 500 calories. POW! eat that every day and youll lose like crazy. Link to post Share on other sites
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