I'm no expert on this. If you want to make strength gains, you don't want to cut calories right? So, it would be either accept the flab for now and make your strength gains, or burn the flab and try to preserve the strength gains that you've made already.
Yah, to some extent, but a lot of advice has to be run through the pro->recreational filter, as always. I'm don't train anywhere near the limits of my metabolism, but having read up a bit too much on all the training advice, I always make sure to have a full tank of fuel before an st workout. I never used to think about it, and I can't say I'm making gains any faster now. Of course, one has to adjust for age--metabolism slows, and strength declines--but I'm wondering if it would be such a bad thing to train a little hungry once in a while. Elite athletes have to monitor that stuff closely, because every second, pound, or inch counts in competition, and they're training 4-5 hours a day, but I doubt it makes that much difference for me. I just don't think the bodies of recreational/fitness runners and lifters who exercise moderately an hour or less a day are that sensitive to variation in training or nutritional inputs.
Thanks for all the links!
As I've said, I've lost weight before, both quickly and gradually, so I know what needs to be done (maintain a healthy diet, eat a lot/little less, run or walk a fair bit), but I'm getting a little impatient with how long it's taking my running fitness to come back. I think once I'm back up over 20 miles per week, ideally in the 25-30 mpw range, everything will sort itself out, especially if I can manage to run at slightly faster paces, which is my goal. In the meantime, I was wondering if perhaps a little more drastic approach to dieting, temporarily, might get me over the hump a little quicker. Hence the Saffron query. I didn't mean to give the impression that I'm morbidly obese or overly frustrated.
For lifting, I think what I may end up doing is cutting out the third meal before my workout, and then have a protein shake with creatine and BCAAs right after. Most people seem to claim benefit from the latter, so I'll be taking care of my st's post-workout need for muscle replenishment, without giving my body as much opportunity to store food as fat. I usually eat dinner within one to two hours after my st workout, but perhaps an immediate influx of nutrients will help. There's seems to be a consensus on getting something in within 30 minutes of working out, although once again, I wonder if our physiologies are really that precise and sensitive.
Also, for those training regimen protocols, they're talking about body parts, but if you're doing full, compound movements, it's kinda hard to calculate exactly how many times per week you're using the lats or triceps, for example. I like the idea of force/direction pairings much better--push/up, push/out, push/down, and pull/down, pull/in, pull/up. My current approach is to do each one once a week, minimally, and then if you have time left over, do the ones that are weak or are a point of emphasis twice a week. My pullups (pull/down) and overhead press (push/up) are weak compared to my rows (pull/in) and bench press (push/out) , so I do the former twice a week. And these days I'm emphasizing my deadlift (pull/up) and squat (push/down), so I do them once heavy and once light each week. Finally, I like to do some plyometrics things, like power cleans or high pulls, in addition to box jumps.
Sets and reps we've discussed before, but for me, lifts that are a point of emphasis should incorporate 1-2RM and back-off sets on the heavy days. Most other exercises should be somewhere in the 3x5 range, give or take a set, and 1-2 reps. The whole point of
strength training, as opposed to bodybuilding, powerlifting, or weightlifting, is to improve overall strength, so you gotta lift relatively heavy for each force/direction pairing. I do the assistance stuff with fewer sets and higher reps, but due to time constraints, I rarely get around to them and tend to stick to the main lifts anyway. And assistance lifts should be exactly that, ones that assist in performing the main lifts, not ones that bring out your lower pec or some other body part. From a strength-training perspective, you don't train the hamstring or biceps, you try to get strong pushing and pulling stuff. If an exercise isn't helping you do that, then it's not strength training. Which is not to say bodybuilding, powerlifting, or weightlifting don't have merit (OK, I have a hard time with bodybuilding), but I think we have to read these articles knowing which perspective is framing the discussion, and at what level of performance they're intended.
BTW, my new 18" starlock dumbbell bars came on Saturday. With thin 10-pound plates, there'll be enough room for 140 pounds. I did 100-pound dumbbell rows on Saturday, and it felt great. I think my new protocol on dumbbell rows may be to do a few sets of 3-5 reps with 100+ pounds, with little regard for form, and then a few back-off sets at 80-90 while paying attention to good form. Dumbbell rows seem like a good exercise to just yank the damn thing as hard as you can, and see how heavy you can go.
I didn't do any of the big lifts on Saturday. My left knee MCL felt close to 100%, but I thought a few more days of rest wouldn't hurt. We'll see how it handles the deadlifts later today, and the run tomorrow.
