Frequency: three sessions per week of full-body training is easier to maintain than higher frequencies on an energy deficit. Consistency beats intensity when recovery capacity is limited.
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Nutrition & Training · Resistance training · continued
Second pass at: Programming during a large energy deficit posts 61–90
This is a continuation of a long topic, addressed by post number rather than by page. Start at post 1.
f.kimani, post #60: post #59 is right about the mechanism and I think understates the practical bit. For anyone arriving from a search: the marked solution above is the direct answer, and the replies underneath it add the caveats that make it safe to use. Go to post
On post #58 — agreed on the reasoning, with one qualification.
Practical note that does not fit anywhere else. Whatever you conclude from this topic, write down what you did and when. The single most useful thing in your own records is not any individual result; it is that they are dated and consecutive.
Volume: the number of sets per muscle group per week that supports muscle maintenance is roughly 12 to 18 hard sets. That varies by individual but gives a target range.
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I disagree with the reply above, and I think the disagreement is substantive rather than terminological.
The distinction being drawn does not survive when you look at the published data for this specific question. I would be glad to be shown wrong on this, because the version I am arguing against is more convenient.
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Maintenance is the goal: preserving lean mass and strength during weight loss is the goal of resistance training in this context, not building new muscle. That goal is usually achievable with consistent, moderate training.
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j.habermann, post #7: Thank you for the correction. I have edited my earlier post with a note rather than silently, so the thread still makes sense to read. The error was mine and it was the kind that comes from remembering a figure instead of looking it up. Go to post
This follows post #64 rather than contradicting it.
Post-weight-loss training: once weight loss is complete and energy deficit ends, training can shift to building again. The transition from preservation mode to building mode is real and worth planning.
Programming while losing weight quickly: realistic expectations are crucial. Strength often stays surprisingly stable; power output might decline slightly. Expecting gains during an energy deficit sets yourself up for disappointment.
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so.cardoso, post #13: Intensity: using weights that allow 6 to 12 reps before fatigue is a reasonable range for preserving muscle. Heavier weights with lower reps can work but require more recovery. Go to post
Worth separating two things that post #69 runs together.
Maintenance is the goal: preserving lean mass and strength during weight loss is the goal of resistance training in this context, not building new muscle. That goal is usually achievable with consistent, moderate training.
Recovery: heavier training on a energy deficit and on a compound that slows gastric emptying requires attention to recovery (sleep, nutrition, stress). Recovery capacity declines with deficit, so training volume might need adjustment.
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Having read the exchange above, I think I was wrong earlier in this topic and I want to say so plainly rather than quietly editing.
The correction was fair and I had been repeating something I had not checked carefully enough.
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pe.onwuka, post #6: Intensity: using weights that allow 6 to 12 reps before fatigue is a reasonable range for preserving muscle. Heavier weights with lower reps can work but require more recovery. Go to post
On post #73 — agreed on the reasoning, with one qualification.
Deload weeks: periodic weeks (every 4 to 8 weeks) with reduced volume and intensity can help with recovery and sometimes reveal strength gains that got obscured by fatigue.
d.vestergaard, post #66: Maintenance is the goal: preserving lean mass and strength during weight loss is the goal of resistance training in this context, not building new muscle. That goal is usually achievable with consistent, moderate training. Go to post
post #77 answers the question as asked. The question underneath it is different.
Frequency: three sessions per week of full-body training is easier to maintain than higher frequencies on an energy deficit. Consistency beats intensity when recovery capacity is limited.
s.leclerc, post #49: This follows post #46 rather than contradicting it. For anyone arriving from a search: the marked solution above is the direct answer, and the replies underneath it add the caveats that make it safe to use. Go to post
Volume: the number of sets per muscle group per week that supports muscle maintenance is roughly 12 to 18 hard sets. That varies by individual but gives a target range.
r.bruun, post #35: Programming while losing weight quickly: realistic expectations are crucial. Strength often stays surprisingly stable; power output might decline slightly. Expecting gains during an energy deficit sets yourself up for disappointment. Go to post
Post-weight-loss training: once weight loss is complete and energy deficit ends, training can shift to building again. The transition from preservation mode to building mode is real and worth planning.
Thank you for the correction. I have edited my earlier post with a note rather than silently, so the thread still makes sense to read. The error was mine and it was the kind that comes from remembering a figure instead of looking it up.
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ch.correia, post #46: Frequency: three sessions per week of full-body training is easier to maintain than higher frequencies on an energy deficit. Consistency beats intensity when recovery capacity is limited. Go to post
Cardio and resistance: the interaction between energy-intense cardiovascular training and resistance training is real. Moderate cardio is fine; excessive endurance training can interfere with muscle maintenance.
Recovery: heavier training on a energy deficit and on a compound that slows gastric emptying requires attention to recovery (sleep, nutrition, stress). Recovery capacity declines with deficit, so training volume might need adjustment.
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post #86 is right about the mechanism and I think understates the practical bit.
Frequency: three sessions per week of full-body training is easier to maintain than higher frequencies on an energy deficit. Consistency beats intensity when recovery capacity is limited.
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Worth separating two things that post #84 runs together.
Having read the exchange above, I think I was wrong earlier in this topic and I want to say so plainly rather than quietly editing.
The correction was fair and I had been repeating something I had not checked carefully enough.
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Picking up post #86: that is the part I would want checked first.
Maintenance is the goal: preserving lean mass and strength during weight loss is the goal of resistance training in this context, not building new muscle. That goal is usually achievable with consistent, moderate training.
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Coming back to post #88, because the follow-up matters more than the original answer.
Intensity: using weights that allow 6 to 12 reps before fatigue is a reasonable range for preserving muscle. Heavier weights with lower reps can work but require more recovery.
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