Keep strength - Get leaner

Noffles

Ok, I'm looking to lose about 8lbs of fat off my body and if I posted a pic you would see where... belly.

My age is 40 and I weigh in at 85k at 5"9.

So see my lifting stats below and some of my diet plus the cardio I do..

Train 4 times a week but mix it up a little, so would do every body part once a week. I'll put a good set down for each body part / exercise, so you get the gist.. most sets are of 8 or 10, then drop down to fail on the last one.

Chest
4 sets of flat bench up to 4 with 120K
Dumbell incline 4 sets up to 3 with 40K

Legs
6 sets up to 3 with 160k
Leg raises and extensions also done

Back
Wide grip chins 4 sets of 8
Usual others, pull downs, bent over rows, long pulleys, no dead lift as too long to recover.

Shoulders
4 sets dumbell press up to 8 with 37.5K
then the usuals, military, machine press, laterals and bent over laterals
Shrugs - with bar and dumbells, heavy as possible really.

Arms (triceps and biceps)
Barbell and dumbell curls with a few hammers thrown in.
Skullcrushers, dips, push downs etc etc.

Cardio
run 3 or 4 times a week 3 miles, usually around 20-24 minutes.

Diet.... fairly rubbish

Plenty of protein but a lot of snacks, biscuits, loads of coffee, lots of wine and maybe a good few vodkas... the pints have been knocked on the head so they average about 6 a week.

Plenty of spuds, pasta and bread..

I've been a little swift in the details but I'm sure whoever reads this gets the idea... Too add, I find my recovery after heavy workouts fairly slow and suffer from DOMS quite badly, am I deficient in some foods or is it age?

I'm looking for tips and hints on where to improve and how to get leaner without losing too much strength really...

Zamboni

Noffles wrote: »

Plenty of spuds, pasta and bread..

Alright Noffs,

For a start I'd target this straight away and replace with vegetables.
That alone would shift a few pounds.

TommyKnocker

Noffles wrote: »

Too add, I find my recovery after heavy workouts fairly slow and suffer from DOMS quite badly, am I deficient in some foods or is it age?

Well I don't think it is age, as I am a 46yr old male who works out 6 times per week (3 full body weight sessions with Squats & Dead lifts) and I have no problem with recovery. You can see my training log here if you are interested http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055632313 For the record, I am 72/73kg at 5' 6" and 13% body fat

Unfortunately I have no idea about foods that would aid recovery. I do have what I consider to be a reasonably clean diet. No Pasta, Rice or spuds, no cake or biscuite etc, very little bread, no take away meals, no alcohol at all etc. I cook/prepare everything I eat. Lots of fresh fruit & veg, lean meats and fish, Oats, nuts & seeds. Drinks are either green tea or water with the exception of 150ml glass of Cranberry juice each morning with breakfast.

I also take the following supplements

Each Morning
1 x Multibionta Multi vit
1 x Joint Ace
3 x Seven Seas Fish oil

After a workout
Protein shake comprised of the following

2 x 30 gram scoops of ON Protein powder
1.5 x 30g scoops of Glucose
5g ON Creatine (5g = 1 heaped teaspoon approx)
5g ON L-Glutamine (5g = 1 heaped teaspoon approx)

Mixed with 1 pint/450ml cold water.

Best Regards,

M

sfag

Noffles wrote: »

I weigh in at 85k at 5"9.

Chest
4 sets of flat bench up to 4 with 120K

Too add, I find my recovery after heavy workouts fairly slow and suffer from DOMS quite badly, am I deficient in some foods or is it age?

I'm looking for tips and hints on where to improve and how to get leaner without losing too much strength really...

At that kind of pressing you are an advanced lifter and to lose a relatively small 8lbs of body fat without compromising your lifts you need expert nutritional advice from a body builder.
I aint an expert but heres my personal take.
Walk before brekie for 45 mins - 6 days a week.
Doms are normal - if I dont get them I feel I havent worked that hard.
There are supplements that are supposed to help with them. I'm trying l-glutame... at the mo - if it works I'll report back - have to I dont normally respond to supps.

y'know you need to sleep well to recover. If not your muscles will be sore even if you dont lift!.

kevpants

Did a similar project over the summer. It's going to be hard to lose all that fat have no effects on strength, but I mean they're temporary and if you periodize your training and give yourself 10 weeks or whatever of fat loss with strength maintenance followed by a return to strength-centric stuff at least you won't be caught between two stools if you get me.

I dropped from 110kg to 100kg bodyweight and squat/deadlift numbers stayed pretty constant but I found my bench was most affected by the drop in mass. Nothing disastrous though.

ragg

Without being funny, if your not a power lifter or a fireman, why the **** do you care about strength.
I lost some strength while dieting, but i got it back by training hard - im way above where I was with a much better body.

So in short, who cares about short term strength loss

SouperComputer

What do you eat/drink after you workout? Have you considered a recovery/protein drink? Ive found it helps a lot with recovery.

Noffles

I would normally have some porridge when getting back from the gym ( I train in the morning, would eat nothing before going) or I'd have some peanut butter on toast.

Noffles

ragg wrote: »

Without being funny, if your not a power lifter or a fireman, why the **** do you care about strength.
I lost some strength while dieting, but i got it back by training hard - im way above where I was with a much better body.

So in short, who cares about short term strength loss

This is a question I've never ever asked myself... I would always want to either get stronger or not lose any strength... This is the main reason I train I suppose...

I would say that I'm failing if I was getting weaker.

Interesting question though... but never asked it of myself?

ragg

Thats kind of the idea - its a question to think about. The effect of going low carb, might make you feel a little weaker in the short term, but its not a long term problem.

With that said, your working out on an empty stomach as it is, so your probably not hitting your max as it is

Noffles

ragg wrote: »

Thats kind of the idea - its a question to think about. The effect of going low carb, might make you feel a little weaker in the short term, but its not a long term problem.

With that said, your working out on an empty stomach as it is, so your probably not hitting your max as it is

Well over the last week my strength has dropped slightly on benching so maybe it's a decision I've not got any control over?

Will try and have something prior to going then... Suggestions welcome?