Balancing Strength Training & Weight Loss
The most common goals new trainees have are “lose weight” and “gain strength.” This can be challenging, because calories and protein are necessary to gain strength.
Stress, Recovery, and Adaptation
Strength is built according to the stress-recovery-adaptation model. A trainee lifts on Monday, and if the stress is high enough, homeostasis is disrupted. This is the body sensing the assault on the body and responding by preparing for the same assault in the future. The trainee goes home and eats, sleeps, and doesn’t continue to stress their muscles - this is the recovery. If the recovery is adequate, the body builds strength to tolerate future stress like the one during the workout on Monday. What’s critical to understand about this is that the same stress will not increase strength after the body has already adapted to it - workouts have to get harder.
The more adapted the trainee is, the higher the stress required to cause adaptation. The recovery also has to be higher in proportion to the stress imposed. This means that a highly adapted trainee has to eat a lot of calories and protein to recover and adapt.
Weight Loss
Weight loss requires a caloric deficit. Energy (calories) expended must exceed the energy taken in. Someone who wants to lose weight has to eat less calories. Many trainees try to lose weight by doing a lot of cardio, but this typically does not work as reliably as modifying their diet. Similar to the stress-recovery-adaptation model, the more excess fat a person has, the easier it is to lose.
Combining The Above
An overweight and weak individual can both lose weight and get stronger. It is harder to continue both as a trainee gets stronger and loses weight. Eventually, the trainee will have to decide which is more important to them. However, a lot of progress can be made before anyone has to pick one or the other.
My client, Shane, started lifting to lose weight and get stronger. He started with a 95x5 squat, a 75x5 standing press, and a 115x5 deadlift at a bodyweight of 280.6lb and a waist of 49.5 inches. He lost 22.4 pounds and two inches off his waist over the next three months. He also added 100 pounds to his squat, 32.5 pounds to his standing press, and 105 pounds to his deadlift. What was more pronounced than his weight loss was how his body composition changed. His arms and back were bigger. His stomach was smaller and less like a potbelly. His legs and butt became more well-defined. View the case study on this client here.
Most trainees I meet are between 30-50 years old and want to get stronger and lose weight. Most people stay the same weight, but they get much stronger, their stomach and face look more lean, and their muscles are more well-defined and firm.
Keep protein high and don’t eliminate carbs.
Protein is absolutely necessary to build strength, but it also gives a feeling of fullness. It is easier to follow a diet that doesn't leave the trainee hungry all day. Complex carbs (think grains) are important for getting the workouts done. Low-carb diets are great for weight loss but are incompatible with strength training. Sugars and fats should be low. I always recommend trainees cut out pop. It’s the easiest to drop and has a significant effect on caloric intake.
Losing fat and getting stronger are possible, and most people are going to be better off losing fat and getting stronger at the same time instead of picking one to focus on right away.
The takeaway here is that fitness, strength, and weight all require balance in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Take it slow, listen to your body, and respect your limitations and your progress will be lasting and more enjoyable in the long run.
