Sheer Strength

[mattanshrager]

Quick Question:
I Want To Keep Getting Strong, But Like Most People These Days I Am Eating Less Calories To Lose Fat. Can I Keep Increasing My Strength While Losing Fat And Some Mass? That's Really All That Concerns Me Now-- Strength. I Am A Young Powerlifter And Never Lift More Than 5 Or 6 Reps, Most Sets Are 1-3 Reps. Will This Keep Me In The Strong Shape I Want To Be? And If Not Please Give Advice, And Perhaps How Credible You Believe Your Advice To Be, And Maybe A Good Source. Gratzi!

[jack_of_all]

well... no sources without looking... but, size is dependant upon mass, which requires calorie surplus, strength is dependant on mass AND on central nervous system ability to recruit muscle fibers (ie: why a chimp can dl over a 1000 pounds but weigh less than you). when you do low sets, you dont do much micro damage to the muscles and dont tend to gain as much size, your CNS however becomes more efficient making you stronger. so technically, so long as you dont lose that much muscle size, you can make strength gains.

[Chris Tucker]

You can increase strength and lose fat while gaining muscle mass. It is difficult but possible. You need a clean diet and some HEAVY training.

You are in the right rep zone for muscle recovery. Make sure you keep the compound movements at the core of your training.

[ilankaplan1]

oh **** this is what i need to do too. so if ive been doin reps of 10, what would be good for focusing strenght, reps of 6-8, or lower?

[SpecialK]

well... no sources without looking... but, size is dependant upon mass, which requires calorie surplus, strength is dependant on mass AND on central nervous system ability to recruit muscle fibers (ie: why a chimp can dl over a 1000 pounds but weigh less than you). when you do low sets, you dont do much micro damage to the muscles and dont tend to gain as much size, your CNS however becomes more efficient making you stronger. so technically, so long as you dont lose that much muscle size, you can make strength gains.

Chimps can deadlift a lot??

[jack_of_all]

actually, not even a dl... its a ONE HANDED pull (not pulling with the arm, using the legs deadlift style)!


yeh, i found this out when someone posted a thread about a chimp attack and we debated over the strength. without reading all the posts i responded to someones 'fight one and find out' response saying id kick the things @$$, what i didnt read was this...

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_001b.html

then i said something about how a person could beat a a gorilla... but i dont know what the hell i was thinking there, because it didnt make sense at the time either

[mattanshrager]

You can increase strength and lose fat while gaining muscle mass. It is difficult but possible. You need a clean diet and some HEAVY training.

Clean? I get the idea but calories, protein, when should i spike my calories?