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		<title>Powerlifting Nutrition: How To Pick Your Weight Class</title>
		<link>https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/how-to-pick-your-weight-class/</link>
					<comments>https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/how-to-pick-your-weight-class/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Izzy T]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2014 20:33:33 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nutrition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bulk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cut]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[how to pick your weight class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lean]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/?p=2535</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[So begins the PowerliftingToWin Nutrition Series! Nutrition, in powerlifting, primarily serves two purposes: 1) performance enhancement and 2) weight management. When done properly, both of these ends are met simultaneously. That is, you do not need to choose between being strong and fat or weak and lean. There is no “or” here. When nutrition is dialed… <span class="read-more"><a href="https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/how-to-pick-your-weight-class/">Read More &#187;</a></span>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So begins the <a title="Powerlifting Nutrition Series" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/powerlifting-nutrition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PowerliftingToWin Nutrition Series</a>!</p>
<p>Nutrition, in powerlifting, primarily serves two purposes: 1) performance enhancement and 2) weight management. When done properly, both of these ends are met simultaneously. That is, you do not need to choose between being strong and fat or weak and lean.</p>
<p>There is no “or” here. When nutrition is dialed in, you are both strong AND lean. That is the purpose of powerlifting nutrition in a nut shell – at least here on PowerliftingToWin. Our entire goal in this nutrition series is to lay down an EXACT plan, step-by-step, for how one can maintain a lean physique year round while simultaneously adding muscle and strength. To be explicitly clear, just as in the programming series, when the nutrition series wraps up, I will be releasing a free eBook detailing the exact nutrition plan and weight management strategy that I believe to be optimal.</p>
<div id="attachment_1009" style="width: 637px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/lightweight-powerlifters.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1009" class="size-full wp-image-1009" src="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/lightweight-powerlifters.jpg" alt="Dan Green holds world records at 220lbs and 242lbs. Jesse Norris holds world records at 198lbs." width="627" height="640" srcset="https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/lightweight-powerlifters.jpg 627w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/lightweight-powerlifters-293x300.jpg 293w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/lightweight-powerlifters-250x255.jpg 250w" sizes="(max-width: 627px) 100vw, 627px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-1009" class="wp-caption-text">Dan Green holds world records at 220lbs and 242lbs. Jesse Norris holds world records at 198lbs.</p></div>
<p>Sound good? Good. Let’s talk about weight classes.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;d rather watch than read:<br />
<iframe title="Powerlifting Nutrition: How To Choose Your Weight Class" width="665" height="374" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zS6TqcGFt7w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Powerlifting Weight Classes</h2>
<p>For those who don’t know, Powerlifting is a weight class sport. A weight class sport is one in which competitors are divided up into different divisions depending on how much they weigh. You cannot compete in any class where you are above the maximum weight and, likewise, you cannot compete in any class where you do not make the minimum weight. Whatever weight class you fall “inside of”, is the weight class where you must compete.</p>
<div id="attachment_2536" style="width: 514px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Weight-Classes.png"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2536" class="size-full wp-image-2536" src="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Weight-Classes.png" alt="The IPF has different weight classes from all the other federations." width="504" height="357" srcset="https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Weight-Classes.png 504w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Weight-Classes-300x212.png 300w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Weight-Classes-250x177.png 250w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Weight-Classes-60x42.png 60w" sizes="(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-2536" class="wp-caption-text">The IPF has different weight classes from all the other federations.</p></div>
<p>Weight classes ensure that everyone has a fair shot to win if they play their cards right. You cannot use height as an excuse.</p>
<h2>How to Pick Your Weight Class</h2>
<p>Now, this obviously leads one to ask, “Well, how should I go about determining the weight class that is best for me”? Good question.</p>
<p>I think the idea that one “chooses” their weight class is misleading if not outright false. The weight class that one should compete in is the weight class where the amount of muscle on their frame is maximized relative to the limit of that weight class. Put simply, you want to carry as much muscle as is possible while still making weight. For the sharp among you, yes, that means you need to be relatively lean in order to maximize and optimize your competitiveness in powerlifting.</p>
<h2>Being Fat Does NOT Improve Leverages!</h2>
<p>Why? Because fat doesn’t contract. People constantly talk about how fat improves your “leverages”. For the most part, it actually doesn’t. First of all, unlike muscle, fat is highly compressible and thus adds little in terms of actual leverage at the joints themselves.</p>
<p>For the truly obese, fat can help in the squat and bench press because it can somewhat reduce range of motion. In the squat, a big, fat gut can provide a cushion in the bottom when your belly compresses into your thighs. However, unless you are a geared powerlifter, meaning someone who uses squat suits and bench shirts, being fat is not going to appreciably increase performance.</p>
<div id="attachment_2537" style="width: 675px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Robert-Wilkerson-Squat.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2537" class="size-large wp-image-2537" src="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Robert-Wilkerson-Squat-1024x681.jpg" alt="Big Rob Wilkerson smashes an amazing 900lbs taking full advantage of his &quot;leverages&quot;." width="665" height="442" srcset="https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Robert-Wilkerson-Squat-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Robert-Wilkerson-Squat-300x199.jpg 300w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Robert-Wilkerson-Squat-250x166.jpg 250w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Robert-Wilkerson-Squat-665x442.jpg 665w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Robert-Wilkerson-Squat.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-2537" class="wp-caption-text">Big Rob Wilkerson smashes an amazing 900lbs taking full advantage of his &#8220;leverages&#8221;.</p></div>
<h2>The Real Reason Being Fat Helps You Lift More</h2>
<p>That said, when you’re “bigger”, you’ll often notice that you can lift more. In my opinion, this is primarily due to the fact that you’re in an overfed state for a prolonged period of time.</p>
<p>Remember that whole spheal about nutrition being performance enhancing? Well, water, unlike fat, DOES add to leverage. And what is the primary determinant of how much water a natural powerlifter carries? That answer is the current state of their glycogen levels. Glycogen levels are determined by your carbohydrate intake. When you’re constantly eating enough to gain weight, assuming you’re not doing some sort of low carb non-sense, your glycogen tank is completely full.</p>
<p>Not only does this mean you’re carrying more water which DOES improve leverage, but you also go into each workout in a more recovered state and with more overall energy in your tank (because glycogen levels are full). Over time, this is going to lead to increased performance both via the synthesis of new muscle tissue and simply due to the fact that eating more, in general, is better for performance. The being fat part has little to do with it.</p>
<h2>Powerlifting Body Composition Case Studies</h2>
<p>Let’s take a look at three case studies to crystallize the concept of why you need to maximize your muscle mass relative to your weight class.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Body-Composition-Case-Studies-2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2538" src="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Body-Composition-Case-Studies-2.png" alt="Powerlifting Body Composition Case Studies 2" width="583" height="377" srcset="https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Body-Composition-Case-Studies-2.png 583w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Body-Composition-Case-Studies-2-300x193.png 300w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Powerlifting-Body-Composition-Case-Studies-2-250x161.png 250w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 583px) 100vw, 583px" /></a></p>
<h2>Case Study 1: Fat Athlete vs. Lean Athlete</h2>
<p>Height, Weight, Body Fat %<br />
Athlete A: 5’6”, 181lbs, 20% Body Fat<br />
Athlete B: 5’6”, 181lbs, 8% Body Fat</p>
<p>Between these two athletes, who do you think is going to win? If you’re not dense, you realize that Athlete B wins every time. Let’s do some quick math to see why. Using the body fat figures, we can calculate “lean body mass” (LBM) which is the amount of fat-free mass someone carries. Athlete B is carrying 166.5lbs of LBM while Athlete B carries 145lbs. Because they’re the same height, we can assume their bones, blood, etc. weigh a relatively similar amount. This means Athlete B is carrying perhaps 20lbs more of pure muscle. Muscle contracts; muscle is the power that lifts weight. Is it really any wonder that Athlete B is going to dominate Athlete A?</p>
<p>This is why you need to be relatively lean regardless of what weight class you compete in. Being lean means you’re carrying more muscle mass relative to the class weight limit.</p>
<h2>Case Study 2: Skinny Athlete vs. Stocky Athlete</h2>
<p>Athlete A: 6’0”, 181lbs, 8% Body Fat<br />
Athlete B: 5’6”, 181lbs, 8% Body Fat</p>
<p>Between these two athletes, who do you think is going to win? Now, for some of you, this might be a bit more of a tricky question. If you do the math, it should be obvious that both athletes have the exact same amount of LBM. However, we can still reliably predict that Athlete B is the likely winner here. Why? Because more of Athlete A’s LBM comes from his skeleton, blood, organs, etc. More of Athlete B’s LBM is coming from pure muscle mass simply because his skeleton weighs less.</p>
<p>This is why being lean is not enough to be competitive. You need to carry as much muscle as possible. Otherwise, you’ll be competing against shorter athletes who can fit more muscle onto their frame while still staying in that weight class.</p>
<h2>Case Study 3: Lighter Athlete vs. Bigger Athlete</h2>
<p>Athlete A: 5’6”, 165lbs, 8% Body Fat<br />
Athlete B: 5’6”, 181lbs, 8% Body Fat</p>
<p>Between these two athletes, who do you think is going to be more competitive as a powerlifter? Of course, these guys won’t be competing against each other; they’re not in the same weight class. However, who do you think has a better chance of placing first in their respective division? The answer is, again, Athlete B. Why? Because Athlete B has more muscle as a percentage of his weight class than does Athlete A. It is more likely that Athlete B will have the most muscle in his weight class than it is that Athlete A will be the most muscular lifter in his weight class.</p>
<p>While muscle isn’t the sole determinant of lifting ability, it is one of the single biggest factors. You must maximize the amount of muscle you carry relative to the weight class you’re competing in. Otherwise, again, even if you’re very lean, you’ll lose to shorter competitors.</p>
<p>With time, and I must emphasize WITH TIME, while still being lean, you should aim to be the shortest and most muscular person in your weight class.</p>
<h2>Conclusions about Powerlifting Nutrition</h2>
<p>Given that we’ve established the primary goals of <a title="Powerlifting Nutrition Series" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/powerlifting-nutrition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">powerlifting nutrition</a> are both to manage our weight and enhance our performance; given that that we now know optimal weight management entails staying relatively lean so that we can maximize the amount of muscle we carry relative to the class we compete in; and, given that we now know that performance is enhanced by consuming large amounts of energy substrates and staying in an overfed state (surplus) for a prolonged period of time, we can come to several conclusions about the goals of our powerlifting nutrition plan:</p>
<p>1) We want to gain as much muscle as possible<br />
2) We want to stay at a “competitive” body fat percentage<br />
3) We want to spend as much of the year as is possible in a caloric surplus</p>
<p>Now that we’ve covered the “what” of Powerlifting Nutrition, in <a title="Cutting and Bulking for Powerlifting" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/cutting-and-bulking-for-powerlifting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the next article</a> we’re going to discuss the “how” from a broad perspective; we’re going to talk about how to “manage your weight” from the 30,000 foot view.</p>
<p>In subsequent articles, we’ll break down each piece of the process getting into the exact details of cutting, bulking, and making weight. With time, we’ll bring the full <a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/EatingToWin-eBook">EatingToWin</a> strategy to life.</p>
<h2>Did you enjoy the Powerlifting Nutrition Series?</h2>
<p>If so, I highly recommend you check out our eBook: <a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/EatingToWin-eBook">EatingToWin</a>. The book contains absolutely everything you need to know about how to set up the optimal diet for YOU personally as a powerlifter, how to identify the right weight class to maximize your competitiveness, how to cut weight like a PRO so that you can drop a weight class without performance loss, and, of course, an entire section on recommended supplements with the supporting evidence behind each recommend. <a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/EatingToWin-eBook">Grab your copy now!</a></p>
<h2>Like this Article? Subscribe to our Newsletter!</h2>
<p>If you liked this articled, and you want instant updates whenever we put out new content, including exclusive subscriber articles and videos, <a title="Newsletter Sign-up" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/newsletter">sign up to our Newsletter</a>!</p>
<h2>Questions? Comments?</h2>
<p>For all business and personal coaching services related inqueries, please contact me:<br />
[contact-form-7 id=&#8221;3245&#8243; title=&#8221;Contact form 1&#8243;]</p>
<h2 id="TOC">Table of Contents</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/how-to-pick-your-weight-class/">Powerlifting Nutrition: How To Pick Your Weight Class</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/cutting-and-bulking-for-powerlifting">Powerlifting Diet: Cutting and Bulking</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/the-best-way-to-measure-body-fat-for-powerlifting">The Best Way To Measure Body Fat For Powerlifting</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/when-to-move-up-a-weight-class">When To Move Up A Weight Class</a><br />
<a href=" http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/cutting-weight-for-powerlifting">How To Cut Weight For Powerlifting: 24 Hour and 2 Hour Weigh Ins</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/how-to-diet-for-powerlifting/">How To Diet For Powerlifting: Calories, Reverse Dieting, and More</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/powerlifting-macros/">Setting Up Your Powerlifting Macros</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/meal-frequency-and-nutrient-timing">Meal Frequency and Nutrient Timing in Powerlifting</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/eating-healthy-powerlifting">Eating Healthy for Powerlifting</a><br />
<a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/best-powerlifting-supplements">Best Powerlifting Supplements</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>How to Gain Strength While Cutting</title>
		<link>https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/gain-strength-while-cutting/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Izzy T]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jun 2014 19:05:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[All]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nutrition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cut]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cutting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gain strength on a diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gain strength while cutting]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/?p=2441</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Recently, I’ve lost about 6-7kg of bodyweight while adding 40kg/90lbs to my powerlifting total. Because of this success, as you might expect, I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about how one should go about trying to make gains on a cut. Now, while I fully plan to address this question in much more depth… <span class="read-more"><a href="https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/gain-strength-while-cutting/">Read More &#187;</a></span>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Recently, I’ve lost about 6-7kg of bodyweight while adding 40kg/90lbs to my powerlifting total. Because of this success, as you might expect, I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about how one should go about trying to make gains on a cut. Now, while I fully plan to address this question in much more depth in the <a title="Powerlifting Nutrition Series" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/powerlifting-nutrition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PowerliftingToWin Nutrition Series</a>, I do want to give a brief overview of the strategy I use to increase strength on a diet.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;d rather watch than read:<br />
<iframe loading="lazy" title="How to Gain Strength on a Cut" width="665" height="374" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GWcu7zhY0sM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Gaining Strength While Cutting</h2>
<p>First of all, is it even possible to make strength gains on a diet? Yes, yes it is! And that is honestly the first and biggest key to making strength gains on a cut. You have to believe that it is possible and you have to expect that you can do it. This is not some hippie nonsense. Plenty of people legitimately preach that this isn’t possible.</p>
<p>There are documented case studies of people being falsely diagnosed with cancer and then dying shortly thereafter with cancer symptoms. That is how strong the placebo effect can be. If you don’t think this same power will work against you if you go into your cut expecting to lose size and strength, you’re absolutely wrong.</p>
<p>Let me give you one famous example from athletics. For hundreds of years, human beings have been competing to see who can run the mile the fastest. No one had ever broken the four minute barrier. Scientists literally proclaimed that it was impossible. In the early 20th century, a man by the name of Roger Bannister finally broke the four minute barrier. And since Bannister did it? More than 20,000 athletes, including high school students, have managed to break the “impossible” four minute barrier.</p>
<div id="attachment_2595" style="width: 231px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/roger-bannister.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2595" class="size-medium wp-image-2595" src="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/roger-bannister-221x300.jpg" alt="Roger Bannister crossing the tape at the end of his record breaking mile run at Iffley Road, Oxford. He was the first person to run the mile in under four minutes, with a time of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)" width="221" height="300" srcset="https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/roger-bannister-221x300.jpg 221w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/roger-bannister-755x1024.jpg 755w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/roger-bannister-250x339.jpg 250w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/roger-bannister-665x901.jpg 665w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 221px) 100vw, 221px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-2595" class="wp-caption-text">Roger Bannister crossing the tape at the end of his record breaking mile run at Iffley Road, Oxford. He was the first person to run the mile in under four minutes, with a time of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)</p></div>
<p>Dr. Layne Norton has also said there is no reason you cannot make strength gains on a cut from to time to time as well.</p>
<h2>Optimize Your Nutrition</h2>
<p>Obviously, belief isn’t enough. If you want to gain strength on a cut, the second key is going to be optimizing your nutrition. Let’s break down some of the most important factors:</p>
<ul>
<li>Rate of Weight Loss: ~0.6-0.8% of BW per week</li>
</ul>
<p>For most of you this is going to work out to 1-1.5lbs or 0.5-0.75kg per week. For more information on cutting and bulking, <a title="Cutting and Bulking for Powerlifting" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/cutting-and-bulking-for-powerlifting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">see this article</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li>Refeed Days: x2 Per Week on your most important workout days</li>
</ul>
<p>If you train on Mon/Tue and Thu/Fri, like I do, you can copy my example. I do my refeed days on Monday and Thursday. This way, my Monday workout benefits from the higher intake, but so does my Tuesday workout because glycogen levels will remain elevated from the refeed going into the next workout. The same thing happens with my Thursday/Friday pairing. If you train Mon, Wed, and Fri, you’d opt for Monday and Friday for your refeed days. You’d probably make Wednesday a “light” or easier day compared to Monday and Friday.</p>
<div id="attachment_2570" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2570" class="size-medium wp-image-2570" src="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/chocolate-chip-cookies-300x199.jpg" alt="I don't know about you, but cookies make my refeed list most of the time." width="300" height="199" srcset="https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/chocolate-chip-cookies-300x199.jpg 300w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/chocolate-chip-cookies-250x166.jpg 250w, https://www.powerliftingtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/chocolate-chip-cookies.jpg 320w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-2570" class="wp-caption-text">I don&#8217;t know about you, but cookies make my refeed list most of the time.</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Conditioning: I recommend HIIT 1-2x per week</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Conditioning is the last recommendation I’d make. By including some conditioning once, preferably twice, a week, you’re going to increase metabolic rate, allow yourself to eat more, and improve your nutrient partitioning on the conditioning days. You’ll also build up work capacity and keep yourself in decent shape.</p>
<ul>
<li>Week to Week Changes: Don’t take calories away in big chunks</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The last nutritional key that I want to discuss is the general overall diet strategy. Unlike a lot of people, I never slash my calories by 500 or some other arbitrary number when I hit a “plateau”. The most I will ever subtract in a single week is 100kcal worth of macronutrients. The reason that I do this is by slowly taking out macros, I can settle on the absolute highest intake that is possible while still rate at the weight that I want to lose. People often add 5lbs to set a PR, but they don’t take the same, slow gradual approach with nutrition. When you do take the gradual approach, you’ll see that you don’t have to take calories so low by the end of the diet and, on average, you eat way more from week to week during your cut which, of course, helps maintain performance.</p>
<h2>Optimize Your Programming</h2>
<p>If you have your psychology and <a title="More on Powerlifting Nutrition" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/powerlifting-nutrition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nutrition</a> dialed in, you’re still going to need to <a title="More on Powerlifting programming" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/powerlifting-programming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">optimize your programming</a> to account for your diminished recovery abilities while dieting.</p>
<p>What is the first thing that most people do when they start cutting? They slash their volume! The theory behind this is that because you’re not eating as much, you can’t recover from as much. While this may be true to some extent, necessarily dropping the volume almost necessarily ensures detraining. After all, if you were bulking, and you just randomly dropped volume long term, would you expect long term gains or long term losses? You’d expect losses.</p>
<p>Well the same principles apply when cutting. When we want to keep volume as high as is possible for us personally while still being able to recover. I actually make no attempt whatsoever to reduce volume while cutting. So how do I ensure recovery? Glad you asked: <a title="More on autoregulation" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/a-review-of-mike-tuchscherers-reactive-training-systems-rts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">autoregulation</a>. Because my volume is autoregulated, it stays as high as I can personally manage given my circumstances. This is very similar to the caloric intake principle. Rather than assuming you know what you can do or you know what you need, you let reality be your guide; you autoregulate based on real world results.</p>
<p>Keep your volume as high as you can while you cut! If you have all of your other factors dialed in: psychology, nutrition, sleep, effort, etc. you might actually be able to slightly increase volume through autoregulation while cutting. If you can do this, you’ll might make gains and, at the very least, you’ll maintain as much of your strength and muscle as is possible for you on that particular diet.</p>
<p>If you’d like help setting up an autoregulated program, or dialing in your nutrition so that you can attempt to make gains while you diet, I do offer coaching services here at PowerliftingToWin. You can shoot me an email:<br />
[contact-form-7 id=&#8221;3245&#8243; title=&#8221;Contact form 1&#8243;]</p>
<p>If you want to learn more about nutrition in general, check out the <a title="Powerlifting Nutrition Series" href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/powerlifting-nutrition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PowerliftingToWin Nutrition Series</a>. Better yet, grab a copy of <a href="http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/EatingToWin-eBook">EatingToWin</a>. In the book, I break down literally every single relevant aspect of maximizing nutrition for powerlifting performance.</p>
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<h2>Questions? Comments?</h2>
<p>For all business and personal coaching services related inqueries, please contact me at [contact-form-7 id=&#8221;3245&#8243; title=&#8221;Contact form 1&#8243;]</p>
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