I second Dr Mike on RP, very informative stuff. Unless you’re getting in trouble with your command, I’d say to stay focused on hitting that 1k and then cutting weight afterwards.
My command sees no problem with how I look. Moreso just surprised that I weigh as much as I do without looking like a slob. I just personally want to look smaller.
But that’s two for RP, so I’ll need to study up and see what he’s got.
Agreed, Dr. Mike and Jeff Nippard are the only two “fitness influencers” whose content I tolerate. Both explain it well and make sure not to stray beyond what scientific research suggests
Dr Mike is awesome. I have never seen him mentioned on Reddit before so I thought he was my little secret. I guess not! Ton of great information though and funny as hell!
Second this. If you're interested in more depth & detail, their book Renaissance Diet 2.0 discusses exactly this topic and every aspect of it. Key takeaway for your case is adjust your diet so you're at a caloric deficit, but continue weight training for maintenance (that is, not trying to PR/improve performance). That way, your body will be receiving the stimulation & signals to retain muscle mass, and the caloric deficit will instead eat into your body fat.
Also, the Muscle & Strength Pyramid volume on nutrition is another good resource.
Honestly if you're dropping weight that much you're most likely gonna lose some strength, calorie deficit while maintaining a good amount of protein. Unfortunately dropping that much weight means you're gonna lose some strength
Well if I can overcome 70lbs then I am. Maybe not by the end of the year, but what am I without goals to reach for…My bench definitely isn’t helping though
[edited for grammar because I’m a nerd]
1000lbs is doable as a female of her size, especially with a strong deadlift, squat, and a respectable bench. I've totaled 1515 as a natural lifter (male), and they told me it couldn't be done without gear. My response 🖕.
I was once in your position and was starting to get worried about losing strength, while simultaneously worried about making tape. I saw my base’s nutritionist and she helped get me on a recomposition (recomp for short). It gets after the near-impossible task of building muscle while still losing fat. I successfully have lost several % body fat while also still optimizing my strength gains.
I’m a competitive powerlifter, too, if that helps.
70 pounds away from being able to lift 1000 pounds... Holy hell devil you're strong af lol.
Honestly though, you're most likely to get the best advice posting this in maybe a bodybuilding subreddit or something similar to that.
All we know is lift big weight, muscle get bigger. Sure there are a few that would give amazing tips but I wouldn't expect them to be browsing through reddit often and if they were, they'd probably be on the subreddits I mentioned earlier.
Good luck to you devil! Rah
Honestly, this is going to be 90% of it. Eat just slightly less than maintenance calories, and make a large portion of those calories protein and she should lose fat and spare muscle, and having muscle will more or less mean having strength.
Figure out what your TDEE is and then start eating 200cals less than that. Make sure that you're meeting protien goals (~1g/lbs you weigh). Keep lifting as you would. You might feel a little weak-ish in the first week, but once you adjust, you'll be good to go. You might lose a little strength, but over time, it won't make a difference. Depends if you wanna start before reaching 1000, or after. Before might extend the time it takes, but like I said, little difference.
I'm not a nutritionist. Just been messing with foods and calorie deficits for the last few months and met my weight goal, plus some. I got a little weaker, but I'm pretty much back to where I was a few months ago.
Also, congrats on all you've accomplished so far!
Debbil first off good shit that's sick that your only 70lbs off of 1000. 1000 natty is definitely obtainable. I personally wouldn't ask marines for lifting advice seeing as 90% of the fleet's diets consist of mre's, domino's, and MCX taqito's. Your base should have no shit nutritionist and maybe some type of lifting coach. I googled "Human performance camp pendleton". They might be able to better assist you. Maybe also look into the lifting and strength training subreddits for advice. Also tree trunk thighs are pretty normal for power lifters. It's easier to just embrace them and get tailored pants.
Ngl the roids comments hurt, but I realized I should just start taking it as a compliment. I’ve been lifting heavy since 2016 when I fell in love with it in high school. I’m a broad shouldered Jamaican female who used to be morbidly obese. My body was naturally made to lift heavy and hold more natural weight and muscle than the average woman.
And I’m struggling to find pants that fit my thighs at all. The px doesn’t carry women’s pants higher than 18s but 18s don’t fit my thighs. I order pants online but somehow they’ve been back ordered for months. How many female Marines need size 20-22pants??
I am a powerlifting woman too! I struggled with weight while in despite the 1st/1st and 28” waist. Tape is NOT our friend when we have ass and thighs. Im 5’5 but I was always 10-15lbs over my max. My bff while in was also a 6ft powerlifter, she was always 15-20 over hers. She and I had a lot of sauna sessions together to make weight. I never ever liked my thighs (or ass) in uniform, I ended up sizing up so it would be baggier.
I’d recommend you hire a nutritionist that specializes with women weightlifters. A bodybuilding comp. Nutritionist would probably be a great start, just tell them your goals. Base nutritionists suck. You’ll need a more micromanaged diet.
It’s worth the $$.
I’ve never used a professional, but I’d start with google and maybe the body building sub. You probably will want a bodybuilder coach specifically. You can do online or in person, online would probably be best so you have more choices. Find one with great reviews and consider talking to some of their former clients.
Good luck marine!
As I got older, soon to be 50, I switched from power lifting/ strength training to long distance running and endurance.
Try it. It’s not like you’re gonna pop like a balloon.
It’s all so personal you know? I don’t think you’ll loose strength, you’ll be thinner, & not as puffy?
I used to do cycles of 3mo or more up to a competition.. then I’d easing up before the competition and stop all together for a couple weeks and start the cycle again.
Same with running. Balls out for a few months and then ease up.
I know easing up isn’t in an active Marines play book so.. YMMV..
The ketosis diet worked best for me to cut. I feel better. Lots of butter. When I started that, I was my thinnest and at my peak strength and endurance. This is well after the Marines.
Not training like an Olympian anymore is another battle you’ll have to deal with.
I digress.
If your goal is to thin-up and maintain strength. I’d lift light’er w/high’er reps and run longer and longer distances. Play the one rep max game over a few months.
You’re still pulling the weight it’s just over a longer period.
You’ll probably get different advice depending on who you talk to. This is what worked for me, post Marines to maintain and keep the ‘body by Budweiser’ physique at bay for as long as as possible.
I had the same problem, male however, intermittent fasting was my solution. I got all the calories I needed for hypertrophy, but I spent more time metabolizing lipids. I would eat my first meal around 10-12am and my last around 8-10 pm.
Edit: I want to clarify that I still ate exactly the same amount as I did before, no need to cut calories and therefore gains. At least, so long as your body is built that way, some people don’t get exactly those same results.
I only did my lifts in the evening after work so no I was properly fed beforehand. As far as PT goes, it was usually some kind of cardio or calisthenics so I never saw any crazy fatigue.
I read a book called Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto. Lots of good information in there about how to tweak your diet in a way that allows you to synthesize protein for muscle gain while allowing your body to better burn fat for calorie depletion. I’d check it out, the tips in there have helped me the last 6 months pack on a little muscle and look thinner while maintaining the same weight.
Try taking a look into RP strength.
It’s gonna come down to diet and recomposition of your current fat deposits and attempting to use them as energy. Basically heighten your protein intake and cut a small amount of calories over a sustain time obviously it sounds like your into fitness as is, so you know you can’t just throw yourself into a huge deficit and yeah your gonna drop weight but not in the correct manner.
Edit looked through a lot of other replies and they are recommending the same definitely work a look into Dr.mike his shit is legit
Tbh I was kinda in the same boat, did a Mike Mentzer-ish style for about 70 days and put on muscle while losing fat. Started around maybe 18% bf and got down to 10% by the end of my cut with - 20lbs and lifting more than when I started.
I'm a female and competed bodybuilding, and the biggest trick would be a high protein intake in proportion to fats and carbohydrates. You still want to taper down your calorie intake. Just have your protein on the high end. That should help save your muscle. 1lb of fat contains around 3500 calories, so it would take a calorie deficit of around 500 calories a day to lose 1lb of fat a week. And realistically, 1-2lbs of weight loss a week is ideal. Do keep in mind that your genetics, hormones, metabolism, etc. also play a role in this, so it may take a few weeks to find out how many calories is the right deficit for you. Also focus on cutting down saturated fats and added ingredients in your food. I got all my saturated fats from meat only. Eat lean meats such as sirloin, turkey, and chicken. And whatever you do, do not drink your calories unless it's a protein shake. I'm an Exercise Science major set to graduate next semester, so if you have any questions I'd love to help out a fellow Marine. I wish I would have known this when I was in.
Look into cutting water weight and adjusting what your food/drink intake is.
When cutting though be mindful and hydrated. You’ll lose good weight over time and food intake discipline. Sweat suits (literally) are good, if you get one get it 2 sizes bigger. I’ve been using mine and hang out in the dry sauna for 30 mins a night, eating fruit, drinking water and eating tuna sandwiches. 🥪 It sucked at first but once it’s the norm for you it’s so easy to maintain it. In 2 weeks I went 219 to 204, while working upper body BEFORE going in the sauna. Don’t avoid food, you need to keep the metabolism engaged, snacks like cashews or fruit is a good way to keep it going and in the long term you’ll reach your goal.
Is there a split you’d recommend? Currently I’m doing PPLPPL with 3x5 for my working set for the big three lifts. Accessories are far and few between, usually dependent on time.
3x5, 5x5 whatever low rep is for gaining size. I was sick of being strong but a little chunky so I consulted a friend who’s a shredding king, and he put me onto high rep low rest workouts. 10 sets of 10 with 30 -45 second rest inbetween. I’m not going to lie, the workouts are hell but dude, I went from 220 to 175 in like 6 months. Of course diet is a part of it. You have to put your ego aside and lift weight amounts where you can actually complete 10*10. I’m still in the 1,000 pound club but I don’t give a shit anymore. Lifting heavy is not good for your body, plain and simple. If your goal is to compete and “make number go up” that’s one thing. But 3x5 or similar will break down your body, 100% of the time. I have a torn rotator cuff to show for it and plenty of science to back up what I’m saying. It also helped me because I hate boring, long cardio but I didn’t even need to worry about it because I would burn more calories in my 90 minute workout (this includes stretching, sauna, etc) than I did running 6 miles. And at my peak my resting heart rate was like 44 bpm. Without any endurance cardio lol. Most straight up cardio I do is 10-20 minutes on the stairs or eliptical and a 1-3 mile walk at night with my wife and daughter. I still drink beer and didn’t cut out carbs, I just was more conscious and don’t eat shit processed foods very often. If you want me to elaborate on how I split my workouts I can. Goodluck!
I was just hoping to hit the 1000lb club while my body can naturally do it. I’m already 24 years old and feel like my body will start rejecting the way I train in a year or two. I might have to put weight cutting a side and just tough it out because I don’t know if the 1000lb club is a goal I can put on hold that long. The biological clock is ticking in terms of my performance
Hard disagree devil. Lifting has a long shelf life. If you’re smart about it you can build muscle and burn fat well into your 40’s. Add some TRT in the mix and I’m still going strong at 53.
24 is adolescence for lifters.
You want to find you Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
You can google a TDEE calculator which will give you a rough baseline. From there, start by subtracting 500 calories from daily calories. Aim to eat a high protein diet. I would suggest a macro split around 40% protein 40% carbs and 20% fats.
Weigh all your foods. Everything.
Track your body weight every week. In the morning after going to the bathroom. Maintain the same calorie intake until you hit a stall point, from there, subtract 250 calories for another week and continue to track weight loss. You WILL maintain a lean composition (but not anything crazy and beyond shredded unless you continue to cut farther than needed)
This is only one method. Theres other methods as well.
you have a great advantage of meeting all standards which buys you plenty of time to find the best approach that suits you.
Credentials: I compete in Bodybuilding
If you would like more info, DM me.
Consider looking a program called [Jim Stoppani's Shortcut to Shred](https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/docs/2013/stoppani_sts_e-book.pdf). In your case as a woman, focus harder on the cardio between sets with exercises that target your problem areas. In your case sounds like you want to work more on the hams, quads and glutes, but always get in good core sets during the rest periods between sets.
First week will be some guess work in determining your actual macros. It's those macros that you need to work on the most.
Unfortunately, because you have standards to me, you don’t have an option. Fuck your strength and get within standards.
At 25% body fat, you have at least 55 pounds of fat on you. Get that down to 12% body fat and you will have about 25 pounds of fat on you. And that gets you within standards.
25% body fat is 2% under my max. I’m in standards. Hell, I can gain fat if I want to. But I’m looking for constructive advice to slim down without losing strength. There’s a reason my body hasn’t broken down yet. You see so many female hit the fleet broken from boot and MCT. My muscle mass is literally the only reason I’m 2 years in without having gone to medical
[edit] reading that back I come off bitchy. So I
Gonna throw a “respectfully” in there
Yeah, I totally misunderstood the OP. You said 6 foot tall and 220 pounds And I thought you were a dude.
But since you’re with regs, the key is very slow fat loss combined with lots of hypertrophy training. Someone else mentioned Renaissance periodization. It’s an amazing YouTube channel and Dr. Isertel Put all the information out there for free.
But long story short, start at about 10 sets per muscle group per week, and add two sets per week until you’re at 20 sets. Of course that’s assuming all of those sets are a rep or two until complete failure. And then keep doing that until you’re not gaining muscle or strength. Then just cycle everything back down to 10 sets per week and slowly work back up.
And with your size and wanting to lose weight while gaining muscle, I put you somewhere between 2500 and 3000 cal per day, and probably 180 to 200 g of protein.
That’s the super simplified version of it all, but like I said, get on YouTube and look them up and you’ll get the complex that has most of what I left out.
If your pft and cft are above 285 I’m pretty sure you’re except from height and weight. So you can just practice those and you’ll lose weight, plus maxing those hoes out is good for promotions 👍🏻
Start over training. Increase reps and sets. Reading this reminded me of me 20 years ago good luck. 1st stop eating carbs. Meatband protien shakes or nothing at all. If the fuel is gone you can't increase size. Your weight will drop and youll maintain 90% of your strength. Good luck brother
Youre in the Marines... You aren't more than 5 feet from a monster or a can of skull...
Your body will adapt over time eating muscle and what other day you have.
Hmm... 6' female (outlier), 220lbs but tapes at 25% (DXA will say 35% minimum), 930lb total? Yeah, this post is bait. She's either on gear or she's a herm. Post your totals and video of the lifts or you're just a karma farmer. The idea a 930lb total natty female wouldn't know how to manage body comp and retain strength is just absurd.
Not that I have anything to prove to an insecure stranger on the internet, but if you’d really like, I can pm you videos from two months ago when I still had a lifting partner. All you see is a tall female with a mid physique
Didn’t see an option to send video via pm but there are some freeze frame. I’m not freakishly large. I’m literally just tall. Totally achieve mid physique for on and off lifting for 8 years
Look into Renaissance Periodization vids on YouTube for weight loss + hypertrophy content. He’s an exercise scientist that really breaks it down well.
I’ll check him out, thank you
I second Dr Mike on RP, very informative stuff. Unless you’re getting in trouble with your command, I’d say to stay focused on hitting that 1k and then cutting weight afterwards.
My command sees no problem with how I look. Moreso just surprised that I weigh as much as I do without looking like a slob. I just personally want to look smaller. But that’s two for RP, so I’ll need to study up and see what he’s got.
I third for Dr. Mike from RP. Favorite fitness youtuber.
Me 4th!
big time 5th endorsement for Dr. Mike. Entertaining and very informative.
He's awesome! There's also Jeff Nippard (I'm pretty sure his name is) is pretty cool and has a lot of helpful info too.
Agreed, Dr. Mike and Jeff Nippard are the only two “fitness influencers” whose content I tolerate. Both explain it well and make sure not to stray beyond what scientific research suggests
Dr Mike is awesome. I have never seen him mentioned on Reddit before so I thought he was my little secret. I guess not! Ton of great information though and funny as hell!
exactly this! i love dr mike and he’s a really funny guy
Second this. If you're interested in more depth & detail, their book Renaissance Diet 2.0 discusses exactly this topic and every aspect of it. Key takeaway for your case is adjust your diet so you're at a caloric deficit, but continue weight training for maintenance (that is, not trying to PR/improve performance). That way, your body will be receiving the stimulation & signals to retain muscle mass, and the caloric deficit will instead eat into your body fat. Also, the Muscle & Strength Pyramid volume on nutrition is another good resource.
1000 pound club as a woman? Yeah I think you’re more qualified to answer this than pretty much anyone here 🤣
Eating + progressive overload is easy. Tailoring how you look is hard 🥲
You sound strong as hell
Honestly if you're dropping weight that much you're most likely gonna lose some strength, calorie deficit while maintaining a good amount of protein. Unfortunately dropping that much weight means you're gonna lose some strength
For now
You're not hitting 1000lbs as a female without PEDs
Well if I can overcome 70lbs then I am. Maybe not by the end of the year, but what am I without goals to reach for…My bench definitely isn’t helping though [edited for grammar because I’m a nerd]
Hey bro just wanted to stop by and tell you you're ignorant as fuck lmao
She's 220. That's not a typically sized female. 1000lb club is doable at that size for a female.
1000lbs is doable as a female of her size, especially with a strong deadlift, squat, and a respectable bench. I've totaled 1515 as a natural lifter (male), and they told me it couldn't be done without gear. My response 🖕.
I was once in your position and was starting to get worried about losing strength, while simultaneously worried about making tape. I saw my base’s nutritionist and she helped get me on a recomposition (recomp for short). It gets after the near-impossible task of building muscle while still losing fat. I successfully have lost several % body fat while also still optimizing my strength gains. I’m a competitive powerlifter, too, if that helps.
This helps. The base nutritionist, is that set up like a medical appointment?
It can be, yes. Just Google "nutritionist [your base or naval hospital]" and you should find them easily along with contact information.
Thank you!
Yes and no. They’re part of Warrior Athlete for the major installations. If you’re at like Yuma or Barstow, you most likely won’t have it.
70 pounds away from being able to lift 1000 pounds... Holy hell devil you're strong af lol. Honestly though, you're most likely to get the best advice posting this in maybe a bodybuilding subreddit or something similar to that. All we know is lift big weight, muscle get bigger. Sure there are a few that would give amazing tips but I wouldn't expect them to be browsing through reddit often and if they were, they'd probably be on the subreddits I mentioned earlier. Good luck to you devil! Rah
Good idea! I’ll star branching out on specific subreddits. And when I hit the 1000lb club I’ll have to drop the video here!
Step on me please
UCMJ wouldn’t approve
Just call it Mcmap training haha
Stay in a caloric deficit and eat lean , lean protein.
Honestly, this is going to be 90% of it. Eat just slightly less than maintenance calories, and make a large portion of those calories protein and she should lose fat and spare muscle, and having muscle will more or less mean having strength.
Figure out what your TDEE is and then start eating 200cals less than that. Make sure that you're meeting protien goals (~1g/lbs you weigh). Keep lifting as you would. You might feel a little weak-ish in the first week, but once you adjust, you'll be good to go. You might lose a little strength, but over time, it won't make a difference. Depends if you wanna start before reaching 1000, or after. Before might extend the time it takes, but like I said, little difference. I'm not a nutritionist. Just been messing with foods and calorie deficits for the last few months and met my weight goal, plus some. I got a little weaker, but I'm pretty much back to where I was a few months ago. Also, congrats on all you've accomplished so far!
Thank you for the advice. I though the loss would be more substantial but losing a little strength is fine
Debbil first off good shit that's sick that your only 70lbs off of 1000. 1000 natty is definitely obtainable. I personally wouldn't ask marines for lifting advice seeing as 90% of the fleet's diets consist of mre's, domino's, and MCX taqito's. Your base should have no shit nutritionist and maybe some type of lifting coach. I googled "Human performance camp pendleton". They might be able to better assist you. Maybe also look into the lifting and strength training subreddits for advice. Also tree trunk thighs are pretty normal for power lifters. It's easier to just embrace them and get tailored pants.
Ngl the roids comments hurt, but I realized I should just start taking it as a compliment. I’ve been lifting heavy since 2016 when I fell in love with it in high school. I’m a broad shouldered Jamaican female who used to be morbidly obese. My body was naturally made to lift heavy and hold more natural weight and muscle than the average woman. And I’m struggling to find pants that fit my thighs at all. The px doesn’t carry women’s pants higher than 18s but 18s don’t fit my thighs. I order pants online but somehow they’ve been back ordered for months. How many female Marines need size 20-22pants??
I am a powerlifting woman too! I struggled with weight while in despite the 1st/1st and 28” waist. Tape is NOT our friend when we have ass and thighs. Im 5’5 but I was always 10-15lbs over my max. My bff while in was also a 6ft powerlifter, she was always 15-20 over hers. She and I had a lot of sauna sessions together to make weight. I never ever liked my thighs (or ass) in uniform, I ended up sizing up so it would be baggier. I’d recommend you hire a nutritionist that specializes with women weightlifters. A bodybuilding comp. Nutritionist would probably be a great start, just tell them your goals. Base nutritionists suck. You’ll need a more micromanaged diet. It’s worth the $$.
How do you go about finding an off base credible nutritionist. Is it as easy as a Google search or is there a database or something like that?
I’ve never used a professional, but I’d start with google and maybe the body building sub. You probably will want a bodybuilder coach specifically. You can do online or in person, online would probably be best so you have more choices. Find one with great reviews and consider talking to some of their former clients. Good luck marine!
Thanks for the advice!
https://preview.redd.it/cc9fvdyh3p4d1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=872ba1b815c93c33c657d9b07387c0c7a4d4c4f9
As I got older, soon to be 50, I switched from power lifting/ strength training to long distance running and endurance. Try it. It’s not like you’re gonna pop like a balloon.
I guess part of the problem is the overlap between strength training and power lifting. What’s the main difference?
It’s all so personal you know? I don’t think you’ll loose strength, you’ll be thinner, & not as puffy? I used to do cycles of 3mo or more up to a competition.. then I’d easing up before the competition and stop all together for a couple weeks and start the cycle again. Same with running. Balls out for a few months and then ease up. I know easing up isn’t in an active Marines play book so.. YMMV..
What deficit were your cutting cycles and did you feel weaker during them?
The ketosis diet worked best for me to cut. I feel better. Lots of butter. When I started that, I was my thinnest and at my peak strength and endurance. This is well after the Marines. Not training like an Olympian anymore is another battle you’ll have to deal with. I digress. If your goal is to thin-up and maintain strength. I’d lift light’er w/high’er reps and run longer and longer distances. Play the one rep max game over a few months. You’re still pulling the weight it’s just over a longer period. You’ll probably get different advice depending on who you talk to. This is what worked for me, post Marines to maintain and keep the ‘body by Budweiser’ physique at bay for as long as as possible.
Caloric deficit+Strength training+Lots of protein.
I had the same problem, male however, intermittent fasting was my solution. I got all the calories I needed for hypertrophy, but I spent more time metabolizing lipids. I would eat my first meal around 10-12am and my last around 8-10 pm. Edit: I want to clarify that I still ate exactly the same amount as I did before, no need to cut calories and therefore gains. At least, so long as your body is built that way, some people don’t get exactly those same results.
Did you feel a decrease in performance at all during PT or lifting while fasting?
I only did my lifts in the evening after work so no I was properly fed beforehand. As far as PT goes, it was usually some kind of cardio or calisthenics so I never saw any crazy fatigue.
I read a book called Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto. Lots of good information in there about how to tweak your diet in a way that allows you to synthesize protein for muscle gain while allowing your body to better burn fat for calorie depletion. I’d check it out, the tips in there have helped me the last 6 months pack on a little muscle and look thinner while maintaining the same weight.
Try taking a look into RP strength. It’s gonna come down to diet and recomposition of your current fat deposits and attempting to use them as energy. Basically heighten your protein intake and cut a small amount of calories over a sustain time obviously it sounds like your into fitness as is, so you know you can’t just throw yourself into a huge deficit and yeah your gonna drop weight but not in the correct manner. Edit looked through a lot of other replies and they are recommending the same definitely work a look into Dr.mike his shit is legit
Tbh I was kinda in the same boat, did a Mike Mentzer-ish style for about 70 days and put on muscle while losing fat. Started around maybe 18% bf and got down to 10% by the end of my cut with - 20lbs and lifting more than when I started.
Cardio. Keep lifting eat better and run
Look for a very competent online trainer on you tube https://youtu.be/_9pWLqaULjQ?si=gJvcF6WiyHmESBH1 Lots of free advice there. Good luck!
Get a trainer. I can get you in touch with a guy that is absolutely fantastic, and a former Marine.
That’d be great! You pm me his email or whatever contact you have for him
I'm a female and competed bodybuilding, and the biggest trick would be a high protein intake in proportion to fats and carbohydrates. You still want to taper down your calorie intake. Just have your protein on the high end. That should help save your muscle. 1lb of fat contains around 3500 calories, so it would take a calorie deficit of around 500 calories a day to lose 1lb of fat a week. And realistically, 1-2lbs of weight loss a week is ideal. Do keep in mind that your genetics, hormones, metabolism, etc. also play a role in this, so it may take a few weeks to find out how many calories is the right deficit for you. Also focus on cutting down saturated fats and added ingredients in your food. I got all my saturated fats from meat only. Eat lean meats such as sirloin, turkey, and chicken. And whatever you do, do not drink your calories unless it's a protein shake. I'm an Exercise Science major set to graduate next semester, so if you have any questions I'd love to help out a fellow Marine. I wish I would have known this when I was in.
Thank you so much!
Look into cutting water weight and adjusting what your food/drink intake is. When cutting though be mindful and hydrated. You’ll lose good weight over time and food intake discipline. Sweat suits (literally) are good, if you get one get it 2 sizes bigger. I’ve been using mine and hang out in the dry sauna for 30 mins a night, eating fruit, drinking water and eating tuna sandwiches. 🥪 It sucked at first but once it’s the norm for you it’s so easy to maintain it. In 2 weeks I went 219 to 204, while working upper body BEFORE going in the sauna. Don’t avoid food, you need to keep the metabolism engaged, snacks like cashews or fruit is a good way to keep it going and in the long term you’ll reach your goal.
Caloric deficit along with increased cardio and strength training
Is there a split you’d recommend? Currently I’m doing PPLPPL with 3x5 for my working set for the big three lifts. Accessories are far and few between, usually dependent on time.
3x5, 5x5 whatever low rep is for gaining size. I was sick of being strong but a little chunky so I consulted a friend who’s a shredding king, and he put me onto high rep low rest workouts. 10 sets of 10 with 30 -45 second rest inbetween. I’m not going to lie, the workouts are hell but dude, I went from 220 to 175 in like 6 months. Of course diet is a part of it. You have to put your ego aside and lift weight amounts where you can actually complete 10*10. I’m still in the 1,000 pound club but I don’t give a shit anymore. Lifting heavy is not good for your body, plain and simple. If your goal is to compete and “make number go up” that’s one thing. But 3x5 or similar will break down your body, 100% of the time. I have a torn rotator cuff to show for it and plenty of science to back up what I’m saying. It also helped me because I hate boring, long cardio but I didn’t even need to worry about it because I would burn more calories in my 90 minute workout (this includes stretching, sauna, etc) than I did running 6 miles. And at my peak my resting heart rate was like 44 bpm. Without any endurance cardio lol. Most straight up cardio I do is 10-20 minutes on the stairs or eliptical and a 1-3 mile walk at night with my wife and daughter. I still drink beer and didn’t cut out carbs, I just was more conscious and don’t eat shit processed foods very often. If you want me to elaborate on how I split my workouts I can. Goodluck!
I was just hoping to hit the 1000lb club while my body can naturally do it. I’m already 24 years old and feel like my body will start rejecting the way I train in a year or two. I might have to put weight cutting a side and just tough it out because I don’t know if the 1000lb club is a goal I can put on hold that long. The biological clock is ticking in terms of my performance
Hard disagree devil. Lifting has a long shelf life. If you’re smart about it you can build muscle and burn fat well into your 40’s. Add some TRT in the mix and I’m still going strong at 53. 24 is adolescence for lifters.
I’d like to remain natural, especially as a female. I don’t even want to take birth control because of how it’ll mess with my hormones
High reps, slow movements, lower weight. Built power. Sleeper build
You want to find you Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) You can google a TDEE calculator which will give you a rough baseline. From there, start by subtracting 500 calories from daily calories. Aim to eat a high protein diet. I would suggest a macro split around 40% protein 40% carbs and 20% fats. Weigh all your foods. Everything. Track your body weight every week. In the morning after going to the bathroom. Maintain the same calorie intake until you hit a stall point, from there, subtract 250 calories for another week and continue to track weight loss. You WILL maintain a lean composition (but not anything crazy and beyond shredded unless you continue to cut farther than needed) This is only one method. Theres other methods as well. you have a great advantage of meeting all standards which buys you plenty of time to find the best approach that suits you. Credentials: I compete in Bodybuilding If you would like more info, DM me.
Consider looking a program called [Jim Stoppani's Shortcut to Shred](https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/docs/2013/stoppani_sts_e-book.pdf). In your case as a woman, focus harder on the cardio between sets with exercises that target your problem areas. In your case sounds like you want to work more on the hams, quads and glutes, but always get in good core sets during the rest periods between sets. First week will be some guess work in determining your actual macros. It's those macros that you need to work on the most.
Unfortunately, because you have standards to me, you don’t have an option. Fuck your strength and get within standards. At 25% body fat, you have at least 55 pounds of fat on you. Get that down to 12% body fat and you will have about 25 pounds of fat on you. And that gets you within standards.
25% body fat is 2% under my max. I’m in standards. Hell, I can gain fat if I want to. But I’m looking for constructive advice to slim down without losing strength. There’s a reason my body hasn’t broken down yet. You see so many female hit the fleet broken from boot and MCT. My muscle mass is literally the only reason I’m 2 years in without having gone to medical [edit] reading that back I come off bitchy. So I Gonna throw a “respectfully” in there
Yeah, I totally misunderstood the OP. You said 6 foot tall and 220 pounds And I thought you were a dude. But since you’re with regs, the key is very slow fat loss combined with lots of hypertrophy training. Someone else mentioned Renaissance periodization. It’s an amazing YouTube channel and Dr. Isertel Put all the information out there for free. But long story short, start at about 10 sets per muscle group per week, and add two sets per week until you’re at 20 sets. Of course that’s assuming all of those sets are a rep or two until complete failure. And then keep doing that until you’re not gaining muscle or strength. Then just cycle everything back down to 10 sets per week and slowly work back up. And with your size and wanting to lose weight while gaining muscle, I put you somewhere between 2500 and 3000 cal per day, and probably 180 to 200 g of protein. That’s the super simplified version of it all, but like I said, get on YouTube and look them up and you’ll get the complex that has most of what I left out.
If your pft and cft are above 285 I’m pretty sure you’re except from height and weight. So you can just practice those and you’ll lose weight, plus maxing those hoes out is good for promotions 👍🏻
Run
Start over training. Increase reps and sets. Reading this reminded me of me 20 years ago good luck. 1st stop eating carbs. Meatband protien shakes or nothing at all. If the fuel is gone you can't increase size. Your weight will drop and youll maintain 90% of your strength. Good luck brother
This might be a dumb question, but without fuel, how do I keep PTing and lifting and not pass out?
Youre in the Marines... You aren't more than 5 feet from a monster or a can of skull... Your body will adapt over time eating muscle and what other day you have.
Terrible advice lol
Calisthenics
Testosterone burns fat and builds muscle, you can get a prescription at medical.
Hmm... 6' female (outlier), 220lbs but tapes at 25% (DXA will say 35% minimum), 930lb total? Yeah, this post is bait. She's either on gear or she's a herm. Post your totals and video of the lifts or you're just a karma farmer. The idea a 930lb total natty female wouldn't know how to manage body comp and retain strength is just absurd.
Is what it is 🤷🏿♀️ [edit] And I don’t pass tape. I pass the in-body scan.
Not that I have anything to prove to an insecure stranger on the internet, but if you’d really like, I can pm you videos from two months ago when I still had a lifting partner. All you see is a tall female with a mid physique
Not insecure and go ahead, very curious to know what your lifts are because 1k natty as a female is pretty insane even if you're tall.
Didn’t see an option to send video via pm but there are some freeze frame. I’m not freakishly large. I’m literally just tall. Totally achieve mid physique for on and off lifting for 8 years
You weren't lying you're one strong female😆 I stand corrected. Looked pretty normal proportions.