T Nation

Cutting/Maintaining Weight for Oly Lifting

Olympic Lifting
#1

So, as you can gather from the topic title, I want to know about diet specifically relating to Oly Lifting. How do you cut weight while maintaining lift numbers, once you reach your desired weight, how does one keep it there, and overall, what should an Olympic lifter be eating.

Obviously the diet should be what is considered “clean” but apart from that, what sort of macronutrient demands are there? Are higher carbs okay since we’re doing pretty much full body workouts every day, some people even lift twice a day.

I know this is highly subjective to each persons own case and body but I just cut my BW to 72kg and don’t want to gain all the weight on back again if I’m trying to stay in a weight category. I would like to put it back on slowly making the most strength gains as possible before putting on more mass.

What do T-Nations Oly Lifters have to say/what are their own experiences?

#2
  1. Thank god I’m a superheavy.
  2. Try some of the carb-cycling diets, such as the “Anabolic Diet”.
#3

Haha, well, I have nothing against joining the 85kg class SOMEday, just not within the next couple of years.

I just want to know if I should counting calories and doing macronutrient partitioning or if all the heavy lifting will burn off the calories and I shouldn’t worry about gaining weight too much.

I sorta made this thread out of half-hysteria…but I do want to know if it’s okay to have spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and tortellini (not all in the same meal haha) and not worry about it too much I mean, yeah, I did eat a crudload of tortellini last time I tried to gain weight, but I guess it has “weight gain” labelled to it in my head and I just can’t shake it…

#4

The advice I was given was to not worry about your weight so much, especially if you are relatively new to the sport. Focus more on training technique and active recovery; then fine tune diet later on to accommodate your training needs.

That being said, lifters I’ve spoken to about their diet tend to clean things up a few weeks out from competition. Water manipulation and carb cycling tends to work for me to shed those last few kilos.

#5

I have a competition next week and need to shed 1kg, as a novice master that is fairly difficult, I’m on a high protein/very low carb diet and walking for 50 minutes a day. Training is 5 days concentrating on technique and 1 day competition lifting. Anybody able to tell an old fella how to lose that last kg fast

#6

so do most lifters go a bit over the weight class they compete in and then cut for competition? or do most prefer to maintain a weight within the weight class boundaries they will be competing in?

#7

[quote]jak3_dude wrote:
so do most lifters go a bit over the weight class they compete in and then cut for competition? or do most prefer to maintain a weight within the weight class boundaries they will be competing in?[/quote]

Most train at 3-5kg heavier than their competition weight and cut down for competition. If you have trouble cutting weight it would better to stay under, but it shouldn’t be that difficult. For example, a lot people carry excess water weight than be easily shed.

For cutting, I ramp up water intake, decrease carb intake (and consume around workout times), and decrease salt intake. This process works for my diet/body type (I’ve lost up to 4 kg), but YMMV. This approach is similar to how bodybuilders get rid of excess water. CT can probably provide better insight here since he has experience in both fields.

#8

If your sinclair isn’t going up, you’re not eatting enough
If your sinclair is going down and your weight is going up you’re eatting too much
Eat less when you have to get into a weight class

This is what I do. Basically the psychological impact of eatting what you enjoy and being full will allow you to approach each workout feeling full, energized and intense. Unlike bodybuliding, you’re not looking for growth or body composition, you’re practicing a skill. If you feel like a piece of dog shit when you practice that skill because you’re on a strict diet, then you won’t progress very far in this sport.

The heavier you lift, the more you will need to eat, and positive body comp changes will come on their own.

That all being said, I generally stick to moderate carbs/protein/fats. Basically whole food meals, protein shakes, and the occasional fast food thrown in. I don’t stress out much about what I eat. I’d rather stress out about what I’m putting over my head.

#9

okay, cool, thanks dfreezy and invictica

sorry about being so hysterical, I weigh myself on thursdays and lately I’ve been freaking out over it because I did diet my weight down to 72kg as of last week and this is my first week easing back into a regular diet and I guess I’m freaking out the day before that I’ll have put all the weight back on even though I know it’s impossible, sometimes the illogical mind is more powerful (and stubborn) than the logical

gonna have to get a grip over myself if I want to continue being (relatively) sane haha

#10

[quote]jak3_dude wrote:
okay, cool, thanks dfreezy and invictica

sorry about being so hysterical, I weigh myself on thursdays and lately I’ve been freaking out over it because I did diet my weight down to 72kg as of last week and this is my first week easing back into a regular diet and I guess I’m freaking out the day before that I’ll have put all the weight back on even though I know it’s impossible, sometimes the illogical mind is more powerful (and stubborn) than the logical

gonna have to get a grip over myself if I want to continue being (relatively) sane haha[/quote]

Just a word of advice, if you’re lifting in 77, eat like a 77. A bigger body can bear more weight overhead and is more stable at the bottom position, regardless whether it’s muscle weight or fat weight. Once you start snatching over your body weight, it is very easy for the weight to toss you around if you are too light. Remember, your goal is to increase your Sinclair and win competitions, not look good by the pool. Positive body comps will come in time, don’t rush it.

Story from last night: Weightlifting Club and I went to a pasta resturant to grab a bite. We waited for like 45 minutes. Someone in the team said “SHIT MY ABS ARE STARTING TO SHOW, I HAVE TO EAT!”.

#11

haha, funny story Invictica

I didn’t cut weight for “sick abz” Swimming was a bit hard since I hadn’t lifted in 6 months and all that muscle had become “lazy” muscle that couldn’t pull its own weight.

#12

My bro does no carb 4 weeks out of a comp to cut weighit. He’s lean at 72kg and his bw goes to 74kg with normal carbs. He can drop 1kg a week for each week he stays no carbing. He can maintain strength and increase it a bit for about 6 weeks in total length.

Sauna to cut weight is also handy!

Koing

#13

Shit I just dropped 7lbs 3.5kg ion the last 4 days ish. I got a comp tomorrow and Im 1 kg out this morning with no cardio and no real water loss. All i do is:

1] quit eating at gramas house
2] replace 2-3 meals a day [of about 5-6] with super high fiber shakes including:
-80g of ground flaxseed
-3/4 cup of blueberries
-2 strawberries
-protein powder[lots], creatine, BCAA etc
each shake has about 20g of fiber and it puts you up to about 40-50g/day. This clears you out like a SWAT team for your guts.

3] keep my coffee intake way high. yum
4] stay up all night watching “sons of anarchy”

A highly technical approach. Basically when you are eating a shit ton of food and you go down to 60% of a shit ton you drop big lbs. then if you dont catch that last pound just do 15-20 mins of skipping in a sauna suit before the comp.

-chris

#14

too easy, thanks for all the replies guys

btw, Avacado, the SWAT team analogy…pricelss lol