Should I train like a powerlifter?

Should I train like a powerlifter?

I want to build functional strength and overall mass, and to drop 60-70lbs. I’m not interested in competing with others, but need strength/mass for my future job as a law enforcer.

How would training in this way change my body?

I’ve cleaned up my diet, fought off diabetes now I need to build my temple…

Please reply

my current stats are 6’3 330lbs age 23

Im ready for a real lifestyle change.

Well I believe you should focus on dropping the weight first. So to maximize your efforts your training and diet should coincide with that.

How about T-Dawg or a similar diet straegy mixed with say Meltdown, or german body comp.?

Hope it helps

Hell No you should not train like a power lifter. After reading what you wrote, sounds like you need to revamp the whole gig again. I mean I dont have a picture of u in front of me but I think the stairmaster, treadmill, and meal replacements may be what you need. I’m by no means being an ass, but at that weight and height regardless of job I think you need to drop 100 pounds and train like a bodybuilder. I say that because as a bodybuilder your strength will increase as well and as you become leaner and meaner your attitude will probably change somewhat too. For the better… and I think that positive change will keep u hungry and wanting more in terms of strength and a better body. I comend you for fighting off diabetes that is a feat in itself and I am sure that a 100 pound weight reduction and TOTAL change in eating habits would keep that away. Besides bodybuilders get the hot chicks have the far better bodys and the respect. The proof is in the pudding. I’ll bet u would like the bodybuilding lifestyle in the long term. Who cares if you can actually pull a locomotive with your teeth, chances are if you can do that and the way you will look to accomplish that u wont have a hot chick in the bed next to you. Hell that might not matter to you but I thought it would be a point nonetheless. Good luck i your endeavor whatever you decide, most of all enjoy your time in the gym and love what you do and accomplish to try and keep you hungry, cause its easy to get burned out.

oh for christ sakes has t-mag gotten some truely idiotic people.

listen:

when you choose to drop weight, it should be accomplished with diet and energy system work. you leave the weight room to maintain muscle mass.

personally, i think stuff like meltdown, gvt, etc. is pointless. it doesn’t give you functional strength, it doesn’t help retain muscle mass… most people will lose strength on the above workouts.

train like a powerlifter if you want, it’s the diet and energy system work that should dictate if you lose fat or not, leave the weight room to building strength/maintaining muscle mass.

I don’t think you need to train “like a bodybuilder” or “like a power lifter”.

You just need to train smart to make the gains you desire.

First of all: you have two different types of goals. 1)gain strength/mass

  1. lose 60-70lbs.

My question to you is: what type of BF% are you dealing with now?

Second question: have you been training? What type of weight training have you been performing?

Third: what’s your diet like?
The diet is the foundation for your “temple”. Begin with a food log. Gotta know what you’re eating like now to know what you need to modify.

I like greekdawg’s suggestion of the German Body Comp. But I also like Chad Waterbury’s Anti Bodybuilding Program. CW’s program is a great combo for strength/mass. Another good one for dropping bodyfat is Coach D’s Fat to Fire.

I guess what I’m saying is: check out the huge amount of programs here in T-Mag. If you haven’t, check out the FAQ - they’re listed there.

And don’t listen to “pumpdog” - don’t know what all that was about. shaking head

Well, you should not train LIKE a power lifter (getting stronger at the bench press, dead lift, and back squat). But, if you’re asking if you should use the lifts powerlifters train for, then definitely yes.

Any program that relies on relatively heavy lifting of compound movements raises metabolic demands, and hence the fat sheds off. Combine a program like the “Big Three” (Bill Starr) or “Next Big Three” (Chad Waterbury) along with some HIIT and/or GPP, and the fat loss does come along with the strength increases too. Otherwise you can do straight maintainence with a few compound lifts and then go all out with all forms of cardio.

If you want both strength, mass, and fat loss all at once, it can come, but it’s a rather slow process.

Honestly, it took me about two years to drop seventy pounds of body fat, put on roughly 20 pounds of lean mass, and increase my strength levels big time… It’s a slow, but definitely satisfying process.

He obviously needs to cut weight first and fast for health reasons, etc.

Patricia,

Interesting that you mentioned Chad’s ABBH as a routine for changing body comp. Do you know someone who has lost fat while gaining muscle on ABBH or do you think that it is similar enough to Meltdown and German body comp that it would work?

Thanks.

Hey GYNO,

What area of law enforcement are you going into? I am a cop in California and I have found training with Westside principles to be very good for the job. Speed plus power is a good combo. You just can’t neglect cardio (especially HIIT) because fighting for 4-5 minutes takes wind. Just ask any MMA guy. Just watch your diet, train for strength power and speed and do gpp/HIIT for wind and added fat loss and you’ll be on your way.

P.S. And no donuts. Cops don’t eat those anymore.

“He obviously needs to cut weight first and fast for health reasons, etc.”

indeed, and this can be accomplished by strength training, energy system work, and a good diet.

stick to the basics buddy. i’ve lost over 120 pounds while increasing my lifts, these programs such as meltdown, fat to fire, etc. will sap strength as well as burn you out in my experience. on top of that, i never saw any better results fat loss wise as opposed to 4 days of lifting, 2-3 days of high intensity energy system work.

and, make sure not to do long roadwork type of stuff. no slow jogging for miles, it’ll murder your joints and as a cop you shouldn’t be jogging for miles if the need ever arises. you’ll want to do as the above guy said, train in bursts of all out energy.

you should definately work with the big compound movements [bench,squat,clean,chin,etc…] and gradually add some energy system work, starting with moderate amounts and working your way up to machine-like levels. one thing i wanna add though, is that make sure you’re eating ENOUGH. from where i’m sitting, it sounds like you’re willin to drop weight at all costs and that includes oprah like caloric intake.dont do it. if you’re gonna be trainin like an animal, make sure you’re eatin like an animal, just a sensible one. there are all kinds of fat loss eating guides on this site, look em up and get crackin.
I’d say good luck, but you dont need it. flash

What is my bf%?
The last I checked it was around 30%.

Have I been training?
No, not in a few years.

What is my diet like?
I only eat meat and veggies, eating this way is responsible for my victory over diabetes. I feel better and more engergized eating this way.

What area of LE am I going into?

I have a few options:

1.I’ve interviewed with the chief in my city and he’s given me an offer once i finish school.

  1. I’ve talked to the transit police and have a shot there, also, a former teacher is asst chief in another county.

When it come to fat loss I’ve noticed that the ppl who drop alot of fat without gaining any muscle usually end up flabby with hanging skin, would some sort of periodization where I lift for mass followed by a cutting period solve that problem?

I could just become a cardio freak as suggested, but I dont want to end up like those ppl.

I’ll continue to read the archieve and read more on german comp and other various programs.

Thanks for all of your help.

Bodybuilders get all the hot chicks. AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAH. Aight.

John222,

My point is that if they all coincide, he probably will lose weight faster.

Just because a program didn’t work for you, doesn’t mean it won’t work for this guy.

I never lost strength, with GVT, Meltdown, etc.

I guess that’s why you get paid to write articles and train people and the writers here at T-mag don’t. Wait…you don’t.

But since you claim to know it all, I’ll let you take over from here. I’m out.

fail to notice the “in my experience.” part, did we? yeah, thought so. i was not claiming that it wouldn’t work for him, i was stating that in MY EXPERIENCE (key words here again buddy, “my”. meaning “me”. meaning not you. meaning not him. meaning, well, me)

numerous people have said they didn’t like meltdown, did you tell each of them individually that since they don’t write for t-mag, their opinions are worthless?

John 222,

That’s funny I scanned your posts again and didn’t see any reference to “in my experience” as you say you said. All I saw were blanket statements and the part about “t-mag having some idiotic people”

If you’re going to quote yourself how about making sure what you’re quoting actually exists on the thread and not just in your head.

That is all. I will leave the rest of Gyno’s reccomedations to you, since you are clearly the expert here. peace

Okay so John was a fatass and now it seems he knows it all. Give it a break dude, I guess if it is a program or theory you have tried with remote success it is the Grail. I guess if u got 100 lbs of lovin off of ya then you should be the authority. Tell us more John

Hey Goldie’s back!

"these programs such as meltdown, fat to fire, etc. will sap strength as well as burn you out in my experience. "

your reading ability is quite low. maybe if you pull your head out of alessi’s ass for more than 2 minutes, you can see that i said “in my experience”

oh well :slight_smile:

I think he meant “dicks” instead Goldberg, haha