Topic summary

Recovery when intake is low: what to cut first

Nutrition & Training › Resistance training lean mass loss DXA fatigue

This is a generated summary. It shows the 9 most-liked posts from a topic of 92, in their original order, with the accepted answer included where one exists. It is a reading aid and it will miss nuance — the full topic is the record.

a.amankwahTL2 Moderator10 Jan 2025#17

Frequency: three sessions per week of full-body training is easier to maintain than higher frequencies on an energy deficit. Consistency beats intensity when recovery capacity is limited.

32 likes 19mo

z.iyerTL2 Moderator11 Jan 2025#26

a.novak, post #23: Deload weeks: periodic weeks (every 4 to 8 weeks) with reduced volume and intensity can help with recovery and sometimes reveal strength gains that got obscured by fatigue. Go to post

Cardio and resistance: the interaction between energy-intense cardiovascular training and resistance training is real. Moderate cardio is fine; excessive endurance training can interfere with muscle maintenance.

32 likes in reply to #23 19mo

d.vukovicTL2 Moderator11 Jan 2025#29

Two things before anyone answers the substance.

First, the context in the first post is clear and specific. Second, the question is framed so that an answer can actually address it. Both are the norm here and both matter more than they sound.

25 likes 19mo

a.eriksenTL2 Moderator11 Jan 2025#34

b.fonseca, post #21: On post #17 — agreed on the reasoning, with one qualification. Intensity: using weights that allow 6 to 12 reps before fatigue is a reasonable range for preserving muscle. Heavier weights with lower reps can work but require more recovery. Go to post

Practical note that does not fit anywhere else. Whatever you conclude from this topic, write down what you did and when. The single most useful thing in your own records is not any individual result; it is that they are dated and consecutive.

25 likes in reply to #21 19mo

ew.kuuselaTL2 Moderator12 Jan 2025#46

Picking up post #43: that is the part I would want checked first.

Frequency: three sessions per week of full-body training is easier to maintain than higher frequencies on an energy deficit. Consistency beats intensity when recovery capacity is limited.

29 likes 18mo

lyophil_marginTL3Regular13 Jan 2025#54

lc_gradient, post #30: Post-weight-loss training: once weight loss is complete and energy deficit ends, training can shift to building again. The transition from preservation mode to building mode is real and worth planning. Go to post

Coming back to post #52, because the follow-up matters more than the original answer.

Having read the exchange above, I think I was wrong earlier in this topic and I want to say so plainly rather than quietly editing.

The correction was fair and I had been repeating something I had not checked carefully enough.

30 likes in reply to #30 18mo

z.nakamuraTL2 Moderator13 Jan 2025#59

post #58 answers the question as asked. The question underneath it is different.

Recovery: heavier training on a energy deficit and on a compound that slows gastric emptying requires attention to recovery (sleep, nutrition, stress). Recovery capacity declines with deficit, so training volume might need adjustment.

32 likes 18mo

n.bridgewaterTL2Member14 Jan 2025#77

a.adebayo, post #24: Thank you for the correction. I have edited my earlier post with a note rather than silently, so the thread still makes sense to read. The error was mine and it was the kind that comes from remembering a figure instead of looking it up. Go to post

27 likes in reply to #24 18mo

n.brobergTL2 Moderator14 Jan 2025#82

p.krastev, post #67: Maintenance is the goal: preserving lean mass and strength during weight loss is the goal of resistance training in this context, not building new muscle. That goal is usually achievable with consistent, moderate training. Go to post

Maintenance is the goal: preserving lean mass and strength during weight loss is the goal of resistance training in this context, not building new muscle. That goal is usually achievable with consistent, moderate training.

26 likes in reply to #67 18mo

Read the full topic (92 posts)

This topic was referenced in

Coming back to: Training through a dose escalation weekNutrition & Training › Resistance training · 74 replies

Suggested topics

Topic	Participants	Replies	Views	Activity
Two sessions a week versus four: what the evidence supports Nutrition & Training › Resistance training fatigue DXA lean mass loss Wiki On the subject in the title: Two sessions a week versus four: what the evidence supports Working notes rather than a conclusion. Longitudinal report with the method stated, because a number without a method…	+27	31	22k	20mo
Progressive overload when the scale is falling Nutrition & Training › Resistance training fatigue DXA lean mass loss Posting this under the heading it deserves: Progressive overload when the scale is falling Everything below is what sits behind that. Longitudinal report with the method stated, because a number without a…	+4	8	14k	8mo
Programming during a large energy deficit Nutrition & Training › Resistance training lean mass loss fatigue DXA Programming during a large energy deficit — setting out what I have, and where I think it stops being reliable. Maintenance rather than loss, which is the part of this that almost nobody writes about. I have…	+39	49	36k	2d
Realistic expectations for strength while losing weight quickly Nutrition & Training › Resistance training fatigue DXA lean mass loss Closed Posting this under the heading it deserves: Realistic expectations for strength while losing weight quickly Everything below is what sits behind that. Maintenance rather than loss, which is the part of this…	+60	70	38k	4mo
Progressive overload when the scale is falling — one year on Nutrition & Training › Resistance training lean mass loss fatigue DXA Closed Progressive overload when the scale is falling — one year on Writing it up because I had to work it out twice and would rather nobody else did. Longitudinal report with the method stated, because a number…	+152	167	6.6k	21mo

Related topics — sharing the tags lean mass loss, DXA, fatigue

Topic	Participants	Replies	Views	Activity
Seven-day rolling means and why weekly readings mislead Outcomes › Progress reports data table DXA effect size long read Seven-day rolling means and why weekly readings mislead Writing it up because I had to work it out twice and would rather nobody else did. Maintenance rather than loss, which is the part of this that almost…	+109	125	42k	10h
Revisiting: Bioimpedance and hydration: why the number moves Outcomes › Body composition data table DXA bioimpedance Solved Posting this under the heading it deserves: Revisiting: Bioimpedance and hydration: why the number moves Everything below is what sits behind that. Longitudinal report with the method stated, because a number…		2	2.8k	1mo
Shakes versus food: a pragmatic assessment Nutrition & Training › Protein & intake lean mass loss micronutrients constipation Shakes versus food: a pragmatic assessment Writing it up because I had to work it out twice and would rather nobody else did. Maintenance rather than loss, which is the part of this that almost nobody writes…	+22	26	53k	20h
Progressive overload when the scale is falling — one year on Nutrition & Training › Resistance training lean mass loss fatigue DXA Closed Progressive overload when the scale is falling — one year on Writing it up because I had to work it out twice and would rather nobody else did. Longitudinal report with the method stated, because a number…	+152	167	6.6k	21mo
How much fluid is actually needed, and how you would know Nutrition & Training › Hydration & electrolytes heart rate blood pressure fatigue Solved The question in the title: How much fluid is actually needed, and how you would know I will give what I have already checked below so nobody repeats it. Maintenance rather than loss, which is the part of this…	+11	15	53k	2mo