Programming Improv New Training Goal?

[kmg22]

Hi all, I have done a lot of different things/programs to get stronger or more powerful, but now I am at a different stage in my life. I am no longer training for a sport or have a need to get much stronger, so I have a new goal I want to train for. In short, my goal is to maintain my strength and I want to get more ripped haha. I am 37 years old about 5'11" and 197lbs. What is the best way to train or what is the best program to follow to attain this goal? Thanks in advance.

 

[John K]

It depends!

How have you been strength training? How strong are you? How do you want to evaluate maintaining strength? Do you like to train with kettlebells, bodyweight, barbells, machines, dumbbells, everything?

For "ripped" - do you mean "lean" or "big and lean" ? How lean are you now? How lean are you wanting to get? This can be simple as looking at waist size (e.g. get a waist size under 35"), going by how you look (bicep veins, ab visible, etc.), or measuring BF%.

If it is as simple as getting leaner - you need to eat in a small caloric deficit (eat less) while prioritizing protein. Eating enough protein + strength training = preserving muscle mass while dieting.

What eating less/small caloric deficit looks like depends on how lean you already are and how you already eat. Is there room for obvious and easy improvements in your diet, such as not eating fast food/gas station food every meal? If there's something obvious and easy - start there! Do one thing at a time, and when that's too easy and you're 100% consistent, add the next slightly less obvious/easy thing. And so on...

"Enough protein" usually means between 1.6 and 2.0 g/kg protein per day - so for you, 145-195g protein per day. Again, what that looks like for you depends on what you are currently eating and what you like eating. Again, start with things that are obvious - maybe you skip lunch every day because you're always on the go, and maybe an easy "fix" is to add a protein shake and a piece of fruit.

Hopefully that gives you some things to think about. Everyone finds their own way that works, but I find starting with these building blocks helps you "choose your own adventure."

 

[watchnerd]

Hi all, I have done a lot of different things/programs to get stronger or more powerful, but now I am at a different stage in my life. I am no longer training for a sport or have a need to get much stronger, so I have a new goal I want to train for. In short, my goal is to maintain my strength and I want to get more ripped haha. I am 37 years old about 5'11" and 197lbs. What is the best way to train or what is the best program to follow to attain this goal? Thanks in advance.

Sounds like you want a program focused on body recomp.

 

[kmg22]

Yes, looking for a program focused on body recomp

 

[Pete L]

Geoff Neupert has lots of products based on body recomposition. Check out chasingstrength.com

 

[Kev]

Geoff Neupert has lots of products based on body recomposition. Check out chasingstrength.com

All the way. I am about to do kettlebell muscle again after like 10 years for shize unt giggles before settling into an autumn/winter of the giant and it’s versions.

 

[Boris Bachmann]

What (strength) numbers are you looking to maintain as you "get more ripped"?

 

[Boris Bachmann]

about 5'11" and 197lbs

Does this mean 5'9" and 210?

 

[watchnerd]

It depends!

How have you been strength training? How strong are you? How do you want to evaluate maintaining strength? Do you like to train with kettlebells, bodyweight, barbells, machines, dumbbells, everything?

For "ripped" - do you mean "lean" or "big and lean" ? How lean are you now? How lean are you wanting to get? This can be simple as looking at waist size (e.g. get a waist size under 35"), going by how you look (bicep veins, ab visible, etc.), or measuring BF%.

If it is as simple as getting leaner - you need to eat in a small caloric deficit (eat less) while prioritizing protein. Eating enough protein + strength training = preserving muscle mass while dieting.

What eating less/small caloric deficit looks like depends on how lean you already are and how you already eat. Is there room for obvious and easy improvements in your diet, such as not eating fast food/gas station food every meal? If there's something obvious and easy - start there! Do one thing at a time, and when that's too easy and you're 100% consistent, add the next slightly less obvious/easy thing. And so on...

"Enough protein" usually means between 1.6 and 2.0 g/kg protein per day - so for you, 145-195g protein per day. Again, what that looks like for you depends on what you are currently eating and what you like eating. Again, start with things that are obvious - maybe you skip lunch every day because you're always on the go, and maybe an easy "fix" is to add a protein shake and a piece of fruit.

Hopefully that gives you some things to think about. Everyone finds their own way that works, but I find starting with these building blocks helps you "choose your own adventure."

I'm going to flip the script on this a little:

@kmg22 how many calories are you eating now if you just maintain your weight?

Because if (hypothetically) you're 5'11", 197 lbs, but only eating 1700 calories for maintenance, I'd want to get you to a much higher level of caloric consumption for isocaloric maintenance before trying to put you in a deficit.

But if you're already at 3000-3500 calories at isocaloric maintenance, it's a different story.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

my goal is to maintain my strength and I want to get more ripped

Decreasing Caloric Intake

The primary factor for decreasing body fat/body weight is to decrease caloric intake.

As per...

you need to eat in a small caloric deficit (eat less) while prioritizing protein. Eating enough protein + strength training = preserving muscle mass while dieting.

Research

Research (Drs John Ivy and Layne Norton, independent of each other) determined that decreasing calorie intake around 20% from what you present calorie intake is decreases body fat while preserving muscle mass.

Research in the MATADOR Weight Loss study, determined calorie intake needed to altered about every two week.

Information on the MATADOR study has been posted multiple time on this site.

After two week of a decrease in calorie intake, calorie intake needs to be increased back up.

The reason for this is that body will adapt to a lower calorie intake. That means your Metabolic Rate has dropped; which mean progress stops.

Increasing your calorie intake for about two week, increses your Metabolic Rate.

You then drop you calorie intake back down, which means you are in a calorie deficit and drop more weight.

The data demonstrated this method ensured body fat was burned and muscle mass was perserved.

Three Day Recall

To determine what you average daily calorie intake is...

1) Count Calories for three days.

2) Then divide by three.

3) One of the days counted needs to be a weekend day because calorie/food intake usually changes.

What is the best way to train or what is the best program to follow to attain this goal?

Exercise For Weight Loss

Exercise plays a minimal role in weight loss compared to diet.

As the saying goes, "You can't out train a bad diet".

The benefit of Exericse is that it preserves muscle mass, sometimes increasing it.

It also increases Insulin Sensitivity which plays a role in fat/weight loss.

Excess Post Oxygen Consumption. EPOC

Exercise that trigger EPOC increase your Metabolic Rate long afterward; cotinuing to burn more calories/body fat.

High Intensity Interval Trainng or training that employs that concept. like Circuit Resistant Traaining. produces EPOC.

 

[pet']

Hello,

For something like body recomposition, I'd first follow the above advises. Then, from a fitness standpoint, plenty of things could be done. If there is no real specific goal other than "GPP": maybe something like the video below can be considered:


Real content start at 1:09. @Kenny Croxdale what do you think of this kind of routine which focus on a specific area per day (day 1 is strength, day 2 is power, etc...)

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[renegadenate]

Yes, looking for a program focused on body recomp

There are plenty of kettlebell programs that focus on this including the "Swing Sandwich" article and @Geoff Neupert 's programs. I got crazy shredded on his Kettlebell BURN EXTREME program in 2014. Ironically, I was even more shredded in 2020 with very simple and short workouts like I use with my clients.

Of course, nutrition is number one when it comes to losing fat. As for training, there are a variety of ways to do so. You have to find what works best for you. I prefer shorter sessions (20-30 minutes) with plenty of variety. It's how I got and stayed shredded year round from 2011 - 2020.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

Hello,

For something like body recomposition, I'd first follow the above advises. Then, from a fitness standpoint, plenty of things could be done. If there is no real specific goal other than "GPP": maybe something like the video below can be considered:


Real content start at 1:09. @Kenny Croxdale what do you think of this kind of routine which focus on a specific area per day (day 1 is strength, day 2 is power, etc...)

Kind regards,

Pet'

Specific Training Days

This is one approach that I have covered before...

Dr Michael Zoudose Research

Zourdose reaseach (as well as Schoenfieds and The Westside Method) have gone into the benefits each type of Strength Training enhance the others.

Zourdose reseach had planned day for specific type of training

1) Monday: Hypertrophy

2) Wednesday: Power

3) Maxium Strength

There are other approaches that work, as well.

Overall

The information he presented was overall good.

Two minor thing that I don't agree with is...

1) 5 X 5 Training

As a "Flat Pyramid" of 5 Sets of 5 Repetition with the same weight is fine.

His recommendation of progressively inceasing the load with each set of 5 doesn't make sense.

The most effective Set is the top Set with for a set of 5 Repetition with the heaviest load.

To optimize that Top Set, the minmal amout of Sets with a limited amount of Repetitiions ensure you have more Strength for your Top Set.

Once you complete you Top Set, then perform some Drop Down Sets.

2) Fiber

Research indicates the amount of Fiber needed in the diet of about 21 to over 30 gram a day is built on old, incorrect data.

His recommendation that older individuals need more fiber is incorrect.

With that said the problem with information on these sites, videos or with individual is that some of the information presented is good and some is old and outdated.

Sometime it's hard to know the differnce.

With that said, when in doubt, do your research. Look it up and come to your own conclusions.

 

[renegadenate]

Zourdose reseach had planned day for specific type of training

1) Monday: Hypertrophy

2) Wednesday: Power

3) Friday: Maximum Strength

There are other approaches that work, as well.

Never heard of Zourdose, but I have used a VERY similar format as this with my coaching clients for more than a decade. It works!

 

[John Spezzano]

Hi all, I have done a lot of different things/programs to get stronger or more powerful, but now I am at a different stage in my life. I am no longer training for a sport or have a need to get much stronger, so I have a new goal I want to train for. In short, my goal is to maintain my strength and I want to get more ripped haha. I am 37 years old about 5'11" and 197lbs. What is the best way to train or what is the best program to follow to attain this goal? Thanks in advance.

Maintaining strength and getting ripped can't all get done with just KB / BB / BW training. All of these are important for your strength goals but getting ripped will require dietary "training."

For strength, I recommend you have an strength goal that meets (preferably exceeds) what you need in the tank to accomplish your life's tasks. Perhaps maintain a 2x body weight DL and a 1/2 body weight KB press, for example, but rotate through all three training modalities during the course of the year just to keep the body guessing and getting results.

To get "ripped" you will need to address your diet. Caloric deficit diets work in the short term but are not sustainable, especially if you have performance goals. Paleo / Keto / Primal / Intermittent Fasting diets work well but also plateau after a while. I have mentioned Joel Greene's book "The Immunity Code" in other threads on this forum and can't speak highly enough about it. He has really taken the diet discussion to astronomical heights. In addition to the book, Joel also offers a 30-day fat loss course online. He calls it "immunecentric" fat loss. I did it a few months ago and had tremendous results even though my work schedule got in the way of my doing it 100% accurately. (I need to do it again, and better this time.) It is definitely not calorie restricted. Some days it was hard to finish all the food I had to eat. But WOW did I burn off fat! And all of his programs are built around a healthy gut, which is something on which too many people do not focus. So not only will you burn off a lot of fat, you will do so while building healthy gut biome. Win/win.

I wish there were an all-in-one training regimen that delivered equally impressive strength and body comp gains, but the sad reality is you have to address your diet specifically to get the most efficient fat metabolization. Especially when you are well north of 30. I'm north of 50, believe me, I've tried them all! HAHA!

 

[renegadenate]

Maintaining strength and getting ripped can't all get done with just KB / BB / BW training. All of these are important for your strength goals but getting ripped will require dietary "training."

To get "ripped" you will need to address your diet. Caloric deficit diets work in the short term but are not sustainable, especially if you have performance goals. Paleo / Keto / Primal / Intermittent Fasting diets work well but also plateau after a while.

I used KB/BW/Bands/Balls (no barbells) to get strong and shredded with proper nutrition for more than a decade. You definitely need both and have to find what works best for you. I did great with IF, low-carb/high-protein, Paleo during that time.