Lean Strength Gains

[fstr03svtcobra]

Recently, I have changed my goals from just size to mainly strength with size on the back burner. The guys I look up to the most are people who can lift tons of weight and are also very lean (6-7% ish). I am also a sprinter, so I want to stay lean.

I'm close to having elite raw level lifts (in a gym not in a meet) from just my bodybuilding style training for the 220's and I'm 210 now.

BUT... I'd like to improve my big three lifts dramatically in addition to all the compound lifts. I have changed my training to accommodate these goals. I'm not doing a specific powerlifting routine or cycle per say, but I am concentrating on increasing the lifts each week and I have reduced my training frequency to 3-4 x per week max. I'm also keeping my reps around 4-8 for the big lifts and 8-12 for assistance work and every now and then I will throw in a triple or double. I don't really like to max often.

Most guys who get really strong, also get fat. So most of the advise out there concerning getting really strong is going to include gaining fat as well.

So my question is directed to the guys who have lots of strength, but stay lean all the time. Where do you draw the line on your diet for gaining strength vs. bf? Are tons of excess calories diminishing in terms of gaining strength? If not, do you do quick bulks for strength and then cut the fat? Or have most of you just added so much muscle through the years that you can eat tons of calories and burn it all off? If it's the last choice, what did you do when you were just starting out - have slower gains or just accept being fatter?

I know it's a lot of questions, but if you have any input I'd love to hear it. Thanks in advance guys!

 

[nuknuk]

I see where you are coming from with this. I would like to first say that alot of powerlifters are fat because they like to try and use the term powerlifter for their bad habits. When they are really just lazy and have no self control. So if they say they are powerlifters, then its like they are saying its ok to be fat. Bottom line is, their Fat! Eat foods that your body can use to benefit itself for muscle and strength gains. A 300lb man benching 400lbs isnt going to impress me at all, a 180lb man pushing 400lbs will.

 

[fstr03svtcobra]

I see where you are coming from with this. I would like to first say that alot of powerlifters are fat because they like to try and use the term powerlifter for their bad habits. When they are really just lazy and have no self control. So if they say they are powerlifters, then its like they are saying its ok to be fat. Bottom line is, their Fat! Eat foods that your body can use to benefit itself for muscle and strength gains. A 300lb man benching 400lbs isnt going to impress me at all, a 180lb man pushing 400lbs will.

Thanks for the input! I agree 100%. Lift totals usually don't impress me near as much as power to weight ratio.

 

[The Dude]

The whole concept seems super complicated to me. How does one build strength without muscle? Obviously its possible, I just was never too great at it

 

[Presser]

I use to compete in Powerlifting and I also always stayed lean, not contest show lean but pretty damn lean and I ate everything under the sun, i think genetics plays a huge roll in being able to stay lean while powerlifting, however I will tell you what i think did it for me, and thats going super heavy with maybe 4-6 reps per set and the biggest and most important part is the rest inbetween each set, most powerlifters will sit there all day between sets, I literally used my watch and made sure i was ready to go again in a set amount of time, and this in itself would help keep me lean as I would have to change into 3 different shirts during a workout, it was actually pretty disgusting how i would sweat, however i attributed my lean body and good strength to going heavy with litte rest between sets, FOR ME it was as simple as that

And when i timed my rest between sets it would be 60 seconds, then 45, then 30- 15 seconds, it really helped me a lot maintaining such a pace

 

[fstr03svtcobra]

I use to compete in Powerlifting and I also always stayed lean, not contest show lean but pretty damn lean and I ate everything under the sun, i think genetics plays a huge roll in being able to stay lean while powerlifting, however I will tell you what i think did it for me, and thats going super heavy with maybe 4-6 reps per set and the biggest and most important part is the rest inbetween each set, most powerlifters will sit there all day between sets, I literally used my watch and made sure i was ready to go again in a set amount of time, and this in itself would help keep me lean as I would have to change into 3 different shirts during a workout, it was actually pretty disgusting how i would sweat, however i attributed my lean body and good strength to going heavy with litte rest between sets, FOR ME it was as simple as that

And when i timed my rest between sets it would be 60 seconds, then 45, then 30- 15 seconds, it really helped me a lot maintaining such a pace

That is some serious CNS training with those rest times. Did you have to lower your weight with such little rest or was did you work up to going heavy with that pace? Thanks for the input Presser.

 

[Presser]

no keep it heavy with just 4-6 reps, its killer and well worked for me

 

[big in vegas]

I stay lean pretty much year round (no more than roughly 12-15% bf). I'm not big, although I'm hoping to change that soon. The last competition I did (2009), I competed in the 181 class, but weighed in at 174 and squatted 501, deadlifted 468, benched 314. My bench has always sucked, but it's much better now. I will not ever compete again in gear. I'm only going to do raw lifting from now on as I feel that's more impressive and practical anyway.

Anyway, as far as building strength, you'll just have to do all aspects of the lift to build total strength throughout the lift. For example, in deads, you'll have to do deficit deads, full deads and rack pulls. This will build strength throughout the whole lift. In order to stay relatively thin you'll have to still do some kind of cardio because you'll definitely need/want the endurance anyway. So I'd probably lean towards doing something that'll build endurance instead of something geared towards simply fat burning.

The other thing you'll want to focus on is occasionally doing speed reps. Meaning if you're benching say 400 for a couple, drop the weight to say 225 and do fast reps. This will help you fast twitch muscles and also trigger some fat burning as well

 

[fstr03svtcobra]

I stay lean pretty much year round (no more than roughly 12-15% bf). I'm not big, although I'm hoping to change that soon. The last competition I did (2009), I competed in the 181 class, but weighed in at 174 and squatted 501, deadlifted 468, benched 314. My bench has always sucked, but it's much better now. I will not ever compete again in gear. I'm only going to do raw lifting from now on as I feel that's more impressive and practical anyway.

Anyway, as far as building strength, you'll just have to do all aspects of the lift to build total strength throughout the lift. For example, in deads, you'll have to do deficit deads, full deads and rack pulls. This will build strength throughout the whole lift. In order to stay relatively thin you'll have to still do some kind of cardio because you'll definitely need/want the endurance anyway. So I'd probably lean towards doing something that'll build endurance instead of something geared towards simply fat burning.

The other thing you'll want to focus on is occasionally doing speed reps. Meaning if you're benching say 400 for a couple, drop the weight to say 225 and do fast reps. This will help you fast twitch muscles and also trigger some fat burning as well

Thank you for the long response and input! Those are good numbers at 181 brother!

 

[exbeanpole]

Powerlifting is starting to intrigue me a bit. I didn't realize how much goes into it until Wesley started putting up some vids. I've got a ton of respect for you strength athletes. Good luck Cobra, let us know how things progress.

 

[fstr03svtcobra]

Powerlifting is starting to intrigue me a bit. I didn't realize how much goes into it until Wesley started putting up some vids. I've got a ton of respect for you strength athletes. Good luck Cobra, let us know how things progress.

Will do brother! Yea Wesley's videos certainly are humbling LOL.