Lifting heavy plan vs. fat loss

[adtr1234]

So to start things off I recently had two pretty opposing goals. I wanted to maintain/gain strength while losing fat at the same time. From what I've gathered those two goals are at different ends of the spectrum since one requires a caloric deficit while the other requires a caloric surplus. It's been hard for me to accept that since I love lifting heavy and gaining strength but at this moment in time, fat loss is more important to me. I am not new to working out in general. I have been an athlete most of my life but I would like to be at the weight I was at 4 years ago at age 19 when I lost weight in college. Back then I started working with a student trainer where we did strength exercises 2/3 days a week and I would do HIIT at least 4/5 times a week usually from the elliptical and spin classes. My diet was pretty on point as well.
Up until the new year I had been doing a 3 days of full body strength exercises and doing 30 minutes of cardio 2/3 days per week. My diet was probably 70% in terms of eating how I should be. I still drank too much and had too many trips to fast food restaurants at 3am.
I am 5ft.7in. and weighed 191 back then in November. I decided not to weigh myself for a good while and just do everything right since I tend to get obsessive over weight (hence my mini freak out right now).
After the first week in January (Jan 6th) I decided to go from 3 days of full body to a 5 day split with a conditioning day and cardio 5/6 times per week. I looks like this:
Monday-Lower Pull/Cardio
Tuesday-Upper Push/Cardio
Wednesday-Upper Pull/Cardio
Thursday-Lower Push/Cardio
Saturday-Tire flips, battle ropes, prowler, etc
Sunday-off
I'd say my diet was about 80% in terms of eating healthy since I started that split. Cut out alcohol completely, no more dennys at 3am, the worst things I have are shredded cheese and salad dressing. I got the urge though to weigh myself this morning and I weighed 196.2. Everyone has been asking me how much weight I've lost and telling me I look good (I don't look like I weigh that much since I'm very athletically built) but I still gained 5lbs when I thought after all I've been doing right I would've been about 185ish. I understand some of the weight could be lean muscle but I eventually maybe want to do a powerlifting comp and want to sit about 155-165 so I need to cut that weight first. I know honing in on my diet will be key. That's done. I have good will power and it will be at 100% at least for the time being until I have wiggle room. But I am unsure where to continue with my workouts. Do I go back to the 3 full body strength days with more intense cardio than last time or continue on the 5 day split or do something totally different? Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated

[BubsNBean]

So to start things off I recently had two pretty opposing goals. I wanted to maintain/gain strength while losing fat at the same time. From what I've gathered those two goals are at different ends of the spectrum since one requires a caloric deficit while the other requires a caloric surplus. It's been hard for me to accept that since I love lifting heavy and gaining strength but at this moment in time, fat loss is more important to me. I am not new to working out in general. I have been an athlete most of my life but I would like to be at the weight I was at 4 years ago at age 19 when I lost weight in college. Back then I started working with a student trainer where we did strength exercises 2/3 days a week and I would do HIIT at least 4/5 times a week usually from the elliptical and spin classes. My diet was pretty on point as well.
Up until the new year I had been doing a 3 days of full body strength exercises and doing 30 minutes of cardio 2/3 days per week. My diet was probably 70% in terms of eating how I should be. I still drank too much and had too many trips to fast food restaurants at 3am.
I am 5ft.7in. and weighed 191 back then in November. I decided not to weigh myself for a good while and just do everything right since I tend to get obsessive over weight (hence my mini freak out right now).
After the first week in January (Jan 6th) I decided to go from 3 days of full body to a 5 day split with a conditioning day and cardio 5/6 times per week. I looks like this:
Monday-Lower Pull/Cardio
Tuesday-Upper Push/Cardio
Wednesday-Upper Pull/Cardio
Thursday-Lower Push/Cardio
Saturday-Tire flips, battle ropes, prowler, etc
Sunday-off
I'd say my diet was about 80% in terms of eating healthy since I started that split. Cut out alcohol completely, no more dennys at 3am, the worst things I have are shredded cheese and salad dressing. I got the urge though to weigh myself this morning and I weighed 196.2. Everyone has been asking me how much weight I've lost and telling me I look good (I don't look like I weigh that much since I'm very athletically built) but I still gained 5lbs when I thought after all I've been doing right I would've been about 185ish. I understand some of the weight could be lean muscle but I eventually maybe want to do a powerlifting comp and want to sit about 155-165 so I need to cut that weight first. I know honing in on my diet will be key. That's done. I have good will power and it will be at 100% at least for the time being until I have wiggle room. But I am unsure where to continue with my workouts. Do I go back to the 3 full body strength days with more intense cardio than last time or continue on the 5 day split or do something totally different? Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated

So your goals of gaining strength and losing fat may not actually be opposing if you're new to lifting. I know you're not new to exercise, but if you get your nutrition on point and strain for strength, you could slowly recomp. Which sounds like what you're actually doing now. You look in the mirror and things look really different but the scale weight stays the same or only fluctuates slightly up or down, right?

If you want to train for strength then train for strength, let your diet to the other work. You're doing way too much cardio, that could also be the reason you're not losing.

Diet: how much are you eating? Do you know? Are you weight/measuring every morsel that goes in your mouth? My point here is that you can gain weight on anything if you eat enough of it. Have you visited the nutrition sticky? Calculate your macros and go from there.

Nutrition Calculators

Emma-Leigh's Nutrition Sticky: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=156380533
IIFYM Calculator: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

[smdk]

If you want to compete in a competition like that, I would highly recommend in hiring a coach to help get your nutrition and workouts in the right direction! It's a great investment because learning is life long and you will have the knowledge to take with you for the rest of your life

I am not certified or a professional by any means, but from what I have gathered after doing research is it is easier to focus on one particular goal (fat loss with a caloric deficit or muscle gain with a surplus) you need to EAT to gain weight. you also need to EAT to lose weight but your macros may be different. I would go to the stickies in the forum to calculate how much your bod requires and go by that!

Good luck, hope that was somewhat helpful! I have no doubt others will have something to say as well.

[adtr1234]

thanks for the advice! still figuring out what to do as far as my workouts but nutrition is something that can easily be taken care of so that will be done immediately

[adtr1234]

After researching a little bit I'm thinking maybe doing stronglifts to maintain as much strength as I can and still get my compound lifts in but while focusing more on fat loss. Meaning eating at a caloric deficit, realizing once I get into the later weeks of the program I might not be able to move up as quickly in weight, plenty of HIIT work, and a refined diet at about 1600 cals a day. I would add in a few core circuits a week as well. Opinions on this?

[LividMuffin]

After researching a little bit I'm thinking maybe doing stronglifts to maintain as much strength as I can and still get my compound lifts in but while focusing more on fat loss. Meaning eating at a caloric deficit, realizing once I get into the later weeks of the program I might not be able to move up as quickly in weight, plenty of HIIT work, and a refined diet at about 1600 cals a day. I would add in a few core circuits a week as well. Opinions on this?

I have pretty much the same problem as you, torn between fat loss/beast mode.. Your plan sounds good to me though, I will try to do the calculations and hopefully see results! Good luck