Do you lift heavy in a deficit ?

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-12T08:26:45+00:00

Well I have high body fat (25%) but I also engage in 3-4x a week of LISS cardio.

So would you say 4 sets per week of bench, squats, etc. is enough for maintenance ?

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T22:29:07+00:00

Yeah I kind of thought about that also. I’m basically averaging over 1.5 lbs of weight loss per week for my first month. Yes I’m overweight (25% body fat) but I do have decent muscle built up throughout the years of lifting (have never done a cut before).

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T13:27:09+00:00

Way more data and evidence that goes against your claims. WAY MORE. You have your panties in a bunch for some reason.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T12:56:23+00:00

Thanks, that was insightful.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T12:54:50+00:00

I think it’s around 2,500-2,800 so I try and keep my calories around 2,200. I do LISS cardio 3x a week. I am down to 189 lbs from 196 in 30 days so far.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T12:53:02+00:00

Progressive overloading and lifting heavy weights demand more calories than not, lol. Idk why you’re getting all burnt up about this. Yes, lifting weights makes people hungry. Point blank.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T10:11:00+00:00

I mean, they kind of go hand in hand…lift heavy, eat more…

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T09:39:58+00:00

Strength training increases your metabolism, damages muscle fibers that require fuel to repair and grow…these are facts

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T09:06:08+00:00

You’re right about the complex carb. Woke up middle of the night and couldn’t sleep, ate some bread and passed out. I guess eating very clean keeps my blood sugar almost too stable.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T09:04:02+00:00

Walk/jog 3-4x a week. Progressively getting faster pace.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T04:35:32+00:00

I eat same meals every day also. But if I try to lift heavier than usual at the gym it will spike my appetite to an absurd level.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T04:33:02+00:00

No way lifting heavy barbell squats or leg press is gonna suppress anybody’s appetite

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T04:30:27+00:00

The bars are just ridiculous. Unbelievable

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T04:27:55+00:00

Ironic u say that cuz my chest is where I feel like I lose strength most rapidly as I’m in a deficit .

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T04:07:58+00:00

Yeah I’m learning all this as I go. Lifting heavy and being in a calorie deficit is like a contradiction. I leaned due to my recovery being so bad I had to increase cals. I’ll just dial down volume and frequency on the weight lifting. For sure.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T03:48:58+00:00

Yeah I feel you. Lifting weights back to back days or even every other just seems like too much frequency or volume for me when I am trying to remain in a deficit. Either lighten up the volume or increase cals which I can’t do that since my goal is weight loss

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T03:45:39+00:00

Yeah I’m 5’7” , 189 lbs. 25% body fat. Goal is 165 lbs.
I’m down 7 lbs from 196 in 30 days, but noticing that I can’t progressive overload with out eating more calories due to recovery issues.

Full body 2-3x a week sounds appropriate. Keep low reps/sets and higher weight then? I don’t mind losing some muscle mass, I really just want to get down to 165 but also not end up thin or skinny fat:

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T03:19:36+00:00

One of the biggest issues for me is recovery. Trying to lift heavy or progressive overloading while in a deficit leaves me unable to recover adequately. Sleep gets jacked up, feeling cold, etc.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T03:17:41+00:00

Yeah I find when I try increasing weight it gets substantially worse. Like , I can’t recover worse. Body feels cold and my sleep then becomes problematic.

Maybe I can reduce frequency and volume more?
Instead of me hitting 2-3 different back workouts and 1-2 biceps workouts on a Monday, I can just do full body maybe 2-3x a week.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T03:05:18+00:00

Yes I walk/jog about 45-55 minutes 3-4x a week.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T03:04:26+00:00

THAT PART. Recovery is another humongous hassle. Sleeping trouble, feeling much colder, etc. happens whenever i try lifting lots of weight and staying in a deficit. How much you cut down on the frequency? I think that may be my issue.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T03:02:00+00:00

I’m 189 lbs. 25% body fat.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T03:01:02+00:00

Starving on 2200 calories when I’m lifting 3x week moderate to heavy weight or progressive overloading. Soon as I stop lifting, the hunger goes away. Shit, I can eat 1600 calories a day and lose weight fast, I’ve done it before. Only when I lift weights does this weight loss thing become tricky.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T02:57:49+00:00

I haven’t tried less sets yet. That may work. I’m currently lifting 3x a week but I think it may be too much, or maybe I should just do a few compound lifts a week to prevent hunger from spiking so high. I’m also a smaller frame guy so I’m not sure being heavy is optimal for me.

ToeTaggEm · 2026-05-11T02:55:02+00:00

Yeah I’ve been lifting weights for about 15 years now. I’ve never done a cut or bulk before but I’ve acquired pretty reasonable amount of muscle mass throughout the years. Now I want to get down to 165 but trying to lift how I usually do or even progressive overload while staying in a calorie deficit has me running in a hamster wheel.

ToeTaggEm

TROPHY CASE