How to train without losing muscle mass

[unstpabl1]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

Whats the point of maintaining mass if you lose functionality? Or better yet why do you need the extra mass? You’ve shown remarkable improvement in all the Toughness catagories

[jonj480]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

Those are both very good points. Functionality-wise, I am in the best shape of my life, (at 35 no less!!). It is my wife, mostly who is missing some of the size from before. She does appreciate the fact that my muscles are not “Show” muscles now, and that they are “Go” muscles. I was just trying to find a happy medium I guess. I lasted through 20 minutes of sparring in Fight class tonight, then did a ground class after and I would never have been able to do that last year.

I do not want to sacrifice that for a little more size, just seeing if there was a “best of both worlds” alternative.

[panphage]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

If you’re consuming the same amount of calories that you did before you started KM you’re going to lose muscle mass. At 8-9% BF the only place your body is going to be able to pull energy from is your muscles if you don’t eat enough.

Additionally, you’re not going to stay a “monster” if you cut your lifts. The body does not naturally want to stay that size.

Eat heavy, lift heavy.

Pan

[big-gene75]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

I relatively new to the MA scene and have the same issues of losing mass while training. Now I’m 5’11 about 205 and have been training in BJJ for a little over a month as well as KM (2nd KM class was yeserday) and have noticed that though I may weigh the same I see a difference in how my clothes fit and basically just how I look as opposed to what I looked like about 2-3 months ago. Before training I would go to the gym 5-6 days a week training a body part a day – mostly consisting of 5-6 exercises doing reps of 12,10,8 and 6. I’ve always been skin and bones until about 7 years ago (32 now) and I really don’t want to get back to that skin and bones phase of my life. I’d like to maintain some muscle mass but I do realize my old schedule will not work with taking BJJ 2xs a week as well as KM 2xs a week. I see all of the different suggestions posted and now I think I am more confused then I was before joining the forums. Idealy I’d like to get down to about 190lbs but still have some decent mass to me but with a schedule like mine (BJJ 2xs a/wk and KM 2xs a/wk) it hard to figure out a good workout schedule. Does anyone have any training suggestions that may help me personally maintain some mass and strength as well as something that fits in the available time slots I have to workout that is a complete workout? MY schedule looks like this: Sun BBJ drills class (no rolling), Mon off, Tues KM fitness class, Wed BJJ, Thurs off, Fri off and Sat KM training. I am also looking to rotate the fitness class every other week so some Tues I will be skipping the fitness class and actually training. Any suggestion are appreciated.

Thanks!
-Gene

[mikerob]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

quote big_gene75:

Does anyone have any training suggestions that may help me personally maintain some mass and strength as well as something that fits in the available time slots I have to workout that is a complete workout? MY schedule looks like this: Sun BBJ drills class (no rolling), Mon off, Tues KM fitness class, Wed BJJ, Thurs off, Fri off and Sat KM training.
-Gene

I just posted a great mass-building workout below that would fit your Monday & Thursday schedule.

This type of training goes back to the old-timers who put on tremendous size with basic lifts: Peary Radar, John McCallum, and Brooks Kubik who wrote “Dinosaur Training” is a brick.

As far as comments on ‘why have show muscles’ – I like them. It’s a challenge to build your body, and it feels great.

– Mike

[big-gene75]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

Hi MikeRob,

I just sent you a PM regarding the workout you have posted.

Thanks!
-Gene

[garddawg]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

Mirror muscles or working out for size is just fine if that is your goal, cool. Just be aware of what you are doing and that you likely are losing functionality. There is a reason the Marine Corps, mandates CrossFit type training in there PT, and the SEAL’s have adopted it. It is a different goal.

[big-gene75]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

Garddawg is there a good crossfit workout that gives a total body workout in say 2 or 3 days?

[garddawg]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

Gene,
What do you mean by total body workout? Almost all our workouts involve the whole body.

[big-gene75]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

Well looking at the forums on the link you have posted it seems that people were talking about a particular exercise whether it be a press or pull. Is there a website to go to such as crossfit.com or something where there are examples of a total body workout that can be done in 2 or 3 days

[garddawg]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

http://www.CrossFit.com

My workouts for the last couple of days were:
Saturday
5 rounds of 7 Reps of “The Bear”:
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Push Press
= 1 Rep

Monday
Deadlift
3 x 310 x 3
260 x 21

5 rounds
10 box jumps, 42″
10 Hang Power snatch

Tuesday
As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 Minutes of
200 M Sprint
10 Burpees
10 Pullups
10 Burpees
10 Pull ups

Thinking I pretty much covered my whole body. At least I’m hobbling around today like I covered my whole body.

[big-gene75]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

And a workout similiar to the one that you posted/doing is helping you maintain muscle tone as well as strength

[garddawg]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

I weigh 170#’s. I deadlift 2x my bodyweight, Power Clean over 200#’s. Strong enough I think. Here is a vid from a couple weeks ago you can decide if the workouts keep my 49 year old butt toned. Now where is the laughing smilie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8v_f-4nfgY

[big-gene75]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

Nothing like tooting your on horn! LOL! Just playing! Thanks for all you advice and replies! I’m trying to get an idea of what to do come next week when I start working out and training together. Thanks again!

[garddawg]

Re: How to train without losing muscle mass

Prefer to show off the people I train, but seemed appropriate here, but would have been better highlighted with laughter.

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