Long-term maintenance phase and recomp

Nutrition Q&A [Moderated]
1

Dr. Feigenbaum,

First, thanks for answering all these questions on this forum. It is definitely appreciated as well as impressive you can actually get to all these questions. I have a couple questions but I’ll set up the scenario for a little context first.

Context:

  1. From July 2018 - Feb 2019: dropped from 95kg to 89.9kg (compete as an 89kg in weightlifting). Body fat dropped from ~23%-20% according to Inbody scan.
  2. Notable loss of strength - seen in 2 and 3RM squats, 1RM clean, 1RM snatch. Strength loss most noted towards tail end (November 2018 - Feb 2019).
  3. Currently in maintenance phase at ~90.5kg.
  4. Other stats: 5’8", 35 y.o., roughly ~6hrs sleep per night on a good night. Allostatic load moderate to occasionally high. Train 4x/wk usually.

Questions:

  1. Next competition would be August 2019. Would like to compete in 89kg but is a long-term maintenance phase from now until then advised as a way to both recomp as well as increase strength/power numbers (assuming programming is appropriate).
  2. Likelihood of recomp (as in <19% BF, staying at 90.5kg) for a lifter about 9 years in?

I feel like I just aired all my dirty laundry to the entire BBM forum. Hello, everybody. I’m not ashamed.

2
  1. I think that’s reasonable depending on other things like waist circumference and health risk factors. Programming will be important.
  2. For you? Pretty likely :slight_smile: