Hello. I am currently running lp, and it feels like I will be finished soon. I’m 15 years old, 18% bodyfat, 172lbs, 5’9”. My lacrosse season is approaching in about a month. I would like to be 15-16% for the season. So I need to drop at least 2% bodyfat in a little longer than a month. Honestly it feels like I’ve gained more fat than muscle on my lp. So my question is, should I cut calories lower so I start gaining muscle more slowly and efficiently, and then start dropping bodyfat about 1 week away from the season? Or should I starting cutting bodyfat now and once I’ve gotten to 15-16% bodyfat starting gaining muscle slowly. I think the first option is what I’m leaning towards since I won’t be able to gain much muscle in season due to fatigue from practices and games. What should I do? Also, what do you recommend for in season lifting to maintain or gain a little strength and size. I really only have two days out of the week I can lift that are not on the same days as practices once the season starts. I’ve heard on the SS forums to do a set of five on each lift once a week, but I want it hear what the barbell medicine community has to say. Thanks for anybody who can help me!
I would run your strength program right up until Lacrosse starts and let your Lacrosse practices take care of the 2% body fat.
Good idea, thanks!
And what would you recommend for in season programming?
My recommendation is likely a horrible one, but it goes like this. Your 15, keep your grades up, go to practice, have fun with your friends, chase girls, make some time for your family and pick up the weights once the season is over. Your only young once and have lots of time to get strong.
I would say unless you got that % from a dexa scan, it’s too inaccurate.
Just the same, a reduction of 2% bf isn’t going to make a noticeable positive difference in your athletic performance at all. In fact, it may actually hurt it depending how you get there.
It’s impossible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.
I cant really speak to an in season lifting program, though you might ask about it in the training forum. An HLM (heavy, light, medium) template might work ok.
Honestly man, like dude above me says, play the shit out of lacrosse, enjoy your strength gains and don’t stress too much.
Ya I measured my bodyfat by a bathroom-like weight scale that calculates your bodyfat. Alan Thrall did a video about it, and he found that it was close to the dexa scan. And yeeeaaahh I don’t think I’m going to take your advice and do nothing in season. Even though Im just 15, I compete at a high level. My team even travels in the summer for tournaments on most weekends. I think I’ll just do what Rip recommends, and if it doesn’t work out then whatever eh.
If your really motivated to be a superior athlete then do it now while you have a chance. You will have decades to enjoy life, get as strong as you can now.
Don’t do “what Rip says” because you yourself are telling us your not responding well.
You are gaining more fat than muscle, are your lifts respinding well? Are you adding weight every session? If not then read more, listen to the BBM podcasts. Try the newsletter plug in. See if you respond better to more volume. Less intensity with more volume may induce less fatigue.
Don’t fall for the special snowflake trap. Be a special snowflake and find what works FOR YOU. If you can learn to be a critical thinker at 15 and decide to follow your own path and plan instead of just some generic playbook laid out for you by someone else you will excel in all areas of your life. This includes grades, fun, dating, friends, training and everything else.
The very best program is the one you will keep doing because it works for you.
As the man said “To thine own self be true”.
Yeah I saw that one. What it’s telling you though is that you are +/- 18%, not a firm 18%, you know?
I did not say you shouldn’t do anything in season. I said I can’t speak to it. The reason I can’t speak to it is because I am not qualified to give you programming advice, which is why I A.) suggested you post in the training forum and B.) that you look into an HLM template - both better choices that doing a heavy set of 5 and praying your strength does not deteriorate.
You do realize in the same paragraph you said you weren’t not going to lift in season because you “compete at a high level”, but then said you’ll just do what Rip said and if it doesn’t work “eh”.
So, Do you compete at a high level, or is it “eh”?
Thanks guys for your help. Yes I do compete at a high level, I just wasn’t trying to sweat it. I will ask in the training q&a forum as suggested, I just wanted to ask here first because I didn’t want to waste Austin and Jordan’s time if I didn’t have to. Sorry if I confused anyone. Thanks again!
If you compete at a high level, or more importantly if you want to maintain competing at a high level, your training, your practices, your nutrition, the extra time and effort you put into it is never, ever “eh”
good luck, hope you find what you need
Alright thanks for your help tfranc!
In all honesty, if you’re really as serious as you say you are about lacrosse, you probably should pay for a coach. There are way too many variables for anyone in a forum to be able to guide you properly. Anytime someone is balancing strength training with competitive non-lifting sports it becomes very “nuanced”. If you are serious about wanting to get as good as possible at lacrosse, as strong as possible, as well as manipulate your body composition (which is probably not necessary, and maybe even detrimental to athletic performance), then you really need to pay for a coach to plan your training and nutrition week to week around your practice and competitive schedule.
I think you’re very confused. The fact that Alan Thrall’s scale was close to his DEXA scan is correlation, not causation. Personally I’ve found scales to not only be inaccurate, but not even “directionally accurate” as many claim. On the last leg of my LP I gained about 3 lbs, my waist went down an inch, and the mirror test said my bf obviously went down (so did calipers). But the scale said I gained 1% bf, or basically 100% fat. They’re also heavily influenced by water weight (I’ve seen a 0.6% move in a day).
Don’t take it that seriously. Only you can decide if you’re “too fluffy” but given you’re only 15 and might grow more, I seriously seriously SERIOUSLY don’t recommend trying to lose weight right now given your stats.