Powerlifting diet

[Realthangpoon]

Hello,

I finally have a home gym so I’m going to start powerlifting again in combination with muay thai. No driving, no gym fees, no waiting. Love it.

Anyways I can use some input on my diet. I’d like to eat as lean as possible without consuming too much (red) meat. Thinking lentils, beans, fresh veggies, … Also I’m trying to cut on carbs because I eat them way too much. Any easy recipes/meal suggestions?

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Hello,

I finally have a home gym so I’m going to start powerlifting again in combination with muay thai. No driving, no gym fees, no waiting. Love it.

Anyways I can use some input on my diet. I’d like to eat as lean as possible without consuming too much (red) meat. Thinking lentils, beans, fresh veggies, … Also I’m trying to cut on carbs because I eat them way too much. Any easy recipes/meal suggestions?

Why would you want to cut carbs when that is literally what you need to be able to lift heavy in that way?

Carbs are not bad, the TYPE of carb and your food choices are what is bad.

 

[Obee1]

Maybe you could clarify some things first. Powerlifting is a sport. Muay Thai is a sport. Are you training to compete? Or are you lifting weights and kickboxing to exercise and get into shape? Are you needing to gain muscle weight and lose some fat? I ask this because I'm a college powerlifting coach. Leaving for a meet here shortly. But, when you tell me you're powerlifting, I assume you will be competing in the squat, bench, and deadlift. Then I want to know what weight class, yada yada.

 

[Realthangpoon]

Why would you want to cut carbs when that is literally what you need to be able to lift heavy in that way?

Carbs are not bad, the TYPE of carb and your food choices are what is bad.

I want to cut on carbs because I feel like I simply eat too much of it, even when I’m lifting weights. I try to eat whole grain as much as possible (pasta, rice and sometimes bread).

Maybe you could clarify some things first. Powerlifting is a sport. Muay Thai is a sport. Are you training to compete? Or are you lifting weights and kickboxing to exercise and get into shape? Are you needing to gain muscle weight and lose some fat? I ask this because I'm a college powerlifting coach. Leaving for a meet here shortly. But, when you tell me you're powerlifting, I assume you will be competing in the squat, bench, and deadlift. Then I want to know what weight class, yada yada.

I’m starting stronglifts 5x5 again (bench, squat, DL, OHP and BR) mainly to stay in shape and ultimately to lose some fat and to gain muscle. I’m 5’10” and about 160 currently. I’ve never reached my lifting goals and want to prove myself that I can. It’s (in kg) 120 squat, 90 bench and 160 DL. I’m not looking to compete.

I might want to compete in a Muay Thai some day however. Currently training 3-4x/week. I love the sport and I want to have experienced one match in my life.

I think it’s possible to combine both sports up to a certain level, with enough sleep and the right diet. But always happy to get experienced people’s input.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I want to cut on carbs because I feel like I simply eat too much of it, even when I’m lifting weights. I try to eat whole grain as much as possible (pasta, rice and sometimes bread).



I’m starting stronglifts 5x5 again (bench, squat, DL, OHP and BR) mainly to stay in shape and ultimately to lose some fat and to gain muscle. I’m 5’10” and about 160 currently. I’ve never reached my lifting goals and want to prove myself that I can. It’s (in kg) 120 squat, 90 bench and 160 DL. I’m not looking to compete.

I might want to compete in a Muay Thai some day however. Currently training 3-4x/week. I love the sport and I want to have experienced one match in my life.

I think it’s possible to combine both sports up to a certain level, with enough sleep and the right diet. But always happy to get experienced people’s input.

Personally I don't eat pasta or bread or wheat.

Maybe try cutting those out, you'll probably feel much better and less bloated. Those are chronic inflammation drivers.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I think you need to divorce your training goals and physique goals here, unless the two are the same.

Powerlifters tend to permabulk because you need carbs to help performance.

I can dig into one of my books for more specifics if your goals are strictly about performance.

People need to be realistic. You can't both look like a powerlifter AND get shredded like a bodybuilder...those are diametrically opposed goals to have, as is being a Muay Thai fighter.

Honestly that doesn't even make sense. Muay Thai fighters are lean and skinny for the most part. Powerlifters are not.

OP is either going to try and do all of these things and do them all half assed and get half assed or worse results or OP is going to have to pick one and focus on that exclusively.

 

[Giovanni SouthSide]

Personally I don't eat pasta or bread or wheat.

Maybe try cutting those out, you'll probably feel much better and less bloated. Those are chronic inflammation drivers.

What do you eat for carbs ? Im eating a lot of white rice, sweet potatoes, and Ezekiel bread since I’m back to working out.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

What do you eat for carbs ? Im eating a lot of white rice, sweet potatoes, and Ezekiel bread since I’m back to working out.

Sweet potatoes, steel cut oats, basmati rice, fruit(apples, pears, berries, grapes, watermelon mostly with the occasional banana), lentils, chickpeas, beans, butternut squash and canned pumpkin are my predominant carb sources.

Had some couscous yesterday but that was the first time in a long long time.

Obviously get some from veggies like spring mix lettuce, zucchini, onions, carrots, broccoli, etc but these are not high sources of them.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I actually know a few who are, and they are stronger/leaner than you or I. It certainly is possible, but absolutely not easy or fast. There's weight classes for a reason.

Most powerlifters could actually look quite good if they were to diet, but they tend not to want to.

Regarding OP though, if he wanted to look good and be strong, he'd be best served by training like a powerlifter and carb cycling to prioritize performance without getting too fat.

Typically it's because the heavier you are the more weight you can lift regardless of anything else. A person who weighs 300 lbs even if they have a much higher body fat percentage is almost always going to be stronger than a person weighing 200 lbs if they are both training similarly.

Now, it's possible the 200 lb person is stronger based on their weight than the 300 lb person but in terms of how much weight they can lift or move gross, it's almost always going to favor the heavier person.

Come to think of it, you are right...that one crazy Worlds Strongest Man guy was like 350 lbs and had a 6 pack while most of them were big fat dudes that were hiding a bunch of muscle under it, but for most people that's not realistic to think they can achieve that IMHO.

 

[EyeBRollin]

Stop eating like a bird if you are serious about lifting heavy shvt. You will need to eat big to drive progress on the weight. For diet, I’d recommend the following:

Fat sources:
EVOO, canola oil, avocado oil, peanut butter, nuts, fatty fish

Protein sources:
MILK, >90% lean meat, eggs, chicken breast, fatty fish, greek yogurt, cheese, vegetarian “crumbles”

Carb sources:
Oats, white rice, quinoa, white pasta, beans (if you can digest them)

For vegetables and fruits, stick to the most easily digestible you can tolerate. You need to take in calories. Lots of them.