Weight loss=power loss.

[Jay Fiedler]

Just thought I'd share this. Was talking to a power lifter and he basically said what I've found to be true in real life. For every 10 pounds you lose in weight (fat...not muscle) transforms to about a 20 pound loss in bench press weight your able to lift. I went on a cutting diet and found I went from benching 225 10 times to about 185 ten times each set. I weighed about 205 before, now 185. So, while I do look cut and trim, I am unable to bench as much. Even though you loss fat, that still provides mass to help you lift more. No big loss, just thought I'd share.

 

[livin large]

fat does not help you lift more unless you can lean your body weight into the lift (which is usually bad form anyway, but that's beside the point). Fat does not help you bench. The reason you can't lift as much on bench is because you did lose some muscle. Dropping 20 pounds of fat would most likely take you 6 months. Were you cutting for 6 months? Were you lifting as hard during your cutting phase as you were prior to it?

If you did a perfect 6 month cutting phase, lost 20 pounds of fat and no muscle (because you still lifted as hard), then put the 225 back on and bust out 10 reps - your loss is only mental.

 

[madgame]

Jay is right on the point. You cant say losing weight means losing power (as in benching less). A year ago I had done a cutting diet. I lost about 8-10 lbs of fat (not counting the extra water weight I most likely lost during the first week) in about 2 1/2 months and my bench press declined from 7 reps with 231 lbs (a converted into kgs...just saying this because 231lbs might sound strange) to 5 reps with the same weight...I think I could of been able to not lose any strength at all if I had taken in some more protein (I took some less than I do when I bulk).

 

[bogman2121]

losing fat is no way shape or form means you lose strength. you lost strength because you went on a cutting phase and probably didnt lift as hard so your muscles became weaker and shrank, its called atrophy(sp?) having extra fat doesnt make you stronger if it did dont you think everyone would just eat all day long to gain strength. no they lift to increase the strength and size of the muscles. fat has nothing to do with strength its all about muscles.

 

[madgame]

My bad, I meant to say livinlarge is right on the point.

I think he could of also lost strength because of not eating enough protein. If you go on a cutting diet without eating enough protein your muscles will shrink from what I know. Not lifting the same way might still be the (main) reason though...some ppl might lose strength during a cutting phase cause they start doing high reps all of a sudden hoping theyll get a better muscle tone.