Should You Increase, Decrease, or Keep Resistance Training Volume the Same, When in a Fat Loss Phase?

During a fat loss phase the average uneducated dieter is pleased to see the number on the scale decreasing. But is full willing to throw in the towel when they see that number start to go up or even stat the same.

An educated dieter who has been weight/resistance training knows that the scale is not likely going to paint the whole picture. That body composition change involves a whole lot more than a scale displaying a number.

The fact is that someone who has been weight/resistance training can most certainly be seeing body re-composition changes happening. Meaning that they are seeing both fat loss and muscle gain happen at the same time. Effectively eliminating any scale weight changes.

The experienced or educated dieter understands that during a fat loss phase the objective is to lose body fat while maintaining as much lean muscle as possible when dieting. And that weight/resistance training alongside a high protein diet is the best way to target fat loss and maintain muscle mass.

Given weight/resistance training is such a vital part of retaining lean muscle mass during a fat loss phase, it only makes sense that we develop an understanding of how to pair the loss of calories with weight/resistance training volume to maximize fat loss results.

The subject of today’s topic is a review study done on studies that compared caloric restriction and training volume. This review covered 129 individuals (69 male, 60 female). Ranging from 21 to 35 years old with an initial body fat percentage of 21.7% for the women and 14.9% for the men. Post diet body fat average for women was 13.8% and 9.7 for men.

The point of the review was to determine if ‘higher volume training programs were more appropriate for maintaining muscle mass during a calorie restricted diet, compared to lower volume training programs.

After finding over 3,000 articles on the subject in question, the researchers narrowed it down to 15 studies that fit the 6 criteria that they were looking for:

1. Included lean, healthy, drug-free resistance trained individuals.
2. Study had to last at least 4 weeks.
3. A calorie restricted diet of at least 200 Kcal per day.
4. Reported pre-diet and post-diet muscle mass changes.
5. Employed a high protein diet of at least .8g per lb/2g per Kg of lean mass
6. Provide information about the resistance training variables used.

Approximately half of the studies included were bodybuilder case studies. Which are not really studies, but rather follow a bodybuilder around for an extended period observing and studying as they lose body fat while preparing for the stage. The other half contained studies included took a longitudinal design following subjects over time while they were dieting and recorded their resistance training volume. They then divided the studies into male and female categories.

The average caloric restriction among men was 400 kcal and 350 for women. With a total range of 200-900 per day. The average diet length was about 4 months or 18 weeks, and the average training age was 6 years with a range of 6 months to 10 years.

Out of the 6 studies that were chosen 5 provided enough information to make an accurate assessment about female results. The sixth seemed to increase volume at times and decrease volume at others (during deloads).

When we look at the results of these 5 studies, we can conclude that if a female is dieting and lowers her resistance training volume there appears to be a loss of lean muscle mass. In comparison if resistance training volume is maintained and/or increased there appears to be a gain in lean muscle mass.

We must keep context in the fact that these studies were all done on competitive physique athletes who were very serious and driven to lose body fat and retain as much lean muscle as possible. Not everyday people just trying to lose a few pounds.

In the male studies only 3 of the longitudinal studies provided enough information to make an accurate assessment. From these 3 studies, 1 found that when men maintain resistance training volume, we see a loss of muscle mass. And the other two in which resistance training volume was increased, one showed a maintained level of lean muscle mass and the other found a slight gain in muscle cross-sectional area.

All 4 of the male case-studies showed a significant loss of lean muscle mass (averaging 10lbs) during the dieting phase. While the information provided about resistance training changes was insufficient, in my opinion it’s hard to imagine that a highly trained male physique athlete is going to reduce resistance training volume during the dieting phase.

According to the authors of these studies….

• “…decreased resistance training observed lean tissue loses.”
• “When evaluating the relationship between lean tissue changes and resistance training volume, studies that reported no loss or even an increase in lean mass after 8 weeks of caloric restriction, all increased resistance training volume over time.”
• “Contrarily, when resistance training volume was reduced, a loss of lean mass was reported.”
• “Moreover, the data appear to suggest that progressively increasing resistance training volume over time during caloric restriction may be more effective in ameliorating calorie restricted-induced atrophy in both female and male resistance trained athletes.”
• “The findings of this review suggest that reducing resistance training volume during calorie restriction may negatively affect lean tissue sparing in resistance trained individuals.”

The authors did not want to overstate their opinions as the research was very limited and the data that is currently available. Given the very limited data they determined that increasing resistance training volume may be more beneficial for maintaining lean muscle mass during a diet phase than reducing or maintaining resistance training volume in both men and women.

So, what should you do?

While the research here would state that you should increase your resistance training volume during a diet/fat loss phase, we must take it as exactly that. RESEARCH! Research works on averages, and super limited averages in this case, we are not averages. What works for the average most likely does not work for the whole.

With that said, like with most other things in fitness my opinion is that you should do what you can personally handle during your diet/fat loss phase. Everyone is different and handles stress differently. So, saying that one should simply increase training volume during a diet/fat loss phase is negligent.

Sure, maybe the average highly trained stage competitor who has nothing else to focus on but stage prep can just increase volume, but the average person working let’s say a swing shift in a hospital, with 3 kids, going through a divorce, while taking care of their elderly mother may not do so well with just adding volume to their workout. This person might just see better results by lowering their volume and maximizing recovery efforts and nutrition.

Fitness is not a one size fits all type of thing. Everything that we do in the fitness and nutrition world is based around the INDIVIDUAL. So, do what YOU can handle, what YOU can cope with, and what YOU can do consistently. That’s what is going get you the best results.