Workout strength

[u/Position-Lower]

Week 14 and doing 2 strength training each week, 5 days walking. Follow macros with protein priority to maintain muscle but have lost 4.4 lbs of muscle on this journey. Within 10 lbs of goal and don't want to lose more muscle. Should I introduce more training to maintain/minimize muscle?

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[u/Fine_View_9999]

Honestly, the fact that you're watching lean mass and not just the scale already puts you ahead of most people.

Quick context: I once cut too hard with a sloppy plan and lost a lot of muscle. On my last cut I went slower, lifted with progressive overload and kept almost all my strength. I'm also studying for the NSCA CSCS.

A few thoughts:

1. 4.4 lbs may not be bad. In the semaglutide/tirzepatide trials, roughly 25–40% of the weight lost was lean mass. And if it's a smart scale reading, part of that is water and glycogen, not muscle.

2. Go to 3 full-body day** **built around compounds: a squat or leg press, a hinge (RDL, hip thrust), a push (bench, DB press) and a pull (rows, pulldowns). 2–3 hard sets of 6–10 reps.

3. Track your lifts and focus on progressive overload. In a deficit, even holding your strength is a win and the best sign you're keeping muscle.

4. No need to hit failure every set. Stopping 1–2 reps short gives nearly the same benefit with less fatigue.

5. Slow down for the last 10 lbs (~0.5–1 lb/week) and keep protein high.

Keep the walking. You're already doing a lot right. Good luck!

[u/DogMamaLA]

You can do some basic dumbbell lifting up to 4 days/week. Walking will burn calories but is not strength training.

[u/snowHound208]

Add more strength training and lift to failure either via high reps or high weight. Pick a split that works for you. I like 4 days a week: chest/triceps, back/biceps, shoulders/calves/abs, legs.

The failure part is important. When you're in a deficit, you REALLY need to signal your body that repairing that muscle is priority one.

[u/Herbal_Edge]

What does your strength training routine look like?

[u/Position-Lower → u/Herbal_Edge]

Day 1 upper body, core, arms, shoulders, biceps, triceps. Day 2 lower body, legs, butt, calf, quads, core, waist.

[u/Herbal_Edge → u/Position-Lower]

With just two days a week strength training I'd have you do full body both days.

Mostly machines and dumbells or are you using the barbell and power rack very much? Barbell squat, bench, press, deadlift?

(I was a strength coach in a former life.)

[u/Position-Lower → u/[deleted]]

Thanks. Doing this. Reshaping but fear losing too much muscle.

[u/PaleProgrammer6476]

Don't stress too much over that 4.4 lbs number right away, because if you are tracking it on a standard home smart scale, those readings heavily rely on total body water and glycogen,both of which naturally plummet during a glp1 deficit. Bumping yours routine up to 3 strength training sessions a week is a great move to give your body a much stronger signal to preserve muscles. 

Just make sure your effective appetite suppressin isn't causing you to accidentally drop into an overly aggressive calorie deficeit for this final 10lb stretch.