Need Advice on Weight Loss

So I’ve been doing 6 cycles of 531 and I love it, but I’ve gotten to the point where I want to get rid of my fatness, and dieting while doing 531 probably isn’t the best of ideas.

I’d like some help on choosing a programme that will minimize strength loss while I’m dieting. I plan to resume 531 once I get my weight down to where I want it.

I’m currently 5’9" and 215lbs. Probably around 20 - 25% bodyfat. I’d like to get down to a lean 12% or so, I’m guestimating 180 - 185lbs.

Despite loving 531, I’ve always done well with full body training, and enjoy it muchly.

Any tips on a good program to keep strength gains and challenge me metabolically would be appreciated, along with recommended cardio frequency.

–Me

For me, I’ve had the most success in terms of dropping fat AND getting stronger combining intermittent fasting with maximal strength training. I mean, I’ve lost more fat while training for powerlifting and intermittent fasting on rest days than I did when doing heaps of strength endurance work and cutting portion sizes and limiting carb intake.

I’m about your height and sitting around 17-20% bodyfat. I’m not sure how well what I do would go for getting down to 12% but I suspect if I was a little less relaxed about what I eat on my non-fasting days and added in a little conditioning it’d work pretty well.

‘10x3 for fatloss’ or SOB training by Waterbury

Thanks for the responses. Waterbury seems to be more focused on muscle retention rather than strength. While the two are definitely connected, I am more interested in keeping my strength and fitness levels high, rather than preserving muscle for its own sake. Is there a different approach to preserving strength rather than preserving muscle mass, or will preserving muscle mass preserve strength (and vice versa)?

–Me

Doing 10 sets of 3 will absolutely preserve strength. Unless the cut is very aggressive might even build some

I’m planning on doing a very aggressive cut, as aggressive as I can without compromising much strength. I’m 215 and would like to drop to 180 or 185, and do it as quickly as possible. Not bodybuilding lean, mind you, just down to like 10 or 12%. I’m planning on cutting calories to 2000/day, and adding in lots of cardio and sprinting. Bleh.

If you’re going to stick with 5/3/1 for the long haul, you can cut and still do the program, i.e., it doesn’t have to be abandoned just because you need to shed some body fat.

Granted, you won’t continue to make huge, strident strength gains on a cut, as it wasn’t designed as a fat loss program per se, but you can at least maintain (or some even report slow increases) strength if done right. Just reduce caloric intake, possibly eating at maintenance on workout days, and ramp up your conditioning.