Starting training to be a powerlifter

[WitchySar 244]

I have enjoyed weight training for a while now and am going to start moving toward training to be a powerlifter. I haven't even started the shift yet and I'm already in a debate with my trainer about my nutrition needs. My trainer is a competitive powerlifter but she's also naturally really thin and I don't think she understands my nutritional needs and how they vary from a non-bariatric patient. She is stressing the need to carb load and/or carb back loading. She swears that without it I could injure myself by trying to force my muscles to use different forms of energy and at the least will never achieve great powerlifting goals without it. Is this true? Even if I did eat more carbs before or after a training session I still have portion restriction so I don't know if I'd get the amount of energy she's wanting me to.

So I guess what I'm asking is should I increase my carbs before and/or after a powerlifting training session? With my portion restriction anyway it's not like I'm going to be downing a huge bowl of Pasta or Cereal. So... pros, cons... required vs suggested vs pointless?

Edited March 27, 2017 by WitchySar

[Newme17 3,444]

Yes! Carb cycle! Eat higher on weight days and lower on non weight days. And always complex carbs...the healthy ones. Your body will thank you for it. Go you! Powerlifting...yay!!!!

Edited March 27, 2017 by Newme17

[WitchySar 244]

Okay, so that's one vote for carbs. lol I'm nervous because I have best results on a very low carb diet, have for years, and my nutritionist definitely supports low carb but I get the impression she doesn't work with a lot of people who want to get into lifting and such... she has mentioned how she has trouble convincing most of her patients to even go for a walk around the block.

Alright, any particular carbs you suggest? Do you support carb loading before or carb back loading? My daughter (who is training in body building) swears by chocolate milk after a workout but that's so much sugar... I don't know about that.

[orionburn 1,023]

8 hours ago, WitchySar said:

She is stressing the need to carb load and/or carb back loading. She swears that without it I could injure myself by trying to force my muscles to use different forms of energy and at the least will never achieve great powerlifting goals without it. Is this true?

I'd like to see where that bit of info comes from. You're going to injure yourself from trying to lift too much or having bad form. Not because you didn't eat the right carbs pre/post workout. That just seems like a weird statement.

When I lifted years ago on a regular basis I found carb cycling always worked best for me. I didn't go crazy but I definitely ate more carbs on lifting days versus non-workout or cardio days. It's a trial and error thing. You're going to have to pick a starting point and keep close track of your progress and find out what works best for you. Stick to "natural" carbs (whole grains, veggies, etc) and avoid the processed stuff. If you aren't already then definitely do a food journal on something like Myfitnesspal.

While I'm not trying to discourage you try to look at the big picture as well. It isn't to say you can't make strength gains and still lose weight, but it will get to a point where you're trying to achieve two things at the same time and they won't work well together. Back in the day I was a big fan of Ronnie Coleman (professional bodybuilder). Dude was just a beast. But what always killed me was when he posted pictures of his building phase. The guy actually looked fat, but once he was finished with that and went into his cutting phase he came out looking amazing. If you look at their diets it was just insane at the amount of calories they took in a day. It was all healthy foods but eating was nearly a full time job for them.

In the end it's up to you and what you want to achieve quicker - overall weight loss and getting closer to your goal weight, or major gains in strength/muscle. Again, not trying to discourage you, but realistically things will get to a point where you'll have to decide which one takes precedent over the other.

I do commend you on your decision to power lift, though! That's awesome to see. I'm recovering from years off of the gym due to previous health/arthritis issues and hoping to get into power lifting myself one day.

Edited March 27, 2017 by orionburn

[BigViffer 3,544]

You are definitely going to need carbs for weightlifting. It's a juggling act to find the right carb before a workout. Since you have had surgery and can only take in a small amount, I would recommend oatmeal about 30 minutes prior to your workout. Heavy lifting expends an incredible amount of energy. People think that only cardio burns fat for some reason; but if you lifting at your limits it will keep your heart rate up for hours after you are done.

I have read many people swear by the chocolate milk, but I think that the sugar would cause you to feel awful. I know I can't drink it. I just have a dense Protein after workout, but carbs pre-workout. It will be a struggle to add mass since you just cannot take in the calories necessary for growth.

[WitchySar 244]

Thanks for the info and advice. I figure she's probably just regurgitating something she was told or perhaps just didn't explain herself well (regarding the comment about injuring myself). I will start trying to find a healthy carb to add into my diet on days I work out. Currently I'm working out about 5-6 days a week but not every day with the heavier weights, so I'll use the carbs for the heavy weight days first and see how that goes.

As for losing weight I'm more concerned with getting healthy and not so concerned with the number on a scale. My *goal* is 175 lbs anyway which is technically still high for my height but I already have a good amount of muscle mass so my surgeon thinks it's a fair goal. If I end up only getting to 200 (or whatever) that's fine with me too. I'd rather have muscle than worry about the number.

[orionburn 1,023]

5 hours ago, WitchySar said:

Thanks for the info and advice. I figure she's probably just regurgitating something she was told or perhaps just didn't explain herself well (regarding the comment about injuring myself). I will start trying to find a healthy carb to add into my diet on days I work out. Currently I'm working out about 5-6 days a week but not every day with the heavier weights, so I'll use the carbs for the heavy weight days first and see how that goes.

As for losing weight I'm more concerned with getting healthy and not so concerned with the number on a scale. My *goal* is 175 lbs anyway which is technically still high for my height but I already have a good amount of muscle mass so my surgeon thinks it's a fair goal. If I end up only getting to 200 (or whatever) that's fine with me too. I'd rather have muscle than worry about the number.

I hope I didn't sound like I was trying to discourage you or anything. I think it's awesome that you're going that route. My only concern is that t does get to the point where you pretty much have no choice but to up your calorie count to gain mass. I have so much catching up to do that I can probably go pretty far before I hit any sort of wall. For the most part I feel the same way. I actually don't want to get under 200 lbs. I'd be a twig and wouldn't like it at all.