First, a quick overview:

  • To get stronger, you need to balance your training stress with your recovery resources
  • Dieting reduces your recovery resources, so you must also either reduce your training stress or somehow increase your recovery
  • To reduce training stress, cut back on what's not a priority. That could mean volume, intensity, or frequency depending on what works for you.
  • It's generally harder to improve your recovery, although things like sleep and massage can help.
  • Make small changes over time to keep that stress/recovery equation in balance.
  • Be reasonable. If you're dieting really hard, you're probably going to only be able to maintain strength. If you're going to extremes, you should try to minimize strength loss.
You can read the full article on the site linked from my main coaching page (

click the link under my profile pic).
Ben Pollack
Tagged: Coaching Logs
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