With Avengers: Endgame nearing, it’s easy to see a flood of pieces about getting a Thor- or Black Widow‑type body by following a specific routine. Follow that routine and you can look like a superhero. I don’t have a problem with those plans. Pretty much anything will help someone leaner if they stay consistent and don’t eat like an idiot. But one of the biggest mistakes people make when their goal is fat loss is not prioritizing strength.
Often, people ramp up training volume—a lot of high‑repetition sets plus endless cardio—while jumping onto the keto train. I’m not here to say that approach is worthless; it might work for a while, but I’ve seen the same pattern repeat again and again.
A week, or two, or three (maybe longer) in, you feel great. Your body fat seems to melt away, you can see some abs, and you might even notice more matches on dating apps. Then you don’t feel so hot. You’re tired, cold, sore, and your motivation to train fades. The combination of high training volume with a very low-calorie, low-carb diet starts to take its toll. You might start thinking the reason Wolverine is so angry isn’t just a conspiracy, but that he’s sick of EMOM burpees and just wants some real carbs.
I’m not saying every popular fat‑loss plan is a waste. What I am suggesting is a slight shift in perspective. What makes muscle and what keeps muscle
Even if fat loss is the goal, if I’m coaching you I’ll still have you strength train. Maybe I sound like a dumb meathead, but I genuinely feel most fat loss comes from dietary changes. The key question is what strategy will create a caloric deficit. It’s very personal. Some do well with keto (though many people who think they’re on keto are really just low‑carb), some do well with Paleo, some with intermittent fasting, some with something else. The main factor is whether you’ll stay consistent and whether the plan fits your lifestyle and goals. But I don’t want to get lost in that debate. I want to advocate for strength training when it comes to getting lean.
During a diet, the point of strength work isn’t so much to gain new muscle as to preserve as much muscle as possible while in a caloric deficit. The body needs a stimulus to hold onto what you have. What makes muscle, keeps muscle: lower‑rep, strength work. I’m not saying there isn’t a place for density sets, finishers, circuits, or HIIT; they can all help speed things up. But nutrition is usually the main determinant of fat loss. The problem is many people place too much emphasis on those protocols and end up losing muscle instead of preserving it. Often they end up a smaller, weaker version of themselves. I don’t want that to happen, and there’s a simple way to prevent it.
The obvious question is how to write a program for someone in this situation. Easy: have them perform a challenging set of 3–5 reps (maybe an occasional heavy single for advanced lifters) a few times per week on the main lifts—deadlift, squat, bench—and then carry on with the regular fat‑loss programming.
EXAMPLE MUSCLE MAINTAINING PROGRAM (NOT FAT LOSS PROGRAM)
DAY 1
A. Work up to a challenging five on a squat variation (front, back, Zercher, Anderson, safety‑bar)
B1. Same squat variation (same load you hit for 5 reps): 3×3
B2. DB bench press: 3×8
C1. DB Romanian deadlift
C2. Push‑ups
C3. Gripless face pulls
8–10 reps each, 10‑minute density circuit
D1. 1‑legged hip thrust
D2. DB curls
10–15 reps each, 8‑minute density circuit
DAY 2
A. Work up to a challenging five on a bench variation (regular, close‑grip, decline, incline, Larsen)
B1. Same bench variation (same load you hit for 5 reps): 3×3
B2. 1‑arm DB row: 3×10 per arm
C1. Goblet squat
C2. Pull‑through
C3. Reverse crunch
8–10 reps each, 10‑minute density circuit
D1. Prone incline reverse fly
D2. Tricep French press
10–15 reps each, 8‑minute density circuit
DAY 3
A. Work up to a challenging five on a deadlift variation (conventional, sumo, trap bar, block pull)
B1. Same DL variation (same load you hit for 5 reps): 3×3
B2. 2‑KB racked carry: 3×30 yds
C1. Chest‑supported row
C2. Goblet reverse lunge
C3. Band reverse flye walkout
8–10 reps each, 10‑minute density set
C1. 2‑arm landmine press or DB push press
C2. Bodyweight step‑ups
10–15 reps each, 8‑minute density set
SEE? Nothing crazy. This doesn’t need to be more complicated than it has to be. We’re not doing long division here. Keep it simple. Work your butt off, but keep it simple. All these workouts can be completed in under 60 minutes (including a warm‑up). It’s likely this approach is very different from what many are used to in a fat‑loss plan—less length, more focus. Assuming your diet is in check, this approach can help preserve muscle, which should be the long‑term goal anyway. And yes, Keto is fruitless. It can be frustrating when I have to explain jokes to you.
