Overtraining for weight loss?

[Tarheel]

A good friend of mine and workout partner isa pretty built guy (more than I). He's been lifting about 4 years, has naturally big shoulders, and a really good taper. Right now he weighs about 210.

He was recently approached by a modeling scout who said if he can drop a considerable amount of weight, he has a good look (wide shoulders with a good taper to his waist, good face, right height, etc) to be a runway model. The thing is he needs to drop about 20+ lbs, and some of it will have to be muscle mass.

Would inducing a state of overtraining, running twice a day and marathon lifting be a good way to lose muscle? I'm wondering this because this is the opposite of what to do when you want to gain muscle. Run in the morning, run at night, and lift for 90 minutes or more a day?

I'm especially looking for info from Corn since he has had to shed muscle for work before.

 

[gymtime]

Shedding that kind of weight will be more a matter of diet and cardio moreso than changing his workout.

All he'd need to do is do a simple calorie deficit diet and up the cardio (no need to go nuts with it though). That and do a maintenance-type workout.

 

[Tarheel]

Yeah he's going on a huge calorie deficient diet and is on a few thermogens.

 

[coolcolj]

starving is all he needs to do, overtraining will just make him look and feel like crap

 

[solidj55]

Well I am not a runway model but in the past 3 months I have lost about 20lbs of fat/muslce all together. I actually like the way I look a lot better even though I have been bigger with a low bodyfat and bigger with a higher bodyfat. I like this look best. I just went back to eating three meals per day. All three meals are semi-high in protein(about 50g per meal) and usually fairly high in carbs(50-100g per meal). My fat intake has been close to nothing though. I also only lift about 2-3 days per week. I hit one exercise per bodypart and use mostly only compound movements.
I have been working opposites(Pushes and Pulls) on workout days. I also walk like I dont have a car or bus pass, I dont have a choice because of my job but its awesome, I literally walk all day long, I may sit down for 15 minutes per day while at work and I work 12 hour days. I have lost a lot of fat and some muscle as well, but not too much muscle. My strenght has increased though oddly enough and I am glad because that is the only thing has kept me motivated.

 

[Zyglamail]

overtraining is very catabolic and it also depresses the immune system. Having said that overtraining will destroy muscle so if that his goal tell hit to stop eating for a week and he can drop the 20 pound.

 

[shoichi]

How about a low (20-40g) carb diet? Through your body into a state of ketosis; ableit it's not very healthy. Couple this with intense cardio and you'll lose your fat, and some muscle, very quickly. A few people I know who used to do comps did this, and I did it last summer for a trip. Works well but its hard to do. You'll feel like shit for a couple of days as your body starts using protein instead of glucose as your primary source of energy. Keep very well hyrdated, and take a multi - which you should do anyways.

 

[nikkita]

in my opinion overtraining is not a solution, he may lose muscle and gain fat when inducing catabolism. I will rather suggest to change the focus of his training and diet... something as if he was preparing for a competition... in other words, drop bodyfat... sometimes it is all that's needed

 

[Hannibal]

It's official....I will never be a campus model. No way am I purposely losing muscle.