Tough one today. I think I now see why people limit their mini-cuts to 6weeks. I’m 3 or 4 days away from hitting the full 6 weeks and my lifts are suddenly going off a cliff.
15degree Incline DB Press
36kg x 7
36kg x 6
36kg x 6
OHP
54kg x 4
54kg x 4
54kg x 5
Didn’t do my last set as i really grinded for the 5th rep on the last to the point it was uncomfortable
Neutral chin-ups
11, 9, 7
11 is a 3 rep PR for me I think so that’s awesome.
Hammer curls
18kg x 13
18kg x 13
Two-handle pulldowns
22.5kg x 14
22.5kg x 12
22.5kg x 10
Anyone got any tips on coming out of a mini-cut? I probably could lose a few more pounds but with it being winter, me already losing almost 14lbs and now losing motivation to train due to boredom, low energy creeping in, and to top that off - lifts now reacting poorly after staying stable for 5weeks… it seems like I should go in the other direction.
I’m meant to be squatting tomorrow but wondering if avoiding the gym, having today as a low calorie day, up the calories a bit tomorrow, and then what I think is around maintenance on Sunday Then jumping on my slightly altered programming on Monday as I re-enter a bulk?
My goals are cliche and they rarely change. Get bigger, get stronger. I’m going to stay on the same path as I was on before (but with slightly different programming). I also plan to keep up with cardio a bit more.
3-4 months of adding reps and weight to a bunch of lifts, then another mini-cut.
I’m a simple man. Gain weight slowly, hopefully add a bit of muscle in a 200-300cal surplus. When I feel too fat, trim some off then do it all over again.
I was perhaps wondering if I just spend this next week eating a bit more, finding my maintainance whilst introducing a few new exercises. A bedding in week if you would. Then up the calories pushing each and every exercise.
EDIT. Whoops. I should have added that even in my cut I train the same way. Try to hold on to that muscle and grab a bit of progression if it’s on the table.
You can be a simple man AND change training based around nutrition. And if you do that, you won’t need to rely on hope to build muscle: you can do it with programming!
When I’m making this transition, I’ll do a 1 week deload, wherein I won’t perform any of my traditional training movements and will just spend the week focusing on conditioning. During that week, I’m on a diet break: I’m not seeking to gain or lose, just eating. Once that is done, I’ll take on a new program that is built to support gaining muscle (Super Squat, Building the Monolith, BBB Beefcake, etc) and will take the diet I was using during the period of reduced calories and add a little to it while I get my baseline of intensity established. It takes a week or 2 to get back into gear on this style of training, so I don’t need too much more calories. It’ll be something like going from 30 to 40g of avocado in my breakfast, going from 4oz to 4.5oz of meat in my lunch, having 3 whole eggs and 2 whites vs 2 whole eggs and 3 whites: death by a thousand cuts sorta thing.
Once I’m in about week 2, I’ll start pushing the training hard and, with it, the calories.
Awesome. That’s not far from where I’m at. I still plan to track everything next week, but it’s not about losing or gaining, just giving myself more freedom and helping me find where I need to be at for when I start hitting it hard again. I think I’ve heard what I plan referred to as “Introductory weeks”. It should function as a deload whilst also allowing me to learn new moves and figure out how strong I am on them. So instead of the conditioning i’d be doing that. (although I still will get the basic conditioning in with the football (soccer) coaching I do and the bike sprints).
No training today as we’ve been off to look at a puppy we’re getting! It’s no bother as I typically do better with EOD (every other day) when it comes to performance anyway.
We originally wanted another Cocker Spaniel to go with the one we already have but felt two high-energy dogs could be a bit of an issue, especially as we want our first dog to still have a lot of one-on-one time with each of us with walks etc. For those reasons we’re going with a bit of a smaller dog (King Charles Cavalier Spaniel) which is just as playful, just as loving, but also equally happy being sat on a lap and not needing quite as much exercise (whilst also being able to keep up when taking the both of them out). I’m usually a bit ignorant of the smaller breeds but she’s absolutely lovely and will make a great addition to the family.
I had 3 days off. My body feels strong. The extra calories have me raging with energy. Feeling hungry, not for food but for the gym. Doing my “intro” week to adjust to slightly different programming. Not pushing for any reps that aren’t easy. Intensity is off to allow for more recovery. coming out of the cut, even though I don’t feel like I need it. With that said though, easy progress was made on exercises that have stayed. Not a massive surprise as those exercises were going up with low calories, now I’m better fed they are flying. It’s a great feeling.
I’m doing a Legs/Back & Upper type split. There are dozens of different names for these, but I haven’t got much chest volume in the past few months. Not having to worry about doing a back exercise on Upper days will allow me to concentrate on chest a bit more.
I am going to do reverse pyramids on all 4 main movements. I have never trained this way before and I’m bored to the point of insanity on 3-4 straight sets. I will aim for a top set of 7 and when I get there, add weight next time. Back-off sets will be -10% and then -10% again. This may get me in rep ranges I’ve not touched much, and probably do good things for my form and joints. On straight sets I have developed a habit of sacrificing form to get that targeted rep. Not a problem anymore, and a new style is exciting for me.
I was doing some reading on how when your RDLs start getting heavy, like other deadlifts they can start to take more than they give. I have a plan to add more exercise variation as I focus a bit more on hypertrophy rather than strength, so I have dropped a set from RDLs. Knowing I only have 2 though will have me pushing harder on the 2 sets that I do have.
Enjoyed todays workout so much. It was so nice not to worry about 4 straight sets on the main movement. Doing more exercises felt great, no boredom and maybe the best pump I think I’ve ever had - I actually felt like people were admiring me which is a funny feeling. It is only a gym attached to a leisure centre though so expectations should be tempered!
Never programmed dips before, first set was awry hence the random 3 there. I had planned for 3x-8-10 but opted for 2x8-10 and finished with a set of pushups. This may just be whilst I learn the movement. I felt doing a third set could push me too much/maybe irritate something. Hopefully over the coming weeks my stability gets better on them and I see some fast progress.
The answer is both yes and no. The more I learn, the more simple I realize how a lot of this stuff is. One “powerbuilding” type workout can look completely different from another but they are still essentially the same. As long as several pillars of training are adhered to, progress WILL be made. C.Thib has a great article on his website that’s not on T-Nation. Something like “The Secret Powerbuilding Template”. Pair that with his articles here on training splits and anyone can be pretty much set. I’ve been doing my own programming for a long time now so I’ve been able to evolve it over time, move things about, substitute exercises in when they get stale, incorporate a different progression protocol on the main lifts etc. There are a group of 4 or 5 “coaches” that really connect with me, combined they have published possibly a thousand different workout templates. My workout could be exactly the same as one of them, but it might not be. All I need to know is that I make progress every week, and if that ever stops, I switch it up.
Hmm. My wrists and elbows felt okay today, strangely it was the top of my triceps/rear delts that felt to struggle a bit. My stability was the worst though, I tried to lean ever so slightly forward and keep my legs relatively static. They were swinging and therefore, so was I. I feel it’s kinda to be expected as it’s a new movement. I’m sure next week will be better.
Feeling like I might have a cold coming on. Hopefully not! Excited about my training right now and it wasn’t that long ago I was written-off for a week with a bad one. I blame all of them kids I coach! They all come from about 6 different schools so mix amongst all kinds of germs! Hopefully I’m wrong as my digestive problems can make be feel like this sometimes too.
Don’t feel too bad. Bit of a sore throat and a bit “heady” but mostly okay. Hoping this is about as bad as it gets. Hitting the gym in the next couple of hours planning to beat TBDL 190kg (420lbs) x 8. Gonna stick 192.5kg on the bar and won’t take anything less than 6. If the 7th and 8th are there though, I’m taking them!
Damn it. I put the belt on forgetting that with my weight loss I had started using 3 holes down (instead of the 2 holes down I had used before), felt little to no bracing support whatsoever. Lower back was talking to me by the 3rd rep but told myself I’d get at least 6 so kept going. I guess the good news is that in spite of that, I felt that I ended the set too soon - and that with the support I feel I would have got at least a rep or two more with not much struggle. Really frustrating but it’s still a Rep PR, just annoyed because I definitely had more in me.
TBDL
192.5kg x 6
175kg x 8
155kg x 10
Neutral chins
10, 8, 8(rest 5 secs before last rep)
Leg Press
130kg x 15
130kg x 15
Leg curls
55kg x 10
55kg x 10
55kg x 10
Chest supported rows
34kg x 10
34kg x 10
34kg x 10
Tough work. Throat like razorblades, could have walked out after that last TBDL set. I procrastinated a LOT. There were so many people I knew in there so it was a social session as much as a gym one. I spent well over 2 hours in there- whoops.
Two-handle triceps pushdown
25kg x 10
25kg x 9
25kg x 9
Incline 45° dumbell curls
10kg x 12
12kg x 11
14kg x 9
Skillbike
15:45 for 5mins
1.52miles
Average RPM 86
Dissapointed with top OHP set but I gotta remember I’m coming out of a cut and my press was hit the hardest. I wouldn’t be surprised if I get 6 or even 7 next week. I held too long at the top and lost form/explosiveness. Made up for it in the second and third set though. Both probably Rep PRs because i haven’t gone that high rep with them for a long time.
Was surprised of my DB Bench strength. I haven’t done them flat in probably around 3-4 months. I expect to fly up in these the next few weeks with my glycogen coming back and carryover from the 15degree incline DB presses I’d been doing.
I guess this would be a good belt choice? I’ve just been using the one hanging up in the gym but can’t think of anything I want off Santa Claus. Thought it would be a good time to get my own!
My waist goes between 30inch to 36inch depending on where I am in my training, I guess a large would be the right way to go.