225x1, 245x1, 255x1, 265x1, 275x1, 285x1, 295xmiss Decided to work up to a 1RM instead of a 2RM today. Got stuck under 295…
Cluster Sets: 265x3, 265x3, 265x2–missed #3
Slow Eccentric: 185x8, 185x6, 185x5–missed #6
_Mid-Range Reps:_135x7–missed #8
Got pinned 4 times today.
Front Squat:(Took it easy due to leg soreness)
45x5
95x5
135x5
155x3
175x3
195x1
215x1
Split Squat:
135x5
145x4
155x3
##Training at the Y
Hip Abduction/Adduction Machine:
3x12 ea @ 90 This machine allows you to lean the back rest down so you can do the movement with your hips flexed, extended, or somewhere in between.
Lateral DB Raise:
10’s x 15
15’s x 10
6-8-10 @ 20’s-15’s-10’s (6-8-10 drop set)
Farmer’s Walk:
2 x 60 steps with 100 lb DB’s
Cable Side Bend:
2x12 ea @ 125 pressing cable down
1x12 ea @ 125 pulling cable up
Basketball:
Waste of my life. Played two games over the course of two hours. I should’ve just ran some sprints.
I think rugby would be a fun sport but I cringe every time I see someone go low for a tackle. I can almost feel my foot planting and my knee caving in resulting in a blown ACL, MCL, and possibly more.
They have a league here (believe it or not) but I’m scared. I’ll stick to pick-up basketball I guess. Not safe but there’s a pretty low chance of having someone cave my knee in.
##5AM Training Snatch Grip Deadlift:
135x5
170x5
205x5
235x3
270x3
305x1
335x1 ™
370x1
385x1 (PR but only done these about 4 times)
Snatch Grip High Pull (from Hang):
3x5 @ 205–Feel kind of slow on pulls lately. Might need to drop weight so I can work on speed.
Snatch Grip RDL’s:Did these as I worked up in weight on deadlifts.
135x5
170x5
205x5
235x3
##Lunch Break Training Pull-Ups:
2x10, 10-3-3 (double rest/pause)
Straight Arm Press Down:Combo set with Lat Pull-Down
70x10
60x10
60x10
Lat Pull-Down:
170x8
150x8
150x8
Single-Arm Reverse Cable Fly:21’s style
2x10/10/10 @ 20 lbs 10 rear delt emphasis (close ROM)/10 middle trap/rhomboid emphasis/10 full ROM This hurt/burned way more than you’d think
Cable Curl:
2x6 @ 110 (kinda slacked off)
6-8-10 drop set with 110-100-90
If you’re wanting to target your lats then I suggest trying the straight-arm press-down + pull-down combo set that I did yesterday. The higher volume definitely feels different than my usual pull-ups.
If you’re wanting to pump up your rear delts and/or your middle back (mid-traps, rhomboids, and probably still some portion of the lats) then do my reverse cable fly workout from yesterday.
Both gave me a quick pump and hurt very good while doing them. The reverse fly’s had a mental side to them because the burning was quite unpleasant on set #2. My brain did not want to continue but my muscles were still able to move the weight so I kept going til I finished the set.
I think sets like this do well for the physique side of things… and now that you’ve crossed over to the dark side I think they’d be appropriate for you.
EDIT: If you’d like or need me to do so then I can record myself doing the reverse fly’s so you can see how I’m limiting the range of motion on the first half and second half of the movement.
Woke at 221.0 lbs so bumping the calories up was a good choice. I can’t continue to drop weight. I know it’s been fat but I also feel like I’ve lost some mass off my delts and chest and that’s the last thing I want. Even if it was a little fat it still helped the look that I prefer.
A guy at work is “retiring” and they’re bringing in BBQ for lunch. I imagine there is a good chance that I’ll overdo it so I’m probably going to starve myself or limit my food leading up to that point. Lunch is at 11:30 so I only have three hours to go. I’ll probably have my oatmeal/protein shake soon but that’s it (hopefully). I won’t feel bad about eating two pounds of meat (or more) but I’ll really have to battle myself to lay off the carb-loaded stuff like potato salad and bread… and I’m sure there will be a dessert of some sort and I’m a sweet tooth junky.
I’m considering playing with carbs for two reasons: 1) to mitigate fat gain or even lose fat while I slowly try to bulk up to 228 lbs and 2) to see if there’s anything to CT’s article on Neurotyping. I think I’m mostly Type I and his article said I’d do well on a low carb diet with refeeds every 4 days or so.
That being said, what exactly is a refeed? Is it going from 100g carbs per day to 400g for one day and then back to 100g per day? Is it a carb binge day? I’m pretty sure it’s definitely not a cheat day or meal (although I’d like that).
@MarkKO, @littlesleeper, @robstein, @danteismDo you guys have any advice on the matter? I know you’ve all played with your nutrition this year and I imagine you have some good info from your personal experiences. I guess you could say I’m more interested in real life experiences instead of theories.
If I can manage to stay low carb most days then I’ll try to utilize this approach during my “bulk”. As I stated earlier in the week I think I’m going to try a 6 week bulking phase followed a week or 10 days of a “cutting” phase. I’m not sure about the exact numbers though. The bulk won’t be a huge increase in calories. I’ve been creeping up from 3000 calories per day and have been at 3200 per day for about a week and I’ve continued to drop weight so I bumped to 3500 Wednesday. I’m thinking I’ll stay here unless I start to gain too fast. I was at 221 this morning and I think I should stay at or below 228 by the end of the year if I’m truly going to try a slow bulk approach. I think I’m at 10-12% body fat now and I’d love to be around 230 (or above) at the same body fat by the end of 2018. I don’t want to do a traditional bulk and cut where I go up to 240 or above and then cut back down because I don’t think it works for me (anymore). I’ve been there and done that multiple times and it hasn’t done anything for me since I was 23.
Well, that last paragraph got long in a hurry. To recap:
1) What exactly is a “refeed”? 2) What advice do you have about a low carb approach while slowly bulking? 3) What would be low carb for a guy my size–100g, 125g, 150g per day? 4) What do you think about 6 weeks of eating slightly more than I need followed by 7-10 days of “cutting” (maybe a 500 calorie deficit)?
You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into this and are dissecting every aspect with great detail, good stuff man. Just my thoughts, I think this sounds counterintuitive. If you want to put on some mass, you should prioritize putting on mass, your nutrition, training, everything has to support that goal; you need to be OK with adding a little fat, because it’s not a big deal, you can lose it when you want to, and it’s a necessary part of gaining mass. Trying to lose fat while gaining muscle sounds like the holy grail, and I’m not saying it can’t be done, but if you want to gain, your priority should be gaining. To minimize excess fat, it’ll take very consistent execution of a smart plan with a slight surplus of 15-20% daily, smart carb sources/timing and intense training.
A “refeed” is typically done after a period of low-carbing, when you send the signal to your body to increase leptin and let it know it’s not starving. A refeed is different than a cheat in that it’s calculated precisely, and fats are very low that day. A typical refeed is protein at 1g per pound, minimal fats and lots of high GI carbs. Cals can be same as your typical day, or bumped up to maintenance.
I wouldn’t do a low carb approach while bulking, IMO it is counterintuitive. If you want to minimize fat gain, that will come from total cals, carb sources and timing, but I most definitely would not do a low carb approach to bulking. You don’t need a ton of carbs, but protein should be set at 1-1.2g per pound, fats at 30%, and fill the rest with carbs. Currently I’m keeping carbs at breakfast, pre and post workout, but still getting my numbers in, the timing ensures I utilize them well. You can stick to lower GI carbs like oats, EZ bread/cereal, sweet potatoes with skin, etc., and make sure to have protein with them and a small amount of fat to lower the GI more and prevent a large insulin spike, with the exception of post workout, when you don’t have to have higher GI, but you certainly could, like white rice, white potatoes, a bagel, etc.
I’d keep them pretty close to where you are now if you’re trying to add mass, or maybe lower slightly and bring fats up to 35%. Again, timing, carb sources and overall cals should be considered more. If you were trying to cut, it would be a different story, but if trying to gain, keep your overall cals in check, carb sources that work for you without causing large insulin spikes, and time your carbs when you’ll utilize them best. I’m currently sitting at 153lbs, 2200 cals a day eating 230-250g carbs a day and maintaining, you certainly should not be at anywhere in the 100’s IMO.
Personally like that approach and I prefer the “cyclical bulking” method myself, and it’s what I did during my last off season, I wouldn’t necessarily put an exact number on it. Basically, I ate a slight surplus for a while, maybe 8-10 weeks at a time, gained very noticeable LBM, and when conditioning started getting a little too puffy for my liking, I’d dial back for 2-3 weeks, drop a few pounds, then get back to maintenance and slowly creep up again. Over time regardless of how smart your “bulking” period is, the body will tip the other way and start adding more fat than muscle. So, at that point, tip gently the other way. I’d cut carbs a little bit, add 3-4 20-30min LISS sessions per week, and that’s it.
No doubt, ha. But playing football and then rugby (with a lot of the same athletes) I saw far fewer injuries in rugby than in football, which was counter-intuitive to me at the time, but you simply can’t hit as hard, as often.
Refeeds, to my understanding, are a replenishing of depleted glycogen stores, rather than a cheat meal. This part is very individualized; depends how long you have been low carb, your workout program, and your carb tolerance. When cutting, I will use refeeds on an as-needed basis rather than a prescribed every 4th day or something similar. I’m a little looser on my refeeds than I should be, but I do my best to line my refeeds up with my known upcoming cheat meals. Leaves me feeling less guilty for pizza and pints.
I like this method. I get fat on high carb, unfortunately. So having multiple low days, followed by a refeed allows me to work in a caloric surplus while remaining within an appropriate amount of fat-ness.
After skimming CT’s articles, I would also consider myself a Type I. So I like the <=100g carb rule. Even my refeed day will often only get up to 250-300g of carbs.
I’m thinking of trying this method as well, so I’m interested to hear on other’s thoughts on the topic!
EDIT: Rob is faster at typing than I am. I also like his answers better
This depends, if we are on a low carbohydrate diet with fat in it, a refeed is used to fill the glycogen stores of the muscles (and the liver)
With a refeed you are able to fill the glycogen stores more than you could by just eating carbs regularly, because if the supercompensation mechanism
Think of it as a slingshot, you pull it back a lot (get depleted) and when you release it, the projectile flies further than it would if you didn’t pull it back as much (wow, that’s a shitty explanation)
Being too depleted is bad for both fat loss and muscle growth, and that’s why we use refeeds on longer diets
A refeed can also be used to fill the intra-muscular fat stores if you are on a low fat diet
The duration of a refeed depends on how much carbs and fat you are having in your diet, how lean you are, how much volume you are using with training and cardio, how easily you can fill your glycogen stores and how often you are refeeding, it can be pretty much anywhere from one meal to two days
You can start with lower carbs but I’d try to increase them every week, because we want to be burning as many calories as possible with the 6 weeks of bulking and 1-2 weeks of cutting (I’ll get to the why in a bit)
It’s really more about the individuals metabolism than about the size
Think about Alberto Nunez, guy is in the 170s and eats 300ish grams of carbs while getting leaner
The answer to the question is: eat as much as you can without gaining too much fat and drive that number up slowly
I don’t think I even need to answer this (yeah I didn’t invent it but I like to think I’m popularizing it)
In my opinion, it’s the best way to eat, if done correctly
What we want to do is drive the calories up during the six weeks of bulking so we can use a more radical approach while cutting without needing to eat like a bird (I could do a series of posts about this but I’ll try to keep it short here)
So let’s say we have driven the calories of the bulk period to 4500, and thus your maintenance is about 4150 (we don’t want too big of a surplus here)
In this case we can cut on 3000 calories per day and still have over a 1000 calories of a deficit (nearly 1500 if you up the cardio, but that won’t be necessary)
Why do we want that?
Because 7-10 days is such a short time that it won’t really have too much of an impact on your performance if you are still getting in a good number of calories (even if you had a 1000 calorie deficit)
But on the other hand, 7-10 days is a really short time for a cut if you only have a deficit of 300-500 calories, and that’s why we want to drive the maintenance up.
Think about it
4150 calorie maintenance and cutting with 3000 Calories (so still eating a good amount of food, but having a deficit of 1150 Calories/day, thus losing about 3-3.5 pounds of fat in 10 days without losing strength)
Or
3150 calorie maintenance, cutting on 2450 (a 700 calorie deficit, losing 2 pounds in 10 days and losing strength because you are eating so little)
Final answer: drive your calories up hard, don’t get too fat and cut drastically if possible
I should probably write a post dedicated to explaining this is depth just to be sure people get it right
Thanks @robstein! I appreciate you taking the time for a detailed response.
I’m a fan of carbs and I do my best to do the same thing that mentioned with timing. I try to get my carbs in early in the day and then taper off as the day goes on. I’m not always perfect but I do pretty well.
Depending on the day and when I’m able to work out I’ll eat one or two meals consisting of 50-70g carbs before hitting the gym and then get another 50-100 afterwards in my post workout meal. If my training session gets long and I start to lose energy then I start eating Starbursts that I carry in my gym bag. It helps stabilize my blood sugar and introduces some very simple carbs while I’m training. I started doing that as a tip from a co-worker. On some of my intense training days I’d feel nauseous. He recommended hard candy because he thought I had low blood sugar. I haven’t felt nauseous since taking his advice. I had to quit eating Jolly Ranchers because I bite them and it was killing my teeth.
This process is tricky. I know I need a surplus to build but I only need as much as my body can use to build muscle. I’m actually kind of glad to hear that I should probably avoid low carb during this phase in my journey. I’m a fan of carbs. I don’t always eat a ton but keeping them low is damn near impossible for me. If I decided to go that route then I was planning to load up on cottage cheese and colby jack cheese at Sam’s!
@littlesleeper Thanks for chiming in! Between you and Rob I think I understand the refeed concept now. It seems like nutrition has gone the way of periodized training. I’ll use letters to illustrate below…
Start at A and slowing increase each week/phase:
D
C
B
A
drop down and start building again:
E
D
C
B
And repeat as long as you can/want to before stripping it back in a cutting phase.
I have never viewed nutrition this way (and this is just for illustrative purposes), but I think it could work. Instead of working on the extreme ends of the spectrum and getting fat and then lean I can gradually add calories until I exceed my body’s ability to use them appropriately. At that point I have two options: 1) go into a slight deficit/cut phase or 2) scale back to a lower bulking level (from phase D back to phase B) and see if I keep gaining fat, level out, or start to drop weight.
If I maintain my weight then I’d have to decide if I was happy with my lean mass or not. If I was content then I’d probably stay there and increase conditioning work to see if I could strip away any excess I’d gained. If I wasn’t happy with my lean mass then I’d probably start adding more calories and continue the slow bulk.
(Numbers are simplified for educational purposes, assuming a 3700 calorie maintenance and a well adapting metabolism, so this is most likely too positive)
Week - Calories
1 - 4000
2 - 4050
3 - 4100
4 - 4150
5 - 4200
6 - 4250 (maintenance calories are about 3950 now)
10 days at 3000 calories
Then:
Week after cut - calories
1 - 4100
2 - 4200
3 - 4250
4 - 4300
5 - 4350
6 - 4400 (maintenance is now at about 4100)
10 days at 3100
Week after cut - calories
1 - 4200
2 - 4300
3 - 4350
4 - 4400
Etc.
Now this wouldn’t work in real life because nobody has a metabolism that adapts this well, so we would probably need to hold the same amount of calories for a few weeks every now and then, but you get the point (or at least I hope so)
So
Drive macros up slowly having a small-ish surplus
Diet on a big deficit
Return to about maintenance calories
Drive calories up towards your last bulks peak at a bit faster rate (say, 100cals/week instead of 50)
I get it and we’re on the same page. Thanks! A week isn’t really much time to adjust to a new caloric intake if you’re trying to get the body to adapt to the new number/amount so it seems that two or more weeks at each step might be necessary.
I’ll try to follow that approach. I’m going to have to find a window of my maintenance weight though. If you look at my log my weight has the ability to swing a pound or two either direction on any given day… well, it’s not completely random. I generally know when it’s going to go up but the decreases lately have caught me off guard. I guess I was working harder/burning more than I thought by playing basketball.
I’m going to lock in at 3500 calories for awhile and hopefully I can stabilize my weight so I can get started without just haphazardly picking a number and hoping for the best.
I have to admit that I’m skeptical that I’ll be able to eat 4000 calories as maintenance someday. I’d love it because I love to eat and I think I’ve stretched my stomach over the years so it takes 800-1000 calories for me to feel satisfied from eating. I’ll give it a shot and see if I can creep up there this year.
Hell it’s worth just for that! I got down to 2880 a day while I was trimming down from 235 to 225. It was as gradual process and I was attempting to track how many calories I burned during my workouts and then I’d eat more and try to net 2880. I realized that I’d have days where I ate 3300 calories and days of 2700 calories and I didn’t like the low days. It’s been easier to hit the same number regardless of my physical activity. I also haven’t been as hungry or restricted since I started that approach.
If I can get maintenance up to 4000 calories then I’ll be able to eat more peanut butter!
