Rent’s Due, Nobreaks

Figured I’d start putting my training and diet up here to solicit tips and feedback.

Goal is fat loss right now, came off a bulk in January. 5’10, Went from 169 to 204. Now cutting.

Training programming is full body 5x per week
Diet right now is 2100c per day with a macro split of 35/25/40 (c/f/p)

3/23
Morning weight: 184.4
chest focus full body:
B Press (5,4,3,2,1) (185,190,205,220.230) poor form on 230 rep
Low to hi cable cross: 3x15 (20,20,20)
Rom DL: 3x12 (195,195,195) failed at 11 on last set
Chest supt row: 3x15, unilateral (100,100,100)
Arnold press: 3x12 (40,40,40)
single arm tric push down 3x20 (50,50,50)
wide grip bb shrug 3x12 (220,220,220)

diet:
Bfast: 3/4c oats, 3/4c bluberries, 1 scoop equate whey, 1tbsp olive oil, 4 egg whites, 1 egg, 2 c coffee: 733 cal

Lunch: 2 c mixed veggies, 4 oz lean ground beef, 3.75 oz ground turkey: 564 cal

Post workout: 1 scoop whey, 6oz eggwhites, banana: 385 cal

Dinner: 4oz smoked ribs, 1/2 c english peas: 310 cal

Before bed: 1/2 scoop whey, 85 cal

Diet totals: 2072 cal, 200/65/203 (c/f/p)

Notes: missed macro goal, too high in fat

2 Likes

Do you take any breaks?

try not to. More like cant catcha break

1 Like

I read your training log. You keep excellent records. Have you made any headway in your goals

1 Like

Been there all too many times… kinda feels like I’m there now tbh :sweat_smile:

Thank you, and yes - I’ve made pretty good progress and learned a few things along the way that would have made that progress go faster/easier.

Started dieting in early Nov last year (started ~235lbs, unsure exact weight because they re-calibrated the gym scale and it showed unexplained weight increases). I was dieting at a 1,000cal daily deficit for weeks on end and honestly it got kinda miserable at some point… I needed to take a break and didn’t realize it until later. I lost somewhere between 15-20lbs by the end of February doing this, but nearly all of that weight was lost by late December… What I thought to be a cut was actually me just being lazy on my macro tracking and I didn’t really lose any weight for the next 2 months (maybe 2.5lbs?). So what I learned is that I did great on my initial 6-8 weeks of the cut, but my willpower was fading and I was stagnating because of it; to correct this, I decided to use a diet model that was easier to comply to (MATADOR).

I run the same macro breakdown you do, I’ve found my weight is most consistent with this. Trying to cut carbs out leaves me feeling unsatiated and going full protein and fats doesn’t reduce my hunger significantly enough to justify keto methods (eating 1,200cal of ribeye steak - about 14oz - doesn’t fill me, and I end up just wanting more food lol).

Now I do 2 weeks on diet 2 weeks off (MATADOR) where I’m at a 30-35% deficit during the diet and eating at maintenance during my off weeks… close to wrapping up my first 2 ‘on weeks’. I lost about 2.5lbs the first week and I’m on track to have lost 2lbs by the end of this week, but we’ll see.

TL;DR:
I started at about 235 (with a good bit of muscle, and also a good bit of fat) and am down to ~216lb as of today. My strength hasn’t faltered, but my performance on heavy lifts (squats, deads, bench) has been inconsistent, so I put those on hold until a later time.

DISCLAIMER:
I also had a bit of a training crisis during the cut. I used to do PPLx5-6 weekly and it just wasn’t working for me anymore, so I tried DoggCrapp (liked it, but wasn’t going to burn enough calories with this method), then I bastardized my regular PPL with DC methods, then I started doing Fortitude Training… Took me a bit but I finally figured out a training method that (1) met my needs and (2) I enjoyed doing.

1 Like

3/24
Morning weight: 184.7
Training: Back focus full body
Weighted pullup 3x6 (20,20,20) cheated on last rep
Humble row 3x10 (40,40,40)
Bulg split squat 3x15 (50,50,50) smoked me, 15 sec break between legs
Calf raise 4x8 (255,255,255,260)
Cable upright row 3x12 (70,70,80)
Hammer curl 3x10 (40,40,40)
Floor wiper 3x12 w/ 135 bb
12 rep band pull apart between sets

diet:
Bfast: 3/4c oats, 3/4c bluberries, 1 scoop equate whey, 1tbsp olive oil, 4 egg whites, 1 egg, 2 c coffee: 733 cal

Lunch: 2 c mixed veggies, 3 oz lean ground beef, 3 oz ground turkey: 347 cal

Post workout: 1 scoop whey, 6oz eggwhites, banana: 385 cal

dinner: 5oz meatloaf, 3 oz mashed potatoes, 1/2c english peas: 606 cal

Total: 2066; 217c/64f/177 p

Notes: too many carbs, knew the mashed pot would put me over

3 Likes

Woke up this morning almost a full pound lighter than yesterday. 183.8

Im hoping its just the fat getting cut and not losimg muslce

No lifts are suffering yet as far as weight. So thats good. I can say that by the 45 min mark in my workout. Im getting tired. Its a grind to get through the last few exercises. Ive read that is to be expected on a caloric deficit

1 Like

Don’t put too much stock into this; weight fluctuates - just pay attention to weekly average trends and you’ll find a more consistent (and accurate) measurement.

you’re (mostly) meeting your protein goals and still exercising, so your body doesn’t have a need to start sacrificing muscle → you’re probably not losing any muscle.

As for being tired, it happens a bit - but it’s mostly confirmation bias. Yeah, you’ll have a bit less energy but it doesn’t mean you should be dragging ass too much. Caffeine helps, and timing your carbs such that you eat some before your workout should help a bit too. The biggest reason you’ll feel tired, IME, is because you’re expecting to feel tired - not because you actually feel a lack of energy.

1 Like

For sure, sometimes weight even goes up from
The day before. Two days ago i was 184.3. Then went to .7, then down to 183.8.

Been like that since the start. Ill go a week without losing anything, the. On the 10th day drop like 2 lb. Its like you said. Overall downward trend.

As far as being tired. I get what you are saying. But that hasnt been the case since i started the fb program about 5 weeks ago. I switched to this one to manage fatigue. Getting the same
Volume as the old bro split. But just spreading the volume across 5 days. Yesterday was the first day i was dragging ass the last 20 or so min

It could be because i had other shit on my mind like fixing a toilet or picking up my car from
The shop

I offered the caloric deficit because i read about it this morning.

1 Like

3/25
Rest day.
45 min walk
2054calories 217p/65f/181c

2 Likes

3/26
Morning weight: 184.4
training: leg focus full body
Reset deadlift 4x3 (310,310,310,310) 4 reps last set
Weighted dip: 3x8 (35, 35, 35) 7 reps last set
Motorcycle row: 2x15 (110,110)
Straight arm pulldown 1xamrap (80lb) 24 rep
single leg ext 3x20 (50,50,50) 17 last set, 3 cheat reps
Superset:
facepull: 3x15 (50,50,50)
7 count cable lateral raise 3x15 (10,10,10)
db skull crusher 3x15 (35s,35s,35s) 12 reps last set
Band pull apart amrap 48

Diet:
Bfast: 3/4c oats, 3/4c bluberries, 1 scoop equate whey, 1tbsp olive oil, 4 egg whites, 1 egg, 2 c coffee: 733 cal

Lunch: 2 chicken thighs, 1 apple, 3 oz mashed potatoes: 455 cal

Post workout: 1 scoop whey, 6 oz eggwhites 270cal

dinner: 4oz ribs, 3/4c english peas 310 cal

before bed: 1scoop whey, 6 oz eggwhites 270 cal

total: 2053 cal 189c/66f/213p

2 Likes

3/26 Rest day
2141 calories 206c/62f/185p

3/27
Morning weight 184.8
Training: Shoulder focus full body
Barbell Overhead press: 4x6 (115,115,115,115) 5 reps last set
7ct db lateral raise 3x20 (10,8,8) cheat reps last set
single arm seated cable row 3x20 (120,120,120)
Calf raise 3x15 (185,190,185)
Superset:
Amrap floor swiper 2x (41,35)
Amrap pushup 2x (39,31)
Amrap band pull 2x (24,26)

Diet:
Bfast: 3/4c oats, 3/4c bluberries, 1 scoop equate whey, 4 egg whites, 1 egg, 2 c coffee: 693 cal

Lunch: 2 tuna packs, 3oz mashed potatos: 250 cal

Post workout: whey, 6oz eggwhites, apple: 365 cal

TBD for dinner, will remain around 2100 cal for the day

1 Like

3/28
Morning weight: 184.4
training: full body leg focus
back squat: 3x6 (235,235,235) up 10lb next time
Incline db press 3x10 (95,95,95) 8 last set
cable leg curl: 3x12 (70,80,80) 9 last set
weighted chinups: 3x10 (10lb,10,10) 8 last set
Reverse cable cross 3x12 (10,10,10) 13 last set

35 min walk later in the day

2058 calories: 194c/50f/210p

3/29 rest day
morning weight: 184.0

2 Likes

3/30
Morning weight: 184.0
Training: full body chest focus
Bench press: 4x3 (215,205,205,205) do 210 next time
Low to high cable cross 3x15 (20,20,20)
Rom DL: 3x12 (195,195,195) 13 last set
Chest supt row: 3x15, unilateral (100,100,100)
Arnold press: 3x12 (40,40,40) 9 last set
wide grip bb shrug 3x12 (220,220,220) need to go down, iso holds next time

dragging ass today. fatigue set in pretty quick. Not sure if its the grind of doing full body 5x per week. Or just a poor day in the gym. Think im going move my rest days to the day after squats and the day after deadlifts.

Paid the rent tho. even if i didn’t feel like it. I’ll continue for now. Im on my 7th week of this same routine. If next week i feel fatigued going into chest day, i may switch things up.

I moved the tricep extensions to the first leg day since there are only 5 lifts on that day vs 7 on the chest day. Making it 6 and 6. May negatively impact bench, may not. we’ll see. since im going to put a rest day after the squat day, I think i’ll be good.

Still getting stronger on some lifts while on a caloric deficit. so that is good news

2 Likes

3/31
Didnt weigh myself today
Training: full body back focus

Weighted pullup 3x6 (20,20,20) difficult last rep

Humble row 3x10 (40,40,40) up 5lb or reps next

Bulg Split squat 3x15 (50,50,50) smokes me.

Calf raise 4x8 (255,255,255,255) cheater last few

Cable upright row 3x12 (80,80,80)

Hammer curl 3x10 (40,40,40)

As always. Band pulls between sets.

Still taking in 200g protein. 2100 cal. See above posts for specifics. I eat the same shit most days because i like it.

Felt good during the workout. Those gd split squats are tough once you get above 10 reps. I have to take a 15 sec break between legs most times. Huffin and puffin

2 Likes

Rest day on 4/1.
Morning weight: 183.8
2000 calories.

4/2
Training: full body leg focus
Deadlift 3x5 (310,310,310) up 5lb nxt time
Wt dip 3x8 (35,35,35) all 8. Do 10 nxt
Str arm pulldown 3x12 (100,100,100)
Leg ext 3x20 (50,50,50) rst pse last 5
Superset
facepull; 3x15 (50,50,50)
7 ct leaning lat raise; 3x15 (10,10,10)
Db Skull crush 3x15 (35s,35,35)

Waited later than usual to get this one in. Not tired. But did help my brother move before working out yesterday. Trying to nail the right pace for the lateral raises. Ive done a regular pace, and 7 count (3s up, 1 sec pause, 3 second down). Those are killer and to get 15 i struggle with just 10lb.

Feel like i can do more on the face pulls but when ive gone up to 60 it feels like my form suffers. So im keeping it at 50 and increasing tut to increase intensity

Keep getting stronger on dips. Not increasing weight again. But next time ill go up in reps or another set

Might go up another 5lb in dl. 2 weeks ago i did 4x3. Then this week did 3x5 with 310. I feel like my reps left in the tank was perhaps 3? Maybe 2? I dont want to go to failure on dl. My form will breakdown first and then ill end up hurt

1 Like

4/3
Morning weight: 184.0
35 min liss cardio
75 band pulls

So, think im about to switch things up programming wise. Its been 7 weeks of the same thing

Not drastic change by any means. Still going to be high frequency. Still strength lifts followed by accessory work

Just new angles. New rep ranges.

There are a thousand predesigned programs. So i just pick one that works for me. Figure ill do coach thibs best damn workout for strength natty deal. 5 exercises per day with 1-2 big lifts

The past 7 weeks have produced good results apparently. I cant see them in the mirror other than the reduced belly fat. But I we went to the beach and my wifes friends all commeNted on my progress. To her. Not me

Anyways. Just putting my thoughs down

4 Likes

:wink:

1 Like

Started a new program today

Thibs best damn program for natty strength

week 1, Day1
Back squat 3x3, 1x* (185, 210, 225) 240 for 7 reps
Zercher squat 3x3, 1xrp set (95, 135, 155) 185 4reps pause 3 reps
DB Bench Pr 3x8 (95,95,95) last set 521 cadence for 5 reps
Rope tricep press down 3x (100, 110, 130) first set was 20 reps, 15 second set, then 8 for third. 5 myo sets
DB lateral raise 3x (10, 15, 15) 20, 15, 9. 6 myo sets

Ok, this is a much more complicated program than last one. Lots of advanced techniques that I’ve never actually tried. but I’m going to stick with it for however long. Its for building strength so we[ll see how it goes.

The heavy sets are your core lifts, didn’t feel like quite enough today. Las set was ofcourse. But I think this is the idea, last set is 80% 1rm and you don’t go to failure but leave at least a rep in the tank. It progressively goes up from there.

The zercher squats: first time ever attempting. feels weird. No idea of loading guidelines. I can say that I think my core broke down on the 185 set, but not the 155. I don’t feel any fatigue in my legs but it became a struggle to stay upright with the weight of the bar.

Myo sets. never done these but I totally see the benefit. On supplementary work you push til fatigue makes you stop, but then a brief rest get anoher few, then another, and so on. Pushing more volume into the workout.

3 Likes

Give it some time, you’re still new to the movements so expect them to not feel quite right yet.

P.S you’ll probably want to get some sleeves or something to help protect your elbows (the inside-y part) during zerchers. It gets downright painful at a certain weight for me so protection is a must IMO.