I’ve written about it in my log. I think you’ve even liked the post, haha.
The first 2 weeks of fat loss are the worse, because your glycogen stores are depleted and you are flat but you haven’t lost any significant degree of fat to be leaner.
Consequently, the first 2 weeks of a gaining phase are AWESOME, because you suddenly fill in all those stores and look jacked as hell.
Biggest thing it to keep your head down in BOTH cases. Stick with the plan. People will abandon the cut in those first 2 weeks and jump back on the gain train and just get fatter, OR people will see the great results from the gaining in those first 2 weeks post cut and REALLY step on the gas with the food thinking they’re in some sort of “anabolic rebound” and chase after scale weight. Yeah: you CAN make that scale jump like crazy…but why?
Regarding the discussion on bench going up: it’s again a question of, are you training to be a better powerlifter or to be stronger? If the latter: I’d worry more about how much effort I’m putting into the ME work vs how much weight I’m moving.
Don’t make it Random. Imagine something that might work, develop a plan, then try it out. If it doesn’t work, cross that scheme out, and try again.
That’s why it’s useful to have some kind of “Test” lift, and a time-frame for when you’ll test again. That way your plan has a “Start” and a “Finish” as well as a Goal. Just like a blue print.
I like the idea of hitting more angles than just the Flat bench. Louie used to always talk about hitting some overhead/incline/decline ME.
Also dumbbell presses for mass. Louie said 3-4 moderate sets of 20, each upper body workout. And on lower body days too, in a mass gaining phase. Rotate through decline, overhead, flat, incline.
Wenning says 4 x 25 DB presses on upper body days, before the big lift. And to do the DB presses on the same incline as the big lift you’ll do that day.
Also dude, you’ve been busting ass, adding extra workouts, in a deficit, for 3+ months! You might just be a little tired. You’ve mentioned disrupted sleep, crazy appetite/pizza binge, and a couple not great workouts. Those are all signs you may need to dial back the Insanity for a week or so.
Ugh! I hate the history post! It always comes out like a douchey.
Anyway, I played sports in high school, I was in the ROTC in college and trained for “Ranger Challenge” competitions. After that I messed around with BBJ/Grappling for a couple years and then Strongman for a few years during/after grad school.
I sucked at all those things, but it was like a 12-14 year period of training with lots of outside motivation. Over the years I had lots of coaches and older guys telling me how to train, dudes my age experiencing the same training to B.S, about it, and younger dudes to help bring along.
Through most of that I lifted with my bros and later my girlfriend, so I’d read articles and stuff, then try them out with the gang/partner. Lifting with my bros was awesome competitive fun. Lifting with my girl let me see how everything outside the gym effects performance in the gym.
These days I’m not really training for any specific timeline, so I try a bunch of shit out for fun. And I don’t lift with any bros anymore, so I check out the logs to see what other people are doing and what’s working.
Information is really awesome now too. Lots of great, experienced coaches put out tons of free material.
I think maybe I seem a little more knowledgeable that I really am because you and I have a lot in common. I read McCallum when I was 19 and overbulked on squats and milk. I switched to the conjugate in my early 20s when gains slowed down.
Then I ran conjugate again in my mid 30s while I listed to all the Westside Barbell Podcasts. And got frustrated and moved on when my bench press stagnated.
I’ve experienced many of the same problems as you. Shortly after I stopped, Wenning started putting out his videos, so I’ve had like 2-3 years of him telling me everything I was doing wrong. Now I can just feed that to you.
For inspiration, check this out. I talks about how much you should be able to do in incline, chinups, external shoulder rotations, reverse curls, compared to your bench. So if some area is behind, you know to focus on it.
And some stuff Louie said a 300 pound bencher should be able to do.
Please by all means, feed me everything dude, every article, video etc.
I do need some sort of plan
@T3hPwnisher I like the idea of training maximal strength and being able to move heavy stuff on any ol day, no matter what variation it is. I suppose I should pick a couple of variations to gauge my progress though.
CT has written about this too in months previous, re loss of glycogen and less available compensating muscles during such lifts - thus you think it’s spiralling down but it’s not. Muscle and strength is still there. You’re hitting enough volume on bench too based on log entry above.
8 sets of 3 ramping up then 3 bigger singles then 2 more sets of 3
During cut phase, you could cut volume down to 3 sets ramping up then 2x5r - plenty there to maintain (in my opinion).
See, this is where I jump off. I’ve stopped tracking progress on movements and track progress on EFFORT.
@FlatsFarmer pointed it out: your weight is dropping, and with that, leverages are changing amount other things (weight moves weight). Trying to compare yourself today to two weeks ago is trying to compare two DIFFERENT humans. In turn, trying to “gauge progress” in that manner is a fool’s errand, and it will drive you batty, make you doubt yourself, and have you make some BAD decisions.
All I focus on right now is how much EFFORT I’m putting into the training. If THAT is declining, then I know progress is dropping. But if I’m sending 100% in my training, I know that the outcome is GOING to be growth. How could it be anything else?
If I ate my way back up to 215lbs, I know I’d be stronger than I was the last time I was there. The progress has been happening.
It always seems like this whole leadership and confidence thing comes so naturally to people while I have to climb my way out of the deepest darkest pits of hell.
It’s a tough lesson, but believe it or not, you’ll come to appreciate these struggles: they make the wins all the sweeter when they come.
I can’t speak to Toastmasters, in particular, but I’ll just say: if you decide to tackle “this whole leadership and confidence thing” like you have your training, you’ll go FAR, my dude.
Just hang in there and take the feedback for what it’s worth. And cut yourself some slack—if you’re learning, you’re winning.
It honestly might be time for a diet break. The body can get adjusted to low calories, which then becomes an arms race you don’t want to take part in where you just keep dropping calories lower and lower and eventually crash your hormones. Justin Harris has talked about the importance of building up the metabolism after long periods of calorie restriction.
Regarding the leadership/quiet person thing, I faked it until I made it. I’m incredibly introverted and was terribly shy. I eventually just started copying and pretending to be like the people that weren’t. It’s like playing a game at one point. And eventually you get so good at it you forget you’re playing.
Hey why the deletion bro?