Getting discouraged. Lean bulk or cut? What should I do?
Replies
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LolBroScience wrote: »What are you cutting to? Little muscle mass, bones, and organs. Eat at a slight caloric surplus with adequate protein and make ACTUAL strength and hypertrophy gains. Don't listen to the "recomp" advice. It's a surefire way to spin your wheels. Once you've made sizable gains, you'll actually have something to cut down to. I've been in your shoes. Trust me.
OP already said he's finishing cut and will transition into a lean controlled bulk.
Also, what does the bolded section even mean?
I'm actually still continuing on my cut though. I don't think I'm lean enough to comfortably bulk0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »What are you cutting to? Little muscle mass, bones, and organs. Eat at a slight caloric surplus with adequate protein and make ACTUAL strength and hypertrophy gains. Don't listen to the "recomp" advice. It's a surefire way to spin your wheels. Once you've made sizable gains, you'll actually have something to cut down to. I've been in your shoes. Trust me.
OP already said he's finishing cut and will transition into a lean controlled bulk.
Also, what does the bolded section even mean?
I'm actually still continuing on my cut though. I don't think I'm lean enough to comfortably bulk
I know, my apologies. What I meant was you were continuing until you reach a desired leaniness per the first comment on the page 5.0 -
Man when I saw this thread was 6 pages I avoided it thinking it was another argument thread. So glad I decided to check it out.
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The gym is now becoming a place I dread. Maybe it was just a bad workout, but my lifts fell quite a bit tonight. It's hard to see so many people make so much progress yet here I am 3 years later with nothing to really show. I will continue on, and forgive me for venting. I need to cut this fat, but I feel like I'm getting weaker.
Is it normal to be s little weaker/more tired on a cut? I have heard so many people make gains while cutting. Why can't I for once just make progress?0 -
The gym is now becoming a place I dread. Maybe it was just a bad workout, but my lifts fell quite a bit tonight. It's hard to see so many people make so much progress yet here I am 3 years later with nothing to really show. I will continue on, and forgive me for venting. I need to cut this fat, but I feel like I'm getting weaker.
Is it normal to be s little weaker/more tired on a cut? I have heard so many people make gains while cutting. Why can't I for once just make progress?
My lifts drop a bit towards the end of my cutting. They bounce back quickly when you start your bulk.0 -
The gym is now becoming a place I dread. Maybe it was just a bad workout, but my lifts fell quite a bit tonight. It's hard to see so many people make so much progress yet here I am 3 years later with nothing to really show. I will continue on, and forgive me for venting. I need to cut this fat, but I feel like I'm getting weaker.
Is it normal to be s little weaker/more tired on a cut? I have heard so many people make gains while cutting. Why can't I for once just make progress?
My lifts drop a bit towards the end of my cutting. They bounce back quickly when you start your bulk.
This exactly. Don't get discouraged, just keep at it!0 -
The gym is now becoming a place I dread. Maybe it was just a bad workout, but my lifts fell quite a bit tonight. It's hard to see so many people make so much progress yet here I am 3 years later with nothing to really show. I will continue on, and forgive me for venting. I need to cut this fat, but I feel like I'm getting weaker.
Is it normal to be s little weaker/more tired on a cut? I have heard so many people make gains while cutting. Why can't I for once just make progress?
My lifts drop a bit towards the end of my cutting. They bounce back quickly when you start your bulk.
This exactly. Don't get discouraged, just keep at it!
Yes, entirely normal. Do the best you can to keep intensity high. Are you following the programming as is or still modifying it?0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »The gym is now becoming a place I dread. Maybe it was just a bad workout, but my lifts fell quite a bit tonight. It's hard to see so many people make so much progress yet here I am 3 years later with nothing to really show. I will continue on, and forgive me for venting. I need to cut this fat, but I feel like I'm getting weaker.
Is it normal to be s little weaker/more tired on a cut? I have heard so many people make gains while cutting. Why can't I for once just make progress?
My lifts drop a bit towards the end of my cutting. They bounce back quickly when you start your bulk.
This exactly. Don't get discouraged, just keep at it!
Yes, entirely normal. Do the best you can to keep intensity high. Are you following the programming as is or still modifying it?
I've been following the program as I've done it. Should I switch over? Even in the middle of a cut?
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Earlier in the thread, didn't you mention you were playing around with the reps and sets? Or am I making that up?0
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LolBroScience wrote: »The gym is now becoming a place I dread. Maybe it was just a bad workout, but my lifts fell quite a bit tonight. It's hard to see so many people make so much progress yet here I am 3 years later with nothing to really show. I will continue on, and forgive me for venting. I need to cut this fat, but I feel like I'm getting weaker.
Is it normal to be s little weaker/more tired on a cut? I have heard so many people make gains while cutting. Why can't I for once just make progress?
My lifts drop a bit towards the end of my cutting. They bounce back quickly when you start your bulk.
This exactly. Don't get discouraged, just keep at it!
Yes, entirely normal. Do the best you can to keep intensity high. Are you following the programming as is or still modifying it?
I've been following the program as I've done it. Should I switch over? Even in the middle of a cut?
What are you goals right now? You need to look at your priorities and answer that yourself. If you are trying to lean down you must accept that you could and probably will lose strength but if you want to gain strength and muscle you will probably need to gain some fat as well. So you need to understand how your diet and exercise goals affect each other and decide what goal is more important to you right now.0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »Earlier in the thread, didn't you mention you were playing around with the reps and sets? Or am I making that up?
Yeah I was beginning to swap/alternate 8x10 and 5x5
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LolBroScience wrote: »Earlier in the thread, didn't you mention you were playing around with the reps and sets? Or am I making that up?
Yeah I was beginning to swap/alternate 8x10 and 5x5
whoa 8x10?
What I'm trying to figure out is how much volume you have going on.0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »LolBroScience wrote: »Earlier in the thread, didn't you mention you were playing around with the reps and sets? Or am I making that up?
Yeah I was beginning to swap/alternate 8x10 and 5x5
whoa 8x10?
What I'm trying to figure out is how much volume you have going on.
I thought I had posted it earier.
A/B style workout:
A:
Squats
Bench
One arm db row
Lat db raises
Shrugs
Tri press down
Rear delt flies
B:
DL (haven't in a few weeks)
Overhead press
Lat pull down
Close grip db (or) bench press
Cable row
Db curls
Push ups
All main compounds I began to swap 5x5 or 8x10. For the accessory I have tried to get 8-10x30 -
You're doing 8 sets of 10.... on each core lift?0
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LolBroScience wrote: »You're doing 8 sets of 10.... on each core lift?
Not to mention squat and bench on the same day. That's huge energy output.0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »You're doing 8 sets of 10.... on each core lift?
Yes :-/ I've only really been doing it the past 2 weeks or so0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »You're doing 8 sets of 10.... on each core lift?
Yes :-/ I've only really been doing it the past 2 weeks or so
Ok, WAY too high volume to begin with, ESPECIALLY while in a deficit.
Drop that back to the 5x5 and see how you feel. Follow the program as is...Are you totally drained after those sessions?0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »LolBroScience wrote: »You're doing 8 sets of 10.... on each core lift?
Yes :-/ I've only really been doing it the past 2 weeks or so
Ok, WAY too high volume to begin with, ESPECIALLY while in a deficit.
Drop that back to the 5x5 and see how you feel. Follow the program as is...Are you totally drained after those sessions?
Well its tough to gauge because I do and I dont. I want to do so much before, but physically I almost fail at the end of, say, bench press. If I fail a few reps early I want to throw in a light weight of more reps0 -
Yea dude, cut that volume down... You shouldn't be missing reps, training to failure every set etc. You're going to run yourself into the ground. That volume is definitely going to play a role in your recovery, especially while at a deficit...0
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LolBroScience wrote: »Yea dude, cut that volume down... You shouldn't be missing reps, training to failure every set etc. You're going to run yourself into the ground.
I've trained to failure basically my whole experience lifting. Is that not a good idea? That's what I was always told.
Yeah last week I got 155x8x2, 155x7x1 last week on bench then this week I got 155x8x1, 155x7x1, 155x5x1 so I threw in 90x5x2 at the end...0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »Yea dude, cut that volume down... You shouldn't be missing reps, training to failure every set etc. You're going to run yourself into the ground.
I've trained to failure basically my whole experience lifting. Is that not a good idea? That's what I was always told.
Yeah last week I got 155x8x2, 155x7x1 last week on bench then this week I got 155x8x1, 155x7x1, 155x5x1 so I threw in 90x5x2 at the end...
It's not necessary for strength or size gains. Doing it too frequently can even have a negative impact.
Follow that program as is. 5x5 for the main lifts with the progression scheme that is laid out, and whatever sets & reps are called for on the accessories. More isn't always better.
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LolBroScience wrote: »LolBroScience wrote: »Yea dude, cut that volume down... You shouldn't be missing reps, training to failure every set etc. You're going to run yourself into the ground.
I've trained to failure basically my whole experience lifting. Is that not a good idea? That's what I was always told.
Yeah last week I got 155x8x2, 155x7x1 last week on bench then this week I got 155x8x1, 155x7x1, 155x5x1 so I threw in 90x5x2 at the end...
It's not necessary for strength or size gains. Doing it too frequently can even have a negative impact.
Follow that program as is. 5x5 for the main lifts with the progression scheme that is laid out, and whatever sets & reps are called for on the accessories. More isn't always better.
I guess I don't know how to train not to failure then. I thought the point was to push until you can't snymore and if you have anything in the tank left, you should have pushed harder?? That's what I was always told. But I trust your opinion, so I'm interested in knowing why0 -
I think you may be overtrained. Might want to consider a deload week.0
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LolBroScience wrote: »LolBroScience wrote: »Yea dude, cut that volume down... You shouldn't be missing reps, training to failure every set etc. You're going to run yourself into the ground.
I've trained to failure basically my whole experience lifting. Is that not a good idea? That's what I was always told.
Yeah last week I got 155x8x2, 155x7x1 last week on bench then this week I got 155x8x1, 155x7x1, 155x5x1 so I threw in 90x5x2 at the end...
It's not necessary for strength or size gains. Doing it too frequently can even have a negative impact.
Follow that program as is. 5x5 for the main lifts with the progression scheme that is laid out, and whatever sets & reps are called for on the accessories. More isn't always better.
I guess I don't know how to train not to failure then. I thought the point was to push until you can't snymore and if you have anything in the tank left, you should have pushed harder?? That's what I was always told. But I trust your opinion, so I'm interested in knowing why
Train smarter, not harder. If you follow the template as is, the reps and progression are laid out for you. You shouldn't be training to absolute failure - especially on every set.0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »LolBroScience wrote: »LolBroScience wrote: »Yea dude, cut that volume down... You shouldn't be missing reps, training to failure every set etc. You're going to run yourself into the ground.
I've trained to failure basically my whole experience lifting. Is that not a good idea? That's what I was always told.
Yeah last week I got 155x8x2, 155x7x1 last week on bench then this week I got 155x8x1, 155x7x1, 155x5x1 so I threw in 90x5x2 at the end...
It's not necessary for strength or size gains. Doing it too frequently can even have a negative impact.
Follow that program as is. 5x5 for the main lifts with the progression scheme that is laid out, and whatever sets & reps are called for on the accessories. More isn't always better.
I guess I don't know how to train not to failure then. I thought the point was to push until you can't snymore and if you have anything in the tank left, you should have pushed harder?? That's what I was always told. But I trust your opinion, so I'm interested in knowing why
Train smarter, not harder. If you follow the template as is, the reps and progression are laid out for you. You shouldn't be training to absolute failure - especially on every set.
That's a great point.
For example, I'm doing Wendler's 5/3/1 for my main lifts and the reps for week one of the cycles are 5, 5, 5+. Note the + is only on the last set, not the first two. If you're lifting 3x8-12 (which is good for hypertrophy, which I believe is your goal), you should be lifting heavy enough so that more often than not you don't hit that 12. Once you are able to hit 3x12, you move up in weight so that you're struggling again. Does that make sense?
ETA: This is just an example of one method, not the end all be all of lifting.0 -
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Thanks brother!0 -
Welcome
Wish I could get your quads.
When will you start your cut?0 -
Welcome
Wish I could get your quads.
When will you start your cut?
I'm thinking mid January after the holidays, my birthday, and wrapping up this 13 week training cycle. I'm hoping to top out at like 195 lbs... trying to keep the gains fairly slow on purpose. That'll mark a year in a surplus too!0
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