Please help me come up with a cutting/lifting program.

GetSoda

Hey folks. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'll keep this as concise as possible.
I'm a 6'7, 250lb, 25%+ bodyfat dude with intermittent lower back issues and testosterone on the very low side of average for a 32 year old.

Over the last 2 years, I've discovered that food intake has the following result, and it seems exercise has little impact.

3000, +1lb a week > slight strength gains, mostly fat gain
2500, Maintenance > slight strength gains
2000, Lose 1lb a week > strength comes and goes

My pattern is this: Linear progression, Back injury, Rest, Reset, Get back to where I was, back injury - REPEAT.
Recently I've played with Jamie Lewis' program, Greyskull LP, and Wendler. Wendler was fun, but I lost strength quickly on it, still being a beginner.

I have figured out how to stop injuring my back.


I have undergone no physical changes. Sometimes my biceps go up a little an back down later.

My current tested 5 rep maxes. which are around the same as a year ago on average.
OHP - 120 x 5
Bench - 145 x 5
Squat - 225 x 5
Deadlift - 265 x 5
Pendlay Row - 165 x 5 (Kills my back, I stopped doing these.)

Can do set of 10 dips, been trying for pullups/chinups for 7ish months with little progress.

Anyway.

At this point I'm more tired of being fat than I am being weak. I've finally come to accept that I won't be one of these guys getting up to an 800lb total while "getting shredded." That mentality has lead me to being exactly the same as I was two years ago.

My overall goal is: 1: Get down to 10-12% bodyfat. Then 2: Gain muscle.

I guess I lied about being concise. There's more.

I started Thai boxing again. 90 minute classes, twice a week. Mostly drills and bagwork.
I need to figure out a program I can do to retain/gain strength, do Thai Boxing, and lose some damn fat.

Some hang ups:
I think I have issues actually exhausting muscle fibers. I'll grind out my 3x5 squats, but 15 minutes later I could do it all again.
Despite the fact that rep 4, 5 are usually near the point of failing. I don't understand that.
I can't do high rep squats. Sets of 10 front squats, OK. Sets of 5+ back squats make me feel claustrophobic. Cant' explain it.
I don't do lunges. My wrecked knee won't cooperate.

The equipment available to me:
Power Rack with Dip/Pullup
Plenty of iron/rubber plates.
Flat Bench
Neck Harness
Suspension Trainer (Jungle Gym XT)
Medicine Ball
Bodysolid GS-3 weight machine
Resistance Bands
Sandbag

Linear Progression makes me hate life, and I'm not sure it's appropriate for cutting weight. I'll probably do it again when I'm "bulking" though.

Just not sure what to do at this point.


Sorry. That was really f***kng long.

Sarauk2sf

Hi!

Quick question - you mention that you figured out how to stop injuring your back - what was this? Dropping the rows?

Also how much rest time do you give yourself between sets?

What about linear progression makes you hate life?


As a side note: linear progression is appropriate for both cutting and bulking.

GetSoda

Hi!

Quick question - you mention that you figured out how to stop injuring your back - what was this? Dropping the rows?

Also how much rest time do you give yourself between sets?

What about linear progression makes you hate life?


As a side note: linear progression is appropriate for both cutting and bulking.

I've been doing a lot of mobility work, as described by Kelly Starett. I kept wrecking my back by round-backing deadlifts, which I've FINALLY managed to stop doing, thanks to better knee positioning. And I've replaced pendlay rows with body weight inverted rows. I can still 2-3 reps of Pendlay rows, but after that, I stop.

Depends. For linear progression sets of five, then 2-3 minutes. For a while I did triples at 90% 1rm and rested 1 minute betwen sets. Upped to 90 seconds if I started failing rep 3. One minute for volume work.

It's mostly the squats, partially because of the claustrophobic feeling I mentioned. ( Greyskull I liked more than Starting Strength. If you're not familiar with it, it progresses slower and is Squat, Dead, Squat instead of 3x week squatting. Deadlifting and squatting the same day is a no-go for my back. )

Do you think a good option would be to significantly deload while I acclimate to muay thai, and continue with LP?

Thanks.

Sarauk2sf

I want to chat with SideSteel about this thread, but deloading while cutting is not usually a good idea. Dropping volume may make more sense for recovery issues.

FWIW, I do not do BB rows on dead day (or on squat day for that matter) due to concern over lower back fatigue.

Sarauk2sf

Hi!

Would you be good with video'ing your lifts so that we could have do a form check so see if that is one of the reasons you are struggling to progress in the lifts?

To clarify, it is the squatting 3 x a week (on a 5 x 5 schedule) that you do not like about something like Stronglifts? Is this correct?

GetSoda

Hi!

Would you be good with video'ing your lifts so that we could have do a form check so see if that is one of the reasons you are struggling to progress in the lifts?

To clarify, it is the squatting 3 x a week (on a 5 x 5 schedule) that you do not like about something like Stronglifts? Is this correct?

3x a week squatting is too much. Which is one reason I gravitated toward Greyskull in my latest LP attempt. Squat twice a week 2 x 5 + 1 x AMRAP. To be perfectly honest, and despite my profile picture, I really hate doing back squats.

I could video my form, tonight probably. I do spot check with video now and again to catch problems. But I haven't done that in a while.

Should I post in here or the form thread?

GetSoda

All posted up. Except OHP.

So at this point, do you think my calorie goals (~2000 net, 30c/35p/35f ) are Okay - and I should just restart a linear progression program?
If I do, 'll probably do GSLP unless there's some unknown reason not to.

Sarauk2sf

All posted up. Except OHP.

So at this point, do you think my calorie goals (~2000 net, 30c/35p/35f ) are Okay - and I should just restart a linear progression program?
If I do, 'll probably do GSLP unless there's some unknown reason not to.

Thanks. SideSteel and I should be chatting soon, probably tomorrow, so will get back to you then.

SideSteel

All posted up. Except OHP.

So at this point, do you think my calorie goals (~2000 net, 30c/35p/35f ) are Okay - and I should just restart a linear progression program?
If I do, 'll probably do GSLP unless there's some unknown reason not to.

Curious, why do you hate back squats?

Are there other leg lifts you enjoy doing?

GetSoda

After rep 4 or so i start getting this weird claustrophobic feeling.
Just hard to psych myself up to do them.

I like front squats. Rep/max is only 95x10. Only recently got form down.

SideSteel

How about something like this?

A:

Front Squats
Bench Press
Chin ups or Barbell Rows (if you're struggling with these, you could consider inverted rows)
Accessory: Hip Thrusts or Good Mornings


B
Front Squat
Deadlift
Overhead Press

5x5 for the mains, follow stronglift progression as far as weight increases.

If you have knee problems due to squat volume, remove squats from day B and move the accessory lift from day A to day B.

GetSoda

I like it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that front squats shouldn't prevent me from deadlifting on the same day.
I really like the inclusion of the good mornings too. I assume this is to round out hamstring/rear posterior chain.

Can I sneak dips in there somewhere?



Looking forward to what you all have to say about diet.

SideSteel

I like it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that front squats shouldn't prevent me from deadlifting on the same day.
I really like the inclusion of the good mornings too. I assume this is to round out hamstring/rear posterior chain.

Can I sneak dips in there somewhere?



Looking forward to what you all have to say about diet.

I don't see a reason why you can't add dips in.

We will get back to you soon regarding intake. Shouldn't take long as we are still churning out threads this weekend.

FunkyTobias

How about something like this?

A:

Front Squats
Bench Press
Chin ups or Barbell Rows (if you're struggling with these, you could consider inverted rows)
Accessory: Hip Thrusts or Good Mornings


B
Front Squat
Deadlift
Overhead Press

5x5 for the mains, follow stronglift progression as far as weight increases.

If you have knee problems due to squat volume, remove squats from day B and move the accessory lift from day A to day B.

I would add another pull on day B (for shoulder health). So more like:

A:

Front Squats
Bench Press
Barbell Rows (or Inverted Rows)
Accessory: Hip Thrusts or Good Mornings or RDL


B
Front Squat
Deadlift
Chin Ups
OHP

So now you have an even balance of push/pull on both the vertical and horizontal planes.

SideSteel

How about something like this?

A:

Front Squats
Bench Press
Chin ups or Barbell Rows (if you're struggling with these, you could consider inverted rows)
Accessory: Hip Thrusts or Good Mornings


B
Front Squat
Deadlift
Overhead Press

5x5 for the mains, follow stronglift progression as far as weight increases.

If you have knee problems due to squat volume, remove squats from day B and move the accessory lift from day A to day B.

I would add another pull on day B (for shoulder health). So more like:

A:

Front Squats
Bench Press
Barbell Rows (or Inverted Rows)
Accessory: Hip Thrusts or Good Mornings or RDL


B
Front Squat
Deadlift
Chin Ups
OHP

So now you have an even balance of push/pull on both the vertical and horizontal planes.

^ You are correct, can't believe I overlooked that. DOH.

OP please note the above. The suggestion I made had an imbalance in press to pulls.

GetSoda

I've done A and B now once each. It does feel more balanced, to me at least, than SS or Stronglifts.

Really liking the front squats. I feel like I'm pulling myself up by the bar - rather than being crushed by it.
I've been doing goodmornings using the front squat weight between sets. Feels good on the back.
Though I'm having an issue with the bar comign forward halfway down. Will have to work on that.


Also took a full diet break this weekend. Next week I'll start with the diet suggestion y'all come up with.

Thanks!