March Q and A thread
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Thank you @SideSteel and @Gallowmere1984 ... sounds like I will just go straight into the cut then (no hellcuts for me though!)
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Thank you @SideSteel and @Gallowmere1984 ... sounds like I will just go straight into the cut then (no hellcuts for me though!)
I don't blame you. They're definitely not for everyone. I'm pretty sure that even as a really niche diet, the RFL bailout rate is probably even higher than the normally quoted 90+% failure rate of standard dieting.0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »I have a question about transitioning to cutting after a bulk.
After my first bulk I dropped my cals really slowly, and I was told to hang out at maintenance for at least 2 weeks. I don't remember if it was for hunger or if there were any other benefits to doing this.
This time though, can I just go straight to cutting? My deficit won't be too aggressive, probably 0.25-0.5lbs per week or so.
Just wondering if there is any reason to keep that transition phase.
Thanks!
I just go straight into cutting.
I've actually found that my body handles the transition into my hellcuts better that way. I would end up more hungry, and faster, if I went to maintenance first. By going straight in, by the time my body starts getting angry about the restriction, it's almost over already. Then a couple of weeks at maintenance-10%, and a very slow climb back into surplus.
Bingo. I've done it both ways and gradually reducing calories is horrible. Just when you get used to the new calorie level you drop them again. So you're starving for weeks and weeks and weeks. I just go for the kill right out of the gate and a week later it's smooth sailing (I do RFL too).
Now transitioning from cutting to bulking...that's another story.0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »I have a question about transitioning to cutting after a bulk.
After my first bulk I dropped my cals really slowly, and I was told to hang out at maintenance for at least 2 weeks. I don't remember if it was for hunger or if there were any other benefits to doing this.
This time though, can I just go straight to cutting? My deficit won't be too aggressive, probably 0.25-0.5lbs per week or so.
Just wondering if there is any reason to keep that transition phase.
Thanks!
I just go straight into cutting.
I've actually found that my body handles the transition into my hellcuts better that way. I would end up more hungry, and faster, if I went to maintenance first. By going straight in, by the time my body starts getting angry about the restriction, it's almost over already. Then a couple of weeks at maintenance-10%, and a very slow climb back into surplus.
Bingo. I've done it both ways and gradually reducing calories is horrible. Just when you get used to the new calorie level you drop them again. So you're starving for weeks and weeks and weeks. I just go for the kill right out of the gate and a week later it's smooth sailing (I do RFL too).
Now transitioning from cutting to bulking...that's another story.
One day... I just can't wait... Hell, I can't wait to get back to maintenance..3 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »I have a question about transitioning to cutting after a bulk.
After my first bulk I dropped my cals really slowly, and I was told to hang out at maintenance for at least 2 weeks. I don't remember if it was for hunger or if there were any other benefits to doing this.
This time though, can I just go straight to cutting? My deficit won't be too aggressive, probably 0.25-0.5lbs per week or so.
Just wondering if there is any reason to keep that transition phase.
Thanks!
I just go straight into cutting.
I've actually found that my body handles the transition into my hellcuts better that way. I would end up more hungry, and faster, if I went to maintenance first. By going straight in, by the time my body starts getting angry about the restriction, it's almost over already. Then a couple of weeks at maintenance-10%, and a very slow climb back into surplus.
Bingo. I've done it both ways and gradually reducing calories is horrible. Just when you get used to the new calorie level you drop them again. So you're starving for weeks and weeks and weeks. I just go for the kill right out of the gate and a week later it's smooth sailing (I do RFL too).
Now transitioning from cutting to bulking...that's another story.
One day... I just can't wait... Hell, I can't wait to get back to maintenance..
I feel ya, I'm at least 4ish months away from being done with my cut.0 -
All this talk about cutting and bulking, and here I am just trying to maintain my current weight but keep lifting without injuring myself, lol.0
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Ugh... St Patrick's Day falls on a Friday this year, the ultimate day for it... and I have a graveyard shift. That oughta be a federal crime, I tell ya!0
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Today was heavy DL-day, the 1+ day of my 5/3/1 cycle. I felt really good at my scheduled weight of 375, so rather than kill myself doing the "+" part I did just the single rep and loaded up further. Pulling 405 moved very smoothly, so figured I'd try 425.
Couldn't even break the floor. Was I just tired? Removed the dimes and pulled the 405, and again it moved smoothly.
Is that normal? I expected it to be a harder pull, but as easily as 405 went up I thought I'd get 425, even if I was shaking and straining. But I couldn't even get off the ground.0 -
Before I offer a smart-a$sed remark, lemme offer an 'AWESOME' for your 405 - and a solid 'Damn Bro' for each of the 8-plates...Today was heavy DL-day, the 1+ day of my 5/3/1 cycle. I felt really good at my scheduled weight of 375, so rather than kill myself doing the "+" part I did just the single rep and loaded up further. Pulling 405 moved very smoothly, so figured I'd try 425.
Couldn't even break the floor. Was I just tired? Removed the dimes and pulled the 405, and again it moved smoothly.
Is that normal? I expected it to be a harder pull, but as easily as 405 went up I thought I'd get 425, even if I was shaking and straining. But I couldn't even get off the ground.
... then I'd just go for the what you can lift approach and rep-out on the 405, and plan to lift more than 425 in a few weeks (and dude, there is NO shame in 5lb plates!)
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standenvernet wrote: »
Before I offer a smart-*kitten*sed remark, lemme offer an 'AWESOME' for your 405 - and a solid 'Damn Bro' for each of the 8-plates...Today was heavy DL-day, the 1+ day of my 5/3/1 cycle. I felt really good at my scheduled weight of 375, so rather than kill myself doing the "+" part I did just the single rep and loaded up further. Pulling 405 moved very smoothly, so figured I'd try 425.
Couldn't even break the floor. Was I just tired? Removed the dimes and pulled the 405, and again it moved smoothly.
Is that normal? I expected it to be a harder pull, but as easily as 405 went up I thought I'd get 425, even if I was shaking and straining. But I couldn't even get off the ground.
... then I'd just go for the what you can lift approach and rep-out on the 405, and plan to lift more than 425 in a few weeks (and dude, there is NO shame in 5lb plates!)
5 lbs. plates? Pfft, I rock the 2.5 cookies on a regular basis.1 -
Good work, @nossmf !
20 lbs seems like a big increase to me, even when I look at it like 5% and not just 20 lbs flat. There's always going to be that one ounce or fraction of an ounce that separates shaking and straining off the floor from nope, not going anywhere. To me it makes sense that it would be somewhere in that 5%.
I have 1.25 lb plates and 1 lb plates and then a pair of spin locks that happen to be 8 oz. each. I don't lift as much as you all and am used to tiny increments.2 -
Good work, @nossmf !
20 lbs seems like a big increase to me, even when I look at it like 5% and not just 20 lbs flat. There's always going to be that one ounce or fraction of an ounce that separates shaking and straining off the floor from nope, not going anywhere. To me it makes sense that it would be somewhere in that 5%.
I have 1.25 lb plates and 1 lb plates and then a pair of spin locks that happen to be 8 oz. each. I don't lift as much as you all and am used to tiny increments.
It's not just you. Anyone who lifts for an appreciable amount of time ends up doing one of two things: accepts small increment goals, or spends years spinning their wheels.
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Gallowmere1984 wrote: »standenvernet wrote: »
Before I offer a smart-*kitten*sed remark, lemme offer an 'AWESOME' for your 405 - and a solid 'Damn Bro' for each of the 8-plates...Today was heavy DL-day, the 1+ day of my 5/3/1 cycle. I felt really good at my scheduled weight of 375, so rather than kill myself doing the "+" part I did just the single rep and loaded up further. Pulling 405 moved very smoothly, so figured I'd try 425.
Couldn't even break the floor. Was I just tired? Removed the dimes and pulled the 405, and again it moved smoothly.
Is that normal? I expected it to be a harder pull, but as easily as 405 went up I thought I'd get 425, even if I was shaking and straining. But I couldn't even get off the ground.
... then I'd just go for the what you can lift approach and rep-out on the 405, and plan to lift more than 425 in a few weeks (and dude, there is NO shame in 5lb plates!)
5 lbs. plates? Pfft, I rock the 2.5 cookies on a regular basis.
That is what I do too. I try to increase upper body by 5lbs (once I hit 3 sets of 6 reps) and lower body by 10 lbs, but if I struggle, I decrease that.0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »standenvernet wrote: »
Before I offer a smart-*kitten*sed remark, lemme offer an 'AWESOME' for your 405 - and a solid 'Damn Bro' for each of the 8-plates...Today was heavy DL-day, the 1+ day of my 5/3/1 cycle. I felt really good at my scheduled weight of 375, so rather than kill myself doing the "+" part I did just the single rep and loaded up further. Pulling 405 moved very smoothly, so figured I'd try 425.
Couldn't even break the floor. Was I just tired? Removed the dimes and pulled the 405, and again it moved smoothly.
Is that normal? I expected it to be a harder pull, but as easily as 405 went up I thought I'd get 425, even if I was shaking and straining. But I couldn't even get off the ground.
... then I'd just go for the what you can lift approach and rep-out on the 405, and plan to lift more than 425 in a few weeks (and dude, there is NO shame in 5lb plates!)
5 lbs. plates? Pfft, I rock the 2.5 cookies on a regular basis.
That is what I do too. I try to increase upper body by 5lbs (once I hit 3 sets of 6 reps) and lower body by 10 lbs, but if I struggle, I decrease that.
Yeap. There's no shame in the wee discs for me. I took my deadlift from 405 with straps at 174 lbs., to 425 completely raw at 167 lbs. in about three months using those same increments.
Amusingly, my bench has been the real rockstar, going from 195 to 230 in the same amount of time, and at the same bodyweights. Admittedly though, a lot of that was me fixing my original garbage bench technique.3
