Losing Reps while cutting... Do you?
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+creatine hcl or monohydrate as you progress into your cut if you haven't done so already0
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Right now the routine is: legs, push, pull, legs, push, pull, rest (7days)
First push day for example is -
Barbell BP 10r 2x wu
Barbell BP 8-12r 3x heavy
Incline dB press 10-15r 3x (usually failing to reach 15r last x)
Dips 10-15r 2x (failing on last x)
Tricep push down 10-12r 2x
Shoulder press 10r 2x (working towards 11r on last x)
Arnold Press amrap 2x (usually 6-7r x1, and 4-5r X2)
Bike for 20min
7min abs
10min stretch
Push day 2 is different but similar... As are pull days, legs days are another topic... First centers around squats, second around deadlifts
Thanks again everyone for the input!0 -
ManBehindTheMask wrote: »
Because volume work is specific to driving progress within most programming.
If one wants to prevent muscle loss specifically, one does more volume at the appropriate stress, not give less stimulas to the muscle. Less stimulas=atrophy.
Dropping a set equates to less volume and less stimulas to the muscle. It would help with fatigue yes, but not necessarily with retaining muscle or gaining strength specifically.
The exception is obviously overtraining.
I was curious to hear your reasoning as it's the first time I've ever heard the suggestion of increasing volume during a cut.
Less volume/stimulas coupled with eating at a deficit is a recipe for atrophy.
Hence why resistance traing is advised during the process of losing weight. We want to give the muscles more stimulas to help retain them.
Think what happens as someone keeps removing sets and lowering volume to keep the same intensity while losing weight. Fatigue would lower more than likely which is a nice feeling. Initially fitness would maintain or be upped, but it wouldn't last long and strength would crash and then we would have to start upping the volume anyway to correct this cycle.
Rep schemes can be manipulated many ways to achieve more volume. Let's take one example of the following.This is similar to what I do.... instead of doing 5x5, I drop to 4x5 or something similar to that
Erickirb is missing his last rep of 5x5 at 300lbs and erickirb elects to drop a set giving him only 20 reps for 6000 lbs instead of 24 reps of 7200 lbs in which he fell short.
I would just add a additional set. Something along these lines of 6x5 at 280lbs giving him 30 reps of 280lb a much more manageable % of his 1RM for a total of 8400lbs volume.
It pretty clear when you factor in a lifter who is eating in a deficit, which adjustment of the two options is better in the long run and progress of the current rep/volume.
24 reps/300 7200lbs.
A. 20 reps/300lbs 6000lbs. Less volume at same intensity but less than one set away from failure.
B. 30 reps/280lbs 8400lbs. More volume at a slightly less intensity that still drive adaptation that has some room before we have to adjust again.
There are many ways to do this, but removing a set entirely in this situation is not only not optimal, it's promotes atrophy.
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ManBehindTheMask wrote: »
Because volume work is specific to driving progress within most programming.
If one wants to prevent muscle loss specifically, one does more volume at the appropriate stress, not give less stimulas to the muscle. Less stimulas=atrophy.
Dropping a set equates to less volume and less stimulas to the muscle. It would help with fatigue yes, but not necessarily with retaining muscle or gaining strength specifically.
The exception is obviously overtraining.
I was curious to hear your reasoning as it's the first time I've ever heard the suggestion of increasing volume during a cut.
Less volume/stimulas coupled with eating at a deficit is a recipe for atrophy.
Hence why resistance traing is advised during the process of losing weight. We want to give the muscles more stimulas to help retain them.
Think what happens as someone keeps removing sets and lowering volume to keep the same intensity while losing weight. Fatigue would lower more than likely which is a nice feeling. Initially fitness would maintain or be upped, but it wouldn't last long and strength would crash and then we would have to start upping the volume anyway to correct this cycle.
Rep schemes can be manipulated many ways to achieve more volume. Let's take one example of the following.This is similar to what I do.... instead of doing 5x5, I drop to 4x5 or something similar to that
Erickirb is missing his last rep of 5x5 at 300lbs and erickirb elects to drop a set giving him only 20 reps for 6000 lbs instead of 24 reps of 7200 lbs in which he fell short.
I would just add a additional set. Something along these lines of 6x5 at 280lbs giving him 30 reps of 280lb a much more manageable % of his 1RM for a total of 8400lbs volume.
It pretty clear when you factor in a lifter who is eating in a deficit, which adjustment of the two options is better in the long run and progress of the current rep/volume.
24 reps/300 7200lbs.
A. 20 reps/300lbs 6000lbs. Less volume at same intensity but less than one set away from failure.
B. 30 reps/280lbs 8400lbs. More volume at a slightly less intensity that still drive adaptation that has some room before we have to adjust again.
There are many ways to do this, but removing a set entirely in this situation is not only not optimal, it's promotes atrophy.
So if I'm understanding correctly...
You're saying it's better to sacrifice weight, rather than time under tension...
Interesting and thanks for all the input, it's appreciated!
Maybe it would be optimal to manipulate rep ranges so I do one lift, heavy while reducing reps... And the proceeding lift lighter but with more reps...
This way I don't have to sacrifice time under tension or intensity0 -
ManBehindTheMask wrote: »
Because volume work is specific to driving progress within most programming.
If one wants to prevent muscle loss specifically, one does more volume at the appropriate stress, not give less stimulas to the muscle. Less stimulas=atrophy.
Dropping a set equates to less volume and less stimulas to the muscle. It would help with fatigue yes, but not necessarily with retaining muscle or gaining strength specifically.
The exception is obviously overtraining.
I was curious to hear your reasoning as it's the first time I've ever heard the suggestion of increasing volume during a cut.
This was/is common practice with competitive bodybuilders to ramp up volume when cutting.
Those routines in the mags where they are doing 20+ sets per body-part (that average Joe's emulate and have little success with because, duh, they are not taking mass dosages of steroids).
Arnold's pre-contest routine: http://www.trulyhuge.com/news/tips63jb.htm0
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