Lift Laugh Love, a Log Story --- (Weightloss->Lifting->Swolification)
- Thread starter Chris1712
- Start date
Yeap, my prep week started on 31/12/12 and my first backload was on the first Sunday of this year. Now getting to the end of week 3 of backloading. Its not enough to say that it consistently works, but comparing CBL to how i felt when i was agreesively cutting last year on a BB style (steedie supplied and approved
) diet i currently feel much better then that, and my aim isnt to cut, just drop fat and build muscle (lol mythical of course 
). In the 3 weeks of backloading i have been consistantly eating over 2k more cals extra over a weekly period then my previous diet where i was gaining weight at around 0.75lb per week (begining of sept to last week before christmas went from 11st 1.5lb up to 11st 13ln by the end on 2.2k cals per day) Chris thats fair play mate, i must say it is a pain to have salads for work lunches etc when everyone else is eating full english or pizza haha. Its not for everyone.
That's the thing for me, 3 weeks isn't enough evidence when you're already on a deload. Who's to say you couldn't have done all of your PBs before Christmas? Your 2x50kg dips are a PB, but as a result of CBL or just 'cause you hadn't tried them before?
If it continues and works, you add lean mass and strength whilst dropping weight, then fantastic. But after 3 weeks of personal experimentation and without any clear indicators of genuine gained strength, I wouldn't be recommending it to people just yet
If it continues and works, you add lean mass and strength whilst dropping weight, then fantastic. But after 3 weeks of personal experimentation and without any clear indicators of genuine gained strength, I wouldn't be recommending it to people just yet
That's the thing for me, 3 weeks isn't enough evidence when you're already on a deload. Who's to say you couldn't have done all of your PBs before Christmas? Your 2x50kg dips are a PB, but as a result of CBL or just 'cause you hadn't tried them before?
If it continues and works, you add lean mass and strength whilst dropping weight, then fantastic. But after 3 weeks of personal experimentation and without any clear indicators of genuine gained strength, I wouldn't be recommending it to people just yet
100% agree that 3 weeks on something isnt long enough to confirm that it works for me, but why does it have to be on just my experience before i can recommend something
Its been working for Ice pretty well for the last three + months. Its been working for many many people on the CBL forums for a couple of years!
I wasnt advocating it as a YOU MUST DO THIS ALL ELSE IS FAIL!!!!!!1111111
merely suggesting an alternative that is quite likely to provide the desired results, without some of the downsides of traditional cutting (which i do have prior experience with of 14 weeks one period and 8 weeks on a prior period to that)...damn its like writing a CV
Late update this week. Had to go to London town for work Thursday which ruined me, so trained this morning rather than Friday.
Didn't bother to weigh in as I knew it would be depressing given my completely random Thursday diet of various buffet stuff at a seminar.
Monday
Wednesday
Saturday
Everyone's favourite song at the moment.
Sloots
Didn't bother to weigh in as I knew it would be depressing given my completely random Thursday diet of various buffet stuff at a seminar.
Monday
Squat 125 5x5 <- Ooof! I'm back. Felt strong. Could be something to do with the large dominos and 14 chicken wings I had the night before......
Bench 82.5 5x5 <- There it is.
BOR 67.5 5x5
Bench 82.5 5x5 <- There it is
.BOR 67.5 5x5
Squat 125 5x5 <- Retrying my previous 'get in the groove' technique of keeping the same weight. Felt ok, but heavier than Monday. No Dominos power.
OHP 52.5 5/5/4/3/3 <- Shoulders still fatigued from Monday I think.
Deadlift 110x5 115x5 120x5 Trying to actually be hamstring dominant rather than back.
OHP 52.5 5/5/4/3/3 <- Shoulders still fatigued from Monday I think.
Deadlift 110x5 115x5 120x5 Trying to actually be hamstring dominant rather than back.
Squat 127.5 5x5
Bench 85 5/5/5/4/3 <-Close, think I could have had 5x5 with a spotter.
BOR - 70 5x5 <- Again false grip + straps = hrrnnggh
Did some narrow pulldowns for luls, 230lbs 3x8
Zercher Squats 30kg x8 40kg x8 50kg x8 <- Brutal as ever, got some very strange looks.
Hanging leg raises superset with planks. Core fried, home time.
Bench 85 5/5/5/4/3 <-Close, think I could have had 5x5 with a spotter.
BOR - 70 5x5 <- Again false grip + straps = hrrnnggh
Did some narrow pulldowns for luls, 230lbs 3x8
Zercher Squats 30kg x8 40kg x8 50kg x8 <- Brutal as ever, got some very strange looks.
Hanging leg raises superset with planks. Core fried, home time.
Everyone's favourite song at the moment
.
Soldato
- Joined
- 3 Oct 2009
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- 19,893
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- Wales
Mirin bench, ohp and sloots brah.
Weighed in this morning at 80.0kg, doh.
Monday
Wednesday
Friday
So you might not be able to tell, but I'm ******* out. Can't be bothered with the drawbacks of cutting without the fatloss that comes with it, just not in the zone this time round. Gonna take a week off then spend 4 weeks doing 'stuff' before I go on holiday. By stuff I mean more unusual workouts concentrating on unilateral strength and core work. My legs are hilariously imbalanced (left leg is probably 60-70% of right leg srs) and I need to spend some time fixing my right shoulder.
Will draft something up this weekend and post it for feedback, expect stuff like Goblet Squats, BSS (), Zercher squatz, standing single shoulder press, TRX rows, heavy KB swings, lot's of DB over BB and maybe even a curl at the end.
Monday
Squat 127.5 5x5 <- Felt strong as fuark, powered by Superbowl hotdogs and pretzels.
OHP 47.5 5x5
DL 1301x5 <- Actually felt sufficiently hippy rather than backy, rare for me.
OHP 47.5 5x5
DL 1301x5 <- Actually felt sufficiently hippy rather than backy, rare for me.
Squat 127.5 5x5
Bench 85 5/4/3/2/2 <- Lol wut?! Completely lost it.
BOR 70 5x5
Bench 85 5/4/3/2/2 <- Lol wut?! Completely lost it.
BOR 70 5x5
Squat 120kg 5x5 <- Strength gone. External rotation on my right shoulder is in tatters from something.
OHP 50kg 5x5
Didn't do any deads because I was massively discouraged by my lack of juiciness. So I did a quick round of 'stuff'
Cable Pullthroughs 50lbs 3x8 <- Dat PC activation, hard to not fall backwards though!
Pallof Press (Cable) 40lbs 3x8
Facepull (Cable) 70lbs 3x8
OHP 50kg 5x5
Didn't do any deads because I was massively discouraged by my lack of juiciness. So I did a quick round of 'stuff'
Cable Pullthroughs 50lbs 3x8 <- Dat PC activation, hard to not fall backwards though!
Pallof Press (Cable) 40lbs 3x8
Facepull (Cable) 70lbs 3x8
So you might not be able to tell, but I'm ******* out. Can't be bothered with the drawbacks of cutting without the fatloss that comes with it, just not in the zone this time round. Gonna take a week off then spend 4 weeks doing 'stuff' before I go on holiday. By stuff I mean more unusual workouts concentrating on unilateral strength and core work. My legs are hilariously imbalanced (left leg is probably 60-70% of right leg srs) and I need to spend some time fixing my right shoulder.
Will draft something up this weekend and post it for feedback, expect stuff like Goblet Squats, BSS (
), Zercher squatz, standing single shoulder press, TRX rows, heavy KB swings, lot's of DB over BB and maybe even a curl at the end.
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Soldato
- Joined
- 26 Aug 2005
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- 6,901
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- London
How are you doing your BOR? Wide or close grip and what's your angle?
Pretty parallel but not pendlay style and grip is as narrow as I can get comfortably to get max ROM. I used to do wide grip but the ROM is crap IMO you just hit your trunk before your scaps have done anything.
EDIT: Thinking about it grip is about the same as OHP grip. Max ROM is most important in BOR imo, I've read somewhere using the same grip width as your bench has good carry over to pressing but that's it for wider grips.
EDIT: Thinking about it grip is about the same as OHP grip. Max ROM is most important in BOR imo, I've read somewhere using the same grip width as your bench has good carry over to pressing but that's it for wider grips.
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Doing a midweek update as my workouts have changed a bit, and I'm bored.
Mixed things up a lot and it's destroying me. All new weights are with some in the bag to allow progression over the next 4/5 weeks, trying to get as much ROM as possible and being more BB minded than usual (muscle->movement not movement->muscle).
Monday
Wednesday
So far this is crippling me honestly. You don't really get DOMs from Stronglifts in my experience, it's just generally tiring so this is a huge change for me. Hobbling all day.
No choons of GIFs yet, will save those for my Friday updates as usual.
Mixed things up a lot and it's destroying me
. All new weights are with some in the bag to allow progression over the next 4/5 weeks, trying to get as much ROM as possible and being more BB minded than usual (muscle->movement not movement->muscle). Monday
RDL 75kg 8/8/8 <- Amazingly my first time ever doing this exercise, so keeping comfortable weight. Felt good, can tell it's a great PC exercise.
DB Flat Bench 27.5kg 8/8/8 <- Maybe a bit too easy, but getting up at the end of the set is a real pain with DBs.
BSS <- LOL! Can barely do these with bodyweight, wobble tastic. Easier with some weight (5kg dbs) but still awful. Think I need to lower the trailing leg (used a bench) and maybe wear shoes, the pressure on the top of my trailing foot was quite painful.
DB Incline Bench 22.5kg 8/8/8
Cable X-Over 40lbs 8/8/8/8 <- Dat chest pump, do these without gripping the handles makes massive difference.
EZ Bar Curls 15kg+bar 10/10/10 <- IJDGAF about curls in any form, will probably drop them.
Hammer Incline Curls 7kg 8/8/8
KB Swings 28kg x Lots <- These are the king of hip hinge explosive and upper back stability, imo. Hamstring and trap DOMs are redonk. Wish we had heavier KBs.
Renegade Rows <- If you want to look like a complete fish out of water that's surely never exercised in his life, do these at the end of a session.
DB Flat Bench 27.5kg 8/8/8 <- Maybe a bit too easy, but getting up at the end of the set is a real pain with DBs.
BSS <- LOL! Can barely do these with bodyweight, wobble tastic. Easier with some weight (5kg dbs) but still awful. Think I need to lower the trailing leg (used a bench) and maybe wear shoes, the pressure on the top of my trailing foot was quite painful.
DB Incline Bench 22.5kg 8/8/8
Cable X-Over 40lbs 8/8/8/8 <- Dat chest pump, do these without gripping the handles makes massive difference.
EZ Bar Curls 15kg+bar 10/10/10 <- IJDGAF about curls in any form, will probably drop them.
Hammer Incline Curls 7kg 8/8/8
KB Swings 28kg x Lots <- These are the king of hip hinge explosive and upper back stability, imo. Hamstring and trap DOMs are redonk. Wish we had heavier KBs.
Renegade Rows <- If you want to look like a complete fish out of water that's surely never exercised in his life, do these at the end of a session.
Front Squats <- No thanks, Jeff. Gonna have to find the time to properly train and groove these. 4 Months of low bar squat has completely disabled my quads it seems, can't do anything without my hips trying to do it all. Unless I find the time to program these gonna swap in Lunges & Leg Press
DB Lunges 17.5kg 8/8/8 (per DB, per leg) <- Cardio more than anything
. 5x5 has not been kind to my fitness.
Leg Press 390lbs 12/12/12 <- LOL! Goodbye sweet quad strength. Very peculiar they just don't seem to 'turn on' anymore.
Underhand BOR 55kg 8/8/8
CGBP 50kg 8/8/8
Close grip pulldown 210lbs 8/8/8 <- Maybe left too much in the tank here
Cable Tricep Pushdown 80lbs 8/8/8 <- And here
Kroc Rows 17.5kg DB, 25 reps per arm, then 15 reps per arm. Oh lawd rhomboids.
Calves, Toe Press on Leg Press 390lbs 15/15/15
DB Lunges 17.5kg 8/8/8 (per DB, per leg) <- Cardio more than anything
. 5x5 has not been kind to my fitness.Leg Press 390lbs 12/12/12 <- LOL! Goodbye sweet quad strength. Very peculiar they just don't seem to 'turn on' anymore.
Underhand BOR 55kg 8/8/8
CGBP 50kg 8/8/8
Close grip pulldown 210lbs 8/8/8 <- Maybe left too much in the tank here
Cable Tricep Pushdown 80lbs 8/8/8 <- And here
Kroc Rows 17.5kg DB, 25 reps per arm, then 15 reps per arm. Oh lawd rhomboids.
Calves, Toe Press on Leg Press 390lbs 15/15/15
So far this is crippling me honestly. You don't really get DOMs from Stronglifts in my experience, it's just generally tiring so this is a huge change for me. Hobbling all day.
No choons of GIFs yet, will save those for my Friday updates as usual
.End of week, weighed in at 78.6kg 
. No change in diet at all just a change in routine has reignited my loins . Looking forward to undoing all this when at a house party on Saturday night, so far rocking a 3:1 girl/guy ratio on facebook. Yes.
I call this week, return of the DOMs. I haven't experienced DOMs in probably 4 months now, so it's been pretty funny. My hamstrings were achey all through mon-thurs, traps too.
Friday
. No change in diet at all just a change in routine has reignited my loins . Looking forward to undoing all this when at a house party on Saturday night, so far rocking a 3:1 girl/guy ratio on facebook. Yes.I call this week, return of the DOMs. I haven't experienced DOMs in probably 4 months now, so it's been pretty funny. My hamstrings were achey all through mon-thurs, traps too.
Friday
RDL 77.5kg 8/8/8
DB Flat Bench 27.5kg 10/10/10 <- Gonna do rep then weight progression with DB's because only have 2.5kg jumps at my gym.
BSS <- Used a racked barbell as my backfoot rest this time, actually about an inch higher than a bench but allows my back foot to move around a bit as I descend, less pain on foot more focus on moving = actually managed ok without falling over!
DB Incline Bench 22.5kg 10/10/10
Cable X-Over 40lbs 10/10/10 50lbs 8
EZ Bar Curls 15kg+bar 10/10/10
Hammer Incline Curls 7kg 10/10/10
KB Swings 28kg x Lots
TRX Rows x Lots
DB Flat Bench 27.5kg 10/10/10 <- Gonna do rep then weight progression with DB's because only have 2.5kg jumps at my gym.
BSS <- Used a racked barbell as my backfoot rest this time, actually about an inch higher than a bench but allows my back foot to move around a bit as I descend, less pain on foot more focus on moving = actually managed ok without falling over!
DB Incline Bench 22.5kg 10/10/10
Cable X-Over 40lbs 10/10/10 50lbs 8
EZ Bar Curls 15kg+bar 10/10/10
Hammer Incline Curls 7kg 10/10/10
KB Swings 28kg x Lots
TRX Rows x Lots
Caporegime
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2005
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- 41,306
- Location
- Cornwall
Weight this morning 78.4kg (And I hadn't dropped Obama off at the white house yet!).
Notbad.jpg. Expected worse considering last weekends debauchery, I didn't get home from that party until 9am Sunday (It was just like the GIFs, honest #Bristol). Needless to say I stayed in bed Monday morning so only fit in 2 sessions this week.
As before I'm really focussing on ROM & Muscle-Mind atm so ignore the phaggytime weights.
Weds
Fri
Very much enjoying some of this new chilled electro-pop. Gonna be big this year I feel.
Notbad.jpg. Expected worse considering last weekends debauchery, I didn't get home from that party until 9am Sunday (It was just like the GIFs, honest #Bristol). Needless to say I stayed in bed Monday morning so only fit in 2 sessions this week.
As before I'm really focussing on ROM & Muscle-Mind atm so ignore the phaggytime weights
.Weds
RDL 80kg 8/8/8 <- Loving these don't know why I've avoided them for so long.
Lunges 17.5kg 10/10/10
Underhand BOR 57.5kg 8/8/8
CGBP 52.5 10/10/10 <-Need to bump up the progression on these, too easy
Narrow Pulldown 220lbs 8/8/8
Dips 10/10/9 <- Blast!
Kroc Rows 17.5kg 30/10 <- These are king, upper back pump is bonkers almost feels like your backs growing as your row.
Calf Press 410lbs 10/10/10
Lunges 17.5kg 10/10/10
Underhand BOR 57.5kg 8/8/8
CGBP 52.5 10/10/10 <-Need to bump up the progression on these, too easy
Narrow Pulldown 220lbs 8/8/8
Dips 10/10/9 <- Blast!
Kroc Rows 17.5kg 30/10 <- These are king, upper back pump is bonkers almost feels like your backs growing as your row.
Calf Press 410lbs 10/10/10
Fri
BSS 7kg per hand 8/8/8 <- Getting the hang of this now, still keeping weight low to get my groove on.
DB Flat Bench 27.5kg 12/12/12
Leg Press 420lbs 10/10/10
DB Incline Bench 25kg 8/8/8
Cable X-Over 40lbs 12/12/12 <- Oh lawd chest pump
EZ Bar Curls 10kg+bar 10/10/10 <- Really focussed on being a curl brah here. I pretty much have to tell my biceps to contract and hope the movement follows otherwise it just becomes front delt + forearm somehow.
Hammer Incline Curls 6kg 10/10/10
Facepulls 70/80/90lbs x lots <- Pause at the end, actually had rear delt DOMs from about 4pm today
.
Pallof Press 50lbs x lots
Hanging Leg Raises x lots SS Planks x3
Few front loaded squats just to feel sufficiently tired to leave.
DB Flat Bench 27.5kg 12/12/12
Leg Press 420lbs 10/10/10
DB Incline Bench 25kg 8/8/8
Cable X-Over 40lbs 12/12/12 <- Oh lawd chest pump
EZ Bar Curls 10kg+bar 10/10/10 <- Really focussed on being a curl brah here. I pretty much have to tell my biceps to contract and hope the movement follows otherwise it just becomes front delt + forearm somehow.
Hammer Incline Curls 6kg 10/10/10
Facepulls 70/80/90lbs x lots <- Pause at the end, actually had rear delt DOMs from about 4pm today
.Pallof Press 50lbs x lots
Hanging Leg Raises x lots SS Planks x3
Few front loaded squats just to feel sufficiently tired to leave.
Very much enjoying some of this new chilled electro-pop. Gonna be big this year I feel.
Man of Honour
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- 5 Jun 2003
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- Falling...
I think it's a great idea - it hurts my toes quite a bit doing BSS so that might make it a little less "crunchy" on my toes.