ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ ||| The 2023/2024 Gym Rats Thread ||| ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

Do you find you lose much strength after a cut? Or are you mostly back to where you were before? I'm thinking I might want to cut a bit this year but it always takes me a block to recover my strength.

Back on powerlifting now. Week 1 and the first time I've squatted or deadlifted over 100kg since injuring my knee. 132kg x6 dl felt pretty easy so hopefully, I haven't lost too much strength. Unsure whether I'm actually going to go for any PRs at the end of this block or just skip it this time.
 
Depends entirely on my training focus but i usually go on a strength focused routine during a cut to really encourage my body to hold on to muscle. In the period of a deficit it means i can still make strength gains due to CNS and muscle adaptation rather than putting on new mass.

After this cut i will be back to bulking and putting in a real effort with my strength goals for the rest of the year.
 
Syla5 said:
Depends entirely on my training focus but i usually go on a strength focused routine during a cut to really encourage my body to hold on to muscle. In the period of a deficit it means i can still make strength gains due to CNS and muscle adaptation rather than putting on new mass.

After this cut i will be back to bulking and putting in a real effort with my strength goals for the rest of the year.
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Can you not do a slow gradual cut dropping calories by 200/300 and still gain muscle if you have a high amount of protein?
 
Dieting slowly hoping to eke out hypothetical gains means you end up spending a lot of time not in the most conducive state for hypertrophy to occur. Maybe an option if you have a lot of fat to lose, but I’d rather spend as few months as possible over a 2-3 year period getting from high teens to high single digits and as many as possible being sufficiently fuelled for training/recovery since fat loss can be accomplished orders of magnitude faster than meaningful muscle gain.
 
spluff said:
Can you not do a slow gradual cut dropping calories by 200/300 and still gain muscle if you have a high amount of protein?
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gaining muscle while in a deficit at my stage is extremely unlikely. I’m passed the newbie gains phase and also after a big cut when I restarted training I am not carrying enough fat to allow for any meaningful recomp. Keeping protein high and training stimulus on point is always a priority while I cut anyway to eek out any kind of muscle gain but mainly to minimise any muscle loss.

This next cut should be shorter then my last (6 months inc a couple of maintenance phase), 12-16 weeks max, after 10 months of slow bulking.
 
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First time doing 200kg 5x5 squats (I think), felt easy. My leg strength seems ahead of my program, but happy to progress steadily.

Missed a load of bench reps yesterday at the top end. It was a weird one, woke up all shaky and felt weak. Either tired from the week or just didn’t fuel well enough. These things happen I guess.
 
Feel a bit inadequate after the above post.... :cry:

Anyway - progress update and reality check 4 months into the 12 month target of x1/x1.5/x2 of bench/squat/deadlifts. (BW just over 90kg at the moment)

Still progressing along with SL 5 x 5 alongside my usual crossfit stuff/ additional strength stuff.

Bench was always going to be the toughest one for me - long arms, weak upper body!!

Anyway

Bench from 40k to 65kg (5x5) - not tested single yet
Squats - 80kg to 105kg (5x5) - have done a few singles at 110/115/120kg - This progressing ok - feel this is well within reach.
Deadlifts - 90kg to 117.5kg (3x5) - no singles tested.

Also mixing in short term goals of 100kg power clean again - keep things interesting.... Back up to 92.5kg again.

Finding time is the hardest thing - self employed, 47 years old this year, 2 kids, full time working wife, dog, own business etc....

But happy with a third of the year gone - progressing on target...
 
@booyaka Don't fret, I'm similar numbers to you although a few years younger...... :p
I've not done flat bench in a few weeks, it's not been free although I've been adding reps each week to dumbbells though. I also managed 165x3 deadlifts earlier in the week when 165 was my 1rm earlier this year.
 
I'm 4 weeks into a 12 week 5 3 1 block but not planning any PRs at the end of it so I'm going to cut for the remainder of it (and maybe a few weeks into the next block).

I've managed to go up to 76kg (in the morning pre food and drink, probably 78kg midday) from about 70-72kg. While for my age I'd probably still be considered pretty lean I just want to get it under control before I'm back to eating loads for PRs. Let the fun times commence. :(
 
I've been meaning to write an update but keeping putting it off probably because fell off the weight loss train (I ain't going to make excuses). Thankfully I never got back up to my heaviest and I'm working at bringing it down. I seem to be hovering around 118-120Kg at the moment. I know where the failures are and I've worked to fix them.

I recently discovered the joys of using chalk. How I lifted for so long and never used it, is surprising. I was thinking of getting straps but this is good enough for now. Currently I use liquid chalk but I may move towards the powdered stuff.

Last August/September I got injured, physio suspected the issue was weak glutes (Thankfully not the spine). I've been working on increasing the strength of my glutes with glutes bridges and clamshells. I've added Romanian deadlifts to my routine to work on my hip hinge. I'm trying to be more conscious of engaging my glutes in day to day life and when lifting. So if i'm just standing (say at the sink or talking to someone) I'll try to engage my glutes and get them working and active. I am back to deadlifting normally with no pain (Since January).

I try to be more aware of core activation during lifts and keeping the core tight during exercises. I will add in some asymmetric core workouts every now and then to build up stability.

I got parallettes (low and high ones). I've been using them to build up shoulder strength (something I've neglected due to weird issue I got in my shoulder a decade ago) and slowly progress into the calisthenics moves. Currently doing the tucked position for L-sits (dipped and hanging) and I can somehow pull myself up into the tucked lever position. Quite glad I do the tucked holds now (rather than reps with my legs out stretched), I've seen improvement in how tight I can get into the tucked position. I also do the bottoms up kettle bell press and a variant where you hold it in the air, while walking. My left shoulder is significantly weaker than my right at the moment. I've started doing my strict shoulder presses as well.

I've added pull up or push ups to failure at the end of my session (depending on what I am working out). I wish I had started doing this earlier.

I'm doing warm up cardio for at least 10 mins (I try to aim for 15 mins) every gym session. In the past my day schedule has been so busy that I've been trying to save minutes wherever possible. My gym sessions have been so much better since I've been doing this. It is weird to say but I feel like I have more energy when lifting if I do a proper warm up and I mentally feel much better.

And I've started bouldering :|.

Current Stats

Bench: 120Kg 3 reps about 4 sets
Overhead press: 50 Kg 5 reps 3 sets
Deads: 190Kg 3 reps 3 sets.
Squat: 120kg 3 reps 3 sets (I'm making excuses for this one, my knees hurt most likely due to poor lower body activiation from skipping leg day :D)


Based on previous posting habits the next update will be in Jan 2024. See you then :D
 
Great lifting posted in here. I shall make you all feel legendary...!

I did some deadlifts yesterday for the first time in months. Managed 65% my previous 1RM. Now my hamstrings are tighter than something incredibly tight.

Nothing like restarting a routine of sorts post-40... :D
 
mrthingyx said:
Great lifting posted in here. I shall make you all feel legendary...!

I did some deadlifts yesterday for the first time in months. Managed 65% my previous 1RM. Now my hamstrings are tighter than something incredibly tight.

Nothing like restarting a routine of sorts post-40... :D
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Well im post 40 now as well! i havent deadlifted or low bar squatted in 15 weeks, things are going to be fun in 2 weeks time when i go back to both
 
mrthingyx said:
I have clearly missed something, here...

Have you seen the light and become a high-bar squatter?
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Unironically have been high bar squatting for the last 14 weeks.

I will be seeing sense in 2 weeks and going back to low bar and deadlifting though! it was just a mass phase.
 
Im not built to Olympic lift, I wish I could. You should see me trying to overhead squat, its like a geometry lesson meets a clown show.
 
mrthingyx said:
Great lifting posted in here. I shall make you all feel legendary...!

I did some deadlifts yesterday for the first time in months. Managed 65% my previous 1RM. Now my hamstrings are tighter than something incredibly tight.

Nothing like restarting a routine of sorts post-40... :D
Click to expand...

Trying mixing BJJ with lifting in your 40s. It's brutal ! :D
 
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