Ive been squatting- conjugate programme based on WS.

[jono]

Ok guys heres a link to a discussion on my cutting routine, please take a look and analyse and critique it for me.

The main reason Im changing my routine around is cause Ive been on the current one for a while and feel Im starting to stagnate on it. Thus time to mix up things, also for the first time Im going to be venturing into the 8 - 12 rep range, for some Ex's as i have always only used the 6-8 range.

Link :

http://www.nzbb.co.nz/forum/viewtopic.p ... fd41f6af5a

check your diet, prolly the cause for stagnation

[Varven]

Today was Shoulders and Legs day.

For the first time i started DB shoulder press.

took a lot of getting used to, co-ordinating DBs is kinda hard after gettign used to BB presses.

DB shoulder press

13 1x15, 16 1x10

21kg 1x8, 1x8, 1x10, getting the dbs in position is awkward.

seated BB military press

50 1x failure. this was last times new weight, obviously my delts were too hammered to force out reps so dropped 5 kgs

45kgs 1x8,1x7.5,1x7

DB side lat raises

8kg 1x10

10kg 1x4

8kg 1x8 ,1x10

Squats

My knee is acting up again. This is soo goddamn frusturating. The pain is back. I cant squat or do any quad work. This is utterly annoying.. how can i grow if I cant squat ??? IM still majorly f#$ked off.. dont know what to do or how to cure this knee issue. Im shafted if the knee doesnt sort out.

I vented my frusturation on glutes and hammies.

Stiff Legged deads

60 1x10

80 1x8

90 1x6

100 1x4

80 1x8, 1x8

Lying Leg curls

42kg 1x10, 1x8.. cramping ! funny ive had to drop off 14 kgs to work a set out compared to usual weight.. gee whod think SLDL could be so taxing :wink:

DB shrugs

34kg 1x10

36.5 1x10, 1x12, new excercise, never done any trap work itself. Weight seemed light. going to start doing these on back day

Oh yeah some 200mg caffeine tabs I had ordered arrived today. I decided to try one pre workout. I must mention i dont drink coffee and dont usually take caffeine. Its made me a bit nauseous and my hearts racing but my workout was goood save for not squatting which annoys me.

I was continuously powered up, I usually sleep on the bus home after the fym for 40 mins, today I just sat there bug eyed with my hands shaking. I guess this is what class A drugs feel like LOL...

[jono]

lol @ the caffine man :grin: :grin:

how did you injur the knee in the 1st place ?

[Varven]

Rugby injury from 2years ago. It sorta keeps coming back. Contrary to what youd think it DOESNT get aggravated by squatting, dont know what makes it come back. But it usually lasts for a few weeks then just dissapears. Then one fine day re-appears. Heavy squats doesnt cause it to come back. This is what has me puzzled. I was told Physios arent much use for this sorta problems.. what option does that leave me with ??

[Growth]

I was told Physios arent much use for this sorta problems.. what option does that leave me with ??

It depends on what sort of injury you have got, can you be more specific?

[Ash]

I was told Physios arent much use for this sorta problems.. what option does that leave me with ??

Go and see a physio anyway, preferably one with a good reputation.

It could be something as simple as a strength imbalance, lack of flexibility or a specific exercise that's causing the injury to reappear. A good physio should be able to at least point you in the right direction.

I think that ACC would still cover the majority of the costs because you injured your knee playing sport.

[Varven]

For those of you in doubt about training to failure causing heavy stress on CNS system, im living proof.

Down with heavy flu like symptoms again, even though im loading the food good I couldnt lift anything today. Im going to take time off the gym.. probably missing tomorrows workout cause Im having classical overtraining symptoms again.

I was to do Chest and Triceps today.. didnt get far

Incline BB bench.

40 1x10

60 1x6, 1x6.5, 1x6.5 = 4 more reps compared to last times. Last 2 sets trained to failure, I actually had to roll the bar off my chest as no one was spotting, frusturating !

Flat DB Bench press

29kg : 1x3.5, 1x4.5, 1xfailure

DAMN

26.5: 1xFailure.. damn I can normally get 10 - 12 reps at this weight.

23.5: 1xFailure.. does anyone feel somethings wrong here ?

I think Im dying ...

Db flyes 14kg 1x10, 1x10, 1x10, 1x10 NEW REPS :grin:

This has to be the most bizarre workout.. body didnt feel right at all so I called it quits.. I start cutting next week so might be good to take time off.

[Pseudonym]

Well, you've either got the flu, or you've been overtraining and it's suddenly caught up on you. Either way, I think some time off sounds like the best idea. :nod:

In fact, I'd take the next week off if I were you. You don't want to rush back in too soon, otherwise you're no better off. This time next week maybe go back in to a light session, and start again properly the week after if you're up to it.

If you start cutting next week, stopping workouts temporarily while you adjust to the reduced diet is probably no bad thing anyway. It means you can increase the calorie deficit slowly, which is good.

[jono]

we all need a bit of time off every now and then. enjoy it man

[Ash]

I think we've all been there and done that to some degree. As frustrating as it is to take time off, it's part of the process.

Take as much time as you need to get sorted, especially if you're going into a reduced calorie state for a while. I always found I was prone to getting colds or the flu when I was dieting in addition to pushing hard at gym and doing cardio.

Drink that green tea! Also - are you taking a decent multi vitamin?

[Varven]

This week has been spent resting and getting used to my new diet. Man its a real bitch.

Thought I was going to pass out a couple of times today, with the decreased carbs. Still playing with carbs so I can find a point where im not going to pass out from lack of energy but still have a deficit and not cause much catabolism.

Man Im shite sure that going through that 1.5 ltrs of green tea a day increases my metabolism and therefore I feel even more hungry...

GRRRR I already hate cutting, 3 days into it that is.

[deegee]

Thats alot of green tea to be getting through in a day. first few days are always a bit tuff, not to worry though it will get tougher later ! It does for me on a cut and it is just willpower gets me through

[ExpensiveUrine]

Just for a future reference you might want to run a maintenance cycle for your calories after a bulk/cut.

Reason for this is to ease you nicely into the diet. Let's assume you finished bulking at 4000 kcals, you want to start cutting at 2500 kcals. Rather than running 2500 kcals straight away after a bulk and feeling like shit, take a period of a couple of weeks or so to slowly lower your 4000 kcals to meet 2500 kcals. I find that generally helps.

[Growth]

:stupid:

[jono]

Just for a future reference you might want to run a maintenance cycle for your calories after a bulk/cut.

Reason for this is to ease you nicely into the diet. Let's assume you finished bulking at 4000 kcals, you want to start cutting at 2500 kcals. Rather than running 2500 kcals straight away after a bulk and feeling like shit, take a period of a couple of weeks or so to slowly lower your 4000 kcals to meet 2500 kcals. I find that generally helps.

a drop of 1.5K cals is way too much. you would lose a ton of muscle

[Varven]

Im finaly getting used to decreased food.

Had a chest and tricep workout today .

Flat BB Bench

40 1x15

60 1x8

65 1x6 new weight :grin:

70 1x3 new weight :grin:

Incline DB press

21.5 kg 1x12

23.5kg 1x10

26.5 1x6

Decline BB press,

new excercise here, feels very very weird, all blood in my head, and seems like my shoulders are used an awful lot in this ex.

30kg 1x15, 40 kg 1x12, 60kg 1x6

Finished it off with flies for the obligatory pump

15kg 1x6

12kg 1x12, 1x12

Tricep work :already knackered with all the pressing moovements

CG Bench,

30kg 1x15

35kg 1x10, 1x8

EZ bar SKULL crushers

20kg 1x15

25kg 1x12, 1x12

Some rope push downs to failure .

AB work.

[jono]

good to see progress while cutting

[deegee]

good to see progress while cutting

I reckon pretty good alright. I start to loose strength a few days after cutting has started. Keep it up

[Varven]

I use a 200mg caffeine pill before workouts,

being a non coffee drinker, it gives me a reall buzz and helps me push through.

[Growth]

Have to agree with the others here, progress while cutting is exceptional.

[Ash]

Nice going V!

Keep pushing hard but remember that once you get well into the cut, don't expect your lifts to keep improving. If they do, that's great but it's not worth trying to bust your ass with 110% effort when you're not eating enough. It just opens you up to injuries.

Keep up the good work.

[Varven]

cheers fellas,

yes i was quite surprised that I was able to bust new weights, but doubt it will continue for long or happen even half as frequently as before.

Cardio kicks in from next week.

Any ideas for low impact stuff ? , at the moment im thinking of cycling mostly and cross trainer, but im also thinking of boxing.

On a side note, thinking of signing up for Jiu Jitsu, twice a week for 90 mins will make good cardio and Id learn something !

[Pseudonym]

Oooh... that's going to be sore!

It's a very similar martial art to Aikido, I believe - only nastier! I did Aikido for several years, and there's a lot of stretching muscles and ligaments involved in some of the pins and throws. Being a scrawny little weed then, I didn't have such a problem, but I know the bigger, more muscle-bound guys often found it painful.

I look forward to hearing how you find it! :twisted:

[Simo]

No one will fight you then, ripped and ready to kung fu their ass.

[Varven]

Man its hard to go on low carbs... I just wanna eat !

Today was leg and shoulders day.

I was really looking forward to it as my knee has been acting up and i havent been able to squat in ages.

Squat

40 1x10, 60 1x10

70 1x8, 1x8

80 1x6, 1x4 At the bottom something contracted and went really tight in my left quad. Couldnt squat after this as it hurt, couldnt do any quad excercise. I think its just a un warmed overstretched muscle or something, doesnt feel too bad. Ah well muscle pain we can fix, knee pain I cant do nothing about, so alls not lost.

Stiff legged deadlifts

60kg 1x10

100 kg 1x4, 1x8 new reps :grin:

60kg 1x10 these felt good , I figured if my quads are going to take longer to develop due to injury etc, no reason not to get massive halmies !

Db shoulder press

12 1x15, 18 1x10

21.5 kg 1x10

23.5kg 1x8, 1x6 new weight :grin:

26.5kg 1x1, then failed. The dbs came down faster than i could control them when dropping them, and stupid me had left the other dbs on the floor.

DOH :evil: caught me finger inbetween and now its twice the size, throbbing and all. Luckily doesnt feel broken

Seated BB military presses

40kg 1x12, 1x12, 1x12

less weight, but more reps. Besides, can expect to max all lifts when ive made gains on the first one init ?

Bent over rear delt raises 7kg 1x8, 1x8, 1x8

DB seated side lateral raises 8kg 1x12, 1x12, 1x12, less weight but more reps.

Standing calf raises 140 1x15, 160 1x12, whole stack= about 200 kg 1x10, 1x10, 1x10.

Man, wont calf muscles ever grow ??

Overall not too bad, except I think low carb leaves me unfocussed and a bit gumby hence= pulled quad muscle and squashed finger.