Lifting while cutting is hard.

[Mike Tuvre USA]

I am exhausted, but starting to look pretty cut. Am I just trying to maintain my existing mass (with abs) until Oct. (after summer)? I really only ever started lifting to get bigger muscles. Maintenance lifting is boring, no?

 

[GFR]

Sounds like you might be cutting too fast.

 

[CowPimp]

You could always train for strength once the cut is over and you go back to eating at maintenance level calories. That way you will gain mass more effectively when you return to bulking.

 

[DiGiTaL]

i feel the same way. Im losing weight cause i can tell (i went from 186 to 178libs - still cutting). But also, i cant lift as heavy as i could before. I cant do 60libs dumbell bench press, 50libs is pretty hard now. Im going to go back to bulking to gain strenght again right after im at 165libs.

 

[P-funk]

drop the volume way down and keep the intensity up. You have your muscles on a use it or lose it basis. If you don't stress them, they go. If you don't lift heavy, they don't get stressed. if you are losing a good amount of strength there is a good chance you are eating up some muscle. You should be remaining strong. What does your program look like?

 

[Mike Tuvre USA]

Thanks for the responses. I may need to reduce my number of sets. I am still trying to do 3 full body wo's per week with cardio in the holes. I should just go heavy with one set after a warm up per bodypart during the cut. I can't add back calories, so I must change my w/o to low volume/heavy.

 

[P-funk]

post the workout.

 

[Action-Jackson]

i feel the same way. Im losing weight cause i can tell (i went from 186 to 178libs - still cutting). But also, i cant lift as heavy as i could before. I cant do 60libs dumbell bench press, 50libs is pretty hard now. Im going to go back to bulking to gain strenght again right after im at 165libs.

Yeah, since I've lost alot of weight its harder to lift heavier weights. You can definately feel the difference while weight training. However, its also fucking awsome because seeing the results is worth all the pain and hard work

 

[dontsurfonmytur]

damn digital, thats odd. that 60 lbs would be hard for u, I think the only lift that went significantly down for me on my cut is regular benching.... some other lifts actually went up lol... kinda gay

 

[fufu]

damn digital, thats odd. that 60 lbs would be hard for u, I think the only lift that went significantly down for me on my cut is regular benching.... some other lifts actually went up lol... kinda gay

Me too actually...my chest pressing has gone down since I have been cutting and everything else is going up! I'm gonna make some changes in my routine to fix that though.

 

[Mike Tuvre USA]

My w/o is:

military press, lat raises/ reverse flys/bench (flat or ncline)/pull ups and curls/rows or deads (less shrugs) /tri xtensions or dips/legs are all machines (including presses), no squats until one thigh recovers from a deep bruise. Cardio 3-4 days (HIT like). Also, an obscene amount of weighted inlcline ab work.

if I reduce the sets to 2 per exercise (except abs), I think I can do this full(body w/o in 16 sets. Sound good?

 

[P-funk]

My w/o is:

military press, lat raises/ reverse flys/bench (flat or ncline)/pull ups and curls/rows or deads (less shrugs) /tri xtensions or dips/legs are all machines (including presses), no squats until one thigh recovers from a deep bruise. Cardio 3-4 days (HIT like). Also, an obscene amount of weighted inlcline ab work.

if I reduce the sets to 2 per exercise (except abs), I think I can do this full(body w/o in 16 sets. Sound good?

what kind of workout is that? do you do that every time you train? sets? reps? that whole thing just does not make sense at all! re-work it into something more re-able so I can get an idea of what it is you actually do.

 

[Mike Tuvre USA]

yes, I do all of those exercises ("or" is one or the other only) 3 time per week with cardio in between. I was doing a warm up set, a very hard set for 10, and a third set to failure at 4-8 reps (totalling about 24 sets).

Now, I want to do 1 med hard/warm up set and 1 to failure then move to next exercise. If i do 2 sets per x i should end up with 16 sets per w/o. Still 3 times per week. Low volume/heavy for cutting to keep mass, no?

 

[P-funk]

yes, I do all of those exercises ("or" is one or the other only) 3 time per week with cardio in between. I was doing a warm up set, a very hard set for 10, and a third set to failure at 4-8 reps (totalling about 24 sets).

Now, I want to do 1 med hard/warm up set and 1 to failure then move to next exercise. If i do 2 sets per x i should end up with 16 sets per w/o. Still 3 times per week. Low volume/heavy for cutting to keep mass, no?

a) the program isn't doing you any favors.

b) why failure? especially when you are dieting? don't you think that is to much stress.

c) yes, low volume/high intensity

d) why so much cardio? what kind of cardio are you doing?

e) control more iwth your diet and less with cardio. steady state cardio is a great way to loose muscle and strength if you are doing to much of it. but, when combined properly in the program can be an effetive tool in helping to create a greater caloric defecit.

f) how many calories under maintenace are you eating?

g) please read the training 101 stickie and try and come up with a better program based off those principles.

you seem to be all over the place. lets get the diet and program down and send you on your way towards your goals......check out the stickie, come up with something more effecient......lets see the diet....help me help you.