Sci's HST Log

Max-Stim Dead lift: 315x10 (20 seconds m-time 5rm)

Myo-Reps
WTD. Dips: 235x8+2+2+2
NG Pulldowns: 180x7+2+2+2+2
WG Cable Rows: 140x6+4+4+4+3
Arnold Press: 50s x10+5+3
Laterals: 20s x10
DB Curls: 40s x9
Machine Flyes: 210x8+5+2
Leg Press: 450x5+3 (legs fried from Deadlift)
Seat Calves: 110x10+8+6+6+4
 
Woah, my entire back is sore today. Those max-stim deadlifts really did the job! It felt great to pull 315 for 10. I need to work on my grip though.
I may do some more max-stim for other exercises, it's a great training technique.
Pretty much everything is sore, but especially my entire back, glutes and thumbs (hook grip) are beat up from the deadlifts.
Max-stim forever! Lol, I forgot how awesome it is.
 
I went off the diet this weekend. Friday night i went out to dinner with the wife, our first date in tow months, with the newborn and all...anyway...I figured I was training Saturday, so I'd have a cheat night and carb up, and i ended up also eating around maintenance on Saturday, i had a great training session Saturday, and Today, sorer than i have felt in awhile, i basically ended up bulking with around 2900 calories! Oh well, hopefully a bunch of it went to muscle, withthat crazy workout and all the protein I whopped down...sort of a mini-bulk in a cut..either that or I just regained fat and slowed my progress down...

Anyway, rebound tomorrow, back to sub-2000 calorie, high protein diet. I picked up some Whey powder, a 5 lb. bag, should help to keep me on track for breakfast, as I am lazy to eat breakfast on a workday...I will be drinking a 40 gram Whey protein shake every morning to kick things off. And also a 60 gram helping after a workout...that should help retain muscle tissue alright.
 
I wouldn't worry about 1-2 big cal days in the middle of a prolonged cut. You're crapping out a bunch of that, to be blunt, and Lyle recommends breaking the cut in his RFL book (albeit not going spectacular, as you'll just cancel out a day of cutting), but think about it; you're at (let's say) 1800cals a day. Your maintenance is (again, let's say) 2200. 2900 for a two days is 1400 over, which is (close enough to) the difference of three days worth of cutting. All said and done; you're not that bothered, and you're probably in a more beneficial place hormone wise (fat intake bumped for two days, presumably) and glycogen replenishment; which helped that more extreme workout you did.

All in all, not even worth noting as a blip, assuming it doesn't become a regular thing :)
 
wow, I may have overdone it training on Saturday, I am still extraordinarily sore for post 72 hours from workout.

I might even SD soon.
 
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Tracking calories and weight has me thinking that around 2300-2400 is maintenance right now. Anything below that, I lose, anything above that I gain. How deep a deficit is a good aim? I am thinking 1900 calories would be a good aim. Anything below that is too harsh, anything above that is too slow.
Thoughts?
Training resumes tomorrow. No time today, still sore from Saturday somewhat too, so heck with it.
 
In my experience, the higher the protein intake, the larger the deficit you can use without sacrificing too much lean mass. That's why diets like Lyle's RFL where you have absurdly low calories and a buttload of protein can work.
 
Totentanz said:
In my experience, the higher the protein intake, the larger the deficit you can use without sacrificing too much lean mass. That's why diets like Lyle's RFL where you have absurdly low calories and a buttload of protein can work.
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Same same.


I read some really interesting work on diffusion theory in physiological contexts that cover ideas (on the surface) like this. Eat more protein and your protein synthesis rates increase etc. Eat more fat, store more fat. Listen to more Bieber, get more stupid. Stuff like that.
 
Totentanz said:
In my experience, the higher the protein intake, the larger the deficit you can use without sacrificing too much lean mass. That's why diets like Lyle's RFL where you have absurdly low calories and a buttload of protein can work.
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Yeah, I agree based on Lyle's books, but admittedly PSMF is very extreme, and Lyle doesn't recommend it except because people are impatient.
I am doing a modified PSMF as outlined in Lyle's flexible dieting book. I just can't stay sane on PSMF with a newborn at home!!! I am bumping up carbs and fat slightly, but it's basically the same exact diet other than that, lots of lean protein and veggies.

I'll focus on protein for sure, have been.
 
Missed another workout.

Burned out, time to SD. 9 days off, then start over at 70% loads and ramp up.

I think I am going to SD every couple months no matter what from now on.
 
AlexAustralia said:
I wouldn't worry about 1-2 big cal days in the middle of a prolonged cut. You're crapping out a bunch of that, to be blunt, and Lyle recommends breaking the cut in his RFL book (albeit not going spectacular, as you'll just cancel out a day of cutting), but think about it; you're at (let's say) 1800cals a day. Your maintenance is (again, let's say) 2200. 2900 for a two days is 1400 over, which is (close enough to) the difference of three days worth of cutting. All said and done; you're not that bothered, and you're probably in a more beneficial place hormone wise (fat intake bumped for two days, presumably) and glycogen replenishment; which helped that more extreme workout you did.


All in all, not even worth noting as a blip, assuming it doesn't become a regular thing :)
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Ive been having regular re-feeds during this cut and it a) helps keep me sane and b) helped bump up performance afterwards. I had a major meal last thursday(taco-thursday). I probably landed on 3000+ kcal instead of the usual 1400 on rest-days. I looked great on the friday whilst training. Veiny and ripped. I actually got comments from people I dont know regarding the ripped look.
 
Sci said:
Tracking calories and weight has me thinking that around 2300-2400 is maintenance right now. Anything below that, I lose, anything above that I gain. How deep a deficit is a good aim? I am thinking 1900 calories would be a good aim. Anything below that is too harsh, anything above that is too slow.
Thoughts?.
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My BMR is at around 1800kcal now. As I follow the leangains guide I do 1400 restdays and 2400 training days. I was doing 1500/2500 but Ive re-adjusted my BMR due to the weight loss. Its pretty easy most days but weekends etc Im not as strict with that figure. Im eating about 800g meat and 1kg veggies. I add 1000 kcal of carbs on training days. Are you eating the same every day?
 
gbglifter said:
My BMR is at around 1800kcal now. As I follow the leangains guide I do 1400 restdays and 2400 training days. I was doing 1500/2500 but Ive re-adjusted my BMR due to the weight loss. Its pretty easy most days but weekends etc Im not as strict with that figure. Im eating about 800g meat and 1kg veggies. I add 1000 kcal of carbs on training days. Are you eating the same every day?
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That's interesting. I was eating around 1800 most days, and throwing in a higher calorie day here and there around workouts, or just to stay sane!
I decided to SD, and now just eating maintenance for the SD. When I resume cutting, I may try your approach.
If I train at night, should I do the higher calorie day before my workout, or the next day after the workout?
 
It depends what time you train. The emphasis is on carb backloading really. Personally Id eat a huge meal after training with loads of carbs then eat less the next day. I always eat once a few hours before the gym , with only protein and veg, then twice afterwards. My eating window is between 1 and 9pm every day.
 
March 12, 2013
9 Day Strategic Deconditioning completed. Diet and training resumed. Bodyweight 190 pounds.

I had a stressful couple of days, and may have lost some muscle. Scale says I lost 2 pounds, but same bodyfat %...ouch. Oh well, training went well, I am always amazed how weak I feel after a SD period. Even 9 measly days off, and I am definitely deconditioned a bit. It amazes me that anyone can make progress on low frequency training. Anyway, everything went well, very fast first workout.

Dead Lift: 225 for 2x10
Leg Press:360 for 10
Pulldowns: 140 for 15+7
Assisted Dips: 175 for 15+7
Rear Delt Rows: 100 for 15
Arnold Press: 45s for 12+5
Seated Calf: 100 for 12+7
 
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It's unlikely you lost 880gms of muscle in 9 days if you were eating at maintenance or close to it; that's a lot for such a short time period. I wouldn't stress about it, it's probably some small amount of muscle (if any), some water - sweat, urine, hydration state etc, bowel contents making up the difference.
 
AlexAustralia said:
It's unlikely you lost 880gms of muscle in 9 days if you were eating at maintenance or close to it; that's a lot for such a short time period. I wouldn't stress about it, it's probably some small amount of muscle (if any), some water - sweat, urine, hydration state etc, bowel contents making up the difference.
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Yeah, it's amazing how much glycogen and hydration can throw the scale way off! You are probably right.
 
Slow day at work, which is why I was on the forum all day... all this talk about protein and cutting today, I managed to get more than enough protein, and really low carbs and fats. I have 10 more pounds to go to hit my weight goal, I might not be super-ripped when I get there, but I am not going any lower than 180 pounds. I need to gain a bunch of muscle before I worry about getting too lean just yet... I am warming up to the idea of doing a Totentanz style bulk, but just cutting it short when I get too fat...but the more I chew on it, the more I actually LIKE the idea of traditional bulking and cutting versus the latest fad of "leangains" "recomping" and such. As long as I stay below 16-17% bodyfat, I think that perhaps traditional bulking is probably te BEST way to gain muscle. It seems like the biggest natural guys have done it that way, though not all of them of course.

Calories: 1892

Protein: 188 g
Carbs: 131 g
Fat: 68 g
 
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Judging by your pictures, I think you can probably bulk up to ~20% without issue. The mirror-test is almost, maybe even definitely better than a strict caliper approach. Waistline too. It will go up a little, but if it's moving and the rest of you isn't, then you stop.

Yeh, you want to look slick rather than smooth with the extra adipose, but if getting bigger is your goal, then true bulking is the way to go.
 
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