The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry

[imported_etothepii]

Haven't posted in a while. My most recent plan was to go through a cutting cycle. I made the workout plan and started it. I began to taper down the calories... then various life-events happened (nothing bad or tragic, just distracting), and before I knew it, I hadn't worked out in 4 days, and I neglected my calories for about as long.

Well, not sure what to do, I hatched yet another plan. I was roughly half-way through what could be an SD period, since I have shed a couple pounds in the 15's in the past, so I figured that I could lose a little fat yet and still begin my third HST cycle!!

I've underfed a little during this SD phase -- I know that's not recommended, but a couple pounds are off, waist measurement is down a little, other measurements are down only a little. I think the muscle will rebound rather quickly as it did in my HST2 cycle.

So for this cycle, I'm planning:

Incline bench (15 degree incline)
Pull Ups
Squats/ Deadlifts (alternating)
Dips
Bent Over Row
Military Press
Shrugs
DB Arm Curls
Skull Crushers

Three days per week schedule.

Non-lifting days will be :

30 minutes moderate cardio (day two)
15 - 20 minutes HIIT cardio (day four)
10 minutes moderate cardio followed by Tabata workout (day six)

Seventh day rest.

For nutrition, I will underfeed the first week of the 15s, ramp calories up the second week, then overfeed in a zig-zag fashion through the rest of the cycle. The goal is a slow bulk.

Now, lets see if I can get through this one without the interruptions!!!

 

[imported_etothepii]

Ha ha!!!! funny typo in the title ... beast instead of best ... Makes me look smart ... not! Last time I try to use a literary reference. What a dope!!!

 

[jvroig]

Corrected the typo for you.

Good luck in your cycle.

Regards,
-JV

 

[Old and Grey]

For the first time in many, many years, I have been very irregular in my workouts from mid-June. It seemed like I was making up a new schedule/workout to accomodate my slacking off due to life's little interuptions. So finally, just before the first of August, I just said screw it and am taking 6 weeks off from lifting. Wednesday  Mrs. Grey and I are off for 10 days of horses, cows and mountains in Montana, home for part of Labor Day Monday and then off to Cleveland on business for the week. Rather than beat myself up over it, I am using this time to let my joints rest and my muscles really decondition. I haven't worked out in 3 weeks and I notice no difference in my physique and my weight has stayed the same even though I even stopped taking creatine. My joints feel better too.

Sometimes it is just easier to roll with the punches rather than putting more stress in your life and negating any benefit to working out anyway.


--------------------0r-----------------

Maybe I am just getting laz

y.


ET, you said, "For nutrition, I will underfeed the first week of the 15s, ramp calories up the second week, then overfeed in a zig-zag fashion through the rest of the cycle.  The goal is a slow bulk."

I don't understand your plan. I would think it better to go with a consistent diet throughout assuming you are currently at the bodyfat % that you want to start and stay at.

Can you explain your rationale a bit to me? Maybe you are on to something new.

 

[jvroig]

I generally avoid threads about routine, so I'll just give my opinion regarding the "dealing with missed workouts or schedule havoc" issue.

For me, it happens so I just shrug my shoulders. There are times I'm so busy I starve myself because I don't want to stop working. Sometimes I miss workouts. All I do is resume where I left off unless it's been two weeks or more. In that case, I try to start three or more workouts lighter than where I left off.

In any case, what I always do is not worry about it. Stuff happens all the time, and some stuff will really just inevitably make you miss a training day.

In the greater scheme of things, as long as you stick to training smartly and regularly, those minor annoyances will hardly matter.

Regards,
-JV

 

[imported_etothepii]

<div>
(Old and Grey @ Aug. 19 2006,11:37)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">ET, you said, &quot;For nutrition, I will underfeed the first week of the 15s, ramp calories up the second week, then overfeed in a zig-zag fashion through the rest of the cycle.  The goal is a slow bulk.&quot;

I don't understand your plan. I would think it better to go with a consistent diet throughout assuming you are currently at the bodyfat % that you want to start and stay at.

Can you explain your rationale a bit to me? Maybe you are on to something new.  

</div>
Sorry about the delayed response.

I'd like to yet lose some fat, and in my past two cycles, I did drop a couple pounds in the 15s, so that's why I'm underfeeding then. Once in the tens, I want to average around 2800 calories per day. In my first cycle, I gained weight and size without changing my waist size at all with 2700 tp 2800 calories per day.

During the second cycle (after the 15s) I ate everything I could and abandoned fitday for tracking calories. I again made very good gains, but my waist went up 1.5 inches or so...

So what I'm trying this time is again to average 2800 calories, but starting the meal before lifting until the meal before cardio the next day, I'll aim to eat, say 3300 calories (large surplus), and the other 24 hours will be 2300 calories (slight deficit). My day of rest will be 2400 calories, which is maintenence -- to the best that I can figure.

I don't really know if it will work. I'm guessing a very slow bulk with minimal fat gain, which is OK with me. If it fails, I can kick the eating into gear, maybe during the second week of the 5s to see what good that can do.

 

[Joe.Muscle]

There way more to life than lifting...so as old and gray said...don't stress it just chalk it up and get back on track