TSR Muscle Building Society For Men V6!

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Depends how tired you are/how much you are missing the weights by?

Expand on that.

Which would be useful for what level of tiredness etc.

Well, I maxed on my squat so I'm not just going to jump in and do 170x2. Same goes for deadlifts really. I've been stuck on 185x2 for 2 weeks now but I just skipped today's session (Xmas, no buses).

The issue with taking 90% and moving from there is that it means in 2 months will I be at the same level for deadlifts. For me, 2 months of no progress on deadlifts seems far too long.

So I'd rather take a few deload sessions working at 60% rather than drop it by 10% and work from there. But I dunno.

My lower body lifts are stalling quite a bit. Upper body is doing fine to be honest so not gonna deload that until I feel I need to.

I mean, bear in mind that I have been making pretty much progress for 3 months or so now. Always going very heavy etc.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 5801

The Blind Monk

Original post by Michael XYZ

Well, I maxed on my squat so I'm not just going to jump in and do 170x2. Same goes for deadlifts really. I've been stuck on 185x2 for 2 weeks now but I just skipped today's session (Xmas, no buses).

The issue with taking 90% and moving from there is that it means in 2 months will I be at the same level for deadlifts. For me, 2 months of no progress on deadlifts seems far too long.

I honestly think you've peaked with regard to sq/dl strength. So take some time off to build back up to it. There's no rule saying you have to advance in 5kg increments or whatever man.

If you're stuck on 185x2. Go back to say 140xwhatever you can get then 155xwhatever then 170xwhatever and you're nearly back where you started. No need to be doing max singles all the time. 5s and 3s are good as well.

Reply 5802

Michael XYZ

Original post by The Blind Monk

Would just a light day/skipping the session and going light on legs for a week not be of use in helping that and then I can jump back into it? I don't really want to **** around with lighter weight than I can do unless it's really necessary.

Also, if I did 140x?? would that be any different? As in, let's say 185x2 equates to 140x10. If I get 140x10, I've not changed anything really?

I don't do max singles btw. My method is to do triples and when I get the triple I increase the weight by 2.5kg and so on.

Reply 5803

The Blind Monk

Original post by Michael XYZ

The point is to soften up so that you can make gains later. Taking 10% off is unlikely to get you where you want to be. Just make bigger jumps so that in 4 weeks, you're back to somewhere a bit heavier than you were. You can always retry resetting to 160 then 170 then 180 I guess but I don't think that's much of a deload tbh. You can't go hard and make progress all of the time unfortunately.

Reply 5804

redbuthotter

Ok it depends if you're overtrained or just peaked - i.e. if you take a break and rest your cns and come back will you PR? If yes then take the week off and eat/rest up.

If however your cns fatigue is low i.e. you feel good but you still won't PR - are missing weights then deloading and building back up is a good idea.

Or 3rd option - what I do, regardless of how I feel I go for 90-95%, sometimes more and accept that you might have 4 weeks at the same weight... it'll get easier over time.

Original post by Michael XYZ

Reply 5805

Michael XYZ

Okay I see what you're saying. But then how many reps would you do for lighter weight? Too many and I'm pretty much not deloading as it about weigh and reps, not just the weight - no?

Also, you seem to be dismissing the idea of just taking it lighter for a week and then coming back strong. Is that not a good idea?

Edit: Well it's either the first or second option that I want to pursue. I have to take some form of deload.

I mean, I think my lifts on lower days are stalling but my bench and OHP is still doing well - so what does that mean? Does it mean that I'm not actually overtrained but just stalled on squat and deadlift? So that in fact I just need to work back up on those and not all?

Also, if I pursue that, should I make changes to the assistance lifts (go lighter on those too) or not?

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 5806

redbuthotter

Well.... that depends on lifestyle factors :P

Original post by The Blind Monk

Reply 5807

redbuthotter

Then take a 4 week deload - subtract 10kg off ur current 3rm and add 2.5 each week till you hit it again?

Altho for DL... I'm of the opinion you shouldn't pull slow max's more than once a fortnight.

If you're making tough attempts week after week, it won't last that long imo.

As for assistance... yeah go a little easier

Original post by Michael XYZ

Reply 5808

Motorbiker

Original post by redbuthotter

Well.... that depends on lifestyle factors :P

Yea, someone told me to go on a cycle to help but i've been on my bicycle for an hour a day every other day and if anything it's hindering my lifting. :ahee:

Reply 5809

The Blind Monk

Original post by Michael XYZ

Also, you seem to be dismissing the idea of just taking it lighter for a week and then coming back strong. Is that not a good idea?
I just don't think that works. Your milage may vary.

I mean, I think my lifts on lower days are stalling but my bench and OHP is still doing well - so what does that mean? Does it mean that I'm not actually overtrained but just stalled on squat and deadlift? Exactly. Deload whatever is stalling and keep what is working. I don't see the issue.So that in fact I just need to work back up on those and not all?

Also, if I pursue that, should I make changes to the assistance lifts (go lighter on those too) or not?

I'd take it a bit easier on assistance for a while and just take some weight off for 2-3 weeks. Work your way back up and you should be fresh enough to make progress at the grindstone again. No need to rep out on the lighter weights if you don't want to. Say 150x5 then next week 165x5 then see how that feels?

Reply 5810

Arturo Bandini

I'm a big advocate of taking a week off entirely every few months. And if you really can't bring yourself to do that then at least do a week at 60%.

Also I think at relatively low DL weights you're better off doing sets of 5, but that's just my opinion I guess.

And ALSO I think that eventually (probably soon) you are gonna properly stall, and at that point you're gonna have to do a proper deload which will give you at least a couple of months of no numerical progress. And when that happens... Don't whine about it.

Reply 5811

Michael XYZ

Okay, now I'm no advanced lifter or a powerlifter but looking at what some of the pros do, why would I be doing EVEN more than them?

As in, most seem to deload for a week and then go straight back into it. They are advanced lifters, so they take longer to recover.

I'm still new to this, does it make sense that as a beginner I would need LONGER to recover?

Just wondering what people think about that.

I know a lot of this is my ego talking but I want to make as much progress as possible. Just don't want to hinder myself with messing around with lower weights longer than I necessarily require.

What you're saying makes sense though Monk. Something like 140x5, then week after 150x5, then week after 160x3, then week after 170x3 and then back to like 182.5x3 and that should be back to where I am now. Sound good?

Reply 5812

The Troll Toll

These deloads are a way to artificially prolong the progress you can make without enough volume.

Reply 5813

Michael XYZ

Original post by The Troll Toll

These deloads are a way to artificially prolong the progress you can make without enough volume.

Why do you speak in riddles? Don't understand what you mean.

If you're saying it's a way to prolong my progress even though I don't do much volume then I'd say I in fact do quite a bit of volume.

Reply 5814

Arturo Bandini

Original post by Michael XYZ

You think pros never lift submaximal weight?

Reply 5815

cowsforsale

I hate working with the low reps because it makes me think I'm actually making progress when I'm probably not (i.e the sets of 5 which I would have been doing should have meant i'd have been able to do x weight for y reps in the first place).

But then that's probably because I've been conditioned to work in with 5's.

On another note, just watched 3 episodes of Band of Brothers back to back - ****ing hell, I never knew there was such a thing for tv!!! Damian Lewis has got to be my favourite actor right now.

Reply 5816

737300

Original post by The Troll Toll

These deloads are a way to artificially prolong the progress you can make without enough volume.

Original post by Michael XYZ

Why do you speak in riddles? Don't understand what you mean.

If you're saying it's a way to prolong my progress even though I don't do much volume then I'd say I in fact do quite a bit of volume.

I think it means there is a limited amount of progress you can make without enough volume

And someone doing this (not enough volume) can artificially prolong the progress they are "making" (but they aren't really making any) by doing these deload weeks

I think?

Reply 5817

737300

I've always wondered what it would be like to experiment doing absolutely loads but seriously little and often (but only on the right exercises)

Like for instance.. I don't personally think you can do enough upper back work. Whether I swing my reps a bit or do them super strict full ROM, it's very rare I get upper back DOMS. I also happen to have a 40kg DB in my garage. Thinking of doing like DB rows for 2x15 like every night and seeing what happens lulz.

I could even do the same thing with DB pressing, planks, curls, etc. Interesting idea. All muscles I never get DOMS in, I never get weaker on due to overtraining, and so on. Might give it a go lol

Reply 5818

The Troll Toll

Original post by Adidas90

Exactly. The low volume routines like Michael is doing are really just peaking cycles, not "getting stronger" cycles. Don't deload, just drop the weight and do more volume.

Reply 5819

McHumpy92

In your position young Michael I would just keep squatting as normal and accept you won't PB every session. Then run magnuson/ortmayer deadlift routine for good volume. Put predicted deadlift at 200.

Andy Bolton done an article saying how pretty much everyone gets to a 400lb deadlift a piece of piss, it is getting to 500lbs that most struggle with.