Hypertrophy/Cutting log

[CommanderFun]

This log is going to be utilized during a weight cut starting from the beginning of this year, and will likely last two months. After that, I will transition into more of a maintenance phase, as I have read encouraging things about doing this to keep weight from spiking back up, and also to allow for better weight loss if I want to continue to trim down. Programming during the cut will be built using Andy Baker's 4 day upper/lower hypertrophy ebook, definitely worth a buy. It's not a specific prescriptive book and more a guide to programming with muscle hypertrophy in mind. I'll be using none of my usual main lifts, for psychological reasons. It's a bummer to see your PRs shrink, but it's nice to go into the gym and still get PRs while cutting because a lift is new to you. Once I get into maintenance after 2 months, I will probably alter programming to include the main lifts again, and spend that maintenance period trying to get them back up again.

[CommanderFun]

1/2/2023

Weigh-In: 296

Incline Bench 155x9, 135x12
Bent-Over Row 135x12, 115x15
Seated DB Press 40x12, 35x15
Pulldown (prone) 170x12, 155x15
DB Tricep Extension 35x22,12,10 (44 total)
DB Curl 22.5x21,9,6 (36 total)

Some real surprises here. I was shocked to have to start so low on the incline bench. I flat benched 240x5x5 last week, and while working the weight up I found I couldn't even incline 185 for 6. Crazy. Had some low starts in some spots, but it's easy to just work that up in weeks to come.

[CommanderFun]

1/3/2023

Weigh-in: 294.6

SSB Squat 140x8, 120x12
SSB Good Morning 120x9, 100x12
Leg Press 315x20
Seated Leg Curl 140x12, 125x15
Seated Calf Raise 50x10,8,6
Hanging Knee Raise x20, x15

Bunch of these probably started light. Some kind of spinal erector type muscles felt really beat up going into this, I think it was from bent-over rowing yesterday. Since weight dropped significantly from yesterday, I went ahead and got in some extra carbs today. Figured it was glycogen depletion, and I want to keep that to a minimum.

[CommanderFun]

1/5/2023

Weigh-In: 294.8

DB Bench 60x9, 52.5x12
Pulldown (supine) 210x9, 190x12
DB Incline 55x12, 50x15
Chest Supported Row 145x20,15,15 (50 total)
DB Lateral Raise 15x15,9,7 (31 total)
Trap Bar Shrug 135x20,20,15 (55 total)

Some dialing is obviously needed with the row and the shrugs. I thought maybe I'd try to use the trap bar for shrugs since...it's a trap bar. But it actually kind of sucks for those and limits range of motion. I'm gonna have to explore around before next thursday and see if I can find a shrug I like. New Year casuals fucking love doing a million junk sets on the pulldown machines, complete with long rests. I know these people are basically what keeps the gym profitable, but I cannot wait until they are gone.

[CommanderFun]

1/6/2023

Weigh-in: 294.3

Hack Squat 225x9, 205x12
RDL 185x9, 165x12
Leg Extension 130x15, 115x20
Lying Leg Curl 70x20,20,12 (52 total)
Calf Press 95x20,20,20 (60 total)
Decline Situp setting 4(lowest)x20x2

"Calf Press" is what I'm calling doing calf raises using a leg press machine. Again, the rest pause exercises here need dialing in. But that's okay. Easy enough to just take big jumps wherever the rep totals are really high. I was surprised by the RDLs, actually felt like they were really challenging my grip of all things.

[carson]

I've started cutting a bit myself. I only have 9 lbs to go but I'm tired of the innertube tied around my waist. I too am tired of no Prs. In fact, I have not had one since before the lockdown. I'm not sure what alternative lifts I might try. Hence I will follow your thread and use you as a partial example.

[CommanderFun]

I'd highly recommend purchasing the upper lower hypertrophy program from Andy Baker's site. I used it to put this together. It's basically an e-book guide to throwing stuff like this together. If you have been cutting since before lockdown though, for god's sake, STOP. At least bump your calories up and do maintenance for a while. Just cutting for long periods of time leads to massive drop offs in a lot of important areas. You will have hormonal issues and you will get depressed, and your lifts will suffer. Your rate of weight loss will flatten the fuck out too and demand you cut even harder. I am only planning to do this for 2 months before going into maintenance. You probably won't get any PRs on the big main lifts again until you leave the caloric deficit. I don't even know how long I'll be able to progress these lifts before I start to move backward.

[CommanderFun]

1/9/2023

Weigh-in: 292.6

Incline Bench 160x9, 140x12
Bent-Over Row 140x12, 120x15
Seated DB Press 42.5x12, 37.5x14
Pulldown (prone) 175x12, 160x15
DB Triceps Extension 40x20,12,9 (41 total)
DB Curl 25x19,9,6 (34 total)

Weight loss is proceeding quite well. Since I've been losing at a rate of 3+ pounds a week, I've been trying to periodically get in some extra carbs during the day, to try and offset glycogen loss somewhat. I'm learning that during curls right after the tricep work is making them awkward. The triceps are getting so pumped up that it actually impedes full range of motion in the biceps. Weights are starting to get more dialed in, I think. Once they are all at or near limit intensities I am really wondering if I'll start running into earlier exercises starting to eat into later ones. The pump sure is fun, my arms look nice in the bathroom when I take a pee break.

[carson]

I'd highly recommend purchasing the upper lower hypertrophy program from Andy Baker's site. I used it to put this together. It's basically an e-book guide to throwing stuff like this together. If you have been cutting since before lockdown though, for god's sake, STOP. At least bump your calories up and do maintenance for a while. Just cutting for long periods of time leads to massive drop offs in a lot of important areas. You will have hormonal issues and you will get depressed, and your lifts will suffer. Your rate of weight loss will flatten the fuck out too and demand you cut even harder. I am only planning to do this for 2 months before going into maintenance. You probably won't get any PRs on the big main lifts again until you leave the caloric deficit. I don't even know how long I'll be able to progress these lifts before I start to move backward.

I will check out Andy's e-book. No, I have maintained a weight from 215-228, from 2013-November 2022. I just started cutting in mid-November. I've gone from 226 to 209. Thanks for the encouragement.

[CommanderFun]

1/10/2023

Weigh-In: 290.6 (starting to think my scale might be a bit glitchy)

SSB Squat 140x9, 125x12
SSB Goodmorning 125x9, 105x12
Leg Press 335x20
Seated Leg Curl 145x12, 130x15
Seated Calf Raise 50x11,9,7 (27 total)
Hanging Knee Raise 20,16

Good mornings are such an awkward exercise for me. Maybe it's because my torso is so short, but they only feel hard on my neck and upper back. Think I might need to evaluate my dumbbell press form, I am starting from a position of the elbows flared out and I think it's causing shoulder impingement pain.