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Thread: Cutting on a SS like program. thoughts?

  1. #1
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    Default Cutting on a SS like program. thoughts?

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    SS has given me great results. I went from 73kg to 96kgs and nailed the 4 plate squat which im still extremely proud of. Im currently sitting on 25% bf and would like to cut down to 10% bf for health and performance reasons. I loved the concept of SS and have tweaked the intermediate routine a little to suit my needs. Here:

    Day 1
    Squat 3x5
    Bench press/OHP 3x5
    Chin-ups: 3 sets, weight added so failure occurs at 5 to 7 reps

    Day 2
    Light Squat 2x5 (80% 5RM)
    Press 3x5
    Deadlift 1x5 (I cycle between a light (1st), medium (2nd) and heavy (3rd) week)

    Day 3
    Squat 3x5
    Bench press 3x5
    Pull-ups: 3 sets, weight added so failure occurs at 5 to 7 reps

    Ive heard that SS isnt a good program for cutting but my program isnt exactly SS anymore. I would just like to, if possible, get everyone's opinion on if m routine looks doable on a cut. Please?

    Ive done my research and i understand that gaining strength on a cut is near impossible and that once things get harder, i should always aim to maintain intensity while decreasing volume i.e 2x5. Wondering if going to 1x5 when it gets hard again is a good idea though?

    Would appreciate replies and any hints/tips/tricks for my cut. TQ.

  2. #2
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    Default

    It is definitely possible to cut in the intermediate stage, but try to make it a gradual cut. Make it a long term goal and aim for .5-1lbs (.25/.5kg) per week over a few month period. Weigh yourself on a bathroom scales first thing in the morning, if your weight goes down a pound you ate -3,500kcal (-500/day) below maintenance. Vice-versa if you gain weight. Over a 6 month period you could lose 12-24lbs this way.

    I was at 27% bf about a month ago when I started SS, but have used an approach to try not to gain any weight as a measure of LBM increasing. I am probably getting closer to 20%, lost a few inches around the waist.

    Also, opinions differ on this but a lot of calisthenics pros advise against doing pull-ups to failure. It may be an evolutionary throwback to a time when we were swinging in trees and failure meant falling to your death, but the body has a strange response to failure on pull-ups and the muscles don't adapt as quickly as they would if you left 1 or 2 in the tank.

  3. #3
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    I lost about 120 pounds doing SS over the course of a year. I did not gain much strength, but I did not lose much. Lifting Heavy is the key to maintaining muscular size and strength while losing bodyfat. Under no circumstances should you lift "light weight and high reps". Im 43 yo so that may have affected my overall anabolism.

  4. #4
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    What type of diet are you planning on doing? This can affect programming.

    Also, what are your numbers now; are you still at 4 plates? If you are that high, I would suggest a different intermediate program that's fairly favorable to recovery and plenty of BCAA/leucine supplementation.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by tzanghi View Post
    What type of diet are you planning on doing? This can affect programming.

    Also, what are your numbers now; are you still at 4 plates? If you are that high, I would suggest a different intermediate program that's fairly favorable to recovery and plenty of BCAA/leucine supplementation.

    Im not sure what you were asking there. But i have been eating at maintenance for the last couple of days. My macros were:

    2,540 Calories
    213g Carbs
    97g Fat
    213g Protein

    I did some quick estimations already and when i start cutting, ill be keeping my Protein and Fats roughly around that figure but bring carbs down to 100-ish grams


    I injurred myself on the day i hit 4 plates. Some popliteus thing around my knee i suspect and it has been 5 weeks since i last squatted. Subsequently i got really ill and lost 5kgs from not eating well, im currently 91kg and am still not squatting yet due to the injurred knee. I understand that its not wise to cut while nursing an injury but it has been far too long and im not even recovered yet (its gonna be longer). Losing that 5kgs made me weak, i have lost a lot of strength. Im not able to test out my squat yet but im VERY sure i wont be doing 4 plates. My situation is a little complicated as you can see.

    It's not exactly my current routine, but im basically doing the same now without the Squats and Deadlifts. I replaced it with high rep hamstring curls (to encourage blood flow to the knee) and some light hyperextensions. I think i should be able to return to the original routine in another 4 weeks time.

    Is the original routine i posted not good enough for recoveries? ive already incorporated a light day on the squats and only go heavy on the deadlifts every 3rd week.
    What intermediate program would you recommend? Thanks.
    Last edited by Hoppa; 01-28-2013 at 10:56 PM.

  6. #6
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    why the heck would you not squat for 5 weeks ?
    Short of a broken bone or totally torn muscle/ligament for which you had surgery there's no reason for that. And if you can do hamstring curls why aren't you doing squats ?

    If you stay out of squats for another month i doubt you'll be doing 3 plates (to which you'd of course try to work up to over the course of at least a week if not more), let alone 4.

    As to the original question... that still looks like a fair amount of work. Maybe cut if you go on a cut i think you should try for something where the workouts are shorter.

    Something like
    Mon
    squat
    press
    intervals (opt)

    Wed
    bench
    pull-ups
    intervals (opt)

    Fri
    light squat
    dl
    intervals (opt)

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by veryhrm View Post
    why the heck would you not squat for 5 weeks ?
    Short of a broken bone or totally torn muscle/ligament for which you had surgery there's no reason for that. And if you can do hamstring curls why aren't you doing squats ?

    If you stay out of squats for another month i doubt you'll be doing 3 plates (to which you'd of course try to work up to over the course of at least a week if not more), let alone 4.

    As to the original question... that still looks like a fair amount of work. Maybe cut if you go on a cut i think you should try for something where the workouts are shorter.

    Something like
    Mon
    squat
    press
    intervals (opt)

    Wed
    bench
    pull-ups
    intervals (opt)

    Fri
    light squat
    dl
    intervals (opt)
    Popliteus something injurred. Where i cant get into the bottom position of a squat where the knee is fully flexed. Cant even bodyweight squat. I did try light squats (60kg) last week but it reinjurred it, so yeah, no squats anytime soon. Im only curling Very light. Using only no.1 on the machine for 50 reps. what are intervals? like HIIT?
    Last edited by Hoppa; 01-29-2013 at 05:45 AM.

  8. #8
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    If I were going to do ntervals, I'd do them on off days; you'll have more energy without affecting recovery too much(might even help).

    This is kind of a grey area overall, though. Since you're not squatting, you might be able to get away with some volume overall. I'd suggest aiming for weekly gains on upper body with maybe a heavy 3x5 on Monday alternating Bench and Press, a light 3x5 on Wednesday whichever you didn't do on Monday, and then a heavy 1x5 on Friday in whatever movement you did Monday. Sort of like Texas Method, but less volume than the 5x5. Then I'd do either some RDLs or cleans on Monday, also pretty heavy in either 3x5 for RDLs or 3-5 sets of 3 for cleans. Then on Friday 1x5 heavy deadlift. Work in some accessory stuff on Wednesday like chins/curls/whatever else you want, but don't go tough on it. This will work until you start squatting again, at which point you'll have to change it up a bit.

  9. #9
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    When i do start squatting again, since the original routine is tough to recover from, im considering going 3x3 or 2x5 for all lifts in the original routine except for the deadlifts which will remain at 1x5 (still cycling light, medium, and heavy). pullups/chinups will go 2 sets instead of 3. What do you think?

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by Hoppa View Post
    When i do start squatting again, since the original routine is tough to recover from, im considering going 3x3 or 2x5 for all lifts in the original routine except for the deadlifts which will remain at 1x5 (still cycling light, medium, and heavy). pullups/chinups will go 2 sets instead of 3. What do you think?
    That sounds fine, just keep a weekly progression if not slower on the upper stuff. Squats should come back quickly, and after a while you should transition into a slower progression on those as well.

    Of course, there's always the alternative of 5/3/1, which I find to be easy on recovery if assistance is low.

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