Hi All,

What I was:-

End Oct 2013 - 90kg (198lbs) at 166cm (5ft 5inch), endomorph
End Dec 2013 - 71kg doing all cardio and eating way too less than TDEE
End Feb 2014 - 67kg after joining gym for 2 months, doing bro splits weight lift in the evening and cardio in the morning for 6 days a week. Eating at 1800kcal a day
March 2014 - Eating at 2100kcal, started with Strong Lift. 2100kcal is TDEE as there is no weight gain or loss in 1 month of eating at 2100kcal
August 2014 - Eating at 2400kcal, still doing Strong Lift. Bench at 65kg, OHP 50kg (half cheating leg drive), Squat 105kg, DL 110kg, Bend over rows with wrong form. All 5 reps. Body weight at 73kg
September 2014 - Changed gym. Started doing bro split again, while concentrating on above big lifts. Starting to eat at 2700kcal because I stalled on all lifts.
End March 2015 - Body weight at 80kg, fat as fuark. Bench at 80kg (8 reps), OHP 50kg with stricter form (8 reps), Squat 133kg (8 reps), conventional DL 143kg (5 reps), Sumo DL 125kg (12 reps) bend over row 47kg with proper form (12 reps).

Looking into the mirror I hated how I looked. I started my cut journey.

End March 2015 - Eating at 2500kcal (Body weight 78kg by mid April)
Mid April 2015 - 2300kcal (Body weight 75kg by mid May)
Mid May 2015 - Eating at 2100kcal (Body weight hovers at 74 - 75 kg by beginning July)
Beginning July 2015 - Eating at 1800kcal (Body weight at solid 74kg)
10th August 2015 - Incorporated small runs in the morning. 12 minutes, running 1km, LSST.
Till date - Eating at 1800kcal (Body weight at solid 73kg)

The lifting work in gym remained the same. Some of the weight and reps I lift goes up and down in this cutting phase. Major lifts remained compulsory every session. Those supplement work out change here and there in terms of variety and weight.

Till date (yesterday), my lifts are:-

Bench at 80kg (7 reps)
OHP 42kg (8 - 10 reps)
Squat 120kg (5 reps)
Sumo DL 130kg (10 reps), conventional DL 143kg cannot even do 1 rep for continuous 3 weeks
Bend over row 47kg (12 reps)

I am eating now P/C/F - 40/39/21
Sleeps max 7 hours a day if my baby doesn't wake up in the middle of the night

Since this is my first sensible cut (or at least I think it is), I am inexperienced on how the body should react. I am at all time low energy ever since March 2014, my lifts numbers go down, I don't get the fun of eating, I am demotivated. Since the beginning of the cut, I am able to slash gym time bit by bit daily, hence the sessions are more efficient. However, ever since I started running the whole session become sluggish again. 1 hour every session now.

Looking at those numbers I lift, should the cut be doing this? Or I have done something wrong? I have tried to provide as much info as I can. I have no drive at all in the gym now. I don't know what should I chase now everyday. I am kind of lost here. Please comment/ suggest/ help if there is any.

No pics?

I only have pictures when I first started. Recent picture not so. Any advice or comment?

Smart Volume regulation during cutting is key to prevent loss of strength.

Mind explaining more. I tried googling but nothing sensible comes back.

First make sure you are in 300 cal deficit not more.

Basically when you cut, your body is not that effective in muscle building compared to bulking state. The building blocks/input is less during cut, and your body is compensating by burning your fat storage to meet energy demands.
So during cutting the body could not handle the same workout volume that we use during a bulk. The focus must be towards reducing volume intelligently whereby it's optimum for strength maintenance and also might allow strength gains.
If I were to go into a 300 deficit now (-600 cals from my current intake), I'll get really fck'ed up in 2 weeks time doing my current workout.

Lastly, I hope u are not doing some crazy 1000~1400 cals per day cut.

1800kcal perday vs maintenance at 2100kcal now. I can only try to lift as heavy as I can, as much reps as II can to achieve hypertrophy still.

1800 cals cut very good edy. Need tweak your workout volume.

ermm... wat matters is d weekly / monthly deficit rather than daily. 1day before or d day u do workout, jus eat at maintenance / or slighly higher than dat (much recommended). i hav tried eat at maintenance durin 1day n d day during heavy workout, d energy level r abit less than usual, but its much much better than when u doin full cutting.

u hav reduce cal intake from 2500 to 1800. dats roughly 700cal.n alerady incoporated cardio.

I was eating at 2500 and I felt like a fat superman.

I gradually cut that down to 1800 and the energy level plunges dramatically the last 2 weeks. I have been eating at 1800 from the beginning of July. Not sure if it is the 3 cardio sessions on those 3 heavy days. Please don't ask me to move the cardio to other days. I can't manage on other days. Inb4, no cardio is required during cut.

haha... it doesnt matter if u eat at maintenance wether u r 85kg or 75kg. mayb u consume too much sodium makin water storing too high in ur body thus u feels bloated n muscle like vry fluffy/no definition

cardio does help to a certain level. after dat level, adding it doesnt do any good from my experience.....

This post has been edited by low yat 82: Aug 25 2015, 12:43 PM

Never manipulate 2 variables at once.

1800kcal since beginning of July. I introduced cardio 2 weeks ago. Not sure if the 1800kcal is finally taking toll, or because I have added cardio.

I can help you if you post your whole workout routine here

Back (Tuesday):-
Deadlift - 3x10 (at least what I used to do)
Bend over barbell row - 3x12
Tbar close grip row - 3 sets pyramid weight (12, 10, 8 reps)
Seated Vbar cable row - 3x12
Wide lat pulldown - 3x12
Close grip pull down - 3x12

Chest (Wednesday):-
Barbell bench - 3 sets pyramid weight (12, 10, 8 reps)
Dumbbell bench - 3 x 10
Chest Flye - 5 x 12
Declined barbell bench - 3 x 12
Cable chest raise - 3 x 12 (burn set)
Push up to failure

Legs (Thursday):-
Squat - 3x10
Leg press - 3x12
Lunges - 3x12
Leg curl - 3x12
Standing calves raise - 5x15

Shoulder (Saturday):-
OHP - 3x10
Side lat raise - 5x12
Rear delt flye - 5x12
Shoulder press - 7 sets (run the rack)

Supplement (Sunday if I have time):-
Pull ups - 40 reps
Sumo deadlift - 3x10
Chest dips - 5x12
Dumbbell bench - 9 sets (run the rack)
Seated calves raise - 5x15

This post has been edited by lingleeyen: Aug 26 2015, 09:19 AM

If you want to cut then forget about hypertrophy. Go heavy with less reps to maintain strength and preserve your muscle.

Btw, you workout in Klang?

I workout in Klang yes.

I am trying to go as heavy as I can, as much rep as I can manage on those major lifts. Prioritise weight first, then reps. But I can't be doing 1 rep of everything with super heavy weight right? I am targeting 5-8 reps.

This post has been edited by lingleeyen: Aug 26 2015, 12:35 PM

Remove all underlined exercises. Change all Bold exercises to 3x5~7.
Remove Sunday if possible.
Preferably add some arm work into your routine.

Focus on maintaining strength while dropping body-weight. Relative strength is a bitch to obtain. Things like 1.5x bw bench can take 1.5~2 years to get. 1x body-weight OHP or 2x body-weight bench can take 3 years to get. So remember that when you drop weigh.

I'll be really happy if you can report back to me here in 2 weeks on how it goes.

This post has been edited by Armesh: Aug 26 2015, 12:36 PM

Oh. Can workout together. Hehe..

Go heavy and low reps for main lifts to maintain/gain strength. You don't wanna lose strength on a cut.

For bulking or cutting. Simply adjust your calorie intake.

Other assistant work you want do any weights or reps its up to you.

Which gym do you go to?

At this moment, only BB bench and row maintain unaffected. OHP is the first to deteriorate, followed by squats, then DL. Both OHP and squats already doing low reps. For DL, I am still not able to deload to a weight that I can do 5 reps.

Yesterday I deloaded to 285 from 315 and only manage to do 4 reps, 2 reps, 1 rep. I am not able to do 1 rep at all at 315 now.

Are u sure u are qualified to coach someone in their routine?

Hi CF member and good progress looking at your current avatar and previous. Grats.

I go Pre Workout Gym House at BBK. RM 5 per entry. Not much machines but they have a nice squat rack.

No comment on your routine as im no expert. I suggest you go for 5/3/1 with more sets; proper pre & post workout meal; have lesser calorie intake on rest day, doesn't have to be 1,800 everyday.

Thanks man. Hoping to gain more strength. Im in a slow cut too.
Good luck to ur cutting

I am seriously considering that high weight low reps on major lifts. Or at least the body condition is forcing me to do that. Cant go high weight high reps like last time anymore.

My pre workout is probably the food i eat along the day. Post workout is approximately 400kcal with protein and carbs, with low low fats.

You think it is a good idea to further cut the 1800? I felt like i run out of food to eat at 1800. Felt like one breakfast, one post workout meal, and thats it, nothing more left in the quota.

I am looking for a gym to switch. I am in gorgeous now and want to switch just to get out of the familiarity. But gorgeous is 80 bucks a month. Gympark and others are slight more expensive. Any idea of other gyms in Klang which is worth surveying? Need to get new gym in 2 months time.

This post has been edited by lingleeyen: Aug 26 2015, 03:53 PM

Yeah. Just focus heavy on the main lifts. Simple as that. Don't complicate things.

Hmm.. I don't really track my calories man.. But the way i maintain strength is to have proper post-workout meal & eat less on rest day while on minor cut..

Gorgeous 80 a month but condition like shit.. That's the reason why i let go my membership.. Maybe u can try CF at KP? I heard its 99 per month.. OR go for pay per entry gym..

Noted bro on the heavy lifts.

I have to track those calories because I get fat easy. At 30 y/o, my metabolisme doesn't really get higher. I will juggle abit here and there, but I would want to maintain that 1800 a day.

Regarding gorgeous, beggars cannot be choosers. It is cheap though I don't like the environment there. I came from FF in BT Jusco which charge me 220 a month. So at that time it was a huge saving there. KP is too far away from my home. I have 1.5 hours to be go gym, do my things, and reach home. Kalu tak nanti bini bising. I stay in Botanic by the way.

Thanks.

You can try to look around GM Klang there or beside Burger King in bukit tinggi. Not sure the price though.. and there's one RM 5 per entry at Bandar ParkLands..

Good luck dude..

For a person that's asking basic questions, your lifts are actually quite strong........

This is my first SENSIBLE cut ever since March 2014. I don't know what will happen. Just trying to ask if people here can help and share what they have been through and how they over come it. The drop in lifts is really demotivating.

The slight drop is expected as u are eating lesser calories.
Cant be helped if u cant maintain lifting the previous.
hope its not dropping to much, might be loss of muscle

I get that point of lifting lesser. It is only demotivating but the cut is working. For the past month I have loose focus on the goal. Lets change thing abit and lets see how it goes.

Bro he's been lifting not even almost for one year and you didn't know?

I do know. Hence why im asking. I trained less than a year too and i do not dare to even give any advice. We are too new to this world

This post has been edited by Killerjeff88: Aug 26 2015, 11:24 PM

This guy even questioned darklight. So i won't even surprised.

Well. Good luck on ur regiment

Yeah i know. Darklight is my coach.

Biar betik bro

Ok then? So u think u will look him when he coaches u? Oh wait is that u on that picture? Lol jk

Im more focused on strength and performance training tho

its pretty normal if u go on diet, ur lifts will b affected. d best u could do is to improve on ur technics / eat at maintenance b4 n d day on heavy.

or mayb u could tweak on ur program. i heard good things ab conjugate methods. its more to physcology thingy where u keeps on smashin PR. not really sure in depth though..

r ur cutting stalled? if its stalled, u need to cut more / adding more volume. imho, d best choice is end d cycle n start anothher after sometime.

Cutting is yet to stall. I can't rely on the scale, else I would have been eating 1000kcal only by now. The image on the mirror seems to have improvement. Will just go on and see what happen in the next 2 months. Lift as much as you can, as heavy as you can people.

1800 kcal is awfully low. You might not want to reduce anymore calories already

Increase your activity level. Get more volume in (after your you finish your main lifts) Throw in longer LISS or put in a few HIIT session in a week.

Never rely on cutting more calories when you hit a plateau. That's your last resort

1800 is low but not awfully when my TDEE is 2100. Im very reluctant to further cut down the calories. Already slowly adding cardios into the play. Also trying to further reduce rest time in between sets.