Anarchy & Agony - SuffolkPunch's C&P training

[ulsak]

Yeah, my goals are bodyweight based... but it would also be nice to have a lean torso. This isn't my main goal but if it's taking steps towards my long term goal then its all good. In theory I could reach all my goals at the same time by cutting down to 80kg (assuming no strength loss) but I really want to meet them at 85kg BW. At least this will give me room to go on a prolonged mass gain phase.

Actually I had a general question as well for the "older guys" - do you do below parallel low bar back squats? I'm just starting to think my hip isn't going to like it and I should try switching to high bar and see how I get on. It's not so balanced in terms of quad/ham development but I get plenty of cleans and deadlifts so that should be no problem.

My goal is always to hit well below pararell. But I'm not too good squatter yet, still fighting hard to maintain a good form at high squatting so I haven't tried low bar style yet. So I can't tell.

edit: crazy presses !

[SuffolkPunch]

^^ I like the high bar... it is better for my hips so far and I am going deep. The weight is about half way between my low bar and front squat so I guess that makes sense.

Weight: 83.5kg! Must be a blip - I am comfortably on the last notch of my belt for the first time in many years though...

Bench press:
Lots of triples with 92.5kg. finished off with a 4x92.5kg

Weighted pullups:
Lots of triples with 20kg. A bit easy, finished off with 6x20kg

Incline DB bench:
8 x 26kg
8 x 26kg
8 x 26kg
6 x 26kg

Heavy triples not to failure, many sets, short rests = the best way to train on a cut IMO.

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 83.5 - going to INCREASE calorie intake... Even allowing for glycogen levels, I am still losing 600g per week - would rather slow it down and have better workouts.

Power clean and front squat combos:
1 x PC + 1 x FS x 100kg
1 x PC + 1 x FS x 100kg
1 x PC + 1 x FS x 100kg
1 x PC + 1 x FS x 100kg
1 x PC + 1 x FS x 100kg
1 x PC + 1 x FS x 100kg
1 x PC + 1 x FS x 100kg
1 x PC + 1 x FS x 100kg
1 x PC + 1 x FS x 100kg
1 x PC + 3 x FS x 100kg

Dumbell curl and press: about 10 singles with 32kg

DB press: 13 x 22kg

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight 83.6

Bench press:
4 x 90kg
4 x 90kg
4 x 90kg
4 x 90kg
4 x 90kg

Pullups:
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg

Powerclean: lots of singles with 90kg

Dips: 20

Hamstring curls...

-- Trying to use the many low rep sets method without hitting failure. For both the main exercises above I will have to repeat the effort until it feels like I can keep knocking out 4 rep sets with only short rests between. This is IMO the best way to train during a cut because you can feel your body run out of steam on higher rep sets but a short rest between lower rep sets still allows you to put in a good performance.

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 84.1 - have not been dieting properly last two days. Will probably have a break this weekend too.

Deadlift:
3 x 170kg
3 x 170kg
3 x 170kg
3 x 170kg
3 x 170kg

Military press:
3 x 65kg
3 x 65kg
3 x 65kg
3 x 65kg
3 x 65kg
3 x 65kg
3 x 65kg
7 x 60kg

Shrugs: 3 x 15 x 140kg

[SuffolkPunch]

Checking in new low weight reached.

Weight: 82.6kg

Seeing a full sixpack when I stand *just so* in the right light at the right time of day when Venus is in Orion.

Power clean:
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 100kg -- 100kg is officially my biatch.

Behind neck push press:
3 x 80kg
3 x 80kg
3 x 80kg
3 x 80kg
3 x 80kg
3 x 80kg
3 x 80kg
3 x 80kg
3 x 80kg
3 x 80kg

Behind neck press: 5 x 50kg
Machine hamstring curls and calf raises
DB press: 12 x 22kg

[ulsak]

Dat neverending pursue for aesthetics!



Good Job! PC:s are awesome and you seem to pwn those btn aswell

[SuffolkPunch]

^ Thanks m8, yes its a silly preoccupation but it's still part of my ultimate vision - advanced numbers, all round strength, resilience and rippedness...!

I thought I'd post a workout that wasn't just pulling and overhead pressing...

Bench press:
3 x 95kg
3 x 95kg
3 x 95kg
3 x 95kg
3 x 95kg
3 x 95kg
3 x 95kg
3 x 95kg
3 x 95kg
3 x 95kg -- will repeat with tighter rest pauses

Incline bench press:
5 x 60kg
5 x 62.5kg
5 x 65kg
5 x 67.5kg
5 x 70kg
8 x 60kg

Pressups

Going to be doing some building work during my cut so I will be reducing weights to bare essentials for a few weeks. Eventually I will have a new garage which has space at the back for my power cage. The only slight snag is that I don't have that much overhead room. I'm thinking of having a shallow pit inside my cage to stand in when doing overhead presses.

[SuffolkPunch]

Ouch! my back is sore, I am not doing most of my usual lifts ATM. But I am doing more isolated versions.

Today:
- seated barbells press
- DB rows
- chest supported row machine
- pullups
- pulldowns
- DB overheads

Weight target almost reached! Currently 82.1kg - target 81.8kg which should be around 11%

Next two weeks will see me doing a lot of construction work so I'll only be snatching workouts when I can. I will be levelling off - upping calories as much as possible while maintaining indicated weight.

After that, I will be working my way back up to 85kg slowly...

Bulking plan:
I have been doing some more reading (Brad Schoenfeld and Trevor Kashey this time) - but it does tend to support my current views so no huge changes here:

Scheme: Still very fluid but I shall work each target lift twice a week... once with a tension/volume (TV) workout, once with a metabolic fatigue (MF) workout

Tension/volume: Use around 80% of 1RM, aim for many sets of 1-5 reps, short rest pauses, every set 1-2 reps from failure. Increase when possible. Aim for at least 20 reps total. Apply to main lifts only

Metabolic fatigue: Weight not so important, use for main lifts and accessories. Aim for at least 3 sets of 6-12 reps , hitting failure is OK once or twice in a session. BB style, feel the contraction, aim for a pump/burn bro . Not aiming to increase reps regularly - but AM aiming for high level of effort and commitment. Progression will make itself known during TV exercises.

Pre/Rehab: as before this is done as required - 15-25 reps done smoothly and not to failure. Apply to problem muscles: lower back, neck etc.

Perdiodisation: Generally increase overall workload over time, aiming to overreach - and as and when I feel I can. Back off by reducing both tension and volume at times when I feel I need a break. Ensure that I feel fresh before putting the hammer down again.

Example:

- Squat TV, Upper Back MF (incl bis)
- Military TV, chest MF
- Deadlift TV, abs, shrugs
- off
- Bench TV, Legs and posterior chain MF
- Pullups TV, Shoulders MF
- off

[SuffolkPunch]

Here we go!

Just finished 2 weeks of hard physical labour (building an extension to my house). My back and hamstrings are in poor condition and I have lost weight too fast despite eating what I want everyday.

starting base for mass gain phase
Weight: 80kg
Waist: 81cm - my weightlifting belt no longer fits
Bodyfat: about 11%, I have a blurry 6pack. I don't take physique photos so if you don't believe me you can GTFO

Tension-Volume: High Bar Back Squat day
- 3 x 5 x 110kg - piss poor. My back is dicey and my hamstrings wanted to cramp up after the last set. But I can tell I will be sore tomorrow...

I intend to progress this to 7x5 - then make a 5kg jump to the next weight and drop down to triples. The scheme for deads and powercleans will probably be different but this is how I will apply TV to bench, military and weighted pullups.

Metabolic fatigue: Upper back and bis:
Superset:
- 4 sets of 10 bent reverse grip barbell rows
- 4 sets of 5 wide grip pullups

The weight of these is irrelevant. What matters is slow deliberate contractions and that I build FATIGUE of course. Every set is taken to within 0-2 reps of failure. I shall vary exercises over time.

Incline DB curls: 3 x 7
Close grip pullups: one set to failure

It was a good workout despite the bad squat - hopefully dat dere muscle memory will kick in and my back will improve. Stay tuned.

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 80.8kg

TV: Military press:
4 x 60kg
3 x 60kg
3 x 60kg
3 x 60kg
3 x 60kg
3 x 60kg
-- a bit low for me but hopefully it will all come back quickly. Later sets were actually smoother and felt more fluid

MF: Chest:
Incline BB bench: 50kg: 10,9,8,7

Superset:
- Band tricep pushdowns: 3 x 15 x red (doubled)
- DB flyes: 3 sets with 13.5kg DBs

[SuffolkPunch]

81kg

TV: Deadlift:
(Powercleans to 3 x 90kg)
2 x 160
2 x 160
2 x 160
8 x 140
-- taking it very easy due to my back injury... also have MAJOR leg DOMS which doesn't help

MF: shrugs and abs:
Hanging leg raise: 3 sets, last one to failure
Shrugs (strict): 3 sets with 130kg
Ab crunch machine: 3 sets to failure. This is quite good actually - if you hold the tension on between each rep

[SuffolkPunch]

81.3kg

Bench Press:
90kg: 5, 4, 4, 3, 3 -- started off too high. Generally I would only want to see 1 or 2 different numbers of reps per set. Try for sets of 4 next time.

Legs and PC:
Low bar back squat: 3 sets of 8-10 with 100-105kg
Leg press: 3 plates per side: 12, 12, 15
Cable pullthrough: 3 sets: 13, 15, 20
Hamstring curl: 1 set to burn out

Today was a bit of a turning point since my back feel virtually better and my leg DOMS has died down to a dull roar. Time to renew it

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 81.3kg -- on target

Weighted Pullups:
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg
3 x 20kg
3 x 20kg
3 x 20kg
3 x 20kg
3 x 20kg
3 x 20kg

Shoulders:
Behind neck press: 40-45kg with around 4 sets of 8 reps
Lateral raises: 3 x 10-12 x 14kg
Military press: 13 x 40kg -- burnout

[SuffolkPunch]

81.4kg - spot on

High bar back squat:
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
-- I want 6x5 before adding 5kg and dropping down to 3 reps

Back and bis:
T bar row: 4 sets of 8, rising weight
Lat pulldown: 4 sets of 6-12
Cable pullthrough: 2 x 15
Incline DB curl: 14kg: 8,8,7
10 x BW chins

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 81.1kg - eat moar

Military press:
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
-- much better than last time.

Chest and tris:
Neck weighted dips +15kg: 8,8,8,7
Incline BB press: fatigue sets to from 4 x 60kg 10 x 30kg
DB flyes: slow and low: 12kg, 9kg...
Neck work
Tricep pressdowns: 1 set to F

[ulsak]

Been away for a while. But hey! You are almost vanishing but still awesome lifts!

[SuffolkPunch]

Hi U - my lower body lifts seem to have been affected - not sure if because of weight loss or recent spate of injuries (hip, lower back, hamstring etc). Anyhow, I seem to be recovering my strength in sizeable chunks

Deadlift:
3 x 160kg
3 x 160kg
3 x 160kg
3 x 160kg

Shrugs and abs:
Ab wheel rollouts: standing, full ROM: 3, 3, 3

Shrugs: 110kg: 15 (no straps), 20

Experimented with doing a stiff leg deadlift - but concentrating on curling from the spine, keeping hips still - does not really work. Next time I'll try a deficit deadlift instead

Ab crunch machine - very good finisher.

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 81.6kg - bloated

Had to skip my rest day AND I got about 3 hours sleep last night. So I knew this would be a crap workout:

Bench press: 90kg: 4, 4, 4, 3

Low bar back squat: 100kg: 10, 10, 10

Some calf raises aaand I'm done

[ulsak]

yeap, would be a decent work an average joe.. go and get some sleep bro!

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 81.8kg (bloated)

Tomorrow I can't train so I am compressing days into one today. When this happens, it's the MF exercises that have to give way.

High bar back squat:
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
-- Good, increase by 5kg. This is a big jump but I must do no more than 3 reps per set next time. Can only increase that when I get to 8x3

Military press:
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
3 x 60kg - poop. this is why we don't put two TV exercises on the same day

Wide grip pullups:
10 x BW
9 x BW
6 x BW
6 x BW -- burned out by now.

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 81.8kg

Deadlift:
3 x 160kg
3 x 160kg
3 x 160kg
3 x 160kg
2 x 160kg
2 x 160kg
-- The point of this style of training is to 'master' the weight across all your chosen rep ranges. I am not going to apply exact rules but at the moment, 3 reps @ 160kg feels to hard to say I've mastered it.

Ab wheel: rollouts from standing, full ROM
3 x BW
3 x BW
3 x BW
3 x BW - OTOH, I feel like I have almost mastered this rep range.

Long throw power shrugs (like a mixture between rack pulls and PS): 4x4x180kg -- from knee height

Chins: BW: 4,6,15
Seated cable row: MF style training, 3 sets

[ulsak]

good volumes bro! What is the abbr. "TV" for?

[SuffolkPunch]

good volumes bro! What is the abbr. "TV" for?

Thanks m8

TV = tension and volume. Just a balance between the two. I like to do many sets of low reps with a weight heavy enough so that each rep is hard - but so that I can keep knocking out more sets without any sudden burnout happening

MF = metabolic fatigue, more like typical bodybuilder training. Using lighter weight and higher reps, deliberately holding tension or doing slower reps and feeling the contraction. The idea is to feel a lactic acid burn and generate fatigue to the point where the weight used has to be dropped right down.

[ulsak]

Thanks m8

TV = tension and volume. Just a balance between the two. I like to do many sets of low reps with a weight heavy enough so that each rep is hard - but so that I can keep knocking out more sets without any sudden burnout happening

MF = metabolic fatigue, more like typical bodybuilder training. Using lighter weight and higher reps, deliberately holding tension or doing slower reps and feeling the contraction. The idea is to feel a lactic acid burn and generate fatigue to the point where the weight used has to be dropped right down.

interesting methods, had a brief talk about such in my gym instructors course I had a couple of weeks ago. Will need to go supplementary training to learn more about that.

[SuffolkPunch]

The hard part for me is not pushing it to the point of failure. Although it's not failure that's the problem per se, I think the thing that we should be trying to avoid is the sudden drop in performance. It's like a safety valve being blown and it essentially spoils the rest of the workout. I believe that most other good programs like 5.3.1 have their own way of tackling this issue using conservative training maxes and starting the session with lighter sets. For me, it's the idea of doing repeatable sets - yes fatigue builds up and you can't keep doing them indefinitely but you should not for example have a workout like this:
5,5,5,3,3,2 reps

This is better IMO:

4,4,4,4,4,4,3,3,3

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 81.1kg - huh? Think I'm dehydrated. Keep drinking, keep pissing

Bench press:
90kg: 4,4,3,3,3,3,3
-- a bit dissapointing but at least the set structure was more consistent with how I intend to run TV exercises

Lower body MF:
1 x Powerclean + front squats (+ stiff leg deadlifts without putting the bar down)
5 x 60kg + 5 x SLDL
5 x 65kg + 5 x SLDL
5 x 70kg + 5 x SLDL
5 x 75kg + 5 x SLDL
8 x 80kg
6 x 80kg -- fail on 7th
10 x 70kg -- brutal

Hamstring curl machine: 4 sets, last two to failure

This was a brutal session. I rarely feel faint when bulking but I did today. I had to sit on a bike for a few minutes after to help work out some of the lactic acid

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight 81.6kg

Weighted Pullups - TV:
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg
4 x 20kg
3 x 20kg
3 x 20kg -- 30 reps - good showing.

Shoulders MF:
4 sets of military presses with 40-50kg, 5-8 reps

3 sets of lateral raises with 15kg 8-10 reps

3 sets of 10 x 15kg DB presses (done slow)

I attempted some neck work with a band but it's very awkward, I need to do this at the works gym using their cable attachment

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 82.4kg - very bloated

High bar back squat TV: New weight - only 3 rep sets allowed
3 x 115kg
3 x 115kg
3 x 115kg
3 x 115kg
3 x 115kg
3 x 115kg
3 x 115kg
3 x 115kg -- had more

Upper back MF:
Reverse grip BB row: many sets from 60 - 80kg, 6-10 reps
Wide grip pullups: 4 x 5 x BW - slowed tempo

[SuffolkPunch]

Weight: 82.4kg - bloated!

Military press TV:
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg
4 x 60kg -- grinder
3 x 60kg -- grinder
-- Pretty good considering I have a cold coming on. Reps all had good fast tempo

Chest MF:
Flat BB bench: many sets of 6-8 with 60-70kg
Neck exercises
Pushups to failure
Dips to failure