workout program help like every other post

[gainoot]

Aight so I'm coming back from a 10 day holiday in about 3 days and decided to get some help. Ive been gyming for close to a year now but would only count september onwards as proper training as thats when i jumped on fierce 5 with proper progression. Around november i stalled on fierce 5 (a lot earlier than most) after following all the instructions. I then made my own 4 day fullbody program with 2 heavy and 2 light days (IK IK i shouldnt be making my own but i made progress so i guess it worked. still feel free to gimme a bit of **** for it lol). I used this program till about a week ago which is when i went on holiday but i made significant progress on all major lifts using this as well.
Currently 3x5 bests at bw 63kg
-Bench 60kg
-Squat 100kg
-Deadlift 120kg
-OHP 40kg

Now I know ive made progress but I just feel like I shouldve made more (especially upper body lifts). Also even though I made decent progress on my own program I feel uncomfortable with the uncertainty of using a program ive made myself (even tho I did a decent amount of reading through several sources but primarily the hypertrophy training guide central hub by renaissance periodisation- google it its good).

ANYWAY yeah I'm coming back from my break and want to get back into it on the right program. What are your suggestions? cheers

[mdonnelly80]

Jump back on an established program like F5, SS, or SL. Continue to follow them as they are laid out, make sure your nutrition and recovery protocols are kosher and keep grinding away. You're still a novice lifter will make more significant gains from a tried-n-true program than you will by coming up with your own. Stalling out quickly on a program happens and you just need to make sure you're logging EVERYTHING to figure out how keep making steady gains.

And by EVERYTHING, I do mean EVERYTHING. Log your calories, your sleep, your body weight, poundage/reps, how you felt after every workout, etc..etc.. Once you get all of that together you can start to see the patterns in your training that lead to success and those that cause you to stall out. Little issues can snowball into bigger ones and cause you to plateau if you're not paying attention to them.

For example, this last fall, I had three days where I was slammed busy, my daily diet routine was off (I ate dinner too late) and it screwed up my sleep. I was feeling tired and sluggish but I pushed through my workouts and actually set a DL rep record (I follow 5/3/1). But, even after resting for two days, my workouts the next week went to chit. I could barely hit my prescribed reps on lifts, everything felt heavy and I was just wiped out. I went back, looked at my diet and nutrition logs, realized that I had pushed myself hard (an AMRAP set on deads can be brutal) after sleeping like crap. So, I backed off the following week, only hit my prescribed reps on 5/3/1 and things turned around quickly.

[gainoot]

Jump back on an established program like F5, SS, or SL. Continue to follow them as they are laid out, make sure your nutrition and recovery protocols are kosher and keep grinding away. You're still a novice lifter will make more significant gains from a tried-n-true program than you will by coming up with your own. Stalling out quickly on a program happens and you just need to make sure you're logging EVERYTHING to figure out how keep making steady gains.

And by EVERYTHING, I do mean EVERYTHING. Log your calories, your sleep, your body weight, poundage/reps, how you felt after every workout, etc..etc.. Once you get all of that together you can start to see the patterns in your training that lead to success and those that cause you to stall out. Little issues can snowball into bigger ones and cause you to plateau if you're not paying attention to them.

For example, this last fall, I had three days where I was slammed busy, my daily diet routine was off (I ate dinner too late) and it screwed up my sleep. I was feeling tired and sluggish but I pushed through my workouts and actually set a DL rep record (I follow 5/3/1). But, even after resting for two days, my workouts the next week went to chit. I could barely hit my prescribed reps on lifts, everything felt heavy and I was just wiped out. I went back, looked at my diet and nutrition logs, realized that I had pushed myself hard (an AMRAP set on deads can be brutal) after sleeping like crap. So, I backed off the following week, only hit my prescribed reps on 5/3/1 and things turned around quickly.

Cheers for your reply bro . Yup Ive been tracking macros religiously for the last 7 months and weighing myself/ bf% scale everyday and taking weekly averages as well as tracking each workout. Honestly its one of the reasons i like cutting better as diet is the main stimulus so to speak, whereas while bulking i feel like training becomes a bigger part. Not to say i dont like training but i feel as though i am in more control of my diet as opposed to the progress i make with my training. I definitely agree with all your advice about all the reasons i could have plateaued. However, i do feel i really hit a wall with fierce 5 (stalled after deload and reset on 2 lifts but then reset and tried again and still stalled). Are there any other programs you could recommend apart from the standard ones or should i maybe get onto an U/L F5 or viking barebones program?? Or do you perhaps reckon that after my 10 day diet and gym break I could maybe jump back onto a fullbody and still make progress?

[mdonnelly80]

Cheers for your reply bro . Yup Ive been tracking macros religiously for the last 7 months and weighing myself/ bf% scale everyday and taking weekly averages as well as tracking each workout. Honestly its one of the reasons i like cutting better as diet is the main stimulus so to speak, whereas while bulking i feel like training becomes a bigger part. Not to say i dont like training but i feel as though i am in more control of my diet as opposed to the progress i make with my training. I definitely agree with all your advice about all the reasons i could have plateaued. However, i do feel i really hit a wall with fierce 5 (stalled after deload and reset on 2 lifts but then reset and tried again and still stalled). Are there any other programs you could recommend apart from the standard ones or should i maybe get onto an U/L F5 or viking barebones program?? Or do you perhaps reckon that after my 10 day diet and gym break I could maybe jump back onto a fullbody and still make progress?

Kudos for being conscience of tracking everything my friend. A caloric deficit could explain why you've stalled in this manner. The pragmatic solution would be to up you calories to a maintenance level or bulking level and see how you respond. You'll stall out less often if you have the energy to train. But, I will continue on and toss out some suggestions if you choose to train while cutting.

Programming while you're trying to cut can be a bit tricky at times. You have to be more conscious of your macros, your nutrient timing, etc..etc.. When you're bulking, your body is operating with a surplus of energy and macros and nutrient timing are still important but your body simply has the fuel to work with at all times. When I'm cutting, I have to make sure that a good proportion of my carbs and calories come pre and post workout. I don't tend to follow a macro percentage split when I'm cutting; I just focus on maintaining that caloric deficit. But, I know that I'll need a carb heavy pre-workout snack or meal before I train and then a quality, higher calorie meal afterward to adequately recover.

And, deload periods become extremely important when I'm cutting. I deload every four weeks when cutting and every six-seven when I am maintaining or bulking. I may not feel like I need a deload at that fourth week during a cut but I know I am going to stall soon after if I don't. And, there's a lot of auto-regulation that comes into play when you're cutting as well. I may walk into the weight room feeling good and ready to hit it hard but I'll back off on the volume and intensity if the weights start feeling heavy. And, honestly, there have been times where I have had to deload two weeks into a cycle because I'm just not recovering.

I would recommend one of two routes for you: Starting Strength or 5/3/1 for beginners. The volume is a bit lower on Starting Strength which can help you make more consistent gains if you're cutting. You can auto-regulate with this program by micro-loading when you start to feel sluggish. Toss an extra clamp on each side inside of the barbell instead of a 2.5 or 5 lb plate. You may only be increasing by a couple of pounds but you're still making progress. When you're feeling good, stick with the 5-10lb increases.

I know that Wendler doesn't recommend his program for cutting but I like it because there's a ton of auto-regulation programmed in. If you're tired and the weights feel heavy, just hit the prescribed reps for the big lift and get out. Hammer out a good, hard workout if you're feeling up to it. But, the tricky thing (for me at least) is the AMRAP factor within Wendler's program. It can be difficult for me to recover if I am continually pushing for as AMRAP in this program. So, I just focus on getting 1-2 more reps than I did at a previous weight if I'm cutting. I also do some other things with the program while cutting but they're not appropriate for a novice lifter. I am honestly hesitant to even recommend Wendler given that you're a novice lifter and talking about cutting as it may not be the most appropriate program. This could be some seriously uncharted territory for you but 5/3/1 for beginners is a solid program if you're following the program correctly and learning to auto-regulate. Also, this program has a ton of assistance work tied into it and many folks drool over this when they see it. Be very, very careful with this aspect of the training if you're cutting; I do the bare-bones assistance work when cutting on a Wendler program. You'll see what I am talking about if you hammer out your 5/3/1 sets and then high volume assistance work; you'll be beat up, sore, and your progress will stall quickly.

[gainoot]

Kudos for being conscience of tracking everything my friend. A caloric deficit could explain why you've stalled in this manner. The pragmatic solution would be to up you calories to a maintenance level or bulking level and see how you respond. You'll stall out less often if you have the energy to train. But, I will continue on and toss out some suggestions if you choose to train while cutting.

Programming while you're trying to cut can be a bit tricky at times. You have to be more conscious of your macros, your nutrient timing, etc..etc.. When you're bulking, your body is operating with a surplus of energy and macros and nutrient timing are still important but your body simply has the fuel to work with at all times. When I'm cutting, I have to make sure that a good proportion of my carbs and calories come pre and post workout. I don't tend to follow a macro percentage split when I'm cutting; I just focus on maintaining that caloric deficit. But, I know that I'll need a carb heavy pre-workout snack or meal before I train and then a quality, higher calorie meal afterward to adequately recover.

And, deload periods become extremely important when I'm cutting. I deload every four weeks when cutting and every six-seven when I am maintaining or bulking. I may not feel like I need a deload at that fourth week during a cut but I know I am going to stall soon after if I don't. And, there's a lot of auto-regulation that comes into play when you're cutting as well. I may walk into the weight room feeling good and ready to hit it hard but I'll back off on the volume and intensity if the weights start feeling heavy. And, honestly, there have been times where I have had to deload two weeks into a cycle because I'm just not recovering.

I would recommend one of two routes for you: Starting Strength or 5/3/1 for beginners. The volume is a bit lower on Starting Strength which can help you make more consistent gains if you're cutting. You can auto-regulate with this program by micro-loading when you start to feel sluggish. Toss an extra clamp on each side inside of the barbell instead of a 2.5 or 5 lb plate. You may only be increasing by a couple of pounds but you're still making progress. When you're feeling good, stick with the 5-10lb increases.

I know that Wendler doesn't recommend his program for cutting but I like it because there's a ton of auto-regulation programmed in. If you're tired and the weights feel heavy, just hit the prescribed reps for the big lift and get out. Hammer out a good, hard workout if you're feeling up to it. But, the tricky thing (for me at least) is the AMRAP factor within Wendler's program. It can be difficult for me to recover if I am continually pushing for as AMRAP in this program. So, I just focus on getting 1-2 more reps than I did at a previous weight if I'm cutting. I also do some other things with the program while cutting but they're not appropriate for a novice lifter. I am honestly hesitant to even recommend Wendler given that you're a novice lifter and talking about cutting as it may not be the most appropriate program. This could be some seriously uncharted territory for you but 5/3/1 for beginners is a solid program if you're following the program correctly and learning to auto-regulate. Also, this program has a ton of assistance work tied into it and many folks drool over this when they see it. Be very, very careful with this aspect of the training if you're cutting; I do the bare-bones assistance work when cutting on a Wendler program. You'll see what I am talking about if you hammer out your 5/3/1 sets and then high volume assistance work; you'll be beat up, sore, and your progress will stall quickly.

oops sorry I didnt mean that I was cutting atm. I just meant that I prefer cutting cause i feel im more in control. Sorry my bad didnt put forward clearly that i am bulking and have been since september. Regardless I'll look into all of the programs you've suggested and figure out which one tickles ma fancy. Thoughts on Canditos linear progression program (free one online)??? Cheers so much for ur help

[qottle]

OP, what other sort of advice are you looking for specifically? If you've got a program that's working well for you, just resume it after your holiday. You might take a bit more extra time and care during your warm up since you've been out of the gym. Otherwise, the hardest part about coming back after a vacation is simply mustering up the motivation to get back at it.

[gainoot]

OP, what other sort of advice are you looking for specifically? If you've got a program that's working well for you, just resume it after your holiday. You might take a bit more extra time and care during your warm up since you've been out of the gym. Otherwise, the hardest part about coming back after a vacation is simply mustering up the motivation to get back at it.

Basically the program i had made for myself was somewhat working but obviously im not someone who has had much experience at anything at all even if ive read through a lot of material. I wanted to use this opportunity of the break to get onto a new program but something that is tried and tested as well as something that is more suitable for someone like me that has had probably 6 months of solid lifting experience. So far i am leaning towards the candito program as it seems suitable for the level that im at. but if anyone has any other recommendations I would love them

[TheGymJim]

You followed a professionally written program for a grand total of two months.

Maybe go back on one and actually stick with it...

[Ben0090]

You followed a professionally written program for a grand total of two months.

Maybe go back on one and actually stick with it...

On spread

[gainoot]

You followed a professionally written program for a grand total of two months.

Maybe go back on one and actually stick with it...

Like i said earlier I stalled on it mate. As per the definition in the fierce 5 sticky. Now idk if I just did something wrong or not cause i obviously stalled really early (at least when comparing my lifts to others when they have stalled on fierce 5). So you're saying i could go back and start fierce 5 again and make progress?

[Ben0090]

Like i said earlier I stalled on it mate. As per the definition in the fierce 5 sticky. Now idk if I just did something wrong or not cause i obviously stalled really early (at least when comparing my lifts to others when they have stalled on fierce 5). So you're saying i could go back and start fierce 5 again and make progress?

Were you gaining much bodyweight?

[ironwill2008]

Like i said earlier I stalled on it mate. As per the definition in the fierce 5 sticky. Now idk if I just did something wrong or not cause i obviously stalled really early (at least when comparing my lifts to others when they have stalled on fierce 5). So you're saying i could go back and start fierce 5 again and make progress?

Get back on F5 and work harder. Jumping to something else isn't going to fix anything.

[gainoot]

Were you gaining much bodyweight?

Yeah I put on about 2kgs a month which is a bit over recommended i think but didnt worry about it since im still in my first year of lifting

[gainoot]

Get back on F5 and work harder. Jumping to something else isn't going to fix anything.

aight fair enough thats all i needed. Back on fierce 5 the day I get back home

[WolfRose7]

Like i said earlier I stalled on it mate. As per the definition in the fierce 5 sticky. Now idk if I just did something wrong or not cause i obviously stalled really early (at least when comparing my lifts to others when they have stalled on fierce 5). So you're saying i could go back and start fierce 5 again and make progress?

When you say stalled, how many times did you reset a lift and hit the same weight?
Because you can't really have reset 15% twice in 2 months unless you started to high

If it helps, I reset Pendlays to 40kg 3 times on F5 novice.
After the 3rd time they went from 40 to 60kg without a hitch

[gainoot]

When you say stalled, how many times did you reset a lift and hit the same weight?
Because you can't really have reset 15% twice in 2 months unless you started to high

If it helps, I reset Pendlays to 40kg 3 times on F5 novice.
After the 3rd time they went from 40 to 60kg without a hitch

from memory i began fierce 5 in august but in my signature i had september written probably because thats when i got to a weight that started to challenge me (ye idk why i did this either lmao) . I think end of september i stalled on both bench and squat. so i reset 15% climbed back up to it and stalled again at the same weight. a few weeks after that i started that other program i made and then increased frm thr

Helps a lot bro, motivated to get back on a proper tried and tested routine like F5