Advice and tips

[Calikid32190]

I’ve been posting a lot lately as I’m switching over to the intermediate fierce 5 as I completed the novice program. Started at 135 and I’m up to 146 pounds in about 6 months. I’m 5’8 and my calorie consumption over the 6 months has been 2800 and it has worked perfect for gaining 0.5 a week which is what I want for a slow bulk.

So my first week of intermediate was last week and it felt good I had no problems. It was also the first week I didn’t hit my 0.5 weight gain a week. That week it averaged out to about 0.3-0.4 so slightly off.

I gets it’s going to change as I gain weight I’m going to need to eat more calories. The tips I’ve seen is typically you want to increase by 50-100 calories to keep weight gain at 0.5.

So my second week started today of intermediate and god I felt exhausted. Granted on the program you add 1 rep to all exercises and keep the weight the same but on a lot of my lifts before I even got to the extra one I was finding it tough where I wasn’t finding it super tough the first week.

I also never do deloads or resets since I’ve been working out because I hate not putting in the most work I can do. One thing that always seems to be suggested here is to increase calories if you can’t hit your lifts and I’m wanting to know why this is the case.

If someone has never lifted before and they ate a ton of calories they’re not going to be able to lift heavier just because they’re eating more but I also get that calorie means energy.

So here are my questions, should I increase my calories from 2800? Or should I finish my second week and if for a second week I don’t hit my 0.5 then I know for sure I need to increase food. Second question if I decide to deload do I do it for all my exercises or only the one I’m struggling on? And last question is I’ve been struggling on my RDLs so I took a video of my form and need advice if I’m doing it right or wrong because I feel it in my back sometimes. Not my lumbar arch but my upper back when doing RDL.

Thanks for helping out! And if I’m missing anything just ask and I can provide the info

https://imgur.com/a/sBdZM7v

[air2fakie]

I also never do deloads or resets since I’ve been working out because I hate not putting in the most work I can do.

If you're going to do the program, follow the instructions.

And last question is I’ve been struggling on my RDLs so I took a video of my form and need advice if I’m doing it right or wrong because I feel it in my back sometimes. Not my lumbar arch but my upper back when doing RDL.

Closeup of your butt isn't a good viewing angle for RDL. Take a side view, stop fidgeting with your feet and don't use an empty bar so people can see how your form is when there's resistance.

[Calikid32190]

If you're going to do the program, follow the instructions.



Closeup of your butt isn't a good viewing angle for RDL. Take a side view, stop fidgeting with your feet and don't use an empty bar so people can see how your form is when there's resistance.

I’ll take a side view tomorrow. I wasn’t sure the best angle to take. If I deload is it just that exercise though or all of them? It looks like it’s just that exercise if I’m reading the program correctly. I also may just substitute RDL and front squats with deadlifts and lunges since he said that would be ok and I can lift a lot more in my deadlift then my RDL. My deadlift was at 225 when I switched to intermediate and I’ll keep it at 225 and continue to try to go up

[air2fakie]

If I deload is it just that exercise though or all of them? It looks like it’s just that exercise if I’m reading the program correctly.

Seriously, just read the FAQ. It's pretty clear. You're thinking of resetting not a deload.

[Calikid32190]

Seriously, just read the FAQ. It's pretty clear. You're thinking of resetting not a deload.

Yes deloading is just taking an extra day off. Resetting would be taking the weight down 10% for the intermediate program. So something that isn’t talked about on there is if I take it down by 10% I’ll use my deadlift for example. It’s 225 * 0.1= 22.5 so 20 pounds to make it 205. So the weight would be 205 for 2 weeks on intermediate? Since you only increase the weight ever 2 weeks on the program. After I successfully complete the 205 weight for 2 weeks do I jump back to my 225? or go with 215? which would be the 10 pound increase for lower body.

[Ghawk21]

Yes deloading is just taking an extra day off. Resetting would be taking the weight down 10% for the intermediate program. So something that isn’t talked about on there is if I take it down by 10% I’ll use my deadlift for example. It’s 225 * 0.1= 22.5 so 20 pounds to make it 205. So the weight would be 205 for 2 weeks on intermediate? Since you only increase the weight ever 2 weeks on the program. After I successfully complete the 205 weight for 2 weeks do I jump back to my 225? or go with 215? which would be the 10 pound increase for lower body.

After resetting you don't change the progression, it would remain +1 rep/week and +5 or 10lbs every 2 weeks if you hit reps. So your example you would go back to 205 then 215 after 2 weeks. If you constantly just keep trying to jump back up you're going to continue plateauing. The point of resetting is to accumulate enough volume and ramp intensity back up to bust the plateau. If you never reset then you didn't run the novice properly but you may as well start running the Upper/Lower properly now.

[Calikid32190]

After resetting you don't change the progression, it would remain +1 rep/week and +5 or 10lbs every 2 weeks if you hit reps. So your example you would go back to 205 then 215 after 2 weeks. If you constantly just keep trying to jump back up you're going to continue plateauing. The point of resetting is to accumulate enough volume and ramp intensity back up to bust the plateau. If you never reset then you didn't run the novice properly but you may as well start running the Upper/Lower properly now.

I will start resetting for sure especially on the U/L as it 4 days and more volume so I want to make sure I’m resetting. On the novice program I never reset because I didn’t fail any of the major lifts but I started at a low weight because that’s what he suggested. He said you didn’t want to start at such a high weight because you would stall out fast. This clears up for sure and I’ll definitely reset next week on the lifts I’m failing since I already started this weeks lifts. Thank you for explaining this to me! What about the whole eating more thing? My goal is to stay lean bulking at 0.5 a week. By adding more calories that will make my weight go up by more than 0.5 a week unless I’m truly burning more on the intermediate program. I mean today I could barely talk so they say that’s a good indication of how hard you’re working. The first week wasn’t as tough which is weird to me and maybe this second week is a little more tough because you don’t get as much rest on the U/L as you did on the full body with an extra day of rest.

[Ghawk21]

I will start resetting for sure especially on the U/L as it 4 days and more volume so I want to make sure I’m resetting. On the novice program I never reset because I didn’t fail any of the major lifts but I started at a low weight because that’s what he suggested. He said you didn’t want to start at such a high weight because you would stall out fast. This clears up for sure and I’ll definitely reset next week on the lifts I’m failing since I already started this weeks lifts. Thank you for explaining this to me! What about the whole eating more thing? My goal is to stay lean bulking at 0.5 a week. By adding more calories that will make my weight go up by more than 0.5 a week unless I’m truly burning more on the intermediate program. I mean today I could barely talk so they say that’s a good indication of how hard you’re working. The first week wasn’t as tough which is weird to me and maybe this second week is a little more tough because you don’t get as much rest on the U/L as you did on the full body with an extra day of rest.

You'll also come to find that some days or weeks just suck for no reason, it happens to the best of us. If you aren't gaining weight at the rate you want then yea add 100/calories per day and see how it changes. If you still aren't gaining after 2 weeks add another 100. If you can barely talk after a set make sure you're taking enough rest before the next set. Should be back to talking and breathing fine, especially for big lifts like squats or deads, less important for things like bicep curls.