Weight gain stops as RPE goes up

[TryingBB]

Edit: Look at post 4 for my moving average weight log.

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I’m pretty sure I’m not making a mistake counting calories cuz my weight goes up and down based on my panned caloric intake - till the last couple month.

What’s changed in last couple months? Ive switched to greyskull AND I’ve pre-planned a Deload week. My workouts and daily activity has stayed pretty much the same.

I am 5ft 8in and 170lbs eating about 2600 calories a day. I Was eating 2800-2900 a day and gaining 0.5lbs a week and working Ballz to the wallz on AllPro. When I switched programs weight jumped to incur calories down a little. Weight fluctuates majorly when RPE in workout changes - hence this confusion.

I am following greyskull LP and every workout add 2.5lbs to upper body and 5lbs to lower body lifts. I Deload every 5 weeks During deloads I’ve been eating the same calories as regular workout weeks.

During Deload week my average weight jumps up 1 to 2lbs. Then during the first couple weeks average weight is up 0.5lb or so. During week 3 and week 4 average weight stays the same.

I’ve even added 50 calories a day every week and weight won’t go up.

Should I just consider this to be due to glycogen levels? Should I increase more than 50 calories a day?

Or does increasing intensity really cause that much more calories burnt?

Week 1 I’m at RPE 8
Week 2 RPE 8.5-9
Week 3 RPE 9-9.5
Week 4 and week 4 RPE 9.5-10

I’m asking cuz maybe I’m burning muscle hitting RPE 9.5-10 and should just reset weights after week 4?

[AdamWW]

What do you mean ‘burning muscle’?

[TryingBB]

Loosing muscle. Like Damaging more muscle than necessary while workout? I sound crazy even to myself lol

Lol I dunno. Trying to keep my gains.

Over a month my weight gain is 2lbs as planned. The thing is I gain 1lb in Deload week. 0.5 in week 1 and week 2. Barely any in week 3. And then it stays the same.

I’m wondering what the heck?!?

[TryingBB]

to prove i'm not crazy LMAO - look at my "Moving Average Weight column". Every week I've added 50 calories a day since the week of Dec 30th.

[WolfRose7]

There's no way you are "burning muscle",
But if you aren't getting on with ramped intensity then don't ramp intensity, there's no specific benefits to it.

If you aren't gaining weight, slowly add calories

[EliKoehn]

You increased your caloric intake by an almost negligible amount and are concerned that you're not seeing dramatic changes in such a short span of time as 4 weeks?

50 calories a day for 4 weeks would likely not even amount half a pound, which is pretty much what you're logging.

[AdamWW]

The real question is: are you getting stronger?

If so, the weight on the scale does't matter much because you're holding plenty of extra fat...

[TryingBB]

There's no way you are "burning muscle",
But if you aren't getting on with ramped intensity then don't ramp intensity, there's no specific benefits to it.

If you aren't gaining weight, slowly add calories

The program calls to add weight to bar every workout and that’s what I do. Adding bar increases the intensity for me. It’s almost never like last week and this week were both RPE 8.5. RPE goes up by 0.5 to 1 for me every time I add the weight.

[TryingBB]

You increased your caloric intake by an almost negligible amount and are concerned that you're not seeing dramatic changes in such a short span of time as 4 weeks?

50 calories a day for 4 weeks would likely not even amount half a pound, which is pretty much what you're logging.

I’m adding 50 additional calories a day.

Week 1: 2500
Week 2: 2550
Week 3: 2600
Week 4: 2650
Week 5: 2700

Back to week 1

My average weight has stayed around 170 since dec 6th even though I’m eating 100 more calories a day since then.

Before that I was eating 150 less than this week.

Deload week and week 1 my weight jumps like a fuker. Why in the world do I have these wierd issues? lol

Look at my post 4 in desktop mode and you’ll see a continuous log of weight for last 2 months. Baffles me..

[TryingBB]

The real question is: are you getting stronger?

If so, the weight on the scale does't matter much because you're holding plenty of extra fat...

Yes I am getting stronger. I’ve lifted the weights I’m lifting now before - but with chittier form. So that’s one improvement.

I’ll know more about my strength gains in another 3 weeks or so after my deload week feb 3rd to feb 10th. Can’t wait!

[Mrpb]

The real question is: are you getting stronger?

If so, the weight on the scale does't matter much because you're holding plenty of extra fat...

This ^^^.

And to add: are you getting stronger in the medium rep ranges over multiple sets? Because that's what matters.

[TolerantLactose]

Yes I am getting stronger. I’ve lifted the weights I’m lifting now before - but with chittier form. So that’s one improvement.

I’ll know more about my strength gains in another 3 weeks or so after my deload week feb 3rd to feb 10th. Can’t wait!

Have you been getting steadily stronger over the long term or do you mean stronger from week to week until you hit your wall and wind up at square one? My inference from your threads is that it's been the latter.

[TryingBB]

This ^^^.

And to add: are you getting stronger in the medium rep ranges over multiple sets? Because that's what matters.

I am on Geeyskull Lp. 2x5 and 1xAMRAP
Add 2.5lbs to every upper body lift and 5lb to lower body lift every workout.

Reset 10% if fail to get 4 reps in the first set


Is that a good program to be on? I’m considering switching to 3x6-8 or maybe even 3x6-9 or even 3x6-10

What’s the best for muscle mass and aesthetics?

[Mrpb]

What’s the best for muscle mass and aesthetics?

The program that you can adhere to and gets you progressively stronger in the medium rep ranges over multiple sets.

Lifting the same weight as before, just with a little better form isn't what we're looking for, although it's a start.

[WolfRose7]

The program calls to add weight to bar every workout and that’s what I do. Adding bar increases the intensity for me. It’s almost never like last week and this week were both RPE 8.5. RPE goes up by 0.5 to 1 for me every time I add the weight.

Ah I see, though if it's not working for you I wouldn't necessarily stick to linear progression, it runs out for all of us eventually.

It's perfectly fine to cap RPE @8 (on any program) and let weight naturally increase as you get bigger and stronger.

[TryingBB]

Ah I see, though if it's not working for you I wouldn't necessarily stick to linear progression, it runs out for all of us eventually.

It's perfectly fine to cap RPE @8 (on any program) and let weight naturally increase as you get bigger and stronger.

If I did cap RPE @ 8, how do I progress?
If I was doing 3x5 or even 3x8, what would that look like?

I’m guessing it would be
set 1 @ RPE 6-7
Set 2 @ RPE 7-8
Set 3 @ RPE 8-9

add weight to the bar when RPE on set 3 feels like RPE 7-8?

Is that right? I’d be struggling to stop at the right RPE on set 1 though is that how it’s supposed to work?