What are your summer goals and programming?

[TAWS6]

My goal was to get lean and maintain muscle/strength. I basically ran a legs, chest/shoulder/tri, rest, back/bi, rest and repeat split to maintain a decent volume and frequency while keeping the workouts shorter. I’m currently down to a 31 waist. Starting to look weaker in clothing lol. Might need to set a new goal soon.

What are your goals for the summer?

[MyEgoProblem]

I Straight up don't set goals for seasons...

Long term goals trump trying to look a certain way for summer - then ruin it for winter. Rinse/repeat for years.

On that note...
My short term goals are - consistency
My med term.goals are - back in the 105kg wc
My long term goals are - national records in m1

My likely result? I'll be too busy to achieve the records but I'll cast a huge shadow in my 40s without the extra kilos in the wrong places

Overall - HUGE W

[Camarija]

Here's where I'm at now.

Spoiler!

Realistically I'm close to my natural limit after about 2.5 years into consistent training.

This will be my last attempt at a dreamer bulk to make an impact on overall size.

My goal is to embrace the bulk for the rest of the year starting today.

I'm already looking forward to seeing how my progress pays off next summer.

[TAWS6]

^^^ you’re really lean. I’m honestly so sick of bulking and cutting lol

[Camarija]

^^^ you’re really lean. I’m honestly so sick of bulking and cutting lol

I think I can't stop because I love to hate the process... something is not right with me :-P

But yeah, I'm too lean for my own liking right now. My brain feels fried. I'm weak af. But getting dates is easy af right now, so the upside is worth it

[MyEgoProblem]

Realistically I'm close to my natural limit after about 2.5 years into consistent training.

With all due respect brother... And i mean this with all the love in the world.

Shut the **** up
You are Selling your self far to short
Not even close to your limit my friend.

You look legit fantastic, But you're about ⅓ of the way there.

Please don't be disheartened by this post, your potential far exceeds this bull**** limit you seem to think you are close to.

Its one thing to stop because you're happy! And you have every right to be please as ****with your results

Its another to stop cos you think you are close u too your peak already..

Give it another 2.5 years of this same effort then ill consider agreeing that its time to maintain and cruise or jump on if that happens to be your end game- until then? Get a grip and keep ****ing pushing

I think I can't stop because I love to hate the process... something is not right with me :-P

This... Is the way!

Swole is the goal
Size is the prize
Letss goooooo

[RapidFail]

I live in Australia, so summer starts in December for me. I've been bulking since February and have gone from 75.7kg (167lb) and about 14% to 79kg (174lb) and maybe 16%. My goal is to continue to bulk to 81-82kg (178-181lb) by October, then go on a 10-week cut for summer, hopefully getting back to 13-14% at a heavier bodyweight than I started this year.

I'll then do some lower volume strength work over the 6 weeks of summer holidays when I hope to achieve my main strength goal for the year - a bodyweight bench press.

[coachcalande]

I’m actually gaining size and strength back after losing some with my weight loss. My performance is improving on all of my lifts but particularly on my ssb squats which is absolutely helping with quad development!

I like size and strength, it’s my why…it’s why I don’t miss workouts. I want to be the thickest, strongest, most massive version of myself possible.

I have strength standards I’d like maintain as a min into and thru my 60s.

Programming:

I train every other day…

Chest, back, shoulders

Rest day

Legs, arms

Rest day

Repeat.

Nowadays I train 100% instinctive, some days 12-14 sets per body part, others more like 16-20.
Reps vary, 15-3 with the occasional single or double. I hit the bulk of my sets in the 5-8 rep range for upper body, a lot of 3-5 for legs right now. I don’t limit myself on sets or reps, it’s all by feel. I want a lot of work and plenty of hard set’s around 75%-85% 1 RM. I want a few sets at 90% max and a few at 60-65% max. None of it makes you smaller.

I’m eating 5-6 meals a day, each with a minimum 50 G protein, a bit of carbs (20-30g)- I don’t add fat, whatever is in my meat, eggs and 1 tbs peanut butter.

My only supplement is whey.


Most of all I just want to stay healthy and ENJOY training. There’s freedom in just doing what feels right day to day. Some days I feel like working fast, chasing a pump, getting boat loads of volume. Other days It’s all big heavy clanging iron and chasing PRS. This is a helluva lot more fun than chasing an illusion or being shackled by some “optimized” progression plan. I can train this way, take my performance tests and see that it works! I also can flip,thru hundreds of videos and photos and see that it works.

Btw, I can do brief 30-45 min workouts if need be but personally, especially in the summer, I like a nice 90 min high volume session. This is my first “free” summer where I’m not training football players- I intend to lift like Mr Olympia, eat a ton and lay around at the beach.

[Camarija]

Give it another 2.5 years of this same effort then ill consider agreeing that its time to maintain and cruise or jump on if that happens to be your end game- until then? Get a grip and keep ****ing pushing

Thank you! My mind is fried and I find myself daydreaming of taking the 'easier' route and jumping on, but you're right. I'll keep it up at least another 2.5 years and reassess. Cheers brother!

[TAWS6]

Thank you! My mind is fried and I find myself daydreaming of taking the 'easier' route and jumping on, but you're right. I'll keep it up at least another 2.5 years and reassess. Cheers brother!

When do you start running into difficulty while cutting down? I can usually get from 15-17 percent to 12% fairly easily.

[paulinkansas]

I'm trying to get down to a weight that starts with a "1". Yesterday my weight started with a "21x".

[Camarija]

When do you start running into difficulty while cutting down? I can usually get from 15-17 percent to 12% fairly easily.

Yeah that sounds about right. After 12% I'll have already been cutting for months, and my overall calories, and carbs (under 150 g net carbs), get relatively low. I can tell I'm just burning through my glycogen stores. During my next cut I'm planning on taking maintenance breaks every 4 to 6 weeks, for a week or two at a time. Hopefully I won't have to cut into calories and carbs so hard next time.

[TAWS6]

Yeah that sounds about right. After 12% I'll have already been cutting for months, and my overall calories, and carbs (under 150 g net carbs), get relatively low. I can tell I'm just burning through my glycogen stores. During my next cut I'm planning on taking maintenance breaks every 4 to 6 weeks, for a week or two at a time. Hopefully I won't have to cut into calories and carbs so hard next time.

I'm on week 8. Right at 1900 calories a day. I haven't taken a diet break but I have probably done 4-5 re-feed days. Stopping at 12 percent and staying there for a few weeks would probably be a great idea.

[TAWS6]

Welp the scale flashed 167 lbs today. Time to end the cut. I’m literally cold all the time now. Going to jump back on the Fierce 5 LULPP for a good year and bulk back up into the 180s.

[EliKoehn]

I'm having some motivation wane issues which I haven't had consistently in years. I trained consistently and hard last year and for most of the year was really enthusiastic about it, making both strength gains and at the end of the year getting into a healthy weight range. This year I've reeled back a lot of the physique progress even though I finally hit a big milestone in strength.

The biggest goal for me right now is to be below 230 again by the time fall hits, and also improve my fitness. Everything else training-wise is secondary to that right now. The good news is, I've done it before, know what it looks and feels like, and know how to get there. Keeping that spark aflame is the challenge at the moment, not just to train casually, but to be driven and eager for it.

My goal is to embrace the bulk for the rest of the year starting today.

I'm already looking forward to seeing how my progress pays off next summer.

Dude, could I not persuade you to take up powerlifting-style training again and compete with me on on the big lifts? Oh wait, I need to focus on fitness and weight loss. That would be a lot of fun though. You're way way more aesthetic than me but I think we're at pretty similar strength level.

[Camarija]

I’m literally cold all the time now.

Lol, even in the sun on the beach I still feel chilly ~ 4 weeks after ending my cut

Enjoy the bulk brother

The biggest goal for me right now is to be below 230 again by the time fall hits

...

Keeping that spark aflame is the challenge at the moment, not just to train casually, but to be driven and eager for it.

This dude who just yells at you while running for some reason inspires me to man up.



There's also the Zyzz videos lol

Dude, could I not persuade you to take up powerlifting-style training again and compete with me on on the big lifts? Oh wait, I need to focus on fitness and weight loss. That would be a lot of fun though. You're way way more aesthetic than me but I think we're at pretty similar strength level.

Thanks brother! Maybe at the end of my bulk. I'll need to take 5 to 10 weeks of much lower volume training while maintaining my new weight, and the big 3 may work well there



The bulk is going well right now because I get the advantage of being lean fresh from the cut while loading up on carbs to blow up (~189 lbs dry in the morning)

Every time I go to the beach I get a lot of compliments and women just come to me, it feels pretty awesome tbh

I know this won't last long the deeper I get into the bulk, just need to mentally prepare myself for it

[safcpaul]

Goal is to continue bulking for the foreseeable. Started adding more volume and seeing how my body responds to it. Might get lean for next summer

[therealocgamer]

Goal is lose about 70lbs over the next 12-18 months, build lean muscle.

[TAWS6]

Lol, even in the sun on the beach I still feel chilly ~ 4 weeks after ending my cut

Enjoy the bulk brother

it

Yeah it sucks. New goal is a 550 dead lift. Definitely going to need to be low 180s. I’m thinking of gaining about a lb per month and take my time.

[EliKoehn]

Yeah it sucks. New goal is a 550 dead lift. Definitely going to need to be low 180s. I’m thinking of gaining about a lb per month and take my time.

That would be an excellent pull in the 180s. 3x bodyweight deadlift in the 500s would be highly advanced. I'll want to have gotten a 550 pull by the end of next year, at the latest, but I would be very happy to get that weighing 225-235.

[TAWS6]

That would be an excellent pull in the 180s. 3x bodyweight deadlift in the 500s would be highly advanced. I'll want to have gotten a 550 pull by the end of next year, at the latest, but I would be very happy to get that weighing 225-235.

I’m going to base both lower days around the squat and DL. I think energy management will be key the stronger you get. I’m basically building on the skeleton of the fierce 5 lulpp. Heavy singles on the 5’s weeks as well. Here’s what my programming is going to look like.

Lower A- Squat 3x5*-6, assistance work lighter by design leg ext 3x8-10, leg curl 3-10-12, calf, ab

Lower B- DL 3x5*-6, squats 3x8-9 at maintenance weights to keep motor skills high but not break an advanced lifter. Leg curl 3x10-12, calf/abs



The grind is on

[userKCE2FBSXXR8]

My goal is to gain 2kg muscle by doing lean bulk then, cut all the way to 12% bf next summer(April 2023). If my body fat gets into 20%, i will be doing mini cut for 4 weeks maybe. For training part, since this will be my first serious bulk, i will be using fierce five program. Any thoughts?

[coachcalande]

I’m going to base both lower days around the squat and DL. I think energy management will be key the stronger you get. I’m basically building on the skeleton of the fierce 5 lulpp. Heavy singles on the 5’s weeks as well. Here’s what my programming is going to look like.

Lower A- Squat 3x5*-6, assistance work lighter by design leg ext 3x8-10, leg curl 3-10-12, calf, ab

Lower B- DL 3x5*-6, squats 3x8-9 at maintenance weights to keep motor skills high but not break an advanced lifter. Leg curl 3x10-12, calf/abs



The grind is on

Lower B, I’d suggest leg press vs squats just due to low back fatigue after those DLS.

The alternating squat /DL focus will be enough to keep posterior chain well stimulated yet allow recovery. Just the old man’s two cents.

[weiss1967]

My goal this summer is consistency. I have been missing workouts too often lately. So it is rather a mental strength goal.

[coachcalande]

My goal this summer is consistency. I have been missing workouts too often lately. So it is rather a mental strength goal.

Consider a 2 day split training just every other day. Solves a lot of issues with motivation and or a busy life.

[TAWS6]

Lower B, I’d suggest leg press vs squats just due to low back fatigue after those DLS.

The alternating squat /DL focus will be enough to keep posterior chain well stimulated yet allow recovery. Just the old man’s two cents.

Unfortunately I don’t have a leg press.