Kabeetz: Cut Up or Shut Up [OFFICIAL LOG]

[Kabeetz]

WEEK 2
DAY 13

As will be every Thursday, cut results day.

This week:

Pounds: -3.5
Waist: -1.1 inches
Bodyfat %: -1.4 (using the calculator in the training vault, not most accurate perhaps but certainly good for a week to week comparison)

Now it's time to go grill some chicken breast.

 

[Kabeetz]

WEEK 3
Day 1

5x5
WEEK 15
Day 3

5:45 a.m. Went in, focused ready to hit some PRs.

Squat
98x5, 122x5, 147x5, 171x5, 201x3, 147x8

Two things: After my stretching, during the first two sets, I noticed a very odd and distinct, sharp burning sensation running down the outer half of the bottom of my left foot. I'm wondering if the foot isn't staying firmly planted during the lift... the feeling went away but it was odd.

Second: During the 201x3, I noticed that as I was coming up from the hole, about halfway through the "Struggle" transferred from my quads, to my back, which made me realize my back wasn't at 90 degrees and was trying to get back to it as I was returning to the standing position. Which means I'm leaning forward, buckling a bit as I am lowering the weight. F***.

I spoke to a good bro about it and he suggested that pulling down on the bar when i feel my back start to change angle might prevent that in the future...

Bench
86x5, 107x5, 128x5, 150x5, 175x3, 128x8

No question the 175 was tough, but everything went fine. Form was strict.

Row
79x5, 99x5, 119x5, 139x5, 163x3 (fail), 119x8

After the 139 set I spoke a very good bro in my gym who is a amateur BBer and uses BB principles and splits but has great form and strength. I asked him about the shift I felt towards relying on my back to complete the squat and he said that he noticed I was doing that and that I should maybe scale back the weight a little bit, focus on form and build back up over a week or two and would be stronger than ever if I did that.

He also noticed that was I was arching on my rows, and suggested I stand upright holding the bar, then bend forward while staring at the mirror to keep my back straight and arched, bend knees slightly, and do the rows at that point. I tried that for the 3 and got the weight up about 75/80% but couldn't get it to touch my torso without compromising my back.

I have come a tremendously long way in 15 weeks, almost 1/3 of a year making constant gains... and all my lifts are still going strong... but some of this progress is starting to creep in at the expense of form. I am seriously contemplating rolling back 4 weeks (Would a reset like thisthis be considered a deload?), and building back up keeping form strict.

I am leaning towards doing this with the whole program, maybe there are kinks in other lifts I am not yet noticing, but may just do this with the squat and row. I hope to consult with some experienced dudes on this board and figure it out.

Diet drops to 3150 starting today. The cutting doesn't help and may account exactly for what's going on, however I feel it is necessary at this time for my long term personal success in this sport. I want to get to the point where my lifestyle is constantly in the 32-36 inch waist range. I'm not looking to get down to 9% bf here.

 

[*Bunny*]

Hey you! Wishing you a great weekend. My suggestion is to NOT proceed on lifts with bad form, period. You shouldn't start training until you nailed your form.. helps prevent injuries & future imbalances down the road.

 

[Kabeetz]

Hey you! Wishing you a great weekend. My suggestion is to NOT proceed on lifts with bad form, period. You shouldn't start training until you nailed your form.. helps prevent injuries & future imbalances down the road.

Thanks for the advice Bunny, u're absolutely right. I think I have fixed my past form issues, but these two particular new ones creeped up I think because I sacraficed form for PR's. I'm gonna drop back 4 weeks on the squat and row and attack 201 and 163 in 4 weeks and nail them with strict back form. If I can't execute properly, then I'll re-evaluate at that time.

As for the lifting heel while squatting problem, that I was suffering from awhile ago that you advised me on, I have alleviated that 100% in my right foot and the left foot is 95% there, it creeps up when I lose concentration.

Point is my hamstrings and leg muscles or whatever else is in play are making serious adaptation to the movement.

there might be a correlation, too... if I am allowing my back to lean forward, shifting my center of gravity, it stands to reason that my heels might lift slightly off the ground. Dunno. Look forward to working through it and gaining the experience that comes with that.

Can you tell I'm killing time trying to avoid studying for two killer finals tomorrow morning?? BACK TO WORK!! Enjoy your weekend too!

 

[SgtSlaughter]

Yes, definetly set back and correct your form and ramp back up... a deload would suit you if you felt seriously fatigued or weights you think should be going up with no problem are not.

Cutting calories and 5x5 is very hard, but can be done.

I don't remember off hand and didn't read far back to reaclimate myself with your log... so i'm not sure where your stats and body fat are, I do know your progressing and making excellent progress with your last few update posts.

If your bodyfat isn't way out of control, I'd eat clean... eat often and in moderate amounts maintance level and you'd lean out eventually. Adding muscle will help you burn bodyfat too. You'll get there man.

Good luck with finals!

 

[Kabeetz]

SARGE: Thanks for the comments, u might be right about the 5x5 while cutting thing, it's starting to really frustrate...
--------------------

OK I'm gonna try and stay positive here but this is a really disappointing log...

I'm gonna do tuesday/thurs/sat next couple weeks because the gym is closed christmas monday and new year's monday so i am working around that in advance.
squat
88x5 110x5 132x5 154x5 177x5

Dialed back four weeks as discussed. Good run..was hoping the 177 would be BREEZY but it wasn't. Everything was all good nonetheless.

Bench
88x5 110x5 132x5 154x5 175x5

WTF...I'm doing my 5th rep at 175, and no doubt it was a struggle, I mean this is a PR I'm going for... and as I'm lowering the weight some douche comes over and starts spotting me and as I raise it off my chest I get about a 1/5 up and start to struggle and he starts touching the bar and I'm like WTF!!!!!!!!! So it's a friggin FAIL but that's bullshit. I know for a fact I wouldn't have failed if left alone. On the other hand, Rolling back the squat and the rows, maybe I should roll back 4 weeks since I already rolled back the squat and row. Damn it.

Row
72x5 90x5 108x5 126x5 144x5

Again, extra strict on the form, I don't know that my back was perfectly arched on the last couple reps of the 144. At this point in the workout I'm really frustrated.

Hypers
2 x 45 x 8

25 lb. Decline Situps
3 x 5

I stepped on the scale before I left for the gym, and on an empty stomach, and I was over 215. I shouldn't have done it before the weigh in day but I was curious.

I am really hoping it is water weight because if my lifts are slowly slipping AND I'm not even losing bf.... I'm not gonna be able to handle that rationally. The diet has been in check, I'm hoping it was just a water retention issue and will balance itself by Thursday measurement day....

Between the lifting struggling, the mystery spotter, my weight going up, etc. I'm not gonna be in a good mood today.

1 more final left, tonight.

The good news: I dominated those two Saturday finals, if I can perform tonight I think I might have straight A's for like the first time in my life, suckas.

 

[Kabeetz]

8 Week Cut
WEEK 3
Day 21

Measurement time (since last week:

Weight: +7 (This makes no sense to me IMO, I think my scale is off it just doesn't seem to give consistent readings, weight is really not an issue as much as waist inches. I have had a hunch that my scale might be coming in under for some time now, definitely gonna get a digital scale this week.)

Waist: -1 inch now at 39 inches

Bodyfat %: -.8 now at 21.2%

Caloric Intake: was 3150 this week, going to 3000 starting 12/22

Workout
Week 1 (16) Day 2
Decided to do a full deload, only shot I had at getting progress through this cut.... also lot of minor pains need to recuperate and will get the opportunity. So on my 16th week of 5x5 training, I am rewinding to week 11 #'s...

squat 88x5 110x5 135x5 135x5
I decided to use more of a PL hand placement than the narrower "BB" grip I had been using because it was the only placement that wasn't killing my elbow... the extra wide didn't bother it at all and I loved it. Hope to continue this style and should support my back better.

Military 69x5 83x5 97x5 110x5
Good lifts, not a problem... hungry to get back to shooting for 135, bulk is only 5 weeks or so away wooo.

Dead 124x5 149x5 174x5 199x5
Not a challenge in the least and kind of fruity at this weight, definitely gonna fast forward a bit next week.

Tomorrow: Some early morning cardio, and hopefully a haircut!

 

[SgtSlaughter]

do NOT rely on weight as a sign of progress on a diet/cutting phase.

Go by: How clothes fit, how you look in the mirror, how you Feel, ect.

You may add muscle hence the scale "playing tricks" with you.

Use the scale just to find out what you weight, not as a way for tracking progress right now.

That's awesome!! Waist and BF going down... that's what you're lookin' for bro.

Haircuts are a wonderful thing

 

[Kabeetz]

That's awesome!! Waist and BF going down... that's what you're lookin' for bro.

Haircuts are a wonderful thing

Bro, I've never seen my abs and I refuse to die before that happens. Granted that is not the goal of this particular cut, but a long term goal...if I only have one life..I wanna know what those bastards look like before I'm worm lunch.

 

[*Bunny*]

Weight: +7 (This makes no sense to me IMO, I think my scale is off it just doesn't seem to give consistent readings, weight is really not an issue as much as waist inches. I have had a hunch that my scale might be coming in under for some time now, definitely gonna get a digital scale this week.)

Waist: -1 inch now at 39 inches

Bodyfat %: -.8 now at 21.2%

'splain to me why the weight gain wouldn't make sense to you It should make some sense in telling you the scale is not an accurate measure of progress when it comes to FAT loss , you think?