5x5 cutter advice

[ZGzaZ]

Hey guys, I've been running the intermediate for 19 weeks now, and I promised myself when I got to a target weight, I would do a small cutter. I'd like to stay on the 5x5, but am unsure how that would work being 19 weeks in.

Do I stay at the current weights, and try to keep pushing a few more weeks? (Not really going to work being at a calorie defecient), or do I immediately deload at the start of my cut, and work back up from there?

 

[enigma4dub]

you might not need to cut calories drastically.maybe just eat cleaner for 5 weeks and you might get to where you need to be. I think you should continue to push forward with the heavy weights and cut volume when necessary.

 

[SgtSlaughter]

Keep pushing.

Eat reasonably "big" but very clean... calories are not always just "calories" IMO ...


HIIT sprints would help too.

 

[ZGzaZ]

Thanks guys, problem is I already do eat very clean, but I will see if I can improve it futher.

Would adding in HIIT sprints for 15-20 mins 2 times per week be benefical or counterproductive to me at this point? How about maintenance cals with HIIT sprints 2x week? Possible to lose some fat?

 

[enigma4dub]

sprinting can be taxing on your posterior chain. a reduction in calories, adding sprints and conitnuing to progress in squats could prove to be difficult. but you will have to make that determination.

you said you already eat super clean. is your diet posted anywhere so that we can have a look? i know this recomp is something you want to do, but to play devils advocate, is it really necessary at this point? you look pretty lean to me. with 19 consecutive weeks of terrific progress, is now the best time for this? plus beach weather is a little ways off still

 

[ZGzaZ]

sprinting can be taxing on your posterior chain. a reduction in calories, adding sprints and conitnuing to progress in squats could prove to be difficult. but you will have to make that determination.

you said you already eat super clean. is your diet posted anywhere so that we can have a look? i know this recomp is something you want to do, but to play devils advocate, is it really necessary at this point? you look pretty lean to me. with 19 consecutive weeks of terrific progress, is now the best time for this? plus beach weather is a little ways off still

Very good points Enigma, with regards to the sprinting though, I wasn't going to reduce cals, but keep them at maintenance and add in some sprints. But I can still see this being difficult to progress in squats with....

I don't think I've posted my diet anywhere, mainly because it varies so much from day to day... but I do eat pretty clean and stay pretty lean. I think I'll take your advice and keep going for a while, and maybe do sprints 1x per week, the day before my light squat day.

 

[Kabeetz]

UNLESS your waistline is at a point you are severely uncomfortable with, OR, you are somehow feeling unhealthy from a combination of dirty bulking and a lack of cardio (which you said isn't the case)..

Ride the wave until you stall bro. Take my advice because I made that decision and I regret it. General tendency would dictate that you've probably got a couple more weeks to with the non stop PRs but then again who knows!!!! Don't cut short a run like you're having.

 

[ZGzaZ]

UNLESS your waistline is at a point you are severely uncomfortable with, OR, you are somehow feeling unhealthy from a combination of dirty bulking and a lack of cardio (which you said isn't the case)..

Ride the wave until you stall bro. Take my advice because I made that decision and I regret it. General tendency would dictate that you've probably got a couple more weeks to with the non stop PRs but then again who knows!!!! Don't cut short a run like you're having.

My waist is about 35 as of right now, so i'm not too uncomfortable with it...the main reason I felt the need to cut back is that I've started to get some stretch marks from all this growing that I really don't like too much.

 

[enigma4dub]

My waist is about 35 as of right now, so i'm not too uncomfortable with it...the main reason I felt the need to cut back is that I've started to get some stretch marks from all this growing that I really don't like too much.

those are the marks of a warrior. i have serious stretch marks in my shoulder area. its unavoidable when you are growing like a weed. even when i ate like a pussy i got them . as long as the stretch marks arent on your belly like a prego your all good.

 

[ZGzaZ]

those are the marks of a warrior. i have serious stretch marks in my shoulder area. its unavoidable when you are growing like a weed. even when i ate like a pussy i got them . as long as the stretch marks arent on your belly like a prego your all good.

haha, I hear ya. Nah, my stomach hasnt really grown all that much at all... I was a 33 inch waist at 185, now a 35 inch at 230, so I think I did decent in the bulking phase.

I'll keep pushing on from here...thanks for everyones advice.

 

[Cynical Simian]

You might also consider Saturday as your sprinting day if you're going to be doing it once per week since you wouldn't have any lifting the next day. If running sprints fatigues your legs too much (or , especially combined with a higher bodyweight, is hard on your joints), HIIT on a cardio machine might work better.

Also, be careful with your sprint intensity. Obviously, you need the pace to be pretty high, but 85-90% will be a lot less likely to burn you out than maximum efforts. This might be another situation where a treadmill or other cardio machine where you can measure and regulate pace from session to session is useful.

 

[SgtSlaughter]

HIIT on a cardio machine might work better.

Best advice for the big guys, ever.

Though getting outside on a real track (prof. done...latex track) if it was possible once a week makes it fun.

Do what you gotta do in the winter. I like the arch trainer for HIIT... I feel like the treadmill will crumble beneath me when I run on it... cheesy-non-sturdy treadmills at my gym.

 

[ricanx99]

My waist is about 35 as of right now, so i'm not too uncomfortable with it...the main reason I felt the need to cut back is that I've started to get some stretch marks from all this growing that I really don't like too much.

..... Stretch marks? I am pretty pissed that you are concerned about those! I've had mine for years and I'm PROUD! AND YOU KNOW IT MAN! YOU WANT 22's?!?!?! DO WORK!!!!!

 

[ZGzaZ]

..... Stretch marks? I am pretty pissed that you are concerned about those! I've had mine for years and I'm PROUD! AND YOU KNOW IT MAN! YOU WANT 22's?!?!?! DO WORK!!!!!

You're right, what was I thinking....

 

[ricanx99]

You're right, what was I thinking....

Now that's better.... LoL... DO WORK!!!

 

[Kabeetz]

Bro.. there's nothing wrong with being concerned about stretch marks... why don't u start using one of those cocoa butter/vitamin E creams on a daily basis?

Nothing is perfect.. BUT.. it is easier to "prevent" them than to diminish what's already there.

Once u have them, even going on a cut won't make them disappear or reappear.

 

[ZGzaZ]

Bro.. there's nothing wrong with being concerned about stretch marks... why don't u start using one of those cocoa butter/vitamin E creams on a daily basis?

Nothing is perfect.. BUT.. it is easier to "prevent" them than to diminish what's already there.

Once u have them, even going on a cut won't make them disappear or reappear.

I know that, I was just going to cut to keep them from getting much larger. But, we said screw it, I'd rather get huge than worry about that at this point... and I do use cocoa butter lotion every day, not helping much. Thanks for the advice though.

 

[Protobuilder]

Back your calories down a tad. Take two of your normal meals, and cut them in half. Add in some easy incline walking cardio or something if you're currently not doing any cardio. You'll drop a few pounds and it shouldn't impact your lifts too much, if at all.