PCT lifting intensity?

[biggeek]

Wow, this advice is terrible. Keeping strength is probably THE most important thing after a cycle. If you go from squatting 405 down to 315 once you finish a cycle, you think your legs are going to keep their mass?

Low sets is right, but if you're lifting low or medium reps on cycle, why would you switch to high reps post-cycle? You're just asking for huge losses in size.

No doubt man.. solid advice.. it doesn't make sense to switch it up just because your off.. yeah.. take more time off and be more active in your recovery.. but don't drop weights.. then your asking to lose everything..

 

[carlsky]

whatever guys. I kept only dropped like 20 pounds on my bench when I switched to high reps. It is less taxing on you body and it allows your body to recovery easier. You can keep strength as long as you lift. Simple as that. I lost my appetite cause I didn't do pct on my first cycle, my source told me I didn't need it cause I was going to lose all my gains anyways, asshole! I still kept lots of strength but lost almost everything I gained.

 

[Joe Stenson]

whatever guys. I kept only dropped like 20 pounds on my bench when I switched to high reps. It is less taxing on you body and it allows your body to recovery easier. You can keep strength as long as you lift. Simple as that. I lost my appetite cause I didn't do pct on my first cycle, my source told me I didn't need it cause I was going to lose all my gains anyways, asshole! I still kept lots of strength but lost almost everything I gained.

I'm not going to call you a liar because I'm sure the above did work for you. However, some of the things you are saying are misleading, or just plain wrong.

First, maybe high reps IS easier on your body, but so what? If you've listened to everyone else in this thread, then you've already drastically reduced your volume post-cycle, so recovery shouldn't be an issue.

Second, you won't "keep strength as long as you lift". You'll keep strength as long as you lift heavy...Conversely, if you're used to lifting heavy with low reps, you will have to drop the weight SIGNIFICANTLY to be able to do high reps. Strength is specific, it doesn't carry over from one kind of lifting to another.

I'm not trying to pick on you here man, I just disagree with a lot of what you're saying.

 

[carlsky]

I see, well I know power lifters that start out using 12 reps then work their weigh up to lower reps. Lets say I can do 385 for 7 right? I can still do 12 reps with 355 so I am still as strong, just not using the same rep range. I don't know, strength isn't just low reps, that's all I have to say.

 

[Joe Stenson]

I see, well I know power lifters that start out using 12 reps then work their weigh up to lower reps. Lets say I can do 385 for 7 right? I can still do 12 reps with 355 so I am still as strong, just not using the same rep range. I don't know, strength isn't just low reps, that's all I have to say.

I agree that strength isn't just about low reps, but if you go from training in one rep range all the time to a different rep range, your relative "strength" will be quite a bit higher for the range you are used to training in.

 

[carlsky]

true, but the program my buddies use is when they get off their cycles, they start back at 12 reps, the next week they do 11 reps and so on till they get back to sets of 4. I mean these guys are benching 550-600 pounds. One of them hasn't even toughed juice and this is what he does a lot of the time.

 

[oxymoron]

Benching 600 without gear? That would have to be some kind of freak of nature. Benching 600 with heavy usage of sauce would be some kind of feat in itself.

 

[Bulldog_10]

I didn't read all the replies, but someone probably said this already, if so...sorry.

After a cycle you gotta keep the intensity up. Drop the volume down dramatically if you need to, because you obviously won't be recovering at the same rate.

It's been shown time and time again that intensity is all you need in order to maintain muscle (as well as many other physiological variables which are changed by regular exercise). Volume and frequency can be dropped, but as long as intensity is maintained, gains will also be maintained.

I'd hit the gym 2-3 days a week do high intensity, compound exercises...don't worry about isolation exercises, just hit the heavy lifts hard.

 

[carlsky]

these guys weigh 300+ and hav been lifting for years. Ok , lets get this straight. When you are shut down and doing pct, you have no test in your system!!! You are recovering from the use with clomid and whatever and therefore you need to take it very easy on your training. If you don't have test, you can't build, maintain it. I was told by many bodybuilders and powerlifters this was dramatic in keeping your gains. I know the truth and it works for me. Try what you like I geuss.

 

[Joe Stenson]

these guys weigh 300+ and hav been lifting for years. Ok , lets get this straight. When you are shut down and doing pct, you have no test in your system!!! You are recovering from the use with clomid and whatever and therefore you need to take it very easy on your training. If you don't have test, you can't build, maintain it. I was told by many bodybuilders and powerlifters this was dramatic in keeping your gains. I know the truth and it works for me. Try what you like I geuss.

If you're not stressing the muscle in the same manner post-cycle as you were on cycle what makes you think that muscle will want to stay the same size? It won't...and that's where mass is lost. You don't have to lift as often or for as long, but you have to lift just as hard.