Pre contest prep strength loss

[JonnyRingo007]

I'm a natural bodybuilder. No ph or previous steroid usage. When bulking my deadlift is 405-10 right before I start to cut for a show. The last week or show before I'm lucky if I'm pulling 335 for 10...is this too much of a strength loss. I look great but my strength just tanks. Squat goes from bout 315-10 to 250-10. It only takes me about two months to return to those strength levels after the show. Anyone else here natural have strength losses in these numbers? Or am I cutting to hard...I diet for 12 weeks and go from 220 to 205 or 200 ish

 

[RickRock13]

You could be dieting too hard, but being natural it's pretty common to suffer those types of strength losses. Dieting for a show naturally will really be hard to keep up strength because you are working off of your own natural hormone levels, and contest prep can dramatically lower your natty test levels, making it that much harder to maintain strength and mass. Keeping your protein a little higher may help some with this, but I would expect at least some extent of strength loss doing a natural contest prep

 

[Brapbrap07]

This hits close to home when I was doing ketosis with weekend refeeds.... I am now a week into a higher carb diet and 6 days a week cardio... my strength is 90% back

learn and apply

 

[JonnyRingo007]

Thanks. I noticed the drop in testosterone levels for sure entering the last 3 weeks or so. A hot stripper with big fake tits could be rubbing them right in my face and all over me and I could care less during the last stages of the diet. A month later when I'm bulking a big fat whale could wink at me and I would get a little tingle downstairs. Thanks for the input.

 

[bengeten]

thanks. I noticed the drop in testosterone levels for sure entering the last 3 weeks or so. A hot stripper with big fake tits could be rubbing them right in my face and all over me and i could care less during the last stages of the diet. A month later when i'm bulking a big fat whale could wink at me and i would get a little tingle downstairs. Thanks for the input.

+1