how do you guys change up your weight lifting when you start cutting?

[die faster]

my bulk is just about over. im gonna start cutting in 1 week. but basically dont want to keep doing barbell bench/squats like i have been. with a cutting diet, i know my numbers on these arent going to go anywhere.

so just looking for some ideas here. i was going to switch to all dumbells. and go to leg press and hack squat type stuff for legs instead of my usual back squats everytime. this way when i start training seriously again, ill have a fresh start on all the main lifts with no plateaus.

so what do you do?

 

[EZ_E]

Super sets

Tri sets

Interval training

~EZ

 

[SouthernLord]

I train to maintain or preferably gain strength with low volume and heavy weights.

High volume "pump" training makes me soft and week when kcal and carbs are low.

 

[SouthernLord]

Btw, I think you should not ditch the barbell basics in favor of machines and dumbbells. Unless you want to get weak and lose muscle.

 

[die faster]

i hate the idea of ditching them. but i know its just gonna put me in a plateau on a cal defecit, just going through the movements with no strength increases. this cut is only gonna go for a month or so.

EZ you can recover from superset kind of training when cutting? i feel like it would just break me down esp off cycle

 

[SouthernLord]

What does your routine look like now?

 

[die faster]

just got off cycle so the intensity was pretty high but it looked something like this:

squats: bar-5x5 135-5x5 225-3x3 315-3x3 (or maybe 5x5 to failure) 365-3x3(failure on last set) then finish off with some below parallels or narrow stance

chest/tris - bench: bar-5x5 135-5x5 225-3x3 275-5x5 or 300-315 for a few low rep sets, 315 is max. then i finish off my triceps with dips, overhead cable tricep ext. etc..

back/bis - pull ups: 5x5 on each grip (wide, neutral wide, neutral close, chins)
cable rows: start low and move the pin down working up to a failure set. then finish off my bis with curls. whatever i feel like doing, usually cross body hammer curls or barbell curls with the stretchy band. or a bicep ladder

deads, havent done these in a while, back pumps on cycle were just too bad. really llooking forward to getting back into this hard though

on my next chest tri day i always switch between bench one day, and standing overhead presses the next. basically 5x5's and 3x3's with 135,155, and 185. then after that kill my triceps and maybe some dumbell or incline bench

 

[ledhead]

Super sets

Tri sets

Interval training

~EZ

This is the best advice on this thread.....I always superset when I cut.

 

[miked8c]

So basically your telling this kid to change his routine because he is cutting?

To get strong you use compound movements with the bar, to stay strong you use compound movements with the bar.

If he wants to retain as much strength as possible why are you bros recommending to him to stop doing the exercises that are known to increase strength, and instead recommending isolations? Opposite of what he needs.

You use trisets and supersets to build muscle. On a caloric deficit he won't be building crap. So ditch that stuff and stick with the basic movements, you might lose some size but you'll keep your strength. Supersets will make you weak and you'll lose your foundation you have worked so hard to attain.

 

[die faster]

To get strong you use compound movements with the bar, to stay strong you use compound movements with the bar.

completely agree

So basically your telling this kid to change his routine because he is cutting?

To get strong you use compound movements with the bar, to stay strong you use compound movements with the bar.

If he wants to retain as much strength as possible why are you bros recommending to him to stop doing the exercises that are known to increase strength, and instead recommending isolations? Opposite of what he needs.

You use trisets and supersets to build muscle. On a caloric deficit he won't be building crap. So ditch that stuff and stick with the basic movements, you might lose some size but you'll keep your strength. Supersets will make you weak and you'll lose your foundation you have worked so hard to attain.

this is gonna be my first cut and im prepared to lose (a little ) strength. however i feel that if im just going through the movements with my usual barbell exercises, im just gonna plateau then when i start training for strength and size again in a month or 2 ill be in somewhat of a plateau and wont get as much out of it compared to if i had a fresh start with some time off. i need alot of food to recover from superset/drop set/failure training so this is just out of the question for cutting