My post cycle workout

Nate Dawg

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My Post Cycle Workout

Getting ready to come off my current AAS cycle. I am taking this next week off training other than some light bi/tri exercises, my CNS is fried right now from all the heavy lifting, been extremely tired lately, not feeling strong, and the past couple weeks the poundages in the gym have not been moving up as they should be. About 4 weeks ago I had a powerlifting meet, and I made the mistake of starting lifting heavy again just a few days after the meet, the meet was on saturday and then tuesday I worked up to a heavy single on close grip bench, then thursday I worked up to a heavy single on box squats, not the brightest idea. Just this week is the first my lower back has actually felt somewhat recovered from the meet, and it still only felt about 80% recovered. So I am taking this next week off and this is my plan for post cycle:

Monday: Chest
Flat BB Bench: several warm ups, then 5x5 at a set weight
Incline DB Flyes: 4x12

Tuesday: Legs
Box Squat: several warm ups, then 5x5 at a set weight
SLDL: Work up to a heavy 5 reps
Weighted Back Ext.: 2-3x10
Leg Ext: 2-3x12-15
Leg Curl: 2-3x8-12

Thursday: Shoulders/Triceps
Arnold Press: Work up to heavy set of 5 reps
DB side raises: 4x10
DB rear raises: 4x12

Skull Crushers: Work up to heavy 6 reps
Cable Tri Ext: Work up to heavy 8 reps
Reverse grip pushdowns: 2x10
Kickbacks: 2-3x12

Friday: Back/Biceps/Traps
Pullups: 3 sets w/ slow reps, deep stretch in bottom, stopping 1 rep shy of failure
Bent Rows: several warmups then 5x5 at set weight
Close grip pulldowns: 2x10
One Arm DB rows: 1-2x15

EZ Bar curls: 4x10 at a set weight
Cable Hammer curls w/ rope: 4x10 at a set weight
Preacher curls: 2-3x12

Shrugs: Work up to heavy 6-8


With the exercises that I have set at 5x5, I am starting off with a weight that I can fairly easily complete 5 sets of 5 reps with, and bump it up in weight each week, 5lbs on bench, and 10lbs on squat, that is the plan at least. Around week 4-6, I will probably hit a weight that I will fail at completing all 5 sets of 5 reps, then I will move to a 3x3 program. The first week of the 3x3 I will use the weight that I failed on for the previous week of 5x5, this will be a deloading week to help recover my CNS. The weeks after that I will bump the weight accordingly, probably after the deloading week I will bump the weight around 15-20lbs since I am 1) completing less reps 2) completing less sets, so endurance will not be as big of a factor. After 3-4 weeks of the 3x3 will probably be when I fail at completing all 3 sets of 3 reps, I am contemplating what to do after that. Possibly take another deloading week, by working up to a single with the weight I failed on the previous week with the 3x3, then the following week try and hit a new max. I think this program should be good for peaking strength out.

I only have two exercises for my chest day, I would like more for some added hypertrophy, but for me to get my bench up, the less accessory stuff I do, the more it helps my bench, but my chest doesnt grow, its a double edged sword. I am hoping with the 5 working sets of 5 reps, I think that should be enough volume to get some growth, but not so much volume that it will hinder my strength gains.

Leg day I think should be good, if my back is starting to feel overworked I will cut out the weighted back extensions, and if it seems real bothersome I will cut out both the SLDL and back extensions.

For the shoulder/tri day, that shoulder program has seemed to work for me in the past, so I am going to stick with it. With the triceps I want to focus on getting my strength up on skull crushers, so with skull crushers and the tri extensions, there is only one set that is actually balls to the wall hard. The other exercises I focus more on the mind-muscle connection and not as much on strength.

Back/Bi day...lol...lots of sets in there, especially for post cycle. If I am feeling wore down that day I will cut out the one arm db rows and close grip pulldowns, and probably drop one set from each of the bi exercises.

Being post cycle, I am going to go alot on how I feel, each day I will complete the main exercises, and depending on how I feel will determine how many of the other sets of accessory movements I will complete. If I am feeling wore out, I'm not going to drive myself into the ground causing cortisol levels to skyrocket, as that could wreak havoc being post cycle and be a speedy ticket to overtraining. What do you guys think?
 
exnihilo

exnihilo

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My only extra advice for you here bro, always under-shoot what you think you can do by a little, considering you're not preparing for a meet or on cycle trying to get super strong. Take it very easy over PCT, at least from 10 days after your last shot to about 4 weeks after your last shot. You can start to ramp it up from there.
 

Nate Dawg

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Thanks for the advice exnihilo, I was hoping you would check this out. I think I am going to start my 5x5 weights a little lower than I planned, as I am overtrained now and taking the week off to help with that. Hopefully the RXT will boost my test quick enough that I can hit it hard soon:D I hate not lifting heavy lol. My last pct I did the 5x5 program for legs, squatting 3 times a week, and increased my 5 sets of 5 weight ~30-40lbs in 5 weeks, not bad for post cycle!! I kept max effort bench working up to a heavy single...not a good idea at all, I think the combination of max effort bench and squatting 3x a week wore me the hell out and my bench suffered big time. On top of all of that I was really focusing on perfect form with bench, getting a better arch, keeping the ass firmly planted lol, so correcting form had to do with the drop in weight on bench. So with those experiences learned, the 5x5 obviously worked for legs quite well, the max effort for bench post cycle didnt for me, so I am going to try 5x5 for that. Ready for this week to be over and get the program going!
 
exnihilo

exnihilo

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Max effort bench (max effort anything) will put you in a nosedive if you overshoot your recovery. This is why westside guys do so little volume. Once you've been off for about 6 weeks I'd start the max effort up again, and ease into it slowly.
 
Pirate!

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It seems pretty high volume, even after taking a week off. I'd ease back into it a little bit more. No rush. 10-11 sets of curls seems excessive during pct, IMO. Taking a week off is a good call. That is now standard procedure for me for the first week of pct.
 

Nate Dawg

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Does it seem mainly my shoulder/tri day and back/bi day are the days that are too high volume? I agree they are pretty high, i may just work up and do one hard set at the given rep range, kind of max-ot style, one set pretty hard and call it good for that exercise.
 

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