Recovering ability and calories (and anabolics)

KvanH

KvanH

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Sup scallywags?

I'd like to hear your opinions and experiences on how much your recovering ability suffers (if any) from restricting calories, ie. on a cut.

Do you train pretty much the same on a cut, regarding your work out plan? Strenght will suffer of course and no chasing PR's, I'd assume for any experienced lifter.

Any change in (typically):
Volume?
Relative intensity?
Training frequency?
Frequency of deload weeks/periods?

I assume cardio to being increased for most lifters doing a cut. Does it affect your recovering ability from weight training?

How much increasing or adding anabolics to your cut mitigates this possible decrease in recovering ability (if any)?

Thoughts?
 
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xR1pp3Rx

xR1pp3Rx

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when on anabolics I tend to just plow on. don't really change anything and of course I wouldn't try to lower weights at all.
Its rare that I feel gassed but it happens. I probably would avoid trying to set too many PRs but if your feeling good and all things are indicating a good time to go for it, then, GO FOR IT!!

I think when your on your "on" and those anabolics can give me enough drive to just behave normal cut/bulk or otherwise.

that's not to say I don't train differently throughout the yr but for the most part I respond best to high volume work so I tend to build my sets with that in mind
 
KvanH

KvanH

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My recovery tends to take a hit, when restricting food intake. But I'm not sure how much is the calorie restriction doing and how much it's cause' my sleep goes to **** as well, when cutting. I try to train pretty much the same, as when I'm bulking, except accepting not lifting my biggest weights and I'm increasing the amount of cardio workouts.

When I'm on a cut I also have a lot less energy and seem to be much more suspectible to out side stressors affecting me negatively (work, random duties, etc.).

The mildish ped's I've added to my cuts don't seem to help much, except in the strenght department and muscle retention.

So I just got curious about other's experiences and approaches.

I switched my gym workout to 45 min run on friday, due to feeling so burnt out. Was going to just move it to saturday, but was not able to sleep on fri-sat night and took the whole weekend off of everything. But I'm battling with inner voices (lol) telling me I'm either being lazy and a pussy or I'm being smart and listening to my body 🤷‍♀️
 
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TheMrMuscle

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So as you know I cant speak to the AAS side of this question, but I feel i got a good handle on my recovery and performance to give a n=1 answere.

As long as the cut isnt too intrusive and I structure it correctly, my training performance does not dip. I do make sure to structure my food as so that i get the most nutrients around the workout and this seems to really help. I always keep my intra workout during the cut as this seems to really help.

I dont change up my training and only increase cardio by the way of adding extra steps to my day. As my workouts arent low reps I dont really suffer any strength loss either. Unless im REALLY going for the stage ready look i mostly always improve from workout to workout during my entire cut.

Deloads are somthing i do way to infrequently probably as i base it how I feel and how the numbers (HRV, RHR, Sleep quality etc). But still I can just blow it off haha.

As some hard proof how my body can react to a cut i can show this. I finished a 3 month cut now and all my markers went up during those 3 weeks. Remember i eat really structured and planned all year round. So its not like my food quality changed during the cut, only the amounts.

216468
 
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Kronic

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afaik the standard "cut" you keep everything the same and change diet. increase protein or keep it the same. don't overdo high intensity cardio. if you add anabolics you can maintain or build muscle during a cut better
 
KvanH

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@Hyde @BBiceps I saw you talking about amount of food's relation to strenght and stuff on another thread, any opinions here?
 

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@Hyde @BBiceps I saw you talking about amount of food's relation to strenght and stuff on another thread, any opinions here?
Yes, right nutrition is definitely important for optimal performance but I think you’re ask the 2 wrong guys, lol, I never cut and I don’t think Hyde does either…

But saying that, abs and a tight body is important to me so I’m going fairly low on carbs but high on protein and fat, that works for me to stay somewhat lean year around and I don’t feel my performance suffer. If I feel I need to “look tighter” I drop my carbs a little lower and those days I plan to go heavy or feel flat I raise my carbs. I track my meals on a app on my phone and that helps a lot. Performance, strength, weight and body have all been increasing since I started to track everything I eat, even though I always been a decent sized guy I under ate by a lot before. 😬

Not sure I answered your question but hope you got something out of it.
 
Hyde

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I don’t normally cut, but I have done some leaning out here and there in my time. My thoughts:

After a point in muscular development, you need to be cutting on blast. This is how bodybuilders prep and I have found cutting off blast I lose weight as well or faster but lose significant muscle (and strength accordingly).

So if you go from a maintenance phase diet-wise into a blast and begin cutting, you can absolutely maintain performance if the cut is not excessive/fast. Getting ready for a bodybuilding show, you’re probably really trimming the diet down and looking for more accelerated losses, but if you just need to drop 10-15lbs over 3 months with anabolics, you can expect to be just as muscular and strong at the end of you train hard, smart, and take the right drugs.

You drive total volume via calories or drugs, and in a cut that means as calories lower the PEDs should taper up. Using more aggressive compounds like Tren, Trest, Dienelone and orals will yield better recomposition than some test & mast, but even then if you take enough mg you can expect to hold it all compared to the cruise/off phase at maintenance.

I used Dienelone Enanthate and some SARMs with like 200mg test e over the winter of 20/21, and despite all the life stressors of having a raging pregnant wife ready to burst, trying to get ready for our first baby, and dropping +10lbs over the run with hours of cardio a week (I think I got up to 5 added hours), I continually got stronger every week.

I felt lousy most of the time, sleep was poor from Dien, often hungry obviously, but I would go into the garage thinking, “This is it, this is the week it’s going to backslide & crumble” and find myself smashing more weight than the week before yet again. Finished with 15mg Superdrol, and you know where that goes obviously.

So again, if the drugs are there the performance can stay up. If they are milder, you’re going to need to pull back some to keep up with the recovery you actually have available. And in general you are more susceptible to injury if your deficit is steep, so mind that too. If you are only eating 1,700 calories of rice fish and broccoli, don’t try to push it like you are when taking in 3k+.
 

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