# Massive strength loss on cut



## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

Lost just over a stone in six weeks all exercises have gone massively backwards. Is dropping the weight upping the volume the right thing to do?


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## 31205 (Jan 16, 2013)

Surely that'll make you weaker? Are you on gear?


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## Gary29 (Aug 21, 2011)

I'd do the opposite, lower the volume and try to maintain current lifts or even add weight to the bar.


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

sen said:


> Surely that'll make you weaker? Are you on gear?


I'm using tren e 300mg s week and eca. On 3rd week of tren not sure if bunk as no sides but maybe to early.. Eca done f all!! It's gen as its chest eze.. Gone in the gym today as struggling!


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

Can't get the bar over my head at current weight... Neggy as fvck


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

Was hoping a pump style workout would help until strength kicks in from tren if not fake as f of course


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## 31205 (Jan 16, 2013)

dannythinx said:


> I'm using tren e 300mg s week and eca. On 3rd week of tren not sure if bunk as no sides but maybe to early.. Eca done f all!! It's gen as its chest eze.. Gone in the gym today as struggling!


I've been dieting just over 10 weeks. Lost 13lbs so obviously not as much as you.

I started doing sets of 12-15 when I started dieting. Dunno why. Had to use lighter weights obviously.

Went back to doing sets of 10 and can't do the 45s on flat db press no more. Could do 10/10/8/6 before. Strength definitely improving again now.

I'm in about a 700cal deficit and using 250 test 100 winstrol (ed) and 400 tren (as of 3 weeks ago).

Think a lot of your strength loss is mental, personally.


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

sen said:


> I've been dieting just over 10 weeks. Lost 13lbs so obviously not as much as you.
> 
> I started doing sets of 12-15 when I started dieting. Dunno why. Had to use lighter weights obviously.
> 
> ...


I was doing 117.5kg 5x5 decline couldn't do 100kg 5x5 today.. The strength loss gas coincided with loosing just over a stone??


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## Abc987 (Sep 26, 2013)

I'm cutting too. Fvcking sucks lol.

Can't get to wrapped up in losing strength it's gonna happen. Just keep

Training hard, strength will come back when you start eating properly again.

Hard I know I feel like throwing the towel in every day


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## 31205 (Jan 16, 2013)

dannythinx said:


> I was doing 117.5kg 5x5 decline couldn't do 100kg 5x5 today.. The strength loss gas coincided with loosing just over a stone??


Has this happened in the space of 6 weeks or just a week or since you last did chest? You have lost a fair bit of weight in a relatively short space of time. Maybe that's why?


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

Abc987 said:


> I'm cutting too. Fvcking sucks lol.
> 
> Can't get to wrapped up in losing strength it's gonna happen. Just keep
> 
> ...


I want 10% bf... Just wanted reassurance I'm not the only one!! Just keep working hard and if I loose strength just got accept it


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

sen said:


> Has this happened in the space of 6 weeks or just a week or since you last did chest? You have lost a fair bit of weight in a relatively short space of time. Maybe that's why?


In the last week.. When I first started cutting I actually hit two pb's on bench in a row


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## Abc987 (Sep 26, 2013)

dannythinx said:


> I want 10% bf... Just wanted reassurance I'm not the only one!! Just keep working hard and if I loose strength just got accept it


I'm in exactly the same boat mate. Trying to get to 10-12% myself In the next 6 weeks. I want abs before I go away lol

Ivd been on tren a for 9 days now at 300mg a week and was asking yesterday about upping the dose as I feel it's not working yet.

Ive lost 15lbs in 7 weeks so quite similar to you and strength has plummeted, 5 weeks 2 days I was in a cruise though

I'm training on no carbs and feels like I'm running on empty

Just keep at it mate strength will come back.

I'm gonna have a carb up day today coz I feel crap. Hopefully will help a bit in the gym tomorrow


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## 31205 (Jan 16, 2013)

dannythinx said:


> In the last week.. When I first started cutting I actually hit two pb's on bench in a row


That's a fair drop. I wouldn't worry about strength though mate as long as you're losing fat. That's your aim.


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## Jordan08 (Feb 17, 2014)

It happens. I am on a same boat mate. Every lift has dropped. But slowly and steadily, i am moving towards my goal of lowering my BF%.


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## Kill Kcal (May 11, 2013)

I've been having the same problem, I've lost 16 lbs since February 1st but every now and again I have a great training session and lifts are as normal.

Good rest and positive thinking.


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## Kristina (Apr 12, 2014)

Lower reps, strength sets. Slowly build your strength back up again and do NOT lower weight and increase rep range if you want to a). maintain as much lean mass as possible and B) . maintain as much strength as possible.

Keeping your weight as HIGH as you can will signal to your body that it needs to retain the muscle mass and strength. As you lower the weights and increase rep range, your body will more readily allow strength loss as it simply adapts to the lower weight.

If I were you, I'd begin focusing on gradually increasing the weight again; it's not impossible despite your rapid weight loss; you simply have to imagine you making the same steps to gain strength as before but in leaner condition.


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## sauliuhas (Dec 29, 2008)

dannythinx said:


> I'm using tren e 300mg s week and eca. On 3rd week of tren not sure if bunk as no sides but maybe to early.. Eca done f all!! It's gen as its chest eze.. Gone in the gym today as struggling!


No test?


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

sauliuhas said:


> No test?


250mg every two weeks


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

If you're cutting aggressively then it can be from lack of energy rather than true loss of strength, you should bounce back once you finish cutting and raise the calories again. People recommend sticking to low reps and low volume in general, but I believe the rules are different for steroid users. I've been doing light-weight high-volume (Vince Gironda routine) training whilst cutting for the past 9 weeks now and my strength and muscle mass has pretty much stayed constant, just doubt I'd have the energy to keep lifting heavy weights on a heavy deficit (running a deficit of about 1000 calories a day with maintenance "refeeds" on the weekends). It's like when I'm bulking, I train high-intensity low-volume for the most part, but if I'm feeling a bit tired one day and not up to the high intensity workout then I'll train at the complete opposite end of the scale and have a bit of a pump-training workout with light weights and lots of straight-across sets without training to failure, and I reach the end of the workout still feeling like I've had a productive session, which I doubt would be the case if I went in and did a sub-par intensity workout.


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## GPRIM (Mar 21, 2011)

I've lost about 52lbs since last August and my strength went down massively. Finished my cut about 3 weeks ago and reverse dieting. My strength is pretty much back to where it was before I started cutting.


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

GPRIM said:


> I've lost about 52lbs since last August and my strength went down massively. Finished my cut about 3 weeks ago and reverse dieting. My strength is pretty much back to where it was before I started cutting.


That's a lot of weight mate.. As I've lost what I've lost I feel skinny as hell lol and I reckon I'm still 10lbs if abs.. Fml


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## GPRIM (Mar 21, 2011)

dannythinx said:


> That's a lot of weight mate.. As I've lost what I've lost I feel skinny as hell lol and I reckon I'm still 10lbs if abs.. Fml


Was the same. Its only towards the end where I actually felt I looked bigger. Only difference was I looked smaller in clothes. I went low carb and it made me look pretty flat. I'm still not ripped, good lighting and angles make me look a whole lot leaner.  . Might hit another mini cut in 6 weeks or so. Pic below. Just think of the fat loss as the main goal- worked for me.


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

GPRIM said:


> Was the same. Its only towards the end where I actually felt I looked bigger. Only difference was I looked smaller in clothes. I went low carb and it made me look pretty flat. I'm still not ripped, good lighting and angles make me look a whole lot leaner.  . Might hit another mini cut in 6 weeks or so. Pic below. Just think of the fat loss as the main goal- worked for me.
> 
> View attachment 169929


That's impressive mate


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## 1manarmy (Apr 22, 2012)

im a strong believer that if you can bench 140 swuat 160 and deadlift 220 per say offseason (bulking) then on a cut the weights lifted should remain the same. if you decrease weights your muscle will realize it isn't being used like it was an effectively reduce in size as the weights decrease. im in a huge deficit now under 4 weeks out from my show and still hit the numbers I was hitting on lifts during bulk. its a mental game


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## BennyC (Mar 18, 2010)

Kristina said:


> Lower reps, strength sets. Slowly build your strength back up again and do NOT lower weight and increase rep range if you want to a). maintain as much lean mass as possible and B) . maintain as much strength as possible.
> 
> Keeping your weight as HIGH as you can will signal to your body that it needs to retain the muscle mass and strength. As you lower the weights and increase rep range, your body will more readily allow strength loss as it simply adapts to the lower weight.
> 
> If I were you, I'd begin focusing on gradually increasing the weight again; it's not impossible despite your rapid weight loss; you simply have to imagine you making the same steps to gain strength as before but in leaner condition.





1manarmy said:


> im a strong believer that if you can bench 140 swuat 160 and deadlift 220 per say offseason (bulking) then on a cut the weights lifted should remain the same. if you decrease weights your muscle will realize it isn't being used like it was an effectively reduce in size as the weights decrease. im in a huge deficit now under 4 weeks out from my show and still hit the numbers I was hitting on lifts during bulk. its a mental game


This & This.

Keep your weights high and adjust your volume to suit.

Recovery might stink a bit being in a deficit but the more strength & loading you retain now the further ahead you are when you come in to a surplus.

Make sure you don't steam in to it too ambitious though as I found recently in the last few weeks of my cut I burned out a bit and have had to regress a little.


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