HELP, off cycle and I'm shrinking daily!

[craigs]

Starting my second week of PCT and am literally shrinking daily. My body has been screaming to give it a break, especially my shoulders and tendons so I haven't picked up any iron for 8 days and promised myself a minimum of 3 weeks before I start training again off cycle. I don't think I can wait that long? I trained hard and heavy while on but body has paid the price, any help out there or advice whenever I start back up on what type of training I should do off cycle?
My last cycle I trained like this:

4 SETS/6-10 REPS depending how I felt that day
I train by myself in my garage and don't have a spotter so I HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL and know that I can squeeze another rep out.
Any help would be much appreciated.

[clutchitalian]

I'm on pct too bro it friggin sucks i feel so weak...............

[Glycomann]

Wait you do 4 sets in a workout?

[craigs]

Not sure other than the stupid idea of more is always better, kinda reminds me of this gal I know. Hehe

Seriously, I've always trained with 3 sets and felt like I may be hitting a plateau so I thought another set would be worth while?

Wait you do 4 sets in a workout?

[craigs]

Yes it does, it's only my second cycle so not sure if this is normal or not?

I'm on pct too bro it friggin sucks i feel so weak...............

[Glycomann]

How many sets in your entire workout?

[craigs]

I don't have my log book in front of me so depending what muscle groups I'm working is something like this:

Chest Day
4 sets Incline Barbell Press
4 sets Decline Barbell Press
4 sets Flat Barbell Press
Increasing by 10 pounds for each set

3-4 Sets of Incline Dumbell Flys
3-4 Sets of Flat Dumbell Flys

4 Sets Incline Dumbell Press
4 Sets Flat Dumbell Press

4 Sets of sitting Machine Cable Press

I work out in my garage so I only have one cable machine and the rest are free weights and dumbells.

How many sets in your entire workout?

[liftsiron]

I think that you may be doing to many sets per workout.

[craigs]

I kinda think so too but get so jacked up on my pre-workout cocktail that I seem to think that I'm not hitting my muscles enough. One thing for sure is that my shoulders, all joints and tendons in the elbow/forearm area sure are telling me to back off.
It was only my second ever cycle so I was feeling like one of the Avenger's that my 4 year old son wants to be or something like that.

Can you give me some advice on total sets? Really appreciate any input and Darkness has helped me tremendously also.

I think that you may be doing to many sets per workout.

[liftsiron]

Why not try something like this:

4 sets Incline Barbell Press
4 sets Flat Barbell Press
4 Sets Incline Dumbell Press
4 Sets Flat Dumbell Press

No one needs decline presses, good for the ego, but can result in to heavy lower pecs. IMO finishing off with dips would be a better idea.

[clutchitalian]

Ya bro thats a shitload of sets..................

[Glycomann]

Coming off I usually drop the intensity a bit, number of sets and go from 5 workout days to 4 workout days. It helps. A long long time ago I use to do like you and be stubborn about it when I came off and do actually more a I came off. invariably I dropped size really fast. Then at one point I was too busy with work and could only train 2-3 times a week and i kept more gains for longer. Then I thought about it.

As the body comes off it is going from anabolic to catabolic. No matter the more stress that is put on the body the more catabolic it will become. So I finally learned that the ting to do for a period of time was to drop intensity and ride out the catabolic period. Eat lean, high protein, lowish carbs, do a little more low intensity cardio like running outside or some sprints, and don't as in DO NOT train to failure. That stays in place for a few months then slowly work back.

It actuality, this sort of deload has some very positive effects. The joints and tendons are rested. When we go off nearly all of us feel brittle as the androgens lave and catabolistic metabolism races. Coming off is the most vulnerable period for injury. You can back off and after 16 weeks have a stronger underlying connective tissue structure, or go balls to the wall, lose a lot of gains and be riddled with tendonitis or worse.

Best thing to do is back off and eat clean. Then when you start feeling yourself again, usually by week 10 or 12, start putting the pedal down slowly. I'm getting pretty old but 2 years ago I ent through this style of recovery. I completely stopped squating and deadlifting. By week 12 I started up squatting and DL again. By week 16 I was squating 315 for sets of 15 and had put on 7 lbs naturally. My back, knees and hamstrings were feeling great and then I went back on. I was squatting in the mid 500s again in no time at 50 years of age.

Now years back in the past I would have be stubborn and went balls to the wall the whole time and pulled a hamstring really badly, strained my lower back and had a shitty cycle the next time at bat. The big lesson in this is thing longer term and reap the benefits.

[Herc]

Coming off I usually drop the intensity a bit, number of sets and go from 5 workout days to 4 workout days. It helps. A long long time ago I use to do like you and be stubborn about it when I came off and do actually more a I came off. invariably I dropped size really fast. Then at one point I was too busy with work and could only train 2-3 times a week and i kept more gains for longer. Then I thought about it.

As the body comes off it is going from anabolic to catabolic. No matter the more stress that is put on the body the more catabolic it will become. So I finally learned that the ting to do for a period of time was to drop intensity and ride out the catabolic period. Eat lean, high protein, lowish carbs, do a little more low intensity cardio like running outside or some sprints, and don't as in DO NOT train to failure. That stays in place for a few months then slowly work back.

It actuality, this sort of deload has some very positive effects. The joints and tendons are rested. When we go off nearly all of us feel brittle as the androgens lave and catabolistic metabolism races. Coming off is the most vulnerable period for injury. You can back off and after 16 weeks have a stronger underlying connective tissue structure, or go balls to the wall, lose a lot of gains and be riddled with tendonitis or worse.

Best thing to do is back off and eat clean. Then when you start feeling yourself again, usually by week 10 or 12, start putting the pedal down slowly. I'm getting pretty old but 2 years ago I ent through this style of recovery. I completely stopped squating and deadlifting. By week 12 I started up squatting and DL again. By week 16 I was squating 315 for sets of 15 and had put on 7 lbs naturally. My back, knees and hamstrings were feeling great and then I went back on. I was squatting in the mid 500s again in no time at 50 years of age.

Now years back in the past I would have be stubborn and went balls to the wall the whole time and pulled a hamstring really badly, strained my lower back and had a shitty cycle the next time at bat. The big lesson in this is thing longer term and reap the benefits.

This was a really well thought out answer, great advice.

[BigPapa]

Yeah I learned the hard way too. Started a work out routine that was super aggressive while on PCT and I left the gym everyday like I was going to die.

[craigs]

Thanks Glyco, great advice and I will follow your lead on this.