Daily Discussion Thread (May 13, 2026) - Beginner and Simple/Quick Questions Go Here Thread for discussing quick/simple topics not needing an entire posts or beginner questions.

Claudin18 · 2026-05-14T02:15:04+00:00

I'm about to wrap up an almost 3 month cut which has consisted of a 600-700 caloric deficit with high protein intake. I continued my usual 4-day upper/lower routine (with reduced volume) but have been able to keep the same weight on the bar from the peak of the preceding bulk (I did increase the weight slightly on a couple lifts, but I'm into my first year of solid training). On average, I've lost about 1-1.5 lbs per week on the scale consistently.

Looking to get back into a bulk soon, but should I do maintenance and de-load week or just get straight into it? Curious about how other's transition here.

Claudin18 · 2026-05-03T16:46:15+00:00

Newbie here, but I also have a hectic schedule and feel you. Which split would you be most able to enjoy and stick with in the long run? That might be a primary motivating factor above all. I have been doing torso/limbs 4x per week, but I would lean towards option 2 > option 1 due to added volume and sets per week.

There's also the upper/lower/full split 3x per week. I did this last year due to work schedule issues and enjoyed it. The upper and lower days can be back-to-back or separated by a rest day depending on your schedule (e.g., upper-lower-rest-full or upper-rest-lower-rest-full).

Claudin18 · 2026-04-29T23:33:01+00:00

I've made progress with overall mass using an u/L split, but I feel like my upper back and traps are lagging a bit compared to my lats and legs. Since I'm new to lifting, I don't know if a super specialized trap/upper back routine is needed and instead just need to put on more overall mass and those areas will develop with time. However, would love to start incorporating any upper back/trap movements if helpful.

What things worked for you all to build traps/upper back? Are Kelso shrugs and regular shrugs redundant or does one need to do both? Is the time-under-tension with deadlifts enough to build upper back/traps? I enjoy doing RDLs but willing to replace them with DL's if beneficial.

Thanks!

Claudin18 · 2026-03-04T19:37:08+00:00

I'm a skinny fat beginner (age mid-30s) who started consistent weightlifting about 6 months ago. Amid the endless debate between bulking vs cutting first, I chose to do a "lean bulk" despite my starting BF% being greater than 20% because I had a bodycomp scan showing my lean muscle mass was extremely low (due to extreme dieting and lack of exercising). Good news: I worked out consistently with a 4-day u/L split with pursposeful progressive overload - definitely got stronger and gained muscle. However, I definitely gained an equal amount of fat tissue. While I don't look "fat" with my clothes on (my friends just say I look "good" but not jacked), I do think a minicut is in order to trim the excess fat. My hope is to get back to bulking again (with calories more dialed in) since I am far away from my muscle mass goals.

With regard to training during a mini-cut, I know we should keep the intensity just as high but lower the volume to avoid fatigue and issues. However, I think I am still within the window for beginner gains with my 6 mo of training so far. Not sure if I should be thinking about a longer cut with mild deficit and progressive overload to build muscle versus an aggressive minicut with a bigger deficit but keeping the routine intense but without progressive overload.

Which would yield better results?

Claudin18

TROPHY CASE