Sudden drop in strength - no injuries/ sickness

[Fiskevatten]

Are you maxing out all the time? Even high level strength athletes rarely test PR's or go over 90% of their 1rep max except when peaking. Sounds to me like over training or not letting your CNS recover from going heavy all the time. Without knowing your training program / schedule its hard to tell.

Can be CNS issues, don't think it's the PR's since that kind of training made wonders on me and this happened since the transition back home more or less.
I do work in the moving business form time to time, which is very demanding.
I've started to hit back much more and that has helped me get back some, as well as putting on a few nice lines. (Lats for bench e.g.)
Also try to go short burst in bench until fail and then let the bar rest 3-4 sec on chest before doing 3 full reps for a few sets each week (more explosive and fatigued) - hope that might help me get back in bench.

Tried rest for 3 days and that made me weaker, maybe need more?
Eating more at least, sleep is up and down.

At the moment, it seems like bench, inc db press and squats + front squats are the ones that refuse to return strength-wise.
All else is either back or better.

[jackfrost88]

Can be CNS issues, don't think it's the PR's since that kind of training made wonders on me and this happened since the transition back home more or less.
I do work in the moving business form time to time, which is very demanding.
I've started to hit back much more and that has helped me get back some, as well as putting on a few nice lines. (Lats for bench e.g.)
Also try to go short burst in bench until fail and then let the bar rest 3-4 sec on chest before doing 3 full reps for a few sets each week (more explosive and fatigued) - hope that might help me get back in bench.

Tried rest for 3 days and that made me weaker, maybe need more?
Eating more at least, sleep is up and down.

At the moment, it seems like bench, inc db press and squats + front squats are the ones that refuse to return strength-wise.
All else is either back or better.

Sounds like fatigue and CNS recovery to me 100%. You maxed out a week ago, and now you go to max out again and drop 20kg on lifts which is in your head. Nothing can change really in a week unless you injured yourself. No muscle loss or real strength loss can happen that quickly. I'd recommend doing a deload (less volume and less weight) to let your body recover. Before you go hard on heavy lifts again build your strength up more slowly. For example, do a 5x5 for a month working up in weight, then a 5/3/1 rep scheme the following month. Then hit your 1rep maxes and I'm confident they will be more than before.

Going balls to the wall every workout is not optimal for strength gain have to periodize training and you will get much better results.

[Fiskevatten]

Sounds like fatigue and CNS recovery to me 100%. You maxed out a week ago, and now you go to max out again and drop 20kg on lifts which is in your head. Nothing can change really in a week unless you injured yourself. No muscle loss or real strength loss can happen that quickly. I'd recommend doing a deload (less volume and less weight) to let your body recover. Before you go hard on heavy lifts again build your strength up more slowly. For example, do a 5x5 for a month working up in weight, then a 5/3/1 rep scheme the following month. Then hit your 1rep maxes and I'm confident they will be more than before.

Going balls to the wall every workout is not optimal for strength gain have to periodize training and you will get much better results.

Thanks man, appreciate the answer! Will follow the advice above and see what I can make of it. Where should I stop on the fatigued level? I mean, even if I drop the weights, I can still hit several exercises and train more explosive to end up in fail anyway. Should I have 1 or 2 reps left in me or how does it work? I'm used to max out one way or another

[jackfrost88]

Thanks man, appreciate the answer! Will follow the advice above and see what I can make of it. Where should I stop on the fatigued level? I mean, even if I drop the weights, I can still hit several exercises and train more explosive to end up in fail anyway. Should I have 1 or 2 reps left in me or how does it work? I'm used to max out one way or another

What I've been coached on for power lifting deload leading up to a comp was always a rep scheme of something similar to this:

Exercises: for whatever body part your training do 3-4 exercises with around 50% of your max or even less. Do 3 sets and only 4-5reps.

For example - a leg day would be squats 3 sets of 4 at 50% of your max (if you do not know your max pick a weight that you could do for 15 with a couple left in the tank). lunges for 3 sets of 5 and maybe some leg extensions or an accessory for 3 sets of 5 as well.

The whole point is that you are continuing to perform the movements you want to be strong on so your muscle memory stays, BUT and this is important, you are RECOVERING. This deload is not meant to push yourself. It will feel like you wasted your time in the gym but this is the point. The alternative is taking time off completely from the gym but then you need to relearn the movements and get the body used to them which a deload is meant to prevent.

Do this for 2 weeks and then start another program

[Fiskevatten]

What I've been coached on for power lifting deload leading up to a comp was always a rep scheme of something similar to this:

Exercises: for whatever body part your training do 3-4 exercises with around 50% of your max or even less. Do 3 sets and only 4-5reps.

For example - a leg day would be squats 3 sets of 4 at 50% of your max (if you do not know your max pick a weight that you could do for 15 with a couple left in the tank). lunges for 3 sets of 5 and maybe some leg extensions or an accessory for 3 sets of 5 as well.

The whole point is that you are continuing to perform the movements you want to be strong on so your muscle memory stays, BUT and this is important, you are RECOVERING. This deload is not meant to push yourself. It will feel like you wasted your time in the gym but this is the point. The alternative is taking time off completely from the gym but then you need to relearn the movements and get the body used to them which a deload is meant to prevent.

Do this for 2 weeks and then start another program

Holy f*ck! That will be hard on my soul! Wouldn't even be considered a warm-up
How would you split that? I mean, since training wouldn't even feel like training, should I go 3-4-6 days with this?
I've never been away like that, not even when I've been sick^^

[jackfrost88]

Holy f*ck! That will be hard on my soul! Wouldn't even be considered a warm-up
How would you split that? I mean, since training wouldn't even feel like training, should I go 3-4-6 days with this?
I've never been away like that, not even when I've been sick^^

Haha yeah I wouldn't even consider it a "real workout" but its the best move for the OP to combat over training and CNS fatigue. You can make a completely new deload if you want but personally, I just take the program I'm currently doing and drop the weight and reps down significantly. Even remove some of the accessory movements.

Way to look at it is - this is not a training block but a quasi rest period. At this stage the OP is at much higher risk of injury (especially if he tries to keep reaching the weight he used to when his body was ready for it). Additionally, the body will not want to grow as it is overtaxed.

This is a pretty well documented strategy with basically all athletes who are looking to peak for a competition incorporating it. Swimmers/oly lifters/sprinters/powerlifters/crossfit everything. Even if peaking is not the goal, deload can be used to recover.

Edit: I'm basically recommending what I believe to be the highest reward/lowest risk move at the stage your at (clearly overworked body and nervous system). The risk of an injury is high to sideline you for much longer than a deload. If you can check your ego when lifting, even when that big booty fit chick walks by, and take the intensity back I'm confident you'll benefit a LOT more from this than continuing to grind through the fatigue like you clearly want to do lol. Time and a place for tryharding and this is not one of them

[Fiskevatten]

Haha yeah I wouldn't even consider it a "real workout" but its the best move for the OP to combat over training and CNS fatigue. You can make a completely new deload if you want but personally, I just take the program I'm currently doing and drop the weight and reps down significantly. Even remove some of the accessory movements.

Way to look at it is - this is not a training block but a quasi rest period. At this stage the OP is at much higher risk of injury (especially if he tries to keep reaching the weight he used to when his body was ready for it). Additionally, the body will not want to grow as it is overtaxed.

This is a pretty well documented strategy with basically all athletes who are looking to peak for a competition incorporating it. Swimmers/oly lifters/sprinters/powerlifters/crossfit everything. Even if peaking is not the goal, deload can be used to recover.

Edit: I'm basically recommending what I believe to be the highest reward/lowest risk move at the stage your at (clearly overworked body and nervous system). The risk of an injury is high to sideline you for much longer than a deload. If you can check your ego when lifting, even when that big booty fit chick walks by, and take the intensity back I'm confident you'll benefit a LOT more from this than continuing to grind through the fatigue like you clearly want to do lol. Time and a place for tryharding and this is not one of them

Bless your heart young sir for your advice!
I went to the gym with the best intention to follow your rehab suggestion, but I ended up doing a killing shoulder set by Seth Feroce^^
It's damn hard getting up, driving all the way to the gym, meet the guys and then lift less than the kids there showing off their first pubes.
Will give it a new try tomorrow

[HoldMyBeer]

Sounds like fatigue and CNS recovery to me 100%. You maxed out a week ago, and now you go to max out again and drop 20kg on lifts which is in your head. Nothing can change really in a week unless you injured yourself. No muscle loss or real strength loss can happen that quickly. I'd recommend doing a deload (less volume and less weight) to let your body recover. Before you go hard on heavy lifts again build your strength up more slowly. For example, do a 5x5 for a month working up in weight, then a 5/3/1 rep scheme the following month. Then hit your 1rep maxes and I'm confident they will be more than before.

Going balls to the wall every workout is not optimal for strength gain have to periodize training and you will get much better results.

This^
If your diet and sleep hasn't changed
Do a deload week. I've read a study where if you can identify that you are overreaching, and do a deload week, you should come back stronger than before the overreach
Make sure you do the deload proper. A lot of people lower the weight but increase the reps equalling the same volume. This is wrong, you want to cut volume in half.

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