Heavy weights

[mch64961]

So, running Novice LP, and the weights are getting pretty heavy for me. I’m finding myself feeling a bit of fear on the squats (just with squats) and it’s not that I’m afraid to fail reps, but it is a feeling of hesitation to just get under the bar with a heavy load. And it doesn’t go away until I’m done squatting for the day. Anybody else experience something similar?

[Jeff]

I had the fear of not being able to get back out of the hole, but after the first time that I dumped it on the safety pins, that fear went away. I was never sure how the experience would be, but once it happened I knew then that I would be safe during any future misses and that helped with my confidence of putting more weight on the bar. Just make sure your safety pins are set to a height where you can still get to below parallel for the squat, but don't make them too low.

[ionRod]

The same - I used to visualize a horrible car crash type of deal with a failed squat rep, but when I failed it for the first time I realized how easy it is to just bail. Your body knows what to do instinctively. The only thing you hurt there is your ego.

[teddyd]

Welcome to the beginning of the end of SSLP. I used to have mild fluttering/anxiety in the last few weeks of LP; every day actually, be it bench, squat or deadlift, press not so much. This I see as one of the indicators that may you have from a week to maybe a month left of SSLP (at the most). I, and many here, didn't run LP out and just moved on to The Bridge or similar.

I did fail squats once on LP and yes, I did have pins in place so all was fine and safe. I also failed bench a couple of times on LP, with pins in place so again fine and safe. Still, it didn't alleviate the mild fluttering/anxiety. Thus I saw it as one of the indicators to move on (that and upper body not progressing and failing too often on the bench). The 8 weeks or whatever of LP was completed successfully and it was time for BBM intermediate programming.

I am now about 5kgs lighter than when I finished SSLP, and I am just as strong, if not stronger. Note, these lifts are current and on a caloric deficit doing Hypertrophy v2, not a full blown strength program like Bridge v3, HLM, or 12 Week Strength v2. This I have been doing by not grinding out RPE 10s for 3 sets of 5 reps and being anxious every time I head to the gym. Training is now fun again. I actually get excited rather than anxious when [email protected] are programmed.

[PWard]

Oh absolutely. I also had a lot of anxiety towards the end of my SSLP. Even getting experience in failing reps properly and safely still didn't reduce the anxiety. I still get anxiety to a degree when I'm pushing for a big PR, but generally anxiety is a lot less when training with RPE. And in some ways the anxiety is productive, i.e. fight for flight response.

[Dave_E]

Welcome to the beginning of the end of SSLP. I used to have mild fluttering/anxiety in the last few weeks of LP; every day actually, be it bench, squat or deadlift, press not so much. This I see as one of the indicators that may you have from a week to maybe a month left of SSLP (at the most). I, and many here, didn't run LP out and just moved on to The Bridge or similar.

I did fail squats once on LP and yes, I did have pins in place so all was fine and safe. I also failed bench a couple of times on LP, with pins in place so again fine and safe. Still, it didn't alleviate the mild fluttering/anxiety. Thus I saw it as one of the indicators to move on (that and upper body not progressing and failing too often on the bench). The 8 weeks or whatever of LP was completed successfully and it was time for BBM intermediate programming.

I am now about 5kgs lighter than when I finished SSLP, and I am just as strong, if not stronger. Note, these lifts are current and on a caloric deficit doing Hypertrophy v2, not a full blown strength program like Bridge v3, HLM, or 12 Week Strength v2. This I have been doing by not grinding out RPE 10s for 3 sets of 5 reps and being anxious every time I head to the gym. Training is now fun again. I actually get excited rather than anxious when [email protected] are programmed.

Spot on.
There's something visceral about grinding through heavy sets across squats and the prospect of being stapled underneath the bar thats no fun at all..

[Dhruv4]

I too had/have nervousness when I’m under a heavy load, that being anything over 405 but with more practice you’ll be gaining more self confidence.
Om the topic of SSLP, I would begin considering the Bridge for the next program. It’s AWESOME.

[RB30Cory]

I think its all relative to your strength vs time under the bar. In the last 6 months I've gone from hating squats to loving them. Average working weight is up ~70-80lbs for working sets of 8 or 9 RPE. I set my safety pins about ~3 inches below parallel and I have used them about twice during this time.. never dropped the weight just got sunk and sank slowly back down onto the pins. Yes I was more nervous in the beginning now not so much.

There is a heavy side of this that is mental, there is a part thats physical - I use my warm up to work up in safe progression to my training weight/RPE - I listen to my RPE for that day and how fast the weight is moving vs my form. If 80% of my max for a set of 5 feels like a 10 RPE and my form is breaking.. I back it down a bit for that day.. even though earlier that week or last week maybe 85% of the same 1RM for 5 felt like a 8-9RPE.. Do it enough and you learn to listen to yourself and also know when your just being a wuss that day - some days I am less motivated but can move the weight so mentally I force myself to step up.

As for the feeling of the weight for squats - it feels heaviest on walk out - once I get planted and stable it feels much better. Breathe deep, tighten up and let the rep begin

[mch64961]

Okay, I have looked into the bridge and I’m gonna switch it up once I run out my LP. I would like to know how am I suppose to gauge RPE? Is it a how many reps could I have done kind of thing? Thanks for all the support too, good to know I’m not the only one.

[mch64961]

Well I actually read through the bridge just now (instead of skimming) and found the answer to my RPE question.