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Restarted strength training mid June 2020 after a 5 month layoff due to wrist pain and gym closing due to COVID19. My current goals are to gain strength in the four big lifts: Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Press.
I started lifting around August of 2018 (2 years ago). The programs I followed went something like this:
Previous best numbers before my layoff were:
High bar squat: [email protected] e1RM = 154kg
Bench: [email protected] e1RM = 83kg
Deadlift: [email protected] e1RM = 168kg
Press: [email protected] e1RM = 62kg
Bent row (NOT Pendlay): [email protected] e1RM = ???
Before my layoff each set was basically RPE 9.5-10.
Started off with conservative numbers for a 3x5 LP due to my previous made-up program running me into the ground. Bent rows were switched to Pendlay rows.
(~18/06/20) Numbers for 3x5 @ 87kg/192lb BW:
High bar squat: 60kg
Bench: 45kg
Deadlift: 70kg
Press: 30kg
Row: 50kg
Last sets on my first session back were ~ RPE 7-8
(19/08/20)Numbers for 3x5 @ 90kg/198lb BW | ~36.7in waist:
e1RMs calculate using 1RM = (3x5 weight)/0.85. Switched from high bar squats to low bar squats on ~10/08/20. Still getting used to low bar form.
Goal 1RMs by the end of 2020 @ Hopefully less than 95kg BW:
(Low bar) Squat: 160kg
Bench: 85kg
Deadlift: 185kg
Press: 65kg
I started lifting around August of 2018 (2 years ago). The programs I followed went something like this:
- My own 3x8-12 bodybuilding bro-split which left me sore for days at a time. 4 or 5 days a week.
- Useless, gained some minuscule novice strength (E.g. went from benching the bar to ~40kg, deadlift from 50kg to ~80kg). Gained almost no size.
- My own 3x a week where I would, once already at the gym, pick 2 random exercises for each body part on a given day.
- Slightly better than bro-split, but far too much volume and exercise variation. Intensity was not increased consistently thus progress was inconsistent. Gained some strength and size.
- 5/3/1 Boring But Big
- Not a terrible program but I was approximately mid novice at the time and the intensity (esp on 5/3/1 sets) was far too low. Gained a moderate amount of size, didn't gain much strength as the weight progression was slow.
- Not the program's fault since it isn't made for novices.
- My own upper lower 4 day split based around a 3x5/5x5 rep scheme on big compound movements, plus two or three assistance exercises chosen on the day.
- Gained the most strength and size on this program. Looking back, the intensity was far too high (almost all working sets at RPE 8 or higher). Volume was also too high. This led to a knee injury which lasted about a month, and then a wrist injury which lasted about four months.
Previous best numbers before my layoff were:
High bar squat: [email protected] e1RM = 154kg
Bench: [email protected] e1RM = 83kg
Deadlift: [email protected] e1RM = 168kg
Press: [email protected] e1RM = 62kg
Bent row (NOT Pendlay): [email protected] e1RM = ???
Before my layoff each set was basically RPE 9.5-10.
Started off with conservative numbers for a 3x5 LP due to my previous made-up program running me into the ground. Bent rows were switched to Pendlay rows.
(~18/06/20) Numbers for 3x5 @ 87kg/192lb BW:
High bar squat: 60kg
Bench: 45kg
Deadlift: 70kg
Press: 30kg
Row: 50kg
Last sets on my first session back were ~ RPE 7-8
(19/08/20)Numbers for 3x5 @ 90kg/198lb BW | ~36.7in waist:
| Lift | 3x5 weight | Last set RPE | Gain since last log | e1RM | Difference from previous e1RM |
| Low bar squat | 105kg | 8.5 | +45kg | 123kg | -31kg (-20%) |
| Bench | 62.5kg | 9 | +17.5kg | 73kg | -10kg (-12%) |
| Deadlift | 125kg | 8 | +55kg | 147kg | -21kg (-12.5%) |
| Press | 45kg | 10 | +15kg | 53kg | -9kg (-14.5%) |
| Pendlay Row | 70kg | 8.5 | +20kg | 82kg | ?? |
e1RMs calculate using 1RM = (3x5 weight)/0.85. Switched from high bar squats to low bar squats on ~10/08/20. Still getting used to low bar form.
Goal 1RMs by the end of 2020 @ Hopefully less than 95kg BW:
(Low bar) Squat: 160kg
Bench: 85kg
Deadlift: 185kg
Press: 65kg
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