"6 month challenge" revisited/modified

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hey Jordan,

I hope this thread isn’t too long.

Remember your “6 month challenge” thread back over on SS? Link here: 6 Month Challenge

The side of me that wants to do something extreme has been considering it ever since you posted it. I’ve decided to give it a shot for better or worse. However, my circumstances are a bit different than that from which you intended. Let me go through those circumstances as well as give my starting point real quick:

  1. I’m not a novice, probably a mid-level intermediate. I would fall under the category of fluffy intermediate.
  2. I can’t bench, and chins/pullups sometimes bug me. I have shoulder issues that require surgery to fix BUT, I can press! I don’t want to derail this thread into shoulder shit so lets just leave it at that.

Stats: 29, 5’11, BW 245, BF% somewhere around 25-28% based on pictures of others, 38 inch waist jeans size. I’ll be running Lyle’s RFL with your program.
Numbers (not peaked ATM but lets use somewhat recent PRs): SQ/OHP/DL – 475/240/475

I’ve modified your program a bit to meet three desires: remove the bench, remove chins, and to replace RPE. I’m not here to argue RPE, I’m just saying that I don’t have any experience with it and would like to try to do something a bit closer to things I have experience with, while also effectively maintaining the intentions of your program. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Convention used is SETxREPS (10x3 is 10 sets of 3)

Mon:
Squat x 6 (Volume weight), then 10x3 with 1 min rests
Press x 6 (Intensity Weight), then 10x3 with 1 min rests
Lat Pulldowns (Suppinated Grip) - 10 min AMRAP
Arms- 10 min AMRAP
Prowler

Wed:
Deadlift x 6 (Volume Weight), then 10x3 with 1 min rests
Press x 6 @ (Volume Weight). then 10x3 with 1 min rests
Lat Pulldowns (pronated grip) - 10 min AMRAP
Arms -10 min AMRAP
Steady state cardio as needed

Fri:
Squat x 6 (Intensity Weight), then 10x3 with 1 min rests
Press x 6 @ (Intensity Weight). tthen 10x3 with 1 min rests
Pendlay Rows- 12 @ (Intensity Weight), then 10x6 with 1 min rests
Arms-10 min AMRAP
Prowler (or possibly Farmers walk)

Progression: add 5 lbs/week on squats, 2.5lbs/week on press (if possible). Arms are always LTEs and curls, AMRAP a moderate/heavy weight that feels good

I have a few questions:

  1. Does this program maintain enough of your original to work in a similar fashion?
  2. Has your line of thinking on this situation changed since your original thread, and if so, what changes would you recommend?
  3. Would one semi-heavy cheat meal per week, as opposed to a legitimate refeed be okay to run with this while doing RFL? Which option is best for fat loss and aesthetics over a 12-16 week period? Or perhaps zero cheat meals?
  4. I’d like to implement some challenging farmers walks, should I drop the Pendlay rows and prowler on Friday if I do this?
  5. Is it ever appropriate to change the weight during sets? Lets say I get 7 sets into squats and realize I’m in deeper waters than I though. Is taking 20 lbs off for that day the end of the world? Or if I’m doing arms and curls go from sets of 10 to sets of 2, should I drop a few lbs off?
  6. Any advice for my metabolism not going to pure shit by the end of this?

Thanks!
Josh

2

Hey Josh,

Thanks for the post and I hope you’re well.

As to your questions:

  1. I assume so, yes.
  2. I think that my nutrition and training considerations for rapid fat loss are almost entirely dependent on the person whom is being coached so, without knowing more I think this is a reasonable start.
  3. I would not recommend a cheat meal here or even a refeed really. I don’t see them improving compliance overall in practice and they don’t really do anything useful outside of that.
  4. I wouldn’t do that.
  5. Many times, yes. This is one good virtue of using RPE…taking 20lbs off the bar does not matter if it still produces the right stress…
  6. It’s unlikely to change to a greater degree than expected given the the change in your body’s surface area, so I wouldn’t worry about it.
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