Hi guys!
I’ve been dealing with a really bad bicep tendonitis on and off since I started lifting 2 years ago, but have the last few months been able to press once a week on a linear progression with 7 sets of 3 without it flaring up to bad. I have gotten up to 77.5kg and missed the third/fourth set a couple of times now so I guess it’s time to change something. I’m debating with myself to either add a volume day or start doing a top set with back-offs.
I know 5x5 for volume day would work as it took me to a PR press last year but I’m afraid to mess up my arm again with so much volume. I’m doing the beginner prescription for squat and deadlift, so staying on a three-day scheme would be nice, but I’m willing to add a fourth day.
Any suggestions?
What bothers you elbow more. High weights or high repetitions?
High repititions seems to be the worst. It really flared up last year when I hit 5x5 @ 70kg on volume day.
Does 6 sets of 4 reps feel more approachable? Are you planning on LPing the second day that you add and resetting your 7x3 (basically 7x3, 6x4, and 5x5 aren’t full prescriptions they need an RPE or percentage or LP or something…what’s your plan)? I’d caution against adding a large dose of training all at once. Also you could utilize exercise selection that you think will be easier on your tendon (tempo press, DB press).
Short term my plan is to LP my press and bench back up while working on my sq/dl with the beginner prescription before switching to another program for all my lifts. Hopefully I’ll be able to run the bridge or something similar during the year.
I think 413x idea about testing tempo press and DB press is a good one
What is your BP programming?
I don’t think resetting the 7x3 and continuing LP is the best move, I’d probably do something like 7x3@RPE7. For the day that you add (whether it be 5x5 or 6x4 or uses a slightly different exercise) you could start with 55-65% of your e1RM and LP until you hit RPE8 and then use bench and press programming from the first phase of the beginner prescription.
BP programming is basically just intensity day on Mondays with a heavy triple and 3 back-off sets. Then I do 5x5 (90% of mondays weight) on fridays. I’ve been doing this repeatedly the last few months but gotten interrupted by traveling for work for two weeks here and there with no access to any gym due to the virus. I reset when I get back home and work back up.
I like the idea of reducing the 7x3 to RPE 7 and add in some volume more carefully on the fourth day. If switching back to the beginner prescription for bench and press I guess I need to keep the fourth day?
I was thinking you would just do the beginner prescription BP and pressing.
Given how much BP you’re doing, another option is to switch your BP and pressing to the first week of the beginner prescription now. I assume you weren’t doing the beginner prescription for you BP and Press because it was intolerable, but you’ve been training and undoubtedly built some tolerance. You could make it more approachable by: reducing RPE by 1, reducing reps by 1-2, utilizing some variations.
for example it could be:
Day1- Tempo BP 3sets x 8reps@RPE5,6,7
Day2 Press 3sets x 4reps@RPE6,7,8
Day3 BP 3sets x 6reps@RPE6,7,8
you could repeat that week until you are comfortable with it (and maybe you progress slows) then add a repeat of the top set. Then you’ll be in a pretty good place to run the bridge.