So far after four weeks I am tracking my goals, but I am pretty exhausted.
I finished the SSLP with following 5 rep maxes:
Squat 285
Bench 240
Deadlift 315
Press 140
Chins 10 repetitions (not strict especially reps 6-10)
Barbell Row: Hard to say because I was doing a cable machine row, but I started at 155 pounds when I started this new program. I don’t use the Pendlay Row and to make it easier to superset, I use a hex bar for my barbell Rows
My goal was to add 5 pounds per week to the Squat and Deadlift and 2.5 pounds per week to the Bench, Overhead Press, and Barbell Row. So far I have made all my goals, but I am really grinding on the Bench press (250 pounds for 5 reps). The Squats feel really heavy too and I don’t have much wiggle room. I am losing my form sometimes as early as rep 3, though I end up being able to complete the reps. By contrast Deadlifts and overhead press have some wiggle room. For example I doing sets of 5 at 335 on the deadlift but I feel like I likely have 10-20 pounds of wiggle room between that and my true 5 rep max. If I was still squatting before deadlifts, 335 would probably be my true 5 rep max. I am doing them on a separate day now and being fresher for them as made me stronger. I at 165 pounds on teh barbell row. The thing about the barbell row is its tough to judge because if I get tired in the set I can always just use my legs a little more. Overall I feel pretty good about the program but I am tired.
I didn’t have any deload weeks built into the program, but I think I am going to skip my volume workouts this weekend. I am visiting my parents for the 4th of July weekend so lifting would be a pain (I have to pay to use a gym each day there) and I need some recovery time. Hopefully this allows me to feel a lot more refreshed when I start lifting again next Tuesday.
My prediction is if I update in four more weeks I’ll have got stuck on the Bench and maybe the squat. With the squat I have the strength to complete ugly good morning reps but its really hard on my lower back and some point its probably better to let my strength catch up rather than have my form deteriorate and me get injured cause I have too much weight on the bar.
Thank you for the honest update on the progress. Did you watch BBM video/podcast on Programming? If so, are you intentionally ignoring their advice to see for yourself how it goes?
If you’re hell bent on self programming, why not consider putting a spin on conjugate, or ‘Westside’ style if you will, training, rather than reinventing the already broken TM wheel.
Plenty of exposure to maxes, plenty of volume, plenty of variety. You’ll do better on a bastardized version of it than TM.
'My prediction is if I update in four more weeks I’ll have got stuck on the Bench and maybe the squat’
So why the hell continue in that vein? Worse still, why predict your own failure?
You’ll soon discover it far more difficult to ‘un-stuck’ a stalled lift as the result of sub par programming than to build strength systematically form a program already proven to deliver the goods.
Because its hard to improve every week. Thee Barbell Medicine programming may be better but if everybody improved every week, people would be squatting 800+ pounds after two years and benching 500+. In other words if you goal is weekly improvement, you are going to stall no matter what programming you do. Look at Jordan and Austin. They are not setting weekly PR’s. The plan I made is attempting to set weekly PR’s, so its going to involve misses. However as long I don’t stall for more than a couple weeks I don’t see that as a problem.
In other words if you goal is weekly improvement, you are going to stall no matter what programming you do
Hence the utility of RPE or any other reasonable system of auto-regulation within the program. You’re not not seeing the micro, meso, macro cycle forest for the trees here.
The plan I made is attempting to set weekly PR’s
Thats literally one of the core principles of ‘Westside’ style conjugate - see’max effort’.
Look at Jordan and Austin. They are not setting weekly PR’s.
And? Go ask either one of them the last time they missed reps.
I think it reasonable to assume, given you current numbers, if your goal is to be as strong as possible, then you have something to learn from guys who can squat over 272 and pull over 320.
Hence the utility of RPE or any other reasonable system of auto-regulation within the program. You’re not not seeing the micro, meso, macro cycle forest for the trees here.
Its a modified Texas Method approach which sets the goal as weekly improvements. In terms of me not seeing the micro, meso, and macro cycle, you are partially right and wrong. I definitely see the micro cycle in my approach. It aims for weekly PR’s so one week = one micro cycle. In terms of meso and macro schedule the plan I came up with has no meso or macro cycle its basically the same micro schedule over and over (technically there are 3 slightly different micro schedules because the accessory exercises go in 3 week cycles but the variation is fairly slim).
At some point I am going to have to use meso and macro schedules but I have been lifting for 6 months now and am still getting steady improvement. Going on longer schedules with peaking phases and what not just seems like it would slow down progress.
Thats literally one of the core principles of ‘Westside’ style conjugate - see’max effort’.
I did not know that. That said, the plan I made is very different than the Texas Method as I mentioned in the post, but I got the idea of achieving weekly 5 rep PR’s comes from teh Texas Method not the Westside method which I don’t know a ton about. I haven’t looked that much into the Westside style because it seems much more oriented to equipped lifting compared to raw lifting.
And? Go ask either one of them the last time they missed reps.
And? That is only an accomplishment if you are training smartly. Its not an accomplishment if you are under training. And while missing a rep is taxing on your body its doesn’t necessarily overstress your body. A missed rep can still make your stronger as long as you manage fatigue correctly.
I think it reasonable to assume, given you current numbers, if your goal is to be as strong as possible, then you have something to learn from guys who can squat over 272 and pull over 320.
The BBM guys are definitely more knowledgeable about lifting than me. However as I said somewhere in this thread, there are perks to programming for yourself. For one thing you can program the accessories you like like. I spent money on a football bar, a safety squat bar, a front squat vest, a hex bar, a plyobox, adjustable dumbbells–programming my lifting toys into my programming is one thing I enjoy. I also like the variety in my programming. I also like that its 6 days a week.
Again its only 12 weeks. After I finish this I will probably run some slightly tweaked version of their 4 day strength program which I have already purchased so its not like I am dead set against their programming.
Note: not being antagonistic, just pointing something out. I bought a BBM template and they actually allow you to plug in which variations of the exercise you want to do and you get to choose the GPP movements that you want to do on GPP days. You would still be able to play with all your toys using the BBM templates.
Where I stand: if your training is working and you’re enjoying it, carry on. BBM’s stuff is backed by research, so I lean towards their stuff as being more likely to be closer to “optimal”. But again, motivation is a big thing, so if creating your own workout is motivating, carry on.
So I officially stopped running this program after 8 weeks rather than the originally intended 12 weeks.
Weeks 1-4 I followed the program well, but weeks 5-8 I had compliance and motivation issues.
The program was fundamentally flawed because as others noted it didn’t have things like deload weeks in and it wasn’t periodized. In that sense it was a novice plan–a very high volume–difficult novice plan, but a novice training program nevertheless. I have been lifting for 7 months now and I think I will benefit for a program more designed for intermediates. Therefore last Saturday I started the BBM Four Day original Strength 1 program. I’ll start a separate thread on my thoughts on that program.