W8D3
DL
165x2 @8.5
145x6 @8.5
135x6 @8
135x6 @9
Pin BP (pins 2” above chest)
90x1x10
Inc DB press
20kg x12x4
W9D1
Sq
137.5x1 @9
117.5x5 @9+
110x6 @9
110x5 @9
Repeated 117.5 for the backoff/volume as last week were 117.5x6 @9.5+. It was heavier this week and I had to cut the set at 5 reps instead.
SLDL from blocks
115x8 @6
120x8 @7
125x8 @7.5
125x8 @7.5
125x8 @8
BP 2ct pause rep 1 & 5 each set
100x5x5
W9D2
Sq 2ct paused
85x8 @7
90x8 @8
95x7 @9
87.5x8 @8.5
87.5x8 @9
Attempted 95kg for a set of 8 again as last week were @9.5+. This week I had a solid @9 at 7 reps though. I might skip the final week of this program and move on as I can’t see any benefit from another week without making any changes.
Lever row
25kg x28
25x12x4
Floor press w/pause at bottom
90x6x3
W9D3
DL
167.5x2 @9
147.5x6 @9
137.5x6 @8.5
137.5x6 @8 (5 min rest/with straps)
Pin BP
97.5x1x8
DB inc press
20kg x12
22.5kg x12x3
W10D1
Sq
135x1 @9.5
115x5 @9
110x5 @9
105x6 @9
What a day. Just left and went home after these. Squats really are the most frustrating thing I’ve ever encountered.
W10D1(2)
BP w/ 3 sec pause @ 1st rep
107.5x4x5
SLDL from blocks
117.5x8 @6
122.5x8 @7
127.5x8 @7.5
127.5x8 @7.5
127.5x8 @8
W10D2
2ct paused sq
85x8 @7
90x8 @7.5
97.5x8 @9
90x8 @8
90x8 @8.5
Floor press
97.5x4x4
Lever row
27.5x30
27.5x12x4
W10D3
DL
170x1 @9
150x6 @9
140x6 @8.5
140x6 @8.5 (w/straps)
Pin BP
105x1x6
DB inc press
25kg x12x4
Last workout completed. Not the best day today either and DLs felt weak. Happy to get 150x6 @9 after the heavy single though!
I’ve enjoyed the program more or less, despite not seeing any noticeable strength gains on Sq/DL. My squat might actually have suffered a little but I haven’t regressed more than 5-10kg tops which I can live with. DL may have increased 5kg or so. BW has been static throughout these 10 weeks.
Not sure what to do next. Have been looking into some 5/3/1 stuff from Andy Baker and a few other programs that limits squats to 2x/week (4-day splits). Time will show!
If anyone is reading this has a suggestion I’d appreciate that to!
The Bridge
Decided to do the bridge for Sq & DL the next couple of months to avoid starting on a 4-day split in the middle of the summer. Goal is to keep my bw @200 lbs and at least maintain my lifts.
Current e1RMs after PB1:
Sq: 140
DL: 185
BP: 145
W1D1
Sq
105x5 @6
110x5 @7
115x5 @8+
Block pulls
130x7 @6
135x7 @7
140x7 @8
BP 1sec pause each rep
115x4x4
W1D2
2ct paused squat
90x4 @6
95x4 @7
100x4 @8
105x4 @9
Happy with these more or less. I will continue with using a belt for my paused Squats, and keep the 303 as the beltless variant. I suck so insanely bad at squats and think I might benefit from working on my form w/ belt more than once a week.
Pendlay rows
60x8 @6
65x8 @7
70x8 @8
Floor press
102.5x4x3
OHP
50x5x3
Haven’t done any OHP in many weeks as it always triggers my biceps tendonitis. Going to follow the bridge for my upper body lifts as well from next week as this is the last week of the 4-week cycle I’ve done with floor pressing and pause work for the first time ever.
W1D3
DL
130x5 @6
140x5 @7
150x5 @8
BP 1ct pause
105x5 @6
110x5 @7
115x5 @8
Tempo Sq 303 beltless
50x8x3
First time doing these - and they sucked. Felt off-balance, awkward and weak.
W2D1
Sq
105x5 @6
110x5 @7.5
110x5 @7.5
110x5 @8
110x5@8.5
CGBP
100x4 @6
105x4 @7
110x4 @8
115x4 @9
Block pulls
130x7 @6
135x7 @7
140x7 @8
145x7 @8.5
Another rough day at the gym. Sleep has been really bad only getting 3-5 hrs a night lately for some reason.
W2D2
Sq 2ct pause
92.5x4 @6
97.5x4 @7
102.5x4 @8
107.5x3 @9
102.5x4 @9
Attempted to add 2.5kg to the work sets today. It turned out to bee too much so I only got 3 reps on the top set @9.
OHP
52.5x3x5
I will just LP my OHP the first few weeks and see how my bicep issues develop.
Rows
60x8 @6
65x8 @7
70x8 @8
70x8 @8
70x8 @8.5
W2D3
DL
130x5 @6
140x5 @7
150x5 @9
140x5 @8
140x5 @8
BP 1ct pause
105x5 @6
110x5 @7
115x5 @8
115x5 @9
110x5 @8
110x5 @8.5
The volume increase from W1 is a bit too much too handle. Haven’t done much full ROM bench pressing lately so the rpe kept creeping up between sets.
Sq 3-0-3
52.5x8x4
Don’t feel like these are doing me any good. It’s really hard to be consistent with the timing here, and the last few reps have a tendency to be a bit faster as fatigue sets in. I’ll just add 2.5kgs every week these 4 weeks and do as best I can.
W3D1
Sq
100x5 @6
107.5x5 @7
112.5x5 @8.5
112.5x5 @9
110x5 @8.5
110x3 @8
110x3 @8
This turned into a complete mess. Had to do triples to at least reach the same tonnage as last week without deloading. The never-ending grind @110-120x5 continues.
CGBP
100x4 @6
105x4 @7
110x4 @8
117.5x4 @9
117.5x4 @9
Block pulls
132.5x7 @6
137.5x7 @7
142.5x7 @8
150x7 @9
W3D2
Sq 2ct pause
95x4 @7
100x4 @8
105x4 @9
105x4 @9+
OHP
55x5x3
Rows
60x8
65x8
72.5x8 @8
72.5x8 @8
72.5x8 @8.5
Went away for the weekend and had two days off between D1 and D2 this week.
Squats felt more or less allright today. I wasn’t able to add any weight to the bar, but I was at least able to repeat the same weights as the first the day of this program two weeks ago.
W3D3
DL
130x5 @6
140x5 @7
152.5x5 @8
145x5 @8
145x5 @8.5
BP 1ct
105x5 @6
110x5 @7
115x5 @8
115x5 @8.5
115x5 @9
110x5 @8
Sq 3-0-3
55x8x4
Deads felt allright. Have done some tweaks to my form lately and it feels a bit less stupid now.
W4D1
Sq
102.5x5 @6+
107.5x5 @7.5
107.5x5 @8
107.5x5 @8.5
107.5x5 @9
100x5 @8
CGBP
100x4
105x4
120x4 @8.5
120x4 @9
120x4 @9
Block pulls
132.5x7
142.5x7
152.5x7
152.5x7
It’s becoming quite obvious that the squat programming isn’t working for me at all. Looking back I’ve been on a downwards trend the last few months, and in a few weeks I’ll lose my two-plate squat for 5s if this continues. No idea what to do.
CGBP seems to respond well, to bad it’s getting stronger than my squat.
W4D2
I’ve lost faith in the bridge regarding my squat and switch back to simplicity with a HLM percentage based template for the squat. I’ll follow the rest of the bridge program for BP and DL.
Sq
95x5x2
RPE: way to high
OHP
57.5x5x3
Rows
75x8x4
W4D3
DL
130x5 @6
140x5 @7
155x5 @8.5
147.5x5 @8
147.5x5 @8.5
BP 1ct
105x5 @6
110x5 @7
115x5x5 @8-9.5
Sq SSB
90x5x4
Happy with the DL for once. 155x5 is pretty much my PR for 5s the last 3 years.
Squats triggered knee-pain for the first time ever today. I’ve noticed my left knee makes a “clicking” sound when climbing stairs the last few weeks, but not causing any kind of pain.
At the bottom of a rep something happened in that knee, and the discomfort/pain increased through the sets. A few hours later it’s more or less gone again.
W5D1
Sq
110x4x4 @ 8-9
BP 3ct
80x4 @6
90x4 @7
100x4 @8
105x4 @8.5
105x4 @9
DL 2ct
100x4
110x4 @7-8
120x4 @8.5
125x4 @9
W5D2
Sq
97.5x5x2
OHP
60x5x3
Rows
77.5x8x4