Currently on phase 3 of the beginner template and I was just wondering how you would go about accurately hitting the prescribed RPE for machine-based exercises when the weight increments are relatively large? For example, my gym’s lat pulldown machine works in 10kg increments (for the most part) and I’m able to hit 47kg for 12 reps at RPE 5, but I don’t think I’m even able to hit 57kg for 12 reps at RPE 10. What do? Should I just stick to barbell rows instead? Would appreciate any feedback.
Hi there! In phase 3, are you referring here to the GPP arm work for upper back, or another slot in the program?
In general, you can move to something that allows for more incremental loading, yes. That’s a big plus of a barbell. If you can’t (or really don’t want to) do that, you can make progress by moving to 57kg to a rep target that is RPE 8, about 2 reps shy of failure. You can then progress by increasing the reps you can do at that weight, hitting RPE 8, until you can do the 12 reps. And then you can decide how to take the next step of progress.
Yeah so I’m talking about supplemental deadlift #2 for phase 3 of the beginner template. I’ve been running barbell rows for 2 phases already and was just thinking of switching to something different for phase 3 (i.e. lat pulldowns)
Got it! Yes you can do that. However if you have barbell options, I’m kind of biased toward the earlier options in that list. I suspect you could see some nice progress with something like the RDL, use a barbell and see incremental progress with weight on a regular basis. But that’s really just because I am a barbell lover at heart. Ha! Then you could do the lat pull downs in the upper back GPP slot. Really either will work, and that’s just another idea.
