More Bridge questions

Hi all,

Thanks for releasing The Bridge program and for fielding so many follow-up questions.

A few questions from starting the bridge:

  1. Concerning RPEs for a set, are we supposed to let the cumulative fatigue influence the weights we select in later sets ? Or should we use the same weights throughout the set.

E.g. doing the OHP [5@6, 5@7, 5@8] X 4. So say 5@6 = 50kg, 5@7=55kg and 5@8= 57.5kg. But on e.g. the last set, 57.5kg may have turned into an @9 because of the previous work done. So in that case would it be OK to redo 55kg ?

  1. Am I misinterpreting somehow, as it seems the sessions are very long. Following the suggested warmup and with ~4 minute waits in between sessions, just the OHP described above takes around 50 mins, no ?

  2. Currently benching is close-grip and then 1-ct paused the next session. The latter really seems to hurt my shoulder. Wondering what might be an appropriate substitute for paused bench given this problem ?

Thanks !

  1. For these sets of 5 @8, our experience is that with about 4-5 min of rest, you should be able to hold the weight for all 4 sets. However if it is clear that the last set will be RPE 9, you can drop the weight slightly.
  2. You should be able to warm up very quickly-load the plates and go. Additionally, I’d time your rests so you don’t go over the 3-4 min as that adds up quickly. However the sessions can take 1.5 hours depending on the day.
  3. I’d check your bench technique. You might need to improve your shoulder position before subbing the bench.