Program Recommendation 43 y/o female

I am coming up on the end of the NLP, and with all of the recent debates on a variety of sites, I’m really confused as to what program I should do next. I am 43 y/o and my lifts ended up as follows: Squat- 215x5x3, Deadlift-255x5x3, Bench press-152x5x3, Press-106x5x3; strict deadhang pull-ups and chin-ups (different days)-I did 4 sets of 10 w/ 2.5 lbs weight last week and plan to add fractional plates to get stronger on these. Anyhow, I’m 120 lbs. My goal is to get as strong as possible. I keep my body weight stable with the following macros: 160 carb, 120 protein, 50 fat (and I get 30 fiber regularly out of my carbs). I’m an odd woman who seems to be stronger in my upper body than my lower…unfortunately. Deadlifts suck, apparently I’m a crappy puller. If I had to favor one over the other, it would be to get stronger in my lower body. Anyhow, I think that’s everything. As of Tuesday, I will have taken off from my lifts for one week to reset (because one of my powerlifting friends insisted that I had been going for too many weeks without a break). Any guidance would be greatly appreciated since as I said I’m confused as hell at this point.

Nice work! If you want a free post-novice progression, I would suggest you go right into the Bridge program. It is a downloadable e-book ad training program on the Barbell Medicine site. As a woman, and at 43, you don’t need any particularly special programming, it is your LP is done and you want to get stronger, sensible post-novice training is going to be great for you!

Go for the Bridge. There’s essentially only one organization pushing repeated NLP resets (often with suggestions to eat through sticking points) or the TM. The Bridge is much more in line with what other top coaches recommend and seems an excellent post-novice program.

Thank you so much for your reply. One quick question related to the pull-ups and the bridge. I’ve been obsessively pursuing increasing my pull-up capabilities for some time now. I recently realized that I’ve wasted a lot of time doing EMOMs. I’ve done EMOMs in the hundreds. This has never gotten me over the 20 hurdle. Last I checked (probably three months ago) I was at 18.

All that to say that I recently started doing 4 sets of ten with weight. Last week I did 4 sets with 2.5. And I planned to increase weight and keep the numbers between 8-10. But I cannot do this in 7 minutes. I need 24. Is that a deal killer? If so, what alternative pull-up routine would work to increase my power. EMOMs=endurance/recovery.

On the day I hit 20+ the clouds will part and the sun will come out. There may even be peace on earth, I don’t know, I’m not there yet.

If you are doing planned sets and reps, then you don’t need the time cap, since that’s intended for an AMRAP effort.

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What works better for building power
on pull-ups? Amrap or planned sets?

I hate to break this to you, but for your age and size you are REALLY strong! Nice work, I was in yiyr situation previously and after much back and forth, different advice, obsessing over the recent debates and much trial and error I would definitely go with the bridge.
Now that I’m using autoregulation and more volume I don’t understand what all the fuss was about. It is not hard to estimate how many more reps you can do and it is nice to adjust intensity based on reality and its confounding factors.

What do you mean by “power” as it pertains to pull ups?

Thank you. I started the bridge this morning. I do like the idea of the intuitiveness of the program. I believe that I have a decent grasp of my capabilities. I do think the results would depend upon personality type too. While I understand my capabilities, I like to push my limits, so I can see myself using the numbers more liberally to allow myself to go heavier. And based on my reading, I realize this is not the way the program was designed. So, I think a degree of maturity will be needed (at least on my part).

I think that you can perform more pull-ups, at greater weights, on planned sets because you allow yourself more recovery time. The AMRAP would result in all sets going to failure, but fewer reps, lower weights, etc. So, I’m thinking that the planned sets would work better to improve the number of pull-ups that can be performed. Unless, the failure part of the equation makes the AMRAP bettter. Does that make sense? I know at 16-18 pull-ups, I run out of gas/power!!! Does power not pertain to pull-ups?

It seems that you don’t have a clear understanding of what power really is, and mainly want to increase the number of pullups you can do.

Both strategies would work to help increase the number of pullups you can do. Something like a 7 AMRAP pull-ups does not involve “all sets going to failure” - it involves a large number of submaximal sets that accumulate a large total training volume in a short period of time. “Planned” sets can be done with longer rest periods and heavier weights, as you noted. Both strategies can have their place in increasing your pull-up capacity, though I personally tend to prefer the AMRAP work and doing more sets rather than driving up my weighted pull-up strength.

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