Remove or Modify Non-Responsive Block?

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

After running the stock Strength Template twice, and a third time with some changes to the supplemental lifts, I consistently stop seeing e1rm progress on my Bench and Deadlift past the pivot week mid program. I actually tend to saw tooth downwards as average intensity increases, with little to no peak in the final week. Conversely, it seems my response to the higher volume during the development block is “my greatest hits”, as I see very consistent and reliable progress during the development block.
I know a precise recommendation is hard to give with this limited information, but I’m considering playing around with two options;

1.) Keep the higher intensity specialization block, but with added work sets to the Bench and Deadlift slots to keep the overall weekly volume similar to the development phase. I’d perhaps be looking at 7 to 8 working sets of 3 reps for many of the slots to get the volume I’m targeting during this phase.

2.) Go straight into a fast peak from the development block, and never really use an extended block in my programming where high intensity work sets are used as a primary stimulus, except maybe in my supplemental lifts. If I do this, during the development block for my main lifts, I may make the first backoff set a @rpe 9 set, prior to the lower intensity and percentage based backoff work from the @rpe 8 single, in order to get more practice at higher intensities.

Would one of these options be a more sound approach to try for long term success given the response to training I’ve explained?

2

I think option # 2 makes more sense to me here.

1 Like
3

Thanks Austin for your reply and for taking the time to read lengthy questions like this!

4

Curious if you actually perform the test/peak week in week 13?

Reason I ask is that all 3 comp lifts for myself stalled not long alter the mid program pivot week, but I peaked as intended at the end of the 13th week and added 10-20 lbs onto my lifts compared to the last 4 weeks of the training block.

So if you aren’t actually testing your 1RM, then it may seem like more of a stall than you are actually experiencing

5

I do run the 13th week. My Squat seems to peak, but bench and Deadlift don’t respond well. One of the 3 tries I did injure my back on week 12, likely from too high of an RPE trying to keep weight on the bar from dropping.