template recommendation - older intermediate

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

male, 49 years old, ~190 pound @ 5’8".

I’ve been barbell training on my own for coming up on two years. I’ve run a basic 5x5 during my novice phase and a have run through a couple cycles of a a simple strength/barbell based HLM routine. The rest was filled in with unstructured, ad-hoc training.

Current lifts coming off latest 12 week HLM cycle (i’m testing PRs this week):

OHP: 220 (previous PR was 205)
Bench: (untested, previous was 285, current estimate is 305-315)
Squat: (untested, previous was 405, current estimate is 410-420)
Deadlift: 430 (previous PR was 405, I’m a relatively weak deadlifter and wouldn’t mind improving)

For my next training phase I want to shed some bodyfat, only about 10-15 pounds - but that will get me pretty low bf% wise so I’m expecting to lose some strength. If I’m being honest, I’m wanting to lean out to look good for summer but I want to retain as much strength as possible.

My equipment is limited to a barbell, bench and rack (rack has pull-up bar and dip attachment). I’m willing to invest in dumbbells. For conditioning, I prefer running (intervals, hills).

Thanks!

2

Loggerboots,

I’d probably run the hypertrophy 1 or powerbuilding 1 template for this application.

3

Cool, thanks, will purchase PB1. I was leaning towards that based on the descriptions but wasn’t sure if I should go with PB2 since I’ve been training for almost two years (albeit somewhat unstructured for at least half of that). Is the PB1 recommendation due to age, experience or lack of equipment? I can fix two of those three :slight_smile: Just curious.

4

The PB 1 would be a solid choice since it’s the first in the training cycle of that branch and it sounds like you’re new to our templates. I think that you’ll find that the use of RPE with the volume and structure of the programs will be a solid fit, even with your background in training.

5

Hi folks,

I’m not sure if I should bump my original thread or start a new one.

I just ran ran through the first week of pb1 and have a few questions

  1. some of the exercises where new to me and therefore I didn’t have a solid handle on what my weights should be. I ended up grooming around looking for the right intensity. It was very informative and I feel that if I ran week one again, I’d get pretty close to the prescribed rpe for the new movements. Also, given that some of these movements were new to me and high reps were prescribed (also new to me) I got a pretty nice case of DOMs in my posterior chain. For these reasons, would you advise repeating week one or just carry on?

  2. I hike several times/week which is moderately strenuous (uphill). Is there any need for steady state as prescribed in the GPP?

  3. I intended to run this is a deficit. Given that is difficult (impossible?) to build muscle size while in a deficit, is there any point to running the high rep isolation stuff? I mean, can I pump up my biceps (which are already decent because I do a lot of pull-ups/chins) using isolation while in a deficit?

last, the content of the program is great. My last program was a two page pdf, so these templates are imho really comprehensive and priced fairly given the content, so GJ :slight_smile:

6

Ah, one last qq. I did dips in place of tricep pushdowns for GPP. I don’t go to a gym so can’t do those. If I go slow and focus on isolating my triceps, I get a pretty good pump in the tris without too much chest involvement. Would you think controlled “isolating the tris” dips would be a good substitute for pushdowns? Also, I like dips :slight_smile: