i’m looking for advice as to which program i should do.
Some info:
male, 30 years old, 188 cm tall, 93 kg BW, 15,7% BF with the Navy method
1 RMs: S: 135 kg, B 100 kg, D: 150 kg, P: 70 kg
Lifting again since 6 months, gained about 2 kg every month. First contact with strength training 13 years ago. I hadn’t trained properly in more than 5 years, still there was some muscle memory left i think.
I have been running a linear progression for 6 months, increasing frquency, adding volume and varying rep schemes along the way. I ended up with 345 reps on average of s/b/d/p and rows at 60-90% intensity every week and some more gpp work. I didn’t feel fatigued but after testing my 1 RM’s in the last 2 weeks i was a bit disappointed and i want to run a proper program next.
My goals are to gain about 10-15 kg more weight and increase my 1 RMs (including the press).
I have only looked at the Bridge 1.0 and i wonder how i could make more progress with this program considering the lower volume and lesser specificity compared to my previous training.
Considering my goals and that it seems like i can tolarate a relative high volume what program do you think is best for me?
Start with The Bridge. It is the entry program into BBM style training.
The volume and work will ramp up faster than you will expect. The latter weeks with the 1@8 followed by the volume sets will also tax you, particularly week 7. The key is be conservative with your RPEs. If you are too aggressive and you overshoot your RPEs, week 3 and week 4 in particular will feel like hell and will smash you.
Once you have done The Bridge you can do either the 3 day or 4 day hypertrophy programs. From there you will have completed 15 weeks of BBM training and will be in a better place to consider what to do next, either The Bridge 2, HLM, or 12 Week Strength.
I’m going to disagree with Teddy here. It’s a “Bridge” to intermediate programs with more volume. If you already bridged yourself to that type of stress, I would agree that doing less volume and frequency is probably not going to lead to optimal/good outcomes. Although the Bridge is an excellent introduction to RPE and autoregulation, I don’t think the hypertrophy templates are a BAD introduction to the same.
That said, 345 reps of s/p/b/d doesn’t really tell me much. You’ll want to compare programs on a lift by lift basis – and volume isn’t the only measure. What was the intensity like on your custom program? And do you mean less specificity because you never did assistance work? I wouldn’t disregard them – paused dls added 40 lbs to my pull in 4 weeks on the Bridge even though I also lost 8 lbs.
Without more data I’d probably recommend running the 3 day Hypertrophy template since you want to gain a decent amount of weight and you PROBABLY (although I’d want more details) don’t need to “bridge” yourself to that program. I might recommend the 4 day instead depending on what your previous programming has actually looked like.
Or if you change your mind and don’t have confidence in your ability to assess and compare programs, I’d probably consider running the Bridge without much weight gain, potentially skipping week 1, and switching to weight gain and one of the hypertrophy templates immediately after.
I tried to convert my training table into something readable, i train 3 times a week:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Squat
3x10
5x3
3x10
6x8
3x10
6x5
60%
80%
60%
63%
60%
76%
Bench
5x5
3x10
5x8
3x10
4x3
3x10
83%
60%
73%
60%
88%
60%
Press
4x8
5x5
4x8
7x6
4x8
4x3
68%
86%
68%
71%
68%
93%
Deadlift
3x3
2x5
3x5
2x5
3x3
2x5
85%
73%
82%
73%
87%
73%
Rows
5x8
5x8
5x5
73%
83%
83%
I have added stuff plenty of times so it is not really based on percentages anymore. I was just adding 2,5 kg every 2 weeks on every lift. For squats and deadlifts i added weight every week untill recently (i wasn’t doing the 3x10 @ 60%).
For GPP i did chin ups as a superset with the light pressing movement of the day and an external shoulder rotation exercise at the end of the workout. About about 6-8 sets of chin ups with a total of 25-35 reps every workout.
So far i have learned that volume needs to increase over time and that strength is specific. My understanding has been that as long as i can do more volume of the comp lifts i don’t need to do variations.
Currently i’m leaning towards doing the 4 day Hypertrophy Bias Template or modifying The Bridge 1.0 for more Volume and (bench-) pressing frequency. Not sure if The Bridge 2.0 would fit me better.
It can go either way @FredM . Too much emphasis is being placed on The Bridge as being the program you do when you need to leave novice land to intermediate land, and ‘never shall it be used for anything else’. I think it is just another program, that ramps up nicely, and introduces BBM training concepts. It also provides a primer on RPE. The reality is, any BBM program is fine as the concept of RPE will autoregulate the training load based on the trainee’s experience and fatigue. If someone wants to start on 12 Week Strength, go nuts.
@Jan , I finished the SSLP (my amended version, basically less squatting and more deadlifting), with working weights for 3x5 on squat and deadlift greater than yours, and bench and press less than yours. So a mixed bag. I noticed that The Bridge worked for me for benching and pressing. I ran it once and done. Learnt a bit, and now I have moved on to 3 day Hypertrophy Template. I know I need more volume and intensity for bench and press so that has helped me think about what is needed going forward. That comes with experience.
I am not entirely sure what to make of your training although there is a bit of a pattern over the two weeks, alternating bodybuilding type volume (the 3x10s and the 4x8s) with strength intensities (the lower 3 to 5 to 6 rep ranges). However, there doesn’t seem much volume management over time to work with fatigue build up and then dissipation, which BBM templates seem to provide. That is the reason I suggested The Bridge. It is free to boot.
However, pick what you like and give it a go. Keep us posted on how you find whatever BBM template you choose to run.
The first sentence isn’t wrong, but the second sentence isn’t really right. I’d ask where you learned that, and if it’s what you believe, why you’re looking at BBM templates? They all have assistance exercises for every major movement. You’re going to be sorely disappointed with either hypertrophy template – I don’t think I’m breaking any rules here because you could have looked this up in the Training Logs easily, but:
The 3 day is comp squat, press, row – RDL, comp bench, dumbbell bench – comp DL, incline bench, leg press/belt squat
The 4 day is pretty similar, with a different pull assistance and an extra day of work – High Bar squat, CGB, Incline dumbbell bench
The assistance work changes half way through, as it does in every BBM template.
Mike T of Reactive Training Systems – one of the most successful powerlifters and coaches of all time – would tell you assistance work is useful even for NOVICES if it’s properly programmed – i.e. if it’s punishing weak aspects of the movement. My experience fully supports this. I was weak of the floor. I did paused DLs for 3-4 weeks on the Bridge. My pull went up 40 lbs on a cut.
Having learned that I altered the 3 day hypertrophy program. Instead of doing RDLs, which target a weakness I don’t really have, generate too much fatigue for me to pull as much weight as I could two days later, and add a bunch of hamstring volume to my already dominant hamstrings, I’m doing front squats. After listening to Mike T and Greg Nuckols it because obvious my form breakdown at heavy squats was due to under developed quads. For the first time since my LP my squat is going up.
Your programming is very low intensity. I’m not going to completely agree with Rip et all and call it “junk volume,” but I doubt it’s the most productive way for you to train. That said, if you’re seeing success with it, always trust that over random people on the internet. Adding weight to the bar is hard as a post novice. Do what works for you – unapologetically. But I think BBM programming models are a serious divergence from what you’re doing now. If you’re looking for a ready made template from someone who knows their sh** that’s closer to what you’re asking for, maybe sign up for Greg Nuckols newsletter and check out his 28 programs. Specifically the 3x/wk beginner for each lift might appeal to you.
It’s something i concluded myself and based my previous training on. I’m allready getting the hint that it’s not so black and white, so assitance exercises are a big part as to why i look into BBM templates. My only concern was the step back in volume.
I’m suprised you consider my training very low intensity after all i was doing sets of 3-8 reps for the main lifts 1,5 times per week and for squats 3 times per week untill recently. My impression has been that most programs have only one heavy session for each lift per week. If my training has really been too low intensity thatr might explain why i haven’t done much strength progress.
Would you still agree that my work capacity would probably decrease if i run The Bridge 1.0?
Thanks, for the tip with Greg Nuckols. My impression is that the 28 programs are using less varitions of the main lifts and more isolation exercises compared to the BBM templates.
I will try variations first as i don’t like to do isolation work. I like the variations in the Bridge 1.0, so this will be my first program. The question is if i should alter the program and by how much?
I have made a side by side comparison of the adjustments i would do to the Bridge (left side) and the unaltered program right side):
I kept the assisstance exercises untouched but added in more volume, more frequency for bench + press, singles @ rpe 8 and a press variation.
The average volume per week is now 38% higher with 254 reps per week.
A lot of your intensities are really low. 10 at 60% or 8 at 63% (or 68% for that matter) should be nowhere near a measurable RPE. I am not saying this to be a dick, but if your program resembles your initial intensities even remotely, your changes to the bridge will probably grind you down. If you are gauging the RPE correctly the volume isn’t as low as you seem to think. I’d advise trying it out for a few weeks. Over the course of your training career it really doesn’t matter if you find out that the volume is actually too low and you have to abandon the bridge.
To be perfectly blunt, I don’t think you’re qualified to make programming changes at this point in your training history given everything you’ve presented. I don’t say this to prove the Bridge isn’t for you or that you’re still a novice – but your total is about 40 lbs lower than mine, you weigh 20 lbs more, we’re the same age, and I picked up my first barbell 11 months ago. You’re also leaner than me (although maybe not since Navy method is pretty inaccurate at times), so you’re carrying around significantly more muscle mass than I am. You should probably be a lot stronger.
Maybe you’re far less training sensitive than I am (doubt it, I’m not that training sensitive). But more likely you don’t have the skillset to self program yet. No worries. Most of us don’t. I certainly don’t. I feel qualified now to make small adjustments to thoughtful templates put together by experts like Jordan and Austin, but I definitely wouldn’t trust myself to build a custom program from scratch like you seem to have done.
Your intensities are very low. If you’re confused by this statement I suggest you read the Bridge 1.0. Even if you don’t do the program, reading the e-book that it’s from can only make you smarter. A lot of your work is in the 60% range, which is useful for hypertrophy sure, but not that useful for building strength. A program like yours MIGHT make sense as a single block in a longer cycle – at some point you’ll need to up the intensity to gain strength. Whether you’ll keep the volume the same or drop it to allow sufficient recovery is up to your body/training history.
Your conclusion about volume doesn’t make much sense. While it’s true your average volume in a CYCLE will need to go up to keep making progress, volume is far from the only variable. And if you took that to it’s logical conclusion, all the elite powerlifters would be doing 20 sets of 20 every day to keep getting stronger. Hint: they aren’t doing that.
I’m not sure where you concluded that about Nuckols program. His beginner programs are basically JUST the competition lifts. Isolation work is OPTIONAL.
After reading your responses and the background information in The Bridge template, I have decided to run The Bridge 1.0 with only 2 small adjustments:
adding pin press on day 1 following the same progression as cgb (because i like ohp)
doing cgb with chains (because they are fun)
Thanks a lot for your help everyone, may the gainz be with you.