Just looking for some advice; I’ve been following you guys for some time and I while I think RPE could be really useful for me I’ve always seen it as something down the road once I’d become stuck using percentage based training. However, having seen your video on training with shift work and currently in the run of a gnarly set of nights my thoughts have changed!
Just to give a bit of training history I did a bit of bodybuilding style training, moved onto Fierce 5 (linear progression from bodybuilding.com), Madcow & 531. I decided to cut weight down during lockdown and went back into the gym doing NLP it was just something I wanted to try.
That was a fairly length way of getting to the point of my question that I think I’m at the point of wanting to move on, this is where I’m at:
The only thing that’s putting me off moving on is that my bench is way below where it was before lockdown and I could run it out a bit longer. Alternatively my thoughts are now that the numbers are probably not as important as finding a method of training that will help me with shift work, insomnia and having a family.
Thanks Jordan, as it happens I read through the Bridge last night. A question with regards to the GP; I’m using my home gym at the moment so don’t have access to cardio equipment. I get plenty of SSC from walking my dogs and playing golf (we walk round in the UK) so it’s only the higher intensity cardio I’d be missing out on unless you’d suggest some sort of circuit training?
My plan was to do the rows/chin ups or rows plus some bicep, tricep and shoulder work (side and rear delts) on those days.
Do you mind if I ask why? You not a fan of shoulder isolation work or just not during this programme.
If you don’t mind just another couple of little questions, I assume it doesn’t matter that the rows during the GPP work will be with a barbell when barbell rows are already part of the programme (I get they will be much lighter so I’m guessing it will be fine)?
Also with regards to RPE, I’ve been reading a bunch of stuff and watched Alan Thrall’s video. As far as I can tell I’ve you are aiming for an RPE 8 but what you actually do is an RPE 7 or 9 it doesn’t really matter, just try to guage it better next time?
I don’t think you - or someone running the beginner program (if appropriate)- is likely to see extra shoulder growth or strength by doing more shoulder work given the volume in the template.
Rows are fine.
I am not sure what you’re asking on RPE, but we’d prefer you to get to RPE 8 if that is what is prescribed.
I was a bit intimidated by RPE but having done a bit of research it looks to me like it’s a case of doing the best you can as it isn’t possible to objectively know if you had 2 reps left in reserve. Of course I will strive to do the prescribed RPE but it’s going to take a bit of trial and error.
Thanks very much for your help, I started The Bridge today and that was a nice low stress day to start my 3rd week of nights!