Whats going on coaches, about 2 weeks ago i started having problems along my rerun of starting strength LP. I have been eating enough as i am still gaining weight, and also sleep around 7.5-8 hours per night, however things have been going downhill the past weeks. Up until about 6 training sessions ago everything was moving very nice and was not much signs of stalling and i was still feeling good physically and mentally, until i woke up the day after one of my training sessions and felt awful. Since then i can’t focus on anything and from the time i wake up i just want to go back to bed even after getting 8 hours of sleep. Every training session since then seems like has gotten worse than the previous and i’m just getting frustrated. It seems like most people get like this because they aren’t eating or sleeping enough but since my weight is still increasing i don’t see how that can be the case. So my question is where should i go from here? I have not yet added the light squat day so should i reset my work set weights to let the fatigue wear off and then add the light day? Any suggestions would be much appreciated! (Also i apologize if this is posted in the wrong section)
Age:19
Height:5’9
BW: 211
Looks like you’re thread booted down to the users section.
I know that most of the BBM staff advise against rerunning an LP (more and more they’re also against running one in the first place) so there’s that and I’m pretty sure most people posting here are just going to tell you to start The Bridge.
I would also question why you are rerunning SSLP? That program really should be a “one and done”. Are you just coming back to the gym from some time off? If not, you probably need to move on to another program.
It seems like most people get like this because they aren’t eating or sleeping enough but since my weight is still increasing i don’t see how that can be the case. So my question is where should i go from here?
I think this is one of the biggest pieces of misinformation you may have been told. It is very possible to still get strong while losing weight and only sleeping 5-6 hours a night. Optimal? No. But it can be done, if your programming is appropriate. And it seems like SSLP is no longer appropriate for you. These feelings of fatigue and shitiness are probably more likely due to accumulating too much fatigue from lifting too heavy too often, which is what happens at the end of LP. How hard are you working sets, are you starting to grind them out?
As @jimmy02 stated, the BBM coaches and community around here aren’t big fans of tweaking LP (such as adding light days) to make it last as long as possible. If you want to get as jacked and strong as possible, it helps to start thinking a little more long term.
If you’re open to trying something new out of the realm of SS: have you read The Bridge ebook? It’s on the main BBM site under resources. The Bridge is the standard go-to program for folks in your situation, as it was originally designed to be a post-SSLP program.
I decided to rerun SSLP because i felt like i could have progressed farther if i ran the program while not worrying about fat gain and also really dialing my form in prior to the first run. I managed to get a good amount farther than last time but really after reading a lot of guys ending numbers on LP i felt mine were pretty low and decided to give it another shot.
Been there, done that. Not a good way to train, IMO. Aside from feeling (and looking) like shit…spending 5 straight months trying to cut that weight back off is no fun.
and also really dialing my form
You can work on that in any program
but really after reading a lot of guys ending numbers on LP i felt mine were pretty low and decided to give it another shot.
Don’t compare your numbers to anyone else. If I worried about what everyone else was hitting, I’d probably just give up because I’m no where close.
That said, I agree with the others. You are probably at a point of accumulated fatigue where you need to switch programs. SSLP was not really intended to be rerun multiple times through like you are doing.
The Bridge or really any programming from Barbell Medicine really is a relief and a breath of fresh air–and it is empowering, especially around the stuff dealing with pain.
If you want to progress, you need the right amount of stress. Sometimes this may mean more volume at a lower or varying intensities; sometimes it may mean new exercise selections, sometimes it may mean practice with really high intensities. Recovering and adaptation are ongoing–you are not failing if you don’t add weight to the bar in a predictable way, but using RPE, you may add 10-15 pounds on a good day and seize that moment with joy! Bad form does not = injury, but good form can improve performance. There is nothing special about 5s. There is nothing uniquely special about low-bar back squat unless it makes training enjoyable and productive for you (I happen to love and prefer the low-bar squat, but I still use and train other squats too).
Embrace the process of training; learn what works for you; you will gain self-efficacy in your own programming and long-term progress, overcoming and troubleshooting setbacks, and will probably find training overall to be more enjoyable over the long run.
I, for a time, tried repeatedly to “have a good run” on SSLP, and it cost me 8 months of progress because I kept not progressing–the training stress wasn’t right. In an effort to add weight to the bar for an arbitrary 3 sets of 5, I overate, postponed workouts for extra recovery, and reduced volume to try and ‘hit’ those numbers I was ‘supposed’ to get. Things have been much better since I left that mindset behind.
Most of your lifts are were mine were when I stopped LP, not that that matters. I won’t bag on that program, because it got me strong, and I have no good reason to.
I remember feeling remarkably crappy in the last month or so of LP, which was due to me stretching it out too far.
The thing I’ve learned, is that your post novice career doesn’t just pick up from your last LP numbers (at least mine). I think this is pretty standard.
Of course you will find a bias on this board towards BBM programming, but for what it’s worth, it’s done me well. I have two young kids, work all hours of the day/night and have done just fine.