Which lifting program is the best for you?
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Bump to keep it visible.0
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I've been doing the "A workout routine/muscle building routine" for about 8 weeks now (love it!) but I'm really starting to struggle with the weight increase for some lifts.
What's best to do at that point?
Have you deloaded or just kept trying the same weight? As an example, Stronglifts 5x5 says if you fail to get all 25 total reps 3 straight times, lower the weight 10℅. It provides rest but still stressing the muscles and provides an opportunity for form work. On your presses, make sure you're really getting those chest muscles involved and not just arms/shoulders. When the weight is too heavy, it can be tough to activate the muscles you need to.
Deloads have been very helpful for me, especially since I'm at maintenance and so advancing in weight is very slow.0 -
richardgavel wrote: »I've been doing the "A workout routine/muscle building routine" for about 8 weeks now (love it!) but I'm really starting to struggle with the weight increase for some lifts.
What's best to do at that point?
Have you deloaded or just kept trying the same weight? As an example, Stronglifts 5x5 says if you fail to get all 25 total reps 3 straight times, lower the weight 10℅. It provides rest but still stressing the muscles and provides an opportunity for form work. On your presses, make sure you're really getting those chest muscles involved and not just arms/shoulders. When the weight is too heavy, it can be tough to activate the muscles you need to.
Deloads have been very helpful for me, especially since I'm at maintenance and so advancing in weight is very slow.
Ok. I'll definitely stay mindful of that with the pressing. I did do a deload which seemed to help a bit, but after a short while I just felt like I was struggling to the point of getting sloppy. Maybe I'm still expecting to progress at the same rate and have to realize that just isn't going to happen now.... That's cool but I still want to feel like I'm progressing!
At any rate, I really like the 4 day/wk plan, so I'm going to stick with that...back off the weight slightly...increase the reps/sets and see where that takes me. If all else fails I'll cut down to 3 days.
How often you you typically need a deload?
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How often you you typically need a deload?
It depends on your criteria for deload and what your deficit or surplus is. A surplus will provide your body more opportunity to builld muscle vs maintenance or worse, a deficit.
Personally, I've deloaded 1 or 2 times over the past 3 months in every one of the core 5 lifts, most because of failure, sometimes because I've recognized form breakdown I wanted to correct.0 -
bumping for reference
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I did all pro;s A Simple Beginner's Routine two years ago. I like it. It worked fairly well. I've restarted it last week and experimenting with targeting 6RM median (Rather than 10RM median). There's a bevy of studies on the impact of strength training on running efficiency that suggest 6RM has the greatest positive impact. We'll see in two months or so.0
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@dpwellman. Does that mean you are starting at 4 rep and working to 12 or you are starting at the normal 8rep?
Just curious as AllPro is the programme I use.
I would also be interested in your progress with switching to this range.
Cheers, h.0 -
@middlehaitch Starting at 4 working to 8. The caveat is I skipped calf raises the first time as I considered them superfluous for running-- hill repeats or fartleks generally takes care of that, but I'm adding them this time.1
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Interesting. I have considered doing what you are doing but have only done 4 weight progressions so thought it would be a bit early to start changing it out.
I don't run etc so I need the calf raises
My thoughts on it were more from an adherence point of view. I find it quit exhausting, and as I am doing it more from a muscle retention/body recomp angle not performance enhancement or being able to lift incredible amounts, I have thought of doing what you plan, running it through 5-12, or doing each weektwice-the second week doing it x2 using the heavy day weights. ( a known option if you can only manage x2 a week)
There is a defunct group that has some interesting reading. I will post a link if you are interested.
Dang, I am just coming off a longish break, due to travel, and now you have me wondering if I should bastardized the programme again. I am going to have to start back at my last weight anyway.
Cheers, h.0 -
@middlehaitch Probably go lighter. One of the comments from the author implied that some days, sets are going to feel easy, and some days not quite so. We're never working to exhaustion, though. We should have our work sets light enough to complete every required rep with the same good form.0
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@middlehaitch Starting at 4 working to 8. The caveat is I skipped calf raises the first time as I considered them superfluous for running-- hill repeats or fartleks generally takes care of that, but I'm adding them this time.middlehaitch wrote: »Interesting. I have considered doing what you are doing but have only done 4 weight progressions so thought it would be a bit early to start changing it out.
I don't run etc so I need the calf raises
My thoughts on it were more from an adherence point of view. I find it quit exhausting, and as I am doing it more from a muscle retention/body recomp angle not performance enhancement or being able to lift incredible amounts, I have thought of doing what you plan, running it through 5-12, or doing each weektwice-the second week doing it x2 using the heavy day weights. ( a known option if you can only manage x2 a week)
There is a defunct group that has some interesting reading. I will post a link if you are interested.
Dang, I am just coming off a longish break, due to travel, and now you have me wondering if I should bastardized the programme again. I am going to have to start back at my last weight anyway.
Cheers, h.
I am running all pro. I started to hit a wall with bench but am still progressing with the other lifts. This cycle I am running all other lifts as written but am trying out bench starting at 6 reps per set.
I also think I am nearing the point where I have gotten all I can from the program. I am starting to find doing a full body program 3 times a week might be too taxing and it might be time to switch to a split program. I am wondering if that is where you are at @middlehaitch?0 -
@bioklutz There is an alternative: Drop the bench press portion for 100 pushups program.
NO. I am not doing another pushup program! With one of the other programs I ran I worked up to 8 sets of 10 pushups. At the end I was curled up in the fetal position trying not to cry. The memory is too fresh. I need a little time before I do that to myself again!3 -
I still do my beginner lifting program from 4 years ago lol I do SL5x5 but I've added in a lot of accessory work now.0
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I still do my beginner lifting program from 4 years ago lol I do SL5x5 but I've added in a lot of accessory work now.
How have you managed to stretch it that long?
From what I've seen most people are lucky to squeeze a year out of SL. Nothing wrong with that, usually just gets harder to make gains linearly after a while.1 -
TresaAswegan wrote: »I still do my beginner lifting program from 4 years ago lol I do SL5x5 but I've added in a lot of accessory work now.
How have you managed to stretch it that long?
From what I've seen most people are lucky to squeeze a year out of SL. Nothing wrong with that, usually just gets harder to make gains linearly after a while.
Agreed. I made it 14 months, and thought that was considered long for that program.1 -
TresaAswegan wrote: »I still do my beginner lifting program from 4 years ago lol I do SL5x5 but I've added in a lot of accessory work now.
How have you managed to stretch it that long?
From what I've seen most people are lucky to squeeze a year out of SL. Nothing wrong with that, usually just gets harder to make gains linearly after a while.
I make much slower gains but my larger muscles are very well developed and I really just stick with the compounds to maintain that. Like I said, I added a lot of accessory work to fine tune things but tbh any program is going to keep the big compounds regardless so I just tweaked it with accessory work.1 -
TresaAswegan wrote: »From what I've seen most people are lucky to squeeze a year out of SL. Nothing wrong with that, usually just gets harder to make gains linearly after a while.
I've thru both SS and SL once and had maxed out in both of them after only 4-5 months, which is not unusual based on the charts published by Rippetoe illustrating the rate of progress from beginner to intermediate among those using his program.1 -
TresaAswegan wrote: »From what I've seen most people are lucky to squeeze a year out of SL. Nothing wrong with that, usually just gets harder to make gains linearly after a while.
I've thru both SS and SL once and had maxed out in both of them after only 4-5 months, which is not unusual based on the charts published by Rippetoe illustrating the rate of progress from beginner to intermediate among those using his program.
That's true, I don't add weight like I used to every week, maybe every couple months my workweight will change but I meant I follow the 5x5. I absolutely don't add weight often0 -
TresaAswegan wrote: »From what I've seen most people are lucky to squeeze a year out of SL. Nothing wrong with that, usually just gets harder to make gains linearly after a while.
I've thru both SS and SL once and had maxed out in both of them after only 4-5 months, which is not unusual based on the charts published by Rippetoe illustrating the rate of progress from beginner to intermediate among those using his program.
That's true, I don't add weight like I used to every week, maybe every couple months my workweight will change but I meant I follow the 5x5. I absolutely don't add weight often
So, basically you aren't doing SLs as it's written. You're doing squats, bench, dead, OHP, rows and accessory work at whatever weight you feel you can lift. If it's working for ya, go for it! If it's not getting you the results you want, you may want to try one of the intermediate programs listed.5
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