Bulgarian Method/HIHF training

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  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    Only had about 1800 calories yesterday which is ~200 under my target which obviously is already at "slow cut" level. (I'm not overly strict with my eating, but trying to get off the christmas pudge quickly and then slowly get down to 175-180.)

    Couple that with yesterday's workout and I was a little bit tired this morning, but nothing too bad.

    Anyway to the workout:

    Squat:
    135x10
    155x10
    185x7
    205x6
    215x4
    225x3
    230x2

    Bench:
    135x10
    155x7
    165x5
    170x3
    175x3
    180x2
    185x2
    190x1

    Accessory: wide grip lat pull downs, wide grip cable row
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    Are you doing any of the back off sets? It doesn't look like it. Or, did you take the approach to leave them out until you hit a wall?
  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
    edited January 2016
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    LolBroScience wrote: »
    Are you doing any of the back off sets? It doesn't look like it. Or, did you take the approach to leave them out until you hit a wall?

    I haven't really done any back off sets yet. I think I did some Monday as it wasn't going great, but yeah, I'm still at "charge ahead" mode especially since its only my 2nd week on this full bore with bench and first day with squats.

    Possibly next week I'll add in some dropback sets on bench since I think I'm only going to get 3 or 4 days lifting in unfortunately. Squats I'll probably hold off for another week or so before worrying about them yet.
  • jmule24
    jmule24 Posts: 1,392 Member
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    Interesting thread. I'm also a proponent of using DUP methods while creating a program. I train 3x/week full body. I've made the best strength gains this way.
  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    Happy Friday everyone who checks in on me here.

    Skwaat:
    135x10
    155x10
    185x10
    205x6
    215x5
    225x3
    235x2
    245x2

    Bench
    135x10
    155x8
    165x5
    170x4
    175x3
    180x3
    185x2
    185x1
    180x2
    180x2

    Accessory: drag curls, various ab work

    Feeling great. Been sleeping and eating good this week which helps.

    185 was slower than I wanted so instead of heading up to 190 dropped back and did 2-180x2 which went up solid. Funny how a mere 5lb difference can sometimes move so much easier.

    Squatting felt good. The 245x 2 wasn't terrible. Didn't want to try and He-man any further though so I called it.

    Tomorrow I have to work so I'll hit the gym before work. Not going to squat as I'm gonna jog but we'll see if I do another bench session or not.

    I'm having a lot of fun with this which is surprising me. I was half-dreading it coming in which is sort of why I decided to do it. I also think after I get back into my normal program I'm going to keep squatting 4x a week. Not like this, but I'll do my main squat day, my auxiliary squat day, and then just do some lighter hypertrophy work the other days. We'll see, but I'm enjoying it. I should probably snag "Squat Every Day" and peruse it.

  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    Saturday and I'm at work so I hit the gym. Skipped squatting as I jogged a bit and did my 6th bench session of the week. Got an extra 90 minutes of sleep so you'll see how it went....

    Bench:
    135x10
    155x9
    165x6
    170x4
    175x4
    180x3
    185x3
    190x1
    195x1
    200x1- YOLO'd here. First working set at 200 so I wanted it. Was slow, but kept my form.
    190x1
    185x2
    185x2- Shouldn't have done 2 here. 2nd one was ugly. First truly ugly rep I've had doing this though.

    Accesssory: Facepulls & DB OHP

    Jogged 2 miles on the treadmill. Was gonna do a 5k but dear god jogging on a treadmill is like torture for me. Just horrifically mentally taxing whether I'm going slow as a turtle or pushing myself. I hate it.

    Tomorrow I plan on completely taking off. Only gonna get 3 days lifting in next week as I have a minor prodcedureThursday which will put me out until the following Monday for bench and probably that entire following week on squats.

    I'm still impressed but how not dead I am. Am a sore? Yeah. Was I tired by the end? Sure. But I've been more torn up by a single day's session than I am by a week of this. I'm sure the ramp up period helped of course.

    I'm at a point where if someone is at a point in their program and they want to try something different for 6-12 weeks I'd suggest giving this a go.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    For me my body can't handle squatting more than twice a week even with lower percentages. I could easily do bulgarian method for bench and maybe deadlift.

    (Could have to do with knee surgeries) I find in general my legs take forever to recover compared to my upper body.
  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    How do you guys track this stuff? I'm sticking with StrongLifts until I top out, but, I created a spreadsheet for DUP (because I'm super geeky and love spreadsheets) once I finish with SL's. The SL app is top notch. I wish someone would build a similar slick app for all the other programs out there. It should be easy. Maybe I should shut up and do it. Lol

    Pen & paper than manually put it in MFP. I'm also eventually when I'm really bored put it all in a spreadsheet.

    An app would be handy for a lot of people. I don't really use my phone at the gym but man, if someone developed an app that was easily user customizable for variety of programs it'd be downloaded like hotcakes I'd think.

  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    How do you guys track this stuff? I'm sticking with StrongLifts until I top out, but, I created a spreadsheet for DUP (because I'm super geeky and love spreadsheets) once I finish with SL's. The SL app is top notch. I wish someone would build a similar slick app for all the other programs out there. It should be easy. Maybe I should shut up and do it. Lol

    Excel & RepCount app
  • jmule24
    jmule24 Posts: 1,392 Member
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    GuitarJerry wrote: »
    How do you guys track this stuff? I'm sticking with StrongLifts until I top out, but, I created a spreadsheet for DUP (because I'm super geeky and love spreadsheets) once I finish with SL's. The SL app is top notch. I wish someone would build a similar slick app for all the other programs out there. It should be easy. Maybe I should shut up and do it. Lol

    I use an app called "Multi-Year weight Training" it's only for the iPhone though.

    Fully customizable it was $5 and worth every penny!
  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    Its Monday which means its time to bench & squat again!

    Squat:
    135x10
    155x10
    185x10
    205x7
    215x5
    225x4
    235x3
    245x1
    255x1
    2-245x1

    Bench:
    135x10
    155x7
    165x4
    170x3
    175x2
    180x1
    185x1
    190x1 SLOW
    175x3
    175x2

    Accessory: t-bar row & lat pulldown

    Was slightly low on my already cutting calories yesterday and missed out on about 40 minutes of sleep so I was a little beat by the time I got to bench. Still satisfied with the day however. Going to try and push hard through Wednesday before I have to take a little break.
  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    Tuesday

    Squat:
    135x10
    155x10
    185x10
    205x7
    215x5
    225x3
    235x2
    245x1
    255x1
    245x2

    Bench:
    135x10
    155x9
    165x5
    170x4
    175x3
    180x3
    185x2
    190x1
    195x1
    200x1
    2-190x1

    No time for accessories today sadly. Stupid weather.

    Thought I felt tired but apparently not. The 245x2 involved probably 5 seconds of standing rest under the bar as I took a few deep breaths to go for the 2nd. It went smoothly though. Bench I really wanted to go for 205 but 200 was slow and wasn't going to wrestle it up.

    This has been a fun experience. I'm looking forward to my regular program and seeing how this helped, but I think next winter around holiday time I might do this again.

    Its helped me figure out where my weak points are in my lifts too. Bench I really need to get my shoulders stronger, chest too, but shoulders as much as anything. Squats, got to build my quads up more. I always thought they are pretty strong and from an endurance standpoint they are but that's still different squatting "heavier" weights.
  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    I'm tired of it being cold and making me later to the gym so I'm not getting any cardio or accessory work in. Ah well, those things aren't what this is about right now anyway.

    Squat:
    135x10
    155x10
    185x10
    205x7
    215x5
    225x3
    235x2
    245x1
    255x1
    245x2

    Bench:
    135x10
    155x7
    165x5
    170x4
    175x3
    180x2
    185x2
    190x1
    195x1
    195x1

    No dropback sets on bench today got up to 195 and it went up alright but not alright enough to put on another 5lbs so I just did it again and called it.

    Aside from strength gains this program has really helped me with my mobility. Why? Because its FORCED me to do extra mobility work on my legs and hips. Oh sure before I'd do a little bit, and its not like I'm doing a ton now, but I'm doing more than I did and I can tell a difference.

    Now to keep it up when I'm not doing this every day. lol




  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    What are you doing for your mobility work? Anything in particular?
  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    McCloud33 wrote: »
    What are you doing for your mobility work? Anything in particular?

    Nothing super major but since I was slacking its helping. A little bit of static stretching for hamstrings & calves.

    Then I do something where I kneel and put 1 foot on a bench, the other foot out, then twist towards the foot that's out, hold 2-3 seconds, go back, repeat about 10x side.

    Then I do this stuff: mobilitywod.com/propreview/pre-squat-hip-opener-mob-rx-mobility-project-episode-363/

    Then I roll on a foam roller on inner & outer thigh and roll my hamstrings down to my calves.

    I've been doing this at night a bit too and also have taken to putting a lacrosse ball about 1.5" below the hip joint and laying on it, slowly working it across my leg into a new spot every 15-20 seconds.

    Occasionally I'll do some other dynamic stuff, jumping, leg swings, whatever to get some blood flowing.

    I'm not a supple leopard. I'm not even a fat lion. But in just a few weeks I'm not nearly as tight through the hips as I was.
  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    Happy monday anyone following this. Had a minor procedure last week so only got 3 days in and I won't be squatting this week just to make sure everything heals up properly.

    Sore from sitting on my *kitten* for 3 days. Tired as hell because my brain decided I needed to wake up at 2:45 and not go back to sleep. Great first day of the week. Ah well.

    Bench:
    135x10
    155x7
    165x5
    170x4
    175x3
    180x2
    185x1
    190x1
    195x1 Felt heavy as hell. So tired
    185x1

    Facepulls: 3x70x10

  • ovidnine
    ovidnine Posts: 314 Member
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    Today was a good day. I'm getting restless from not squatting but what can ya do? Only a few more days.

    Didn't quite get as much sleep as I wanted, a half-hour or so more than usual, but still not nearly enough to make up for Sunday night. Also was ~300-350 low on calories.

    However thanks to Electric Wizard's seminal album Dopethrone it was a good day.

    Bench:
    135x10
    155x8
    165x5
    170x4
    175x3
    180x3
    185x2
    190x1
    195x1
    200x1
    205x1 (first time doing it in a working set) 
    210x .75 SO F'ING CLOSE!  Had a spotter and got 3/4 up slow but steady. Then form went to hell & I bailed it. I KNOW I can get it now (which would've been a PR, not just a daily max) but not going to be stupid about things since I have 4 more days of benching this week and last thing I need is to hurt myself being dumb.
    190x2
    185x2

    I wanted that 210 so bad. SO. BAD. However seeing that I nearly got it up anyway I feel good about when I test my max at the end of this in a few weeks. Not quite sure I'll be in 2 plate territory yet, but I'll be really damn close.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
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    @ovidnine How much time are you resting between your singles?

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