When do you become an intermediate lifter?
rkintn
Posts: 5 Member
I'm currently into the 2nd month of my second try at strong lifts. I'm squatting 105, benching 80, ohp 65, BR 95, dead lift 135. I am struggling with the ohp but seem to be slowly progressing on everything else. I bought fractional weights and those are helping a lot. When should I switch to madcow? Or an intermediate program? I read the article on stronglifts by Medhi but I'm pretty sure I won't be squatting 300 no matter how long I do SL lol. Any suggestions?
0
Replies
-
i'm sort of half-assedly ambitious at best about progress, so i stayed with sl for as long as i felt like it. but normally i think people switch when they get up against their own ceiling with whatever programme they're currently on. that's what i did, anyway.
two months seems a little soon, at least to me. you don't HAVE to do sl if you want to try some other programme, but at the same time you don't HAVE to switch according to any rigid timetables either.2 -
That is a good question.
I think, if I can remember exactly, I followed SL for around 12 weeks. I felt comfortable enough to try out some new things and had been given New Rules of Lifting for Women book as a gift for Christmas from my stepsister, so gave that a go. I've done other things since then but not sure that Id' have called myself "intermediate" even then.
Think I stopped reading from Medhi after the first few weeks since just needed to know how to do things. After that, didn't look back. Probably for the better from what I hear since his focus is on guys.
Still, you do raise an interesting question for the forums. When do we consider ourselves to be "intermediate" or move in any range on the "lifter scale."
Maybe I'm close now. It is really hard to improve on the main lifts though this last peak cycle I at least managed to get deadlift to increase 10 lbs this time as opposed to the measly 5 from the cycle before. Upper body is a struggle but would help if I hadn't skipped it a little bit during one cycle.
Changing programs depends on a few things and what you find most beneficial for your goals.1 -
I really wish there was a female version of Medhi pimping a female version of SL5x5 lol.0
-
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/SquatStandards.html
Is this chart *kitten* or a pretty guide to the different levels? Thoughts?0 -
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/SquatStandards.html
Is this chart *kitten* or a pretty guide to the different levels? Thoughts?
There's a difference between having intermediate lifts and being an intermediate lifter. Someone may be an "advanced" lifter with intermediate lifts or they may be a beginning lifter with elite lifts depending on technique, genetics/past athletic history/ etc.
Rippetoe defines an intermediate lifter as anyone who cannot progress from workout to workout any longer, and an advanced lifter as someone who cannot progress every week (taking into account program recommended deloads whatnot). This classification system is debated by a lot of fitness folks as it would make almost everyone who's been training over a 12-18 months or so an "advanced lifter."
If you want to go "by the book" switch when you are unable to progress on 1x5 anymore. Otherwise progress whenever you feel like you're burnt out or need a change. I think in general anything that gets someone in the gym and lifting will be beneficial, just maybe not optimal depending on their goals.1 -
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/SquatStandards.html
Is this chart *kitten* or a pretty guide to the different levels? Thoughts?
Hey, I'm actually an intermediate squatter according to that chart! Whoop! lol
I'm not going to repeat what everyone else said, but my 2 cents as a bit of a mild program-hopper myself (I do try to stick them through to the end, but I have done many in my "shortish" lifting career - I think I'm getting to/have just past my 4th gymversary here?): if something stops working for you (be it motivation, progress, time investment, different goals, whatever) and you've given it a fair shot (4-6 weeks and/or ~75% of the program's length, at least), it's perfectly fine to move on to something else that would fit your current situation better.
There are a lot of "standards" out there, but they really only help you compare yourself to others arbitrarily (unless a program specifically says "you should have been lifting for at least 6 months and have proper form and knowledge of this or that lift before you start", but even then, it's not really calling you "intermediate", "advanced" or "experiences").
also: everyone struggles with OHP. Don't worry too much about it
1 -
Found another helpful site that breaks it down into male and female.. www.strengthlevel.com0
-
I switched after 1 year...I moved to 3x5 first then 531 after that...but it was 1 year after I started.
I switched because the rest times were hitting 5min and the workouts were 90 mins...1
