I have the same issue. Half of the time I throw a towel over one of the safeties on the squat rack and use that to rest my back on. It doesn’t feel good on the back or neck, but you get them done. Still second the suggestion of Super Squats, but only if you are willing to add at least 500-800 calories to what you are currently eating. I randomly lost my appetite for a week, which happened to be the week I was stuck on 195 for three sessions. This is not a coincidence.
What is it that you want to do?
This might be a good time to evaluate and clarify where you want to go in the next more over arching phase of training, lifting, what ever.
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That program really teaches you the direct impact of calorie surplus on gym results. Its why I recommend it to so many beginners: it’s a crash course in the basics
Ever consider the radar chest pulls instead of pull overs?
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You’ve already gotten some great responses on this, but just from my own perspective: as long as I am training hard and eating not stupidly (which means protein centered, which is zero issue for you), my strength is maintained, even if my ability to DISPLAY it is not present.
Like, I’ll observe drop offs on performance due to life/biological circumstances, but I know that, give me 7-12 weeks of time to “recalibrate”: I can replicate/surpass performances.
You displayed great strength with a set of 4. Hard sets of 4 are VERY hard. We don’t tend to repeat them frequently. Dan John’s “easy strength” operates around that: some workouts will have great performances, some not, but the average trends upward.
All that to say: if you change how you train and see a performance decline, so long as the effort and nutrition are there, the strength will still be there.
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I wanted to touch on this too.
You can’t always be peaking, and strength is VERY durable.
My own personal standard for decent deadlift is 3 plates. Even after some Really Serious setbacks it didnt take long at all to get right back up to and past that.
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Yup.
I believe in the mantra “quickly gained, quickly lost”, and the inverse as well.
When we get those rapid rises in “strength”, it’s not going to last. We hit that big number, and then we fall back. I hit 5x10x405 on squats, it was amazing, and 2 weeks later, I couldn’t get a 9th rep with 405 for 1 set.
But what’s beneath the surface? That’s going to take a LONG time to lose.
Same reason fighters have “fight camps”. On any given day, any real fighter can mess you up, but in order to be as ready as possible, they spent a few weeks getting tuned back up…and then, they tune right back down again to baseline.
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Yep. And raising that baseline is a long game.
Thats something I love about @ActivitiesGuy 's plans over the years. He has that every day thing where his baseline is 4 or 5 plates, then every so often would run it up to 600+.
Its brilliant.
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No, I had not, that will be so much easier!
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Week 4: day 4 (yesterday)
Deadlift: 1x5-100, 1x3-115, 1x2-125; 1x5-115,110, 105, 100
Lying leg raises: 6x16
Paused squats: 6x4-60kg, 3sec pause at bottom, superset with 20 alt lunges
Good mornings: 3x10-50kg
Snatch grip dl: 3x8-60kg
Pendlay rows: 5x3-60kg
Conditioning: 15min of tabata intervals
- very very disappointed with DL, just tired, this took forever
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This is so huge, and I hope Anna will read it a few times. I do a lot of training at or near max (which she also does), and it is my DISPLAY strength that varies from week to week. Base strength takes time to change.
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Deload: day 1
In traditional fashion, I start my deload off with something incredibly stupid
Deadlift: 10x10-100kg
Lying leg raises: 8x15
Good mornings: 1x12,13,14-40kg, superset w/20 alt bodyweight lunges
Leg extensions: 8x6-90lbs
- this was not as bad as I expected, got the deadlifts done in ~85min, rest of it was fine too
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Deload: day 2 (yesterday)
Db front rack carry: 16x30m EMOM- 55lb db, alternate side every round
Incline bench: 4x10-30kg
Front raise: 4x12-10lb dbs
Db military press: 4x8-25lb dbs
Overhead tricep extensions: 4x8-17.5lbs
- still pretty dead but the carries were fun, got HR up pretty good
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Your definition of a “deload” is interesting…
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deload for me = start off with something stupid → do stuff that’s not the big three for the rest of the week. Usually more conditioning and small movement focused. I need a break from squatting benching and sumo deadlifitng
A mental deload.
Do you ever do conventional deadlifts?
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I did them as an accessory movement when running Cap3. I’ll use them as accessory on squat day after the deload
Deload: Day 3
Good mornings: 10x8-50kg, superset with 10 alt 1arm kbs-40lb kb
Press: 5x3-40kg, superset with 10 alt 1arm kbs-40lb kb
Leg Extensions: 6x7- 85lbs; 5x8-65lbs, 30sec rest
alternating 1arm kbs: 1x50, 3x20
5min walking lunges
- this felt awesome, hard but awesome. The swings were very smooth and good to get blood flowing to lowerback and hamstrings
Note: impulsavely ate 400kcal of cream cheese… oops
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@SvenG i have gained social capital in my Behavioural Econ class! Some of the grad students ask me for help on their research ideas!
Also, done with midterms!
Deload: day 4
45min weighted walk- 30lbs
Db rows: 3x5/side-50lbs
- felt good, got blood flowing . Hamstrings dead from yesterday though
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@Bagsy my friend wants to get adjustable kettlebells. What would you recommend? What is a reasonable price range?
I know this wasnt to me, but I am a BIG fan of the Ironmasters
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