Ive been stuck at 320lb for my back squat and 352lb for my deadlifts for the past 9 months.
I back squat twice a week - once 5x3/3x3 @ 85/90% of 1RM at higher intensity but lower volume but the other at lower intensity but higher volume and shorter rest periods of 4x 8-10 @ 70-75% of 1RM.
I deadlift once a week - 3x3/ 1x5 @ 85-90% of 1RM followed by back offsets of 5-10 reps of lower intensities.
Current bodyweight: 165lb
Any suggestions on programming or is it more an issue of putting on more weight?
Am currently on 2000-2500 cal a day.
It’s difficult for most people to sustain high intensities of their true max for so long unless they’re using the Westside method where they rotate different variations of the main lift. Try something different for awhile where you build up in intensity over a longer period of time or a periodization scheme that cycles through low, medium and high intensities. Most of the popular programs out there besides Westside aren’t using 90+% for months at a time.
Edit: Besides Westside, frequently working at 90+% will help you peak for a max single but probably won’t be effective for building strength over the long term.
Def could afford to put on some size but that is not always the means to an end. What happens when you get up to say 300pounds of shit. Sure you may be squatting 5 or even 600 but was it worth it.
I personally would back off the intensity. I have said and heard it from the best that over and over that going hard and balls to the wall is the easy part. It is being smart and learning how to program and give your body a chance to recover and adapt. You can recover and adapt by bascially 3 ways. Upping Calories (putting on size), Drugs, Better programming, or any combination of the 3. Id personally back off to something like…
Week 1-
Day 1- Volume Squat/ Heavy Pull
Squat: 3x5, 5x5, 6x6 etc
Heavy Deadlift: 1 to AMRAP Deadlift set start around 80%( essentially squats are your warmups)
Day 2- Tech/Weak Point Squat and Speed Deadlift
Front, Pause, Safety Bar Squat: 3x5
Speed Pulls: 60% 5x5
Week 2-
Day 1- Heavy Squat/ Weak Point Pull
Work up to AMRAP Squat start around 80%
Deficit, Stiff Leg, Rack Pulls: 3x3,3x5,3x6
Day 2- Comp Tech Squat/ Speed Pulls
Comp Squat: 3x5
Speed Pulls: 60% 5x5 ( try to beat the time it took you to pull the week before )
Start at 80% on the AMRAP go up 2-3% each week you do that move untill you get to about 95% then start back over with 80% plus 10lbs and beat your rep PR.
Pick a rep range and stay there adding 5-10 pounds each week you do it. Once you have stalled 2 weeks in a row without any improvement at all switch moves.
1-2 accessories for hams and core and go home.
Simple, effective and alot less grinding your self into the ground.
[quote]Alrightmiami19c wrote:
If it were me, I would back off a bit, rest and eat more. Maybe something like this.
Week 1
Monday: heavy squat
Thursday: light deadlift
Week 2
Monday: light squat
Thursday: heavy deadlift
Or something along those lines. Don’t squat and deadlift heavy in the same week, every week. Eat more and recover.[/quote]
This is basically what I do, and alternate heavy OHP and bench weeks. On your light squat days do stuff like stiff leg dl, dimmel DL. On heavy DL days do some light pause squatss
I would definitely just switch up the programming a little bit. Don’t always do the same reps, same sets every workout, your body is going to get too used to it. Do something to shock your body a little bit, and I think you will start to see results! Good luck!
[quote]KD10powerlifting wrote:
I would definitely just switch up the programming a little bit. Don’t always do the same reps, same sets every workout, your body is going to get too used to it. Do something to shock your body a little bit, and I think you will start to see results! Good luck![/quote]
I would add on to that and say, “Don’t always do the same reps, same sets and same weight every workout…” People can progress if they use similar rep/set schemes while only adjusting intensity. Sometimes people (including me in the past) have taken that advice overboard of shocking your body for results. Whatever the OP decides to do, just choose a program and do not deviate at all the first time you do it because you need to create a baseline for comparison. Then change one or two variables the next time around. The OP probably won’t have a problem with this since he stuck to his program for 9 months and didn’t change much despite not making progress. But certainly don’t shift to the other extreme and change everything all the time. Next time reevaluate what you’re doing if you aren’t making progress after 2-3 months and especially after 6 months.
This might sound like a stupid suggestion but it works in some cases. Try harder. Finding a better program would most likely be the best thing for long term results (the other being resolving any major form issues) but I think that effort in some cases is all it takes to break a plateau and get some momentum again. Granted, I don’t find your intensity to be too outrageous(if it was programmed correctly) and I’m not nearly as strong as some of the others on here
Smart programming trumps effort in this case. His intensity and volume combined is way too high if you compare his work to Prilepin’s Chart. The chart shows an optimal total rep count of 18 when working at 70-80%, 15 when working at 80-90% and 4 when working at 90+%.
In the OP’s first squat session he does 15 reps at 85% and 9 reps at 90%. This is practically two squat sessions combined. In a single deadlift session he does 9 reps at 85% and 5 reps at 90%. With the back off sets added, that would probably be two deadlift sessions. In his second squat session he does about 36 reps at 70-75%. This again is two squat sessions combined. Of course Prilepin’s Chart is only a guideline but the OP’s progress shows that he trained pass the optimal point for recovery and allowed no time for overcompensation.
[quote]lift206 wrote:
Smart programming trumps effort in this case. His intensity and volume combined is way too high if you compare his work to Prilepin’s Chart. The chart shows an optimal total rep count of 18 when working at 70-80%, 15 when working at 80-90% and 4 when working at 90+%.
In the OP’s first squat session he does 15 reps at 85% and 9 reps at 90%. This is practically two squat sessions combined. In a single deadlift session he does 9 reps at 85% and 5 reps at 90%. With the back off sets added, that would probably be two deadlift sessions. In his second squat session he does about 36 reps at 70-75%. This again is two squat sessions combined. Of course Prilepin’s Chart is only a guideline but the OP’s progress shows that he trained pass the optimal point for recovery and allowed no time for overcompensation.[/quote]
I would definitely agree that’s the case in this instance, that’s why I said he needs to fix his programming and/or his form for long term progress. But I feel as though many people hit short term plateaus that can be fixed by that suggestion
And I didn’t realize he was doing both, I read 5x3/3x3 @85/90% like he was doing either a 5x3 or 3x3 at a weight between 85% and 90% as some sort of auto regulation. My bad, that is too much lol
[quote]RSHK wrote:
Ive been stuck at 320lb for my back squat and 352lb for my deadlifts for the past 9 months.
I back squat twice a week - once 5x3/3x3 @ 85/90% of 1RM at higher intensity but lower volume but the other at lower intensity but higher volume and shorter rest periods of 4x 8-10 @ 70-75% of 1RM.
I deadlift once a week - 3x3/ 1x5 @ 85-90% of 1RM followed by back offsets of 5-10 reps of lower intensities.
Current bodyweight: 165lb
Any suggestions on programming or is it more an issue of putting on more weight?
Am currently on 2000-2500 cal a day.[/quote]
I would experiment with your frequency, intensity and volume levels…if you have been going 9 months without no gain and aren’t old and are eating good with stressors the same as when you gained; something is wrong with your training…might of worked in the past but variables have changed…I like to always experiment by reducing frequency, if the lifts go down, compensate up…it seems people are finding more and more they’re over-doing a frequency on a dead or Sq and that will throw off both if just one is over-trained.
I currently run a program the same as the OP, and I’m having great gains on it, without feeling over-trained or run down. (but I have increased my daily calories by 500).
On my heavy day (squat/deadlift) I work up to a 3-5 rep max for 4-5 sets on the squat, and 3-4 sets on the deadlift.
On rep. days it is the same, but for sets of 8.
The following week I try to improve by either increasing the weight or the reps. (e.g if week 1 I failed to hit 3+ sets of 5 reps, then week 2 I will try the same weight for more reps)
I ran a westside/conjugate style program for a few months, but I found trying to PR almost every ME session mentally and physically draining.
With my heavy day/reps day program, it is somewhat auto-regulated, and I find it easier to track my progress.
It’s working great for me right now. ‘RIGHT NOW’ being the key words here, as at some point I will plateau and will need to re-evaluate.
Just my 2 cents, be great to hear how you’re getting on!