Can I Go Back to Old Training Plans?

Recently I got feedback on my physique and I think that my chest is lagging which would make sense as I plateued when training Linear at 75kg,

I went to DUP and got 92.5kg for 2 reps now and I may give the strength cycle one more run but when I Plateu out I plan on doing “Smolov Jr Bench”.

Now after that I’d be unsure what to do would I be able to go back on DUP if I’d Plateued before on it, and due to making Strength increases on Smolov Jr Bench Plan would I be able to make gains from a plan I’d plateued on in the past?

I’m just curious plus this question will help me if answered for when I become a PT.

Are you trying to build your chest or your bench?

2 Likes

Bench… I feel like pressing carryovers to accesories thus helping hypertrophy I like lifts better than looking good but both go hand in hand to be fair.

if your profile picture is you, you can make gains running literally any plan. Smolov will work. DUP will work. Any sort of linear programming will work. Running no program at all and winging it every time you show up at the gym (my training style of preference) will work.

1 Like

Yeah but you do a plan, you gain some weight and strength and then you plateu… What I’m asking is will I build a tolerance to a certain style of training e.g. DUP Plan I’m using now.

I hear what you’re saying, and what I’m saying is you’re wrong about that.

I ran 5/3/1 for years without feeling any need to change programming. It’s really the only program I’ve run with any consistency in the last 7 or 8 years. If a plan has a progression model that makes sense, it can be used forever.

What I’m saying is that at your level, picking the right plan will never be the problem/issue.

3 Likes

Beyond 5/3/1 or Forever because all the base did was wack my DL up

Which one is “the base”? I have never seen that one from Jim.

1 Like

That article wasn’t even written by Jim though. He has said as such on facebook. Poor choice to base an evaluation on. And even then, that article has 3 programs in it. Which one is the base?

Honest question: if it wasn’t written Jim did he mention who did? I don’t have an active Facebook to look into it.

He didn’t say. I imagine a staff writer.

Best bet is to stick with his books or posts.

1 Like

Never would’ve guessed. Whoever wrote it certainly got the tone right (I imagine they plucked excerpts from one of his early books).

1 Like

It came out before the 5/3/1 books actually, unless you mean like his Max Effort manual.

Nah, never even heard of the Max Effort manual haha.

If the high frequency of bench in Smolov wore you down, and the high frequency of bench in DUP wore you down, you might try a plan with lower frequency of bench.

If only barbell benching leaves your chest lagging, you may need to use some different exercises. If you’re not developing all the muscles, you’re not developing all the gains.

I think you need something new. Not because you can’t repeat old programs, but because you don’t want to repeat those results.

It’s under investigation right now, but there is evidence that Smolov is fake Russian propaganda designed to mess up the US lifting community.

Also, the Max Effort Manual is really good.

3 Likes

cool. do what you want.

2 Likes

Thanks my question was really on how to programme and you hit the nail on the head there, Haven’t tried Smolov will do gains are going ok on DUP as for now, I was just asking for future referance and UFpwrLifter tried Smolov Bench and it went good for him…

are you a competitive powerlifter? or do you plan to be? I can’t see a reason to run a smolov program if you aren’t.

2 Likes

Agreed. Outside of the original 531, this is his best book imo. Crazy to me it never got as much hype as it should have

1 Like