Asking on my log so I can find it in a few months. You recommended to tlgains to do a series of programs strung together for mass gain. What would you recommend for strength emphasis after? I am thinking about doing this in January.
Also, how long did it take you to reach bodyweight overhead press?
Hey man,
Those programs will make you plenty strong. Muscles get stronger by getting bigger. The other thing you can do is realize strength, which is through intensification. This is the process of developing the skill of handling maximal poundages. Unless you need that specifically, sticking with those sorts of programs outlined are going to make you incredibly strong. Deep Water laid down a huge foundation for intensification for me.
For pressing bodyweight, I first did that in like 2007 or so, which woulda been after 8ish years of ātrainingā, but things get muddy at that point. I started training in some manner at age 14, but didnāt know what the hell I was doing. I got up to a 300lb bench press by age 19 from just being stupid, and started pressing overhead shortly after that. Prior to that, the only overhead pressing I did was on a machine. No idea how long it woulda taken if I set out from the onset to get it done.
Familiar with the process but not the wording. So to rephrase then, what is a good intensification program? Iām hoping to try a powerlifting comp within the next year, so I figure Iāll need a good way to realize the strength built in previous training cycles.
Thanks for the reply!
Powerlifting is really far outside my wheelhouse. Iād check the powerlifting forum here and maybe the powerlifting subreddit. I tend to stay away from intensification outside of strongman comp prep, and even then do it is limited scope these days, as itās time spent away from getting stronger. When I DO intensify, I donāt really have a program I run: Iāll find the events I need to compete in, start prepping 8 weeks out, and add weight while taking away reps.
Ok. Thanks for the advice man.
Oh. One more question: what would be a good idea to do at the end of the programs you mentioned if I didnāt want to intensify? Repeat the whole thing?
Thatās about 26 weeks of training, so half a year. Be a good time to assess and evaluate. I couldnāt eat like that for a full year.
Haha good point. Thanks.
4 October 2019
Bench
3* x 255 lb
Overhead press
5 sets x 5 reps x 115 lb
Squat
2 sets x 5 reps x 255 lb
9 x 255 lb
Deadlift
10 x 245 lb
Wife is out of town so I worked out with some friends.I had to combine two days of workouts into an hour bc today is the only day Iāll be able to lift this weekend so I had to cut some stuff. *Spotter robbed me of the fourth rep on bench. He just touched it with a few fingers once I slowed down but enough for me to not count it. E1rm seems to be stalled on everything these days. Not sure where to go from here.
Training notes:
Right knee has been bothering me lately. Extensions as recommended from physical therapist while I was in the military have been helping.
So, after seeing that my bench e1rm has stalled, I am rethinking my approach. I think instead of deloading on Monday and including an intensity day with just heavier sets, Iāll just keep the same weight and total volume but hit it with cluster sets on Monday and then do intensity day on Friday with one or two lighter sets to keep some volume in on those days. Iāll monitor recovery and see if volume needs to go up or down. This will last 3 weeks then on to CTās 915. The overhead press and bench on these days will look like this:
Monday:
Ohp work to top set of 1-3 reps. 5-6 reps total. As many sets as needed.
Bench 5 sets x 5 clusters with 15 sec rest
As many clusters as possible on last set.
Friday:
Bench work up to top set of 1-3 reps. 5-6 reps total. As many sets as needed.
1-3 sets x 8-12 reps
Ohp 5 sets x 5 clusters with 15 sec rest
As many clusters as possible on last set.
May add in lighter sets of overhead press on Monday but only if it doesnt affect the bench work.
Edit: Deadlift notes
I am noticing my back feels most vulnerable towards the end of the 10 rep sets. Thinking about it. Injuries always happened when pushing to failure and I think it may benefit me to try to start working with several easy singles. I think the progression will be something like this over the next few weeks:
2 sets x 5 reps
3 sets x 3 reps
4 sets x 2 reps
6 sets x 1 rep
While keeping far away from failure.
7 October 2019
Superset
Bench clusters 15 sec rest
4 x 245 lb
2 x 245 lb
3 x 245 lb
1 x 245 lb
1 x 245 lb
With
Rows
5 sets x 8 reps x 175 lb
Then
Giant set
Skull crushers
2 sets x 8 reps x 95 lb
13 x 95 lb
With
Barbell curls
2 sets x 8 reps x 65 lb
12 x 65 lb
And
External rotators
15 x 15 lb
8 x 15 lb
20 x 10 lb
So bench didnāt go as planned. Even though I got 5 sets of 3 and a set of 2 at 245 last week, I apparently couldnāt do my cluster sets for 5 sets of 5 today. Not sure why. I donāt know if this is a sign I need a deload or whether it was just an off day( i doubt it) but sets of 5 should have been achievable based off of what I have read about recommended loads. Iām not sure what to do here. I almost canāt wait to just hop on a program and not worry about programming for a while. This competition has got me so in my head about all this and what the optimal way to progress is. It will be nice just to enjoy training for a while. I never thought Iād say this, but I am tempted to just hop on 531 right now.
8 October 2019
Squat
4 sets x 5 reps x 265 lb
9 x 265 lb
Deadlift
5 x 255 lb
10 x 255 lb
Squat is getting really close to PR territory. Very happy about that. Tried a wider stance on squat , which I think made it a little harder and kept me a tad too high on depth. It helped a little with my butt tucking under a little while in the hole.
Took a video on deadlifts. Back was ever so slightly rounded on reps after the first, so I am going to take it slow and reset between every rep. Making good progress though.
Strong work none the less keep it going
Thanks!
Iāve tried wider stance squatting a number of times, too, but I always default back to a shoulder width stance within a few sets lol. Feels a lot more natural for me
Me too. I really dont like it andI am stronger with shoulder width. Iām going to give it a good go though and see if I change my mind.
Back has been complaining a little since Tuesday. Not so much pain as just an off feeling. I did some BW pullups at around 220 today at the park when I was with my family and got 13. Far from my personal best of 22, but considering I am 25 lb heavier I think that is a PR for this bodyweight and Iāll take it.
11 October 2019
Bench
2 sets x 1 rep x 265 lb ( failed third set)
6 x 225 lb
Superset
Overhead press
4 sets x 5 reps x 120 lb
2 x 120 lb
With
Pullup
5 x BW +20 lb (240 lb)
3 sets x 4 reps x BW + 20 lb (240 lb)
1 x BW +20 lb ( 240 lb)
Superset
Skull crusher
8 x 105 lb
5 x 105 lb
12 x 70 lb slow
With
Barbell curls
2 sets x 8 reps x 70 lb
4 x 70 lb
And
External rotations
8 x 15 lb
15 x 10 lb
8 x 10 lb
So I am convinced from the steady decrease in performance on bench that I am in need of a deload. So I am going to take one next week for upper body. Not sure how I am going to program in between then and 915. Maybe just lower volume down to 3x5 on volume day and some singles on intensity day. Iāll think about it. The singles for 265 lb were way harder than they should have been though. Felt like a max. Also my shoulders and biceps have been bothering me lately, so that is probably another sign.
General updates
So my wife has been lifting free weights since I came back too. She recently did 225 lb on squat and 110 lb for 8 on bench. Iām really proud of her. She has the desire to get stronger now and we are both wanting to do a strongman/strongwoman(?) comp within a year of my graduation.
I have realized I havenāt done core work or forearm work since I switched to a 4 day split. I guess I just forgot to program it in. Iāll start adding this in on lower body days to keep injury at bay and increase grip strength. Also have been getting lax with tracking my macros. It would be nice if I didnāt have to but I have noticed if i donāt I tend to not get enough protien or calories. So I need to get back to that.
12 October 2019
Squat
4 sets x 5 reps x 275 lb
6 x 275 lb
Deadlift
2 sets x 5 reps x 265 lb
My wife said it looked like I had a rep or two left on the amrap set on squats, but I guess I got in my head about it. Stopped at 5 reps on second set of deadlifts because my back was feeling off.
Decided what I am going to do over the next three weeks. I will do a short peak (two weeks) and max out so I know my true maxes for 915 and then take a deload week. That way I know what I am working with and I am fresh going into the program. My wife is going to do it with me. Should be fun.
Also, I noticed the bicep soreness from bench is carrying over to the next day. In between squats, I assume from me pulling down hard on the bar, I feel the soreness deep in the bicep again.