Up the reps unless it’s blatantly easy. That’s something I’m learning. It’s going to catch up to you, and you’re just going to have the drop the weight again if you increase too fast. I’ve been upping the weight, and my form has been garbage in my fifth set. I still think the SLDL are really light for you though. I just think you’re going to have to use different sets of weights, ie the SLDL will be something close to 1.5-2x your goblet squat.
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I agree. My form is good though I think, and I won’t increase the weight before another week at least.
For the SLDL I think so too, I’ll go up next workout and add reps probably, I just don’t want to kill my hamstrings and not be able to walk the next day so I’m ramping up. Thanks for the tip!
C14W1D4
Box jumps 4x5 SS with 100 pull aparts
DL
5x85
5x97.5
5x110 belt on
5x5 FSL with belt and fat gripz. If you want a grip workout… It makes the FSL much harder.
Krypteia assistance, chins were cleaner, DB incline 5x12 with 20kg
Done in 42 min as I took my time and tried to be recovered for each set. The fat gripz made me take longer rest too.
The belt felt good, I wore it higher than for the squats. I find it hard to get 360 pressure after the first breath as I’m down. Just figured I should take my breath at the top of each rep…
I feel like the support is good though, better than for the squats tbh but that could be just from the fact that I wore the belt tighter.
The belt is starting to not be as stiff which is good!
Weight 84,3kg
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It’s nice to take longer breaks isn’t it. Your form is better and the workouts don’t suck as much. It’s a good reminder that this workout isn’t a race, and just because it sucks more doesn’t mean you had a better workout.
Also, I’m going to do the same thing as you. I’m gonna do my pull aparts during my warmup instead of between my working sets.
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I felt like it was more necessary particularly for the DL. As written in the book, the clock should be there as an after thought, and not try to beat it each time.
I like the fact I don’t screw around in the gym, I get more work done in less time, I like “denser” workouts.
And yeah pull aparts at the start are good! It’s helpful to active the upper back before any lift!
IC14W2D1
OHP
4x5 box jumps SS with 100 pull aparts
5x35
5x40
5x45
5x5FSL
I used fat gripz for the OHP with a false grip. I tried a full grip and bar path was just not right at all.
I used 24kg KBs again, and 5x12 for the SLDL, upper back burning. I’m still not recovered 100% but the doctor said it was good to keep training but not go outside too much.
I took good rest periods and I was done in 35min.
Weight 83,7kg
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C14W2D2
Squat
4x5 Box jumps SS with 100 pull aparts
I forgot my phone, I knew the numbers for the top sets, except FSL where it was 85 instead of 82.5kg but that doesn’t matter.
5x82.5
5x95
5x107.5, belt on. I really tried to use the belt to push my abs against it and keep my spine neutral and not hyper extended. I feel like wearing the belt is good to teach me how to be braced without it.
5x5 FSL
Assistance was the same as last week but I used fat gripz for the DB incline. I’m enjoying using these and will keep it for the prep version. For the actual Krypteia, if I do it, I’m not sure I’ll be able to use it on the supplemental for the DL. I’ll see how it goes.
I was done in 35 min. I don’t look at the clock ever, just at the end to stop it. I ensure bar speed is good for all the sets of the main lift. For the squat particularly I’ve been cautious with my descent (slow it down a bit at the top, still use a bit of stretch reflex, and explode up as fast as possible). I also like using the belt on the top set to learn how to use it, though I don’t feel like it makes a difference at these weights.
Weight 83.8kg.
I feel a bit better today. I still had fever this week end but should be back to normal in a few days.
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i see you double the vol of the jumps and throws like me. I guess you like it too?
Just because doing 25 pull aparts is easier than 50 aha
C14W2D3
Bench
4x5 box jumps, SS with 100 pull aparts
I used fat gripz for all sets but the last two top sets, it actually feels pretty good and efficient. Taking them off feels great too as you can really grip the bar hard. False grip for every set.
5x57.5
5x65 wraps
5x72.5 wraps
5x5 FSL
Assistance with 24kg KBs, 5x14 on the SLDL, otherwise same as last week.
I was done in 38:30 as I was the only one in the gym and chatted a bit with the owner. Bar speed was good on every set.
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C14W2D4
DL
4x5 box jumps and 100 pull aparts
5x90
5x105
5x117,5
5x5FSL with the two first sets with fat gripz, I don’t think I could have held the other ones for each rep.
Bar speed was good on all sets, I really try to focus on that for the next few cycles. Not going to failure or near it like in PR sets or widow makers is enjoyable and allows to focus on technique and quality.
5x13 in the DB incline at 20kg, the rest was the same as usual.
I had to share the platform during the warm up so I wasted some time here and finished in 44:30.
Happy overall with how this is going. It’s definitely no joke and doing more supplemental work while pushing the assistance in the actual program is going to be tough.
Seriously dreading this.
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C14W3D1
OHP
4x5 box jumps and 100 pull aparts
All sets with fat gripz but the top set
5x37.5
5x42.5
5x47.5
5x5 FSL, bar speed was good on all sets, maybe could have been better on the top set with more rest.
Same assistance as last bench day. Upper back tired after deadlifting yesterday but overall a good session, done in 38 min.
I cooled down a bit and felt like front squatting as it’s been a while so worked up to two paused doubles at 100kg. Clean grip felt great which surprised me as I expected tight shoulders but it wasn’t the case. I paused in the hole and tried to open my hips as much as possible.
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Alright ladies, just a few notes.
I won’t jump into the Krypteia program after the prep phase. I’m enjoying the prep phase but the main program just doesn’t fit with me, at least for now. A few reasons for this:
-No OHP. I just can’t get over this. I really like this lift and making progress has been so slow that I can’t see myself giving it up.
-my hips get sore with all the squatting, which I kinda expected as I had that problem when I was doing full body.
-I don’t want to jump into a general training phase (hypertrophy) of 3 months without “peaking” and get my maxes. It’s been 3-4 months since I’ve trained heavy, which is what I wanted, but I want to see where I’m at.
-I’m thinking of using Beyond and 5x5 FSL for the anchor. I woud probably use the opposite lift for FSL to practice technique and up the frequency. On the main days for the lift, I would be working up to a heavy (but still “fast”) triple and a double in the first and second week, respectively, and then test my 1RMs in the last week. On days where I feel off I’d just do my TM for 1-5 reps.
Assistance would be mostly bodyweight: chins, back raises, ab wheel, push ups.
So I will follow my original plan, which was to have a strength phase (supposed to be Spinal Tap but changed for the prep phase), followed by an anchor where I would build up to and test my maxes.
This brings us to February, where I’ll plan something similar, going again through hypertrophy and strength cycles.
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Damnnn dude. Was nice chatting about it while you did it! Hopefully you benefited from the program.
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I am going to finish the prep phase for sure though !
C14W3D2
Squat
4x5 box jumps SS with 100 pull aparts
5x90
5x102.5
5x115, belt on. Bar speed was good.
5x5 FSL
Assistance was the same as last week and finished in 41 min.
Weight 83.5kg
C14W3D3
Bench
4x5 box jumps and 100 pull aparts
All sets with fat gripz but the last two top sets with wraps
5x60
5x70 wraps on
5x77.5 wraps on
5x5 FSL, bar speed felt really good
Assistance was unchanged from last week as I don’t feel like I can move up in weight or reps yet. I took time to rest to ensure good bar speed throughout and finished in just over 40 min.
I feel that I’m getting used to supersetting the assistance, I don’t get winded as fast. Taking rest in the first few sets even though it doesn’t seem necessary helps too.
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I’ve been reading a few articles and saw a few videos from Mike Tuchscherer that I find pretty interesting.
I had read about the RPE concept before and saw a few people on here use it but I never saw any other real use for me, using a % based program than saying:
I’m supposed to do 5x10 (BBB) today. But for diverse reason, the third set felt like a 9RPE when it should feel like a 7, so I stop here or cut off reps to avoid failure. So pretty intuitive.
I did not realize reactive training systems BASE their programs on RPE, prescribing only reps and RPE to get the desired training effect. The idea being that doing 5x5 with the RIGHT weight, maybe lower than what was prescribed at first is more efficient because you don’t dig into fatigue levels for no reason.
Then I read another article saying they even regulate volume using this! From what I understand they use “fatigue percent” and do drop sets. So you back off X% off the load and keep repeating the same rep scheme until you reach the same RPE as your top set as fatigue build up. It could take 1 or 2 sets or 5-6. The percentage X is given in your program.
I’m not sure I’m explaining this well so you can look up the articles by searching “RTS article basics” or something similar.
I don’t think I can or should scrap percentages at my level. I don’t even know how to rate my RPE. I just found it an interesting concept as you are prescribed a certain intensity at a certain rep scheme and use that. “Lift the right amount of weight the right number of times”.
Question 1
What I do not get yet is how you can use RPE to create a program based on block periodization. Do they just prescribe decreasing reps as the training cycles go ? Say the first three training cycles are 10s at 8RPE, then two cycles with 5s at 9RPE then one cycle of 1s-3s at 9-10RPE ?
Question 2
I have seen @MarkKo using RPE and tried to read your log from the middle of this year. It seems that you use your TM and above to reach a 9RPE, then do your back offs to reach the same RPE: 3 sets ramping from 7 to 9, I think using FSL numbers. Is that correct? Is it intentional to reach the same RPE, then stop ? I’ve seen you sometimes cutting reps on the last set to get the 9RPE and not go beyond.
Notes
I always try to think about bar speed in my sets. Because I’m going to use Beyond and FSL as my anchor I need to find a way to regulate the top sets hence my interest in RPE. I have done the mistake before, at the very start of this journal, to hit jokers often and that burned me out. Jim indicates they should be at most two sets of 1-3 reps of 5-10% above the heaviest weight of the day ™, I’ll stick with that. I will rate the RPE of these, to see how rating sets can be useful to me in the future.
Concerning the anchor
-For all lifts, work up to a triple, double or single at TM, depending on the week. (first week is triples, second is doubles etc). Then keeping the same rep scheme, add 1-2 jokers depending on bar speed (RPE).
On days where I feel off, just do TM for 1-5 reps.
-5x5 FSL will be with the opposite lifts to up the frequency and work on technique. I MIGHT do FSL for the bench on both bench and OHP day and scrap the FSL for the OHP.
-I might cut a few back off sets to 3x5FSL if needed (thinking about the DL)
-Assistance will be bodyweight stuff as said before, 25-75 reps, depending on the exercice.
EDIT TL;DR
Just realised this is a massive post. To sum-up:
RPE is cool but I can’t use it yet. I’m doing Beyond /5x5FSL as my anchor.
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@hypem74 no, that’s not how I use it although I was unaware that’s what it looks like, so thanks for noticing.
What I do is have my weights set out for the day, and I use RPE to gauge how to work with them on the day. If I’m working up to a top set, I’ll use the RPE for the workup sets to gauge how hard to push the top set. Generally, I want them to be under seven RPE - even seven RPE is a bit high TBH except for maybe the last workup. If I’m doing straight sets with a rep window I’ll use RPE to gauge whether I’ll push for the top end of the rep window on the next set or not.
The way RTS uses it seems great in theory, but IMO is needlessly complicated in practice.
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