@Sigil, For those of us with a tendency to train too hard too often, which hinders results, I think it’s great to sometimes put on a brake in regards to auto-regulation. See, I thought I was being really explosive, and stopping the ramp when I lost that confident rep execution. Several videos shows that I actually grind a bit. And it’s a slippery slope. (I’m talking when I did other programs, such as layers). Layers and auto-regulation is REALLY hard to do and hard on us because we tend to push it one or two ramp sets too far. And not just once, but on a consecutive basis.
Maybe see these predetermined MTW as a learning tool, as to how much you actually have to explode the weights in order to be explosive enough. And those of us who go too hard, we fool ourselves with our “RPE”.
I will tell you this… It’s really hard though to keep the leash on myself and not just continue to ramp up, because it feels GOOD to lift heavy (but that feeling good is fleeting). But I don’t, and the results AND how I feel every day is worth it.
I found that to excel on this program you also have to really focus on making every single rep explosive as possible. And as stated, if you can’t get the reps with enough explosiveness - move on!
The look like/perform like template certainly isn’t just a “mild recomp”. Put away enough food, do some very light accessory work for back/biceps (many reps away from failure) and you will GROW. Especially, I think, if you have been in a perpetually fatigued state induced by training too much compared to your recovering abilities. Your body will appreciate (and show) the change of pace.
My legs and upper back is closing in on the best they’ve every been, at a lower bodyweight.
Very very cool. Yes for sure look like/perform like, LLPL ™, will be the next few months of my training at least.
There are a couple things I’m adjusting, Norcient, happy to hear your thoughts
Ramp vs. Set MTW: Yes set weight is fine but the # is determined by one exercise session so it may not be representative (e.g. 3RM determined on shitty day, under stimulus…3RM determined on great day, too much weight MTW).
But the focus on explosiveness/dominance kind of dials weight in
Exercise selection: What combos have you tried? CT’s OHP → Push Press → Bench Press → Front squat [Day 1] and SGHP → Muscle SNatch → Snatch grip DL [Day 2] is quite incredible, and heavily works those delts.
I had to switch around (sometimes start with bench, sometimes do snatcgrhip deadlift before SGHP etc).
What do you think of using Dumbells for the pressing days? OHP has never felt very good, especially on my wrist and I end up doing a push press anyways (weight is either too light with strict form, or just a tad heavier and I naturally use some leg drive)
Would 3 reps work for DBs? Or bump to 4-5 reps? I think there could be potential from hypetrophy standpoint of doing day 1: DB press, Seated slight incline DB press, Slight Decline DB press, front squat
but it would be heavy DBs and getting the DBs into position each time will expend energy, so maybe 4-5 reps make more sense
Rep style: explosive as possible concentric, eccentric (controlled but fast?). Are you still “snapping” violently during tha tturnaround point? Or sometimes adding some pauses? Also do you lockout, and kind of adjust to milk every rep and make sure it’s perfect or do you do it piston like (3 reps piston like is the fastest set ever)
My back and bicep is taken care of ring work, which I still do liberally at the beginnig of workout and between sets (:
Ramp vs MTW - it’s MTW for a reason. It’s hard to find your MTW -30lbs for the day. You can’t do that.
When doing the test days, just keep on the conservative side of things. Do the test day AS YOU WOULD any other days. That means no psyching up, no stimulants, train at the same time of day, etc.
Think of it as: It is not testing how much you can lift - it is testing how much you are going to lift!
I’ll repeat, you can’t do ramping and then try and hit -30lbs - unless you are using an acceleration testing gadget such as what CT is using. If you do it without there is a risk of f’in it up at every single session - compared to doing a conservative, but still challenging testing.
I did the combos as in the program, but changed bench press with floor press.
IF YOU NEED TO USE HIP-DRIVE on the OHP it was too heavy - then it’s not an overhead press anymore. I don’t understand you “Weight is too light with strict form”. Too light for what? Yes, it is going to be MUCH lighter than what you can push press overhead , maybe 50% or less depending on technique.
Again, what do you mean with “too light weight?”
Just do some cycles of the program, with the MTW, with the barbells, with the light weights…
PS. Don’t do ring work…Just for a cycle or two… just …
…
Sigil…don’t do the ring work…
PS. why the need for bastardising everything, even when advised against it?
Different body type, preference, experience. If hopping on the rings gives me a fantastic pump, whole body activation, and less join point (upper body) why wouldn’t it be beneficial?
Same with DBs, just for overhead movements. Barbell OHP has always affected my wrist/elbows. DB press also seems to stimulate chest better
It might be less beneficial if you are exceeding your capacity to recover. You’re free to do what you want, of course, and I am ALL for moulding it to fit your personal needs, wants and temper. I just remember CT went over those points in before… in specifics regarding ring-work.
If you get the results you want, more power to you. You’ve complained about being stuck in a training rut some time ago, and was advised to lay off a bit. The same advise resonated with me, and on top of that gives me superior results.
I am not saying lay it off forever. I am saying try the method in LLPL but pure, and for a couple of cycles. Then gauge.
There could be many reasons why OHP affects your wrist/elbow - I doubt that OHP is the reason. Instead think technique, intensity, volume, lack of mobility etc.
Coach,
I’m on my 3rd cycle and loving the program. I’ve had steady progress on some lifts and adjusted MTW’s accordingly, while others have stayed consistent, or the test only went up a little so the MTW stays the same but I can feel more acceleration in the Zones during the initial weeks.
My question is how would you adapt the program after the 5 cycles or so to be used longer term? Would you just focus on the speed and rep quality through the later cycles to try and make slow progress that way? Would you recommend rotating in some newer movements after a while?
My training has been like the following for about 6 weeks.
*Training 4 days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)
DAY 1 - DEADLIFT AND ASSISTANCE
Sumo deadlift ramp up to a heavy but solid double
Sumo deadlift 4-10 sets of 2 with 20lbs less. The number of sets depends on my execution (I use a speed measuring device)
Hamstring exercise for sets of 4-6 or 6-8
Upper back exercise for sets of 6 to 8
Traps exercise for sets of 6-8
Farmer’s walk
DAY 2 - UPPER BODY PRESSING
Bench press (at the moment I’m doing the bench with hanging kettlebells on each side), ramp up to a heavy but solid double
Bench press 4-10 sets of 2 with 20lbs less
Overhead press (right now it’s log press with hanging KBs) sets of 4 to 6
Triceps exercise sets of 6-8
Delts exercise sets of 8-10
Macebell swings
DAY 3 - SQUAT DAY
Squat (right now safety bar squats with hanging KBs) work up to a heavy double
Do 4-10 doubles with 20lbs less again, depending on the quality of the reps
Farmers walk
Zercher carries
Superset biceps exercise with macebell swings
Superset brachialis exercise with macebell swings
DAY 4 - UPPER BODY PRESSING
Bench press (right now bench with hanging KBs) work up to a heavy double
Bench press (same variation) 4-10 doubles with 20lbs less depending on quality
Overhead press (log press with hanging KBs) sets of 4-6 reps
Triceps exercise sets of 6-8
Chest exercise sets of 6-8
Macebell swings
BUT I will change the order of workouts because I find that the deadlift/back day interferes with my bench press by fatiguing the lats. So I’ll do press/dead/press/squat
And before you ask NO I’m not doing anything on my days off. No “practice work”, no neural charge, no pump work and I’m seeing a drastic increase in recovery, haven’t had a bad workout in 6 weeks.
And NO I will not answer how you could add ring work to this kind of training.
HI Sigil. Hope all is well. I had asked about ramping for each session, and was told “no”. This is understandable. Ramping for that many exercises would be alot.
@Norcient -Great. Thanks. My 6x3 was faster than my 5x3. I also noticed that I can increase the weight a bit on some exercises.
@anyone- I’ve been doing loaded carries at the end of these workouts. I do overhead, bear hug, and farmers, back to back.
1).Would there be any benefit to use a weight that is relative to the Zone of that day, as opposed to doing the same every day? Such as Zone 1, doing 100 meters, Zone 2, doing 75 meters, Zone 3, 50 meters
2). Instead of doing all 3, would I be better off doing more sets of 1 type of carry based on the type of workout for that day? (upper body vs lower body)
@Christian_Thibaudeau
Could you post a link to a product page. I just can’t find your mentioned device on the internet.
@Anyone
I just started this program and totally love the concept about maximum acceleration, there’s a lot of potential for me I guess. So it would be cool if I could measure it somehow.
Does anyone has good experience with other devices such as the PUSH?
Heard that they aren’t that accurate and often make false measurements in not recognizing the rep or creating an additional rep. Don’t need fancy training advices from such a product like they all advertise (eg Beast Tracker), just some raw information about the performed rep.
The initial drawback was that I wanted to use it for everything and it led me to overanalyzing my training.
One thing I notice too is that it does make the workouts feel “less emotional”… it might not be the right term but what I mean is that the act of starting an app on every rep then recording the measures in a journal make the session feels more “mechanical” which is not something I’m used to.
I still use it for autoregulating my main strength lift of the day and feel that it has a lot of value when training specific physical capacities but I would not enjoy my workouts if I used it for every lift.
How would/could you use the template after the 5 cycles you mentioned? Would you just focus on the speed and rep quality through the later cycles to try and make likely slower progress that way? Would you recommend switching movements at some point?
Oh how I’ve missed this training style. After months of stagnation and borderline mental collapse (takes me hours to feel awake in the morning) this style has reinvigorated spirits…and soon the physique.
Re-surfacing for any folks here who are in a rut, “overtrained” or what not.
CT this Look like/Perform like style seems to be the best for long term training & “rejuvenating” on the CNS right? I hope also the aesthetic/physique gains will come…
Ive been alternating one upper body press per “Upper Body day” (Bench Press or Standing OHP) 3x per week, sometimes more to “practice”, but I just noticed you included 2-3 pressing movements in the weekly scheduling.
Im confused whether you wrote these as options, or you intended for me to perform (“more than one upper body pressing movement on the same day”)…
Basically, am I supposed to Bench and Overhead Press on the same day, or is it just “one pressing movement” (Example- Monday 6x3 Bench Press, Band Pull Apart)
