I’m running Layne Norton’s PHAT*, but rather than the double progression he’s got for the main lifts I’m just doing GZCL linear progression by Cody LeFever for squat and bench.
In a nutshell that is:
Start with 5x3, last set AMRAP.
Do this until you fail (i.e. only get 3 on the last set). Next week do 6x2, last set AMRAP.
Do this until you fail, then next week do 10x1, last set AMRAP.
Do this until you fail, then take ~80% of your singles and start at 5x3 again.
*Couple of changes to it but nothing too ridiculous.
Went to a session of Touch Rugby. It was pretty exhausting stuff; think moving leg day back to Monday will serve me well in future.
All the lads there were very nice and extremely welcoming of some big lump who didn’t know what he was doing. Good fun all in all, and great conditioning/cardio since you basically never stop moving. Rolling subs though, so you can take a breather if you die.
My recovery was pretty good, actually; even though I was totally gassed after about ten minutes, I was ready to go again after not too long on the sidelines.
As I imagine I’ll wind up doing this regularly (sometimes twice a week) I may have to change up training around it, but for now I’ll just treat it as a conditioning session and increase calories a smidgen if needed.
Weighed in at 236.8 again today, but considering I had my last meal at 11.30pm rather than the usual 8pm or so that’s not bad going.
Today’s food is the preworkout cereal/bagel then two protein smoothies during the day, since I’m going to have a few pints and a burger this evening nutrition
Legs are pretty sore today, and I’m fairly tired (slept badly after late-night exercise) but fortunately today is the “easy” day of PHAT, at least IMO.
Hey Matt have been away from your log for like forever.
Like the new programming, looks like it works great for you.
Looking at the progression with 6x3 + amrap, looks quite nice.
Not much worth logging except that I worked up to a comfortable four-plate deadlift for a few singles. Failed 195kg (430lbs or so) but given that’s about 97% for me and I haven’t pulled conventional for months, it’s not massively disappointing. Actually pretty nice that four plates is now a normal weight I can hit whenever.
Then I played with a shit SSB for a bit until my neck hurt too much (shitty padding). Hack squats to finish.
Up to 238.8 today after Saturdays cheat meal/pints. Down on the waistline, though, so I expect to see a downward trend this week.
Switched upper/lower around to do legs Monday, since I’m going to be running around a rugby pitch on Wednesdays. Squats were programmed at 135kg today, but how are you not going to do the three plates in that situation?
Training (Lower Body)
Squats
3x140kg (308lbs/3 plates)
3x140kg (308lbs/3 plates)
3x140kg (308lbs/3 plates)
3x140kg (308lbs/3 plates) (already a volume PR here)
6x140kg (308lbs/3 plates) Big PR; had another in the tank as well for sure. Puts my E1RM closer to 4 plates than 3 now.
DB Lunge
Unashamedly skipped. Lower back was pumped to fuck and I wanted to get out of there.
Leg Curl
8x64kg (140lbs)
8x50kg (110lbs) (realised I wasn’t getting the most out of these so focused more on the actual movement here)
I wish I knew exactly what was helping to drive my squat so much so that I could apply the same principles to my bench. At this rate of improvement people are going to start demanding videos of me lifting before long (that’s the dream, anyway).
Given that yesterday’s squats absolutely ruined me all afternoon/evening and that today’s main lift was bench, I wasn’t expecting things to go well today. They didn’t.
Training (Upper Body)
1. Standing DB Row
18x25kg (55lbs)
15x25kg (55lbs)
15x25kg (55lbs)
1b. Bench Press
3x75kg (165lbs)
2x75kg (165lbs) (failed third… OK. Wouldn’t mind except warmups felt great.)
2x70kg (154lbs) (fuck it, then)
2x70kg (154lbs)
6x70kg (154lbs) (would be a PR if I hit it circa January 2018…)
Genuinely considering just giving up on bench at this point. Bad enough to have been stuck pushing the same kind of weight for years; worse still when it’s weight that any normal bloke could be hitting within a month or two of starting to lift.
2a. Chinup
5/3/3/3/3/3xBW
2b. Band-Assisted Dip
A few reps just out of curiosity with two red minibands. Hard.
Back down to 237.4 today. Another session of Touch Rugby tonight but no lifting today.
Since this progression isn’t working well for my bench (though it is for my squat) I’ve been looking into bench-focused programs. Greg Nuckolseses ones seem to be fairly well-reviewed. Will shoehorning a three-times-weekly bench program into PHAT work? Only one way to find out!
Means that the weekly setup will look like this:
Monday
Squat (GZCL linear) & lower body strength
Tuesday
Bench (Nuckols 3x weekly beginner) & upper body strength
