Definitely this, because
is not my skill.
Hey man, glad you are reading along. I havenāt thought of that, or maybe I have, but Iāve excluded it since Iām hypothesising that the main issue that prompted my problems with my patellar tendon actually wasnāt weighted vest walking but high-bar squats which is a lift Iāve done very little of, but started to do a lot more of but while I had the muscular strength to do semi-heavy ones in relation to my ordinary back squat my tendons werenāt equipped for it.
I love coming across weaknesses such as that, because that gives me a very tangible clue about a kink in my armor I need to fix, and so when I start doing back squats again Iāll warm-up using high-bar squats so I can have that as an assistance lift in the future.
For now, Iāll be happy to do SSB squats.
The reason Iāve opted for a continuous ramp approach for the coming weeks (3-4) is that I will be able to fatigue my muscles plenty without touching as high weights which should take some stress off of the hamstring as I rehab that.
Hereās my set-up if anyone is curious,
| Squat | Deadlift | Press | Bench | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-45 s Split Squat Hold | 30-45 s Split Squat Hold | RUSIN Shoulder Specific Dynamic Warm Up | PAIN-FREE HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRESSING IN 10 MINUTES | |||||||||
| Javorek Complex or Mobility Complex | Jumps | Press Continuous Ramp | Bench Continuous Ramp / BPA External rotation | |||||||||
| Squat Continuous Ramp | Gƶrner Deadlift | BWW shoulders & Traps | BWW biceps & Triceps | |||||||||
| Lying Leg Curl | RDL | Battle Ropes or Handstand work | Farmerās Walk | |||||||||
| Leg Extension | Hip Thrust | |||||||||||
| Abs | Abs | |||||||||||
| Assault Bike or Prowler | Rowing Ergometer or Backwards Sled-drag | |||||||||||
For abs I have several workouts that I āenjoyā that Iāll rotate through
BWW stands for beach-window workout
I have some ideas for after, but I wonāt write about that now 
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Yeah same for me I definitely abandonned low-bar, only did it at my mock meet lol
Howāre you feeling during the deload? Have you started taking collagen? Any notable difference?
I completely forgot to respond to the question regarding cultural differences. The main difference related to accessibility, in Stockholm, where I lived, people were cold and unwelcoming in large. In the South, there was a distinct difference in peopleās willingness to talk to you and engage, even if they were damn near impossible to understand.
P.S. itās a āchinkā in the armor, chink is roughly āa small gap or opening.ā
Iām feeling quite energetic now. Not yet at wanting to do backflips off of the walls but definitely a lot better. Arguably another week off might be a good idea, but its a toss-up. Tomorrow is off anyway, and today was āhalfā a day.
Iāve been taking collagen, it feels like as when it did when I was equally disciplined with my glycine intake albeit I find I can take collagen before a workout but glycine is post-workout/pre-bed only. Anecdotally I feel less ādryā inside tendons and ligaments.
I havenāt spent much time below Stockholm. Above it is where my heart lies.
Calling it a kink might have been a Freudian slip ^^
If I can get my elbows to behave, I donāt see the need to swap. Although, given Iām not a powerlifter a decent argument could be made for making the front squat my main squat movement. But Iāve had that debate internally often enough to know that I want to keep back squats around. Although, maybe front squats for main work/high intensity and then back squats for volume could be a trade-off. Again, canāt explore everything at once though.
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My original reply was sorely lacking in manners. Thank you for taking the time to write out an entire layout for me, I do appreciate it and your thoughts.
I employed a rotating wave approach for a while for similar reasons. I wanted to use front and SSB squats as they were more āstrongman appropriateā squats, but wanted to keep back squats because they make me stronger in general. So Iād alternate 1 week front squat, next week back squat, then SSB, then back squat, then front, etc. Iād also change the rep ranges each week, going 10-8-6. It made it so that, because I kept doubling back on the front squats, itād be about 6 weeks between when Iād hit front squats for the same number of reps as before, which gave adequate time to set new PRs in the lift.
It was a nifty way to approach it. I eventually gave it up because the style of training was driving me crazy and I ended up just dreading my squat day, which is what has led me to my ājust 1 setā lie I tell myself currently.
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Theyāre pretty much the best squats to do anyway IMO.
I remember this from your log and was thinking about utilizing it myself. Only difference was that Iād have made the SSB my every-other choice. Then I decided no frigginā way haha.
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Hah! Whatās funny is that the training itself is far less brutal than most of my squat approaches. What broke me was that I was ālocked inā with the workout. Since I was ramping up to a topset and relying on pre-generating fatigue to get there, there was never an opportunity to walk away from the workout once I started. Being a dad and an often āon callā worker, it gave me so much anxiety. If I started the workout and got halfway through it and then got called away, it was basically a waste of all that effort, AND Iād have to do it all over again when it came time to make up the session. At least with my āsalt the earthā squat strategy, itās not too hard to come up with a way to just make it all suck if I get interrupted in the middle of it, and I start with the HARDEST part of the workout, rather than end there.
I feel like it was a viable approach: just not for me at that time.
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Totally get that, and for similar reasons why I decided on another approach. Most of my pre-workout conversations with myself go āIām pretty sure I can knock the whole thing out right now letās do itā and it doesnāt always go that way haha.
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Thatās pretty cool. Rotating exercises like that reminds me of Fortitude Training where for the main lift on picks three variations and rotates through them so that progression can be maintained for longer and reduce risk of injury.
Iāve seen it in other training systems too, canāt recall which ones, but pre-fatiguing muscles before heavy compounds with isolation work has been a staple of Meadows programs and @kingbeef323 s programs for a long time. I know Meadows has expressly written āI kept getting injured, but when I started doing this the injuries stoppedā.
Reading your post reminded me of something I saw a community member pick way back. It went something like this,
For every category (Push/Pull/Legs) choose three exercises thatāll all be done in the same training session.
For an example,
push: push presses, bench, weighted dips
Set three new RMs for each lift (5/10/15, 4/8/12, 2/6/10). Train three times per week.
Consider researching Charlie Francisā āHigh/Lowā approach to training organisation
This is kind of cool, but I have to let it rest in the brain for a while before I can figure out how to leverage it.
I could certainly see myself doing some ālowā-climbing if I go by myself. But Iād have to have an idea for how to maintain some āhighā-climbing and still fit in lifting.
Maybe this isnāt normal, but for me itās usually the case that some hours after a lifting session (I havenāt paid close attention to how many, but maybe two?) my energy tanks. Itāll return, again I havenāt paid any attention to how long it takes. This is why it has been my preference to train at around 1700. Then, this energy low aligns fairly well with winding down to sleep.
It also works to my advantage when Iām employed at a place that front-loads meetings as I can train in the morning, and use my second wind of energy to be productive in the afternoon.
Although, maybe, I should take this down-turn/crashing as an indicator I went too hard? I rarely experience it when I do more bodybuilding style work. But many compound lifts at high RPEs get me there and pushing myself outside my comfort zone during climbing nets me the same (side-)effect.
Anyway, before when I had activities lined up six out of seven days I wasnāt unhappy with that. It just leaves very little time for other interests (of which I have very few). I just figured I could live a more enriching life by opening up more rest days, but writing this I canāt help but think that since I donāt have an active desire for what to do with those days I can explore that change when I have something tangible I want to pursue with my off-days. And not feel ābadā about being someone that enjoys doing something active every day. 
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Maybe you could try doing it the day after your lightest lifting session and program your heaviest session at least 3 days apart?
Or maybe consider doing the harder climbing less frequently? Maybe once every 2 weeks?
Thatās how my HS PE teacher/sort of coach balanced lifting with marathon training
Fair enough 
Me too hombrĆ©, especially after deadlifts. I imagine itās an autonomic nervous system +/- endocrine thing
Full disclosure, I havenāt been following your log so Iām unsure about your specific circumstance, but this is definitely how I interpret this in my own training (assuming sleep and nutrition are good)
This actually brings me to what I wanted to say about:
I donāt think climbing needs to be relegated to ālowā days. Iād keep climbing as 2-3 of your high days since that seems to me like your preferred/priority activity and use lifting as 2-3 of your lows and maybe some highs.
Itās also worth pointing out Francis does endorse 2 highs back-to-back, but only if itās well-managed
For example
Monday (High): Climb
Tuesday (Low): Lift
Wednesday (High): Climb
Thursday (Medium): Lift
Friday (Low): Climb
Saturday: (High) Lift
Sunday: Off/Rest
High climbing would be hard sessions/routes
Low lifting would be bodybuilding work with a preference for isolation exercises (especially machines if possible). Iād put press here on a standard 531-esque layout, or something like the repetition upper day from WSSB
Medium lifting would be heavier bodybuilding (āpowerbuildingā) stuff, like the max-effort upper day in WSSB or a squat or deadlift day on a 531-esque layout
High lifting would be heavy shit, like the max-effort lower day in WSSB or a squat or deadlift and bench day on a 531-esque layout.
This gives
Monday (High): Climb
Tuesday (Low): Lift - RE Upper
Wednesday (High): Climb
Thursday (Medium): Lift - ME Upper
Friday (Low): Climb
Saturday: (High) Lift - ME Lower
Sunday: Off/Rest
The problem with this is you have 5 days between ME Upper and RE upper, but thatās not the end of the world.
Alternatively
Monday (High): Climb
Tuesday (Low): Lift - Press and Full-Body isolation assistance (machines and/or isolation)
Wednesday (High): Climb
Thursday (Medium): Lift - Squat, quads and arms assistance (free weights)
Friday (Low): Climb
Saturday: (High) Lift - Deadlift + Bench and chest/back/hamstrings assistance (free weights)
Sunday: Off/Rest
I meant I abandonned low bar for high bar! Better for my morphology and carryovers anyway. SSB is awesome as well, probably the variation that challenges me the most.
This is great, I hope this deload will help you. I did a bit of biceps work the other day, without pain at all. Itās been a good 3 months without supinated work and it feels good knowing I can introduce it again! But oh boy my arms were burning
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High Bar all the way. O-lifters a strong enough on high bar that Iām convinced low bar isnāt the key to strength
Eat shit rip
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Exactly. More carryover to o-lifts, jumps, quads in general, and Iām already super posterior chain dominant soā¦ Letās stop looking at the ground lolz
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Iāll read through this in more detail later, right now Iāve used my brain plenty for it to need a little bit of Netflix But I really appreciate it!
Would you argue this even with someone that has āceltic hipsā? I always feel as if high-bar encourages a greater ROM. And when I low-bar I donāt Rippetoe low-bar, I just let it ride low on my delts rather than have it up on my traps.
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