Simple but effective progression searched

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
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Hi,

I’m looking for simple but effective Powerlifting off-season progression scheme, more on the volume/off-season site, but intensity can also increase to a kind of peaking.

I’m actually a horrible programming guide junkie, read/watched many contents and videos (from well known guys like Alexander Bromley, Calgary Barbel or Juggernaut channel) and the more complicated it is, the more I like it :smiley:

a while ago I had another thread here about step progress, and it worked quite well, but somehow too slow.

(Week 1 - 3 sets of 3 / Week 2 - 3 sets of 4 / Week 3 - 3 sets of 5 always at same working wheight for the intensity days, and same principal for volume day but increasing reps instead sets, meaning 3 sets of 6 / 3 sets of 7 / 3 sets of 8. Once a whole circle has been done, either repeat or start with higher weights and with a set and a rep less)

I think I’m not strong enough to have such slow progression needed, my current 2RMs are bench 135kg, squat 180kg and DL 195kg at 90kg bodyweight. and 2nd main problem is the lack of any auto-regulation, I want to have that for next program.

I dont want to have simple 5x5 starting strength, as I’m also already too advanced for that, would be too much stress.
Alex Bromley Bullmastiff programm is good, but it is desigend for 4x per week and each day with an own main lift, but I want to bench/squat 2x and DL 1x, maybe even 3x benching. Therefore also the great Juggernaut Method program is not the correct one, and it is a bit too much volume, want to stay a bit more in sense of powerlifting/peaking.

do you have some ideas? maybe Texas Method is not the worst idea (just the progression scheme, but the days organized different)

thanks a lot

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What is the priority of this training: to progress as much as possible, or to fulfill your desire to train at a certain degree of frequency, with a certain speed of progression?

Ultimately, you will have to make a determination there regarding priorities and base your decision off of that.

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make good but continous progress, meaning not a “give me all what is possible in 10 weeks program” (like some russian routines) - it should be a program to be repeated as long as I want it, and as I have recently done peaking and less volume, I would like to start with some higher volume again.

from the working days I have following plan:

  • upper body day (focus bench press)
  • lower body day (focus squat and quad)
  • pause
  • whole body day (bench+squat+tric+quad)
  • whole body day (Deadlift, whole backside meaning hamstrings and back as well) and maybe even a 3rd time bench on this day optional.
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@wiseman83 Any thoughts ?

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IMO, you are strong enough to have a slower progression. Unless you are assisted?

Either way, slow and steady can win this race…

For where you’re at, and what you enjoy, I would take a look at the GZCL programs. Something like the Rippler would be ideal. It’s a fun program, it’s complex enough without being retarded, and it hits your requested frequency on the main lifts. Or close enough anyway IMO. Definitely worth your time to look at.

There is a giant compendium file on this blog site:

Scroll down just a tad, and the link is right there.

Also in that file…you’ll find the sickening joke Maelstrom program I’m currently doing :face_with_tears_of_joy:. Don’t do that.

You’ll also find the UHF program…5x per week. 3x per week benching. Also great.

Check em out man.

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Hello,

thanks a lot for your answer, really appreciated!
Also good to know that you suggest a more advanced progression scheme. Like wrote in the very beginning, making things complicated is my special skill :smiley:
But everytime when I talk with people (near as strong as me) they just looking “wtf is wrong with him” when talk about programming.
I live in Austria, they even dont know pin-bench or larsson bench, but they are such good exercises.

and yes, I’m natty. assisted it wouldnt be very strong :smiley:

generally I’m a person who like to design my own programs, of course most of programs are quite good, but in the end frequency, exercise selection etc. are quite personal thing. thats why I most of time just copy a progression scheme or a base concept of training days.

I already saw those GCZL variations, and funny thing, especially the rippler version already cought my attention. Maybe I do 2-3 weeks even more volume, with some own designed progression, and then I start the rippler program (I know it is also higher volume, but not high enough, I really would like to go even higher for a little while)
But I will adjust the trainig days, e.g. Bullmastiff is following the same principles, 4days per week, Bench+OHP, Squat+DL, then 2 days vice versa.
But I dont want OHP focus day as I’m pretty strong there, need more bench focus. and 2x DL is also too much, long arms, good lever, I’m always way stronger in DL then in SQ.
but that progression scheme can be good adapted to my own program, maybe a bit re-designing needed, but it will works well - thanks for that tip :slight_smile:

(that is what I’ve meant before, you have to know your skills and body to make the best from a program. I prefer do more bench work and also some bench variation then doing OHP etc.)

I will give feedback how I like the program.
and in summer I will give my first try to Juggernaut, but at the moment this is too unspecific for me (in terms of powerlifting) also follows that 4days scheme like the other programs, that is good in very off-season, volume is king, only possible in this split.
but I would like to stay more specific in terms of frequency and exercise selection.

greetings
Lukas

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Hi again,

just for information, this is how I will do GZCL the rippler based on my needs:

day 1 + 2 almost like the original:

  • T1 Bench / T2 incl. Bench / T3 back (instead of 2nd shoulder, I like back+chest combination on one day) / T3 shoulder iso
  • T1 Squat / T2 SLDL or RDL / T3 back / T3 bic / T3 leg ext (additional exercise added for quad)
    day 3 + 4 changed a lot:
  • T2 bench (instead T1 OHP) / T2 squat (instead T3 incline bench) / T2 CG bench / T3 chest iso
  • T1 DL / T3 back / T1 OHP (instead of T2 front SQ) / T3 shoulder iso

like already wrote, I have changed to 2x per week each comp bench and squat, day 1+2 original heavy days with T1 progression, and day 3 as a whole body day with both B+SQ to be done with the T2 progression scheme (it is of course more load then it would be on front squat or incline bench as the 1RM is different)

and based on that, day 4 is then with OHP instead front squat. OHP still with T1 loads, but as I dont pay much attention to OHP, it doesnt matter that it is not the first main exercise on that day.

Because I’m now having quite a good volume for especially bench + squat (most important for me) i.e. 3x5 at 112,5kg + 5x6 at 95kg for bench, I will immediatley start with that program (no temp volume programm anymore in between)