So ever since I started the whole squatting everyday thing, I was obsessed. I started it as a mean to keep my strength level up as I was dieting down to lose body fat. Somehow, my 1RM squat went from 365 to 415 while I dropped my bw from 200 to 172 (where it’s currently at). Now, I’m a firm believer in training with this approach.
Something came up which impeded my ability to go to the gym on a daily basis. I took this opportunity to switch to a higher volume training since I wasn’t making much progress anymore. I jumped on Smolov (mistake). After running through the base cycle, I ended up with 1RM at a very grindy 405 … a weight that I could do with ease almost everyday prior to this. After that, I hopped on to a linear periodization program and found that it’s boring as hell and that I just want to squat every time I enter the gym. In addition, my knee pain (which disappeared when I maxed daily) came back.
I decided to go back into my daily squatting mode but my approach this time has to be a bit different since last time I sort of just winged it. I looked up the Squat Nemesis program and I’ve also gotten a lot of info from C4G (thanks). I will be following something similar to the Nemesis program and I will what I think is the most important aspect about Bulgarian training that I have learned from C4G, which is that it is all numbers and to always PR.
I don’t plan on competing anytime soon, but I do want to get strong. I also want to bring my military press up which is lacking so I am replacing bench with military press (still benching once a week though).
Day 1: Back Squat/Bench/Row
Day 2: Front Squat/Press/Pull-Ups
Day 3: Back Squat/Press/Deadlift
Day 4: Front Squat/Press/Pull-Ups
Day 5: Back Squat/Press/Deadlift
PR for deadlift is 515. I haven’t deadlifted in a very long time so starting out slow. I stopped going heavy at weights according to bar speed. Will add 10lb each time.
[quote]The_Jed wrote:
Interesting. I may try to incorporate daily squats at some point but only for a short period of time. I’m not sure how it would interfere with 5/3/1.
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The way I see it, you can add in a quick ramp up to daily 1RM squat prior to the beginning of all your sessions.
Felt like absolute SHIT today, but I know I have to go in and get things done. Woke up with pinging pain on my left rear delt/lat region. Unable to front squat with that so I went with back squat.
Squat
…
315 x 1
345 x 1
365 x 1 ← felt like a million pound on my back
375 x 1
385 x 1
390 x 1
Hey Doh, training looks good. I don’t frequent the site much other than PL forum here and there but will definitely stop by here whenever im on.
Couple things:
Can you give rough max estimates on all the lifts you are using (back/front, bench, press, pull)
Your back off sets are structured a bit differently than I usually see but I definitely think they will be beneficial in the current format for a while at least. Usually after working up to the top set the back off sets are to get extra rep work in but still stand by Abejaev’s principles. hence 3x2@90% or 3x1@95%. The back off singles really emphasize the programs goal which is moving heavy weight, all the time and adding to your maximal lift.
Another part with the back off sets is, I noticed on certain days you mentioned not feeling well. On those days I would recommend just working up to the top set and then calling it there. The back off sets are great but we never want them to take away from the programs main purpose which is the last two ME singles on the working up sets. So do not worry about just working up to that days singles and then just calling it there for that session.
GL dude, and let me know if there is anything I can help with. Stay with it. It will suck at times but I guarantee steady progression.
Also, a big part to remember is that in the Olympic lifting aspect the lifter worked up to a “days max” so that max was not always necessarily higher than the lifters actual training max.
However, in PL, we need to move up our training max specifically, so the goal is to of course move that number, but you have to be able to read your body and some days jut work up to that days max, even if its technically only like 98%
Back Squat: 405
Front Squat: 325 ← this was hit recently
Press: 170
Deadlift: ? My all time PR for deadlift is 515, but as of late, pulling 425 was really tough
The first time I tried Bulgarian method, I structured my backoff sets in almost a linear periodization way. When I began, my 1RM for squat was 365. For example:
Week 1: ramp up to daily max + 6-10 x 3 @ 315
Week 2: ramp up to daily max + 6-10 x 3 @ 325
Week 3: ramp up to daily max + 5-8 x 3 @ 335
Week 4: ramp up to daily max + 5-8 x 3 @ 345
Week 5: ramp up to daily max + 3-5 x 3 @ 355
Week 6: ramp up to daily max + 3-5 x 2 @ 365 ← at this point, I’m pretty much doing 365 everyday which was my 1RM 6 weeks ago. My PR at this time was also 405-415.
I felt burnt out at that point so I took some time off daily squatting and I wasn’t sure why I stopped completely…Right now I’m thinking about jumping onto the same thing again. Based on above, I started out with light back off sets and eventually adapted to Ivan’s principle of using heavy 90-95% sets as back off sets. The problem with above is I almost never have energy to do deadlifts. The 6 weeks I described above had no deadlift sessions at all. (although I did pull a very easy 500 once sometime during that 6 weeks after maxing out squat at 415).
I was also able to reach 315 bench, 300 paused bench, 395 beltless squat with the above method. Additionally, this was all done while under caloric deficit (dropped 10lb bw during that 6 weeks). No injury except for a nagging elbow pain (I learned to never skip curls lol). This is why I’m a true believer in this method.