I get what you are saying and I am not saying don’t train that way. (heck I know very little about all this stuff really).
If you can do one extra single and still cope with the volume then go for it. Mate if you feel great then go for another and another if that’s what you want.
If this is your goal, then why do the joker ? Why not stick to the programmed single , add 5lbs every three weeks.
And finally someone has answered my actual question. You chose to do a joker because you think it will benefit you more than if you didn’t. Only way to know this for sure is to keep doing it and see what the results are.
I totally get it, I just wonder how much of this is just to help us mentally vs something that adds to the training effect ? I am not that different, doing 10 reps instead of 5 on the last set of deadlifts is totally off plan and doesn’t really help me. But it did make me feel good. Today however it just makes me feel sore !!
J’s thoughts mirror my own here, though I hadn’t thought about it in the same terms. The Joker sets also make sure I don’t go backwards, because it let’s me lift near, at or even past my 1RM if I feel like it. That I end up doing a triple or whatever is because, as explained before, these are not my real 1RMs once my CNS catches up.
I think one of the tricks is, as you sorta mentioned in your last post, is making sure not to go too far with it. If whatever I do in a squat or DL session fries me and prevents me from progressing other things, then it was a failure, regardless of what I lifted.
The day I tend to look forward to, and yet it simultaneously makes me anxious. Coming off a pretend deload, I don’t expect to have lost anything, because I did do my cardio sets last week. Still in the groove I guess. Kinda hoping for 17 or 18 reps at 60, but have to at least get 15, since that is what I did last time around at this weight. What I REALLY want is 20, both because it sounds nice, and also because I am keenly aware that @flappinit did it a few weeks ago, and I secretly consider him my pressing nemesis.
Barbell Deadlift
60 kg x 5 reps
100 kg x 5 reps
125 kg x 5 reps
125 kg x 5 reps
125 kg x 5 reps
125 kg x 5 reps
125 kg x 5 reps
Standing Barbell Shoulder Press (OHP)
30 kg x 5 reps
35 kg x 5 reps
40 kg x 3 reps
45 kg x 5 reps
55 kg x 5 reps
60 kg x 16 reps
52 kg x 10 reps
52 kg x 10 reps
52 kg x 10 reps
52 kg x 10 reps
52 kg x 10 reps
Muscle-Up
3 reps
3 reps
3 reps
3 reps
3 reps
3 reps
5 reps
Ended up with 16. I probably coulda had 17, but I think it would have cost me too much on the cardio sets. And also because that shit farking hurts. Oh well, it is still progress. As it was, the cardio sets just sucked. None of the reps were in doubt, but damn that is an uphill climb.
Settling in with doing sets of 5 on DL cardio day, and bumped up the weight 5 kilo. This feels better than lighter sets of 10. I could of course wake up tomorrow feeling differently, but it isn’t like this was very heavy. Supersetted those with the MUs, got nice and sweaty.
This is why I don’t care for the AMRAPs. I don’t need anxiety in my training. I’ve been doing rest/pause which is an AMRAP, but I don’t pay attention to the e1RM or compare one session to another. The goal is hypertrophy so I just need to go to failure.
For whatever reason, I tend to thrive off the AMRAP. I consider it a positive anxiety. But I can see what it would not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Worth adding that the goal for presses is not just hypertrophy. Mainly, I want to get stronger here. Same with the bench, although I am a bit less fanatic about that one.
Off program today, which means some gentle pulling to be done. Only thing of note here is that I FINALLY managed 5 reps with two dangly plates. Practically had to pull myself into fetal position to get the last rep, and eyeballs only barely over the bar, but I am counting it.
Gotta go see how many times I can bench a hundred today, but dang am I sleepy. Getting my excuses in now before the eventual fail-log that is no doubt going to follow.
Oops, only 95 I have to do today. Which, let’s be honest, is basically a hundred.
Okay, it wasn’t a complete shitshow. I guess I was sorta determined to not let it be total crap, but I bet some of the reps got pretty ugly there.
Decline Barbell Bench Press
45 kg x 5 reps
55 kg x 5 reps
65 kg x 3 reps
70 kg x 5 reps
85 kg x 5 reps
95 kg x 17 reps
Barbell Squat
60 kg x 5 reps
80 kg x 5 reps
90 kg x 5 reps
90 kg x 5 reps
90 kg x 5 reps
90 kg x 5 reps
90 kg x 5 reps
Barbell Incline Bench Press
40 kg x 8 reps
50 kg x 10 reps
50 kg x 10 reps
50 kg x 10 reps
50 kg x 10 reps
50 kg x 10 reps
Muscle-Up
1 reps
3 reps
I guess hitting 17 is one rep more than last time at 95. Probably a rep PR, but who cares at that weight.
Did squats as a 5 x 5, which I think is pretty much how I will do them on off days.
Inclines still feel dumb, but I almost felt like I found a position that got more into a proper groove. I am keeping these light until I am more comfortable. They still stretch my boobs like crazypants.
