Strength in the Time of Quarantine

[Wilhelm]

Given the lack of weights (although some smaller companies are coming online with plates between $1.60 and $1.80 per pound), is there a way you might compensate with chains or bands? I don't assume to go full Westside, but I wonder if something like this may work okay in a pinch since chain can be found. Bands are a little trickier, since they need a tie-down. But maybe a day in there where one does some work with 70% on the bar and possibly the other 20% in chain might help preserve peak output?

Oh, that's a really good idea. I love chains.

And when Coronapocolypse is over, you're set up for a great secondary/tertiary squat movement

It may have been in the equipment thread, but i saw someone sourcing really good lifting chain from some industrial supplier at much lower prices than from strength training companies.

[Wilhelm]

Just starting the 4th cycle of this for squat.
2nd and 3rd cycles were the "full volume" top RX total reps.
I'm using a 425lb 1rm for this cycle, so i'm up to my max range.

I did max total reps today, but i may start doing the lower or mid range on week 2 day 2, 55 max reps there.
Intensity is going up, so drop in volume might be warranted.
Mostly i just get sore AF from the bar on these high rep days.

I do think i'm accumulating some fatique though.
405 single finishes this cycle, and i may need to do a little less volume ahead of that.
Will be the first time over 400 since June 9th 2019

I will almost certainly go for a 5th cycle though, and with a weight bump again, so for sure i will lower the total reps then.

[cgeorg]

Thanks for the response.

I was just a little worried that, if I were to do that, it'd be too little frequency of squatting/deadlifting? Before I was used to squatting and benching almost every session (3x/week) and deadlifting twice. Doing it as you suggest would have me squatting and deadlifting just once a week. Is it not a problem?

I think 2x week should be fine.

I'd modify things a little: 1) on the deadlift day, I'd add some sort of quad accessory work ((leg press, leg extensions, unilateral quad movements, etc), 2) on the squat day I'd add a back/butt movement (RDL, good morning, hip bridge, etc).

You'd keep the accessories as-is, so bi-weekly pressing, pushups, curlz, etc? I think I'm going to run this for my GF (and maybe myself if I can talk myself into it). Also, until I get bands, what's a good chins sub? Pullovers + curlz?

[Wilhelm]

Thanks for the response.

I was just a little worried that, if I were to do that, it'd be too little frequency of squatting/deadlifting? Before I was used to squatting and benching almost every session (3x/week) and deadlifting twice. Doing it as you suggest would have me squatting and deadlifting just once a week. Is it not a problem?

I think 2x week should be fine.

I'd modify things a little: 1) on the deadlift day, I'd add some sort of quad accessory work ((leg press, leg extensions, unilateral quad movements, etc), 2) on the squat day I'd add a back/butt movement (RDL, good morning, hip bridge, etc).

You'd keep the accessories as-is, so bi-weekly pressing, pushups, curlz, etc? I think I'm going to run this for my GF (and maybe myself if I can talk myself into it). Also, until I get bands, what's a good chins sub? Pullovers + curlz?

Do you have a pullup bar?

I've read that negatives are considered better (if not being able to do a full pullup/chinup is the consideration) than doing band assisted.
iirc, @Testiclaw has made IG posts about this and other developmental exercises he uses for his lifters who are working up to unassisted pullups.

[Wilhelm]

I will almost certainly go for a 5th cycle though, and with a weight bump again, so for sure i will lower the total reps then.

Just finished 4 cycles of this for squat, with the 2nd,3rd, and 4th at full total rep count each day.
Started with 395 plugged in as 1RM, and did 10lb bumps each cycle.

Been mulling how to do the next block, and have settled on a 9 week/3 cycle block, dropping loading back 7.5lbs from the end of last block, so 417.5
Shooting for a 7.5 and a 10lb bump, so repeating the final cycle of last block as the middle cycle this time, with a scheduled/no test absolute all time single PR on the last day.

I'm also envisioning a summer meet happening, and a 9 week block will give me some flexibility to finish and then decide on what to do if i have a date to plan for by then.

[Wilhelm]

I'm in a bit of an odd place with this now. Got caught out today with very short sleep.
Heavy single (398) wasn't horrible, but it did stop dead 3/4 of the way up. Tired AF today.
405 the end of the last block moved pretty slowly, but looked good.

Close to PR territory for the week 3 single, (will be a PR in two more cycles) and if i were approaching a meet, i would be doing more singles practice at this point, but of course not the same workset volumes.
I'm 4 months out though.
Mulling how to add in the heavier singles practice w/o derailing the work.
The volume isn't killing me, so i'm thinking weeks 1&2 i can do extra singles on the days they are called for.
Just seems like week 3 single is going to continue to be a shock to the system w/o more exposures.

Maybe the RX week one single + the week two single the first week
Then two of the week two singles week 2.

Could be a good place to start, not too crazy an addition.

Dunno, maybe i need singles both days each week 1 and 2.

Mulling intensifies

[augeleven]

I’m going to back to this after my current block, but I’m gonna do it twice a week
Monday - Squat and Bench
Tuesday - jog
Wedneday - chins/arms/bro stuff and shorter jog
Thursday - jog
Friday - deadlift and bench
Saturday - long run

[Wilhelm]

Testing out adding more heavy singles for practice.
They are getting heavy enough now that i think it's time i need more practice.
I squat Sunday & Friday, and the heaviest singles land on Fridays, and i'm feeling like i need more practice to be ready for them.

This is cycle 2 of the current 3 cycle block.
First block of this was 12 weeks, and these next two are 9 weeks each, and i'm staggering of the mesos/blocks so that the final/#3 cycle of the completed block becomes the middle/#2 micro of the new block which finishes one load increase higher.
The stepdown makes the first cycle effectively a deload of sorts.

I hope this pans out. As in i hope i'm up to it.
This block concludes with a 415 single, a 2lb PR, and the next 9week block (last before my July 24th meet) ends with a 425 single.
I'l then have about three weeks to just practice heavy.


I've marked the additions. Doing only the squat portion from this template.

[Wilhelm]

Testing out adding more heavy singles for practice.
They are getting heavy enough now that i think it's time i need more practice.
I squat Sunday & Friday, and the heaviest singles land on Fridays, and i'm feeling like i need more practice to be ready for them.

This is cycle 2 of the current 3 cycle block.
First block of this was 12 weeks, and these next two are 9 weeks each, and i'm staggering of the mesos/blocks so that the final/#3 cycle of the completed block becomes the middle/#2 micro of the new block which finishes one load increase higher.
The stepdown makes the first cycle effectively a deload of sorts.

I hope this pans out. As in i hope i'm up to it.
This block concludes with a 415 single, a 2lb PR, and the next 9week block (last before my July 24th meet) ends with a 425 single.
I'l then have about three weeks to just practice heavy.


I've marked the additions. Doing only the squat portion from this template.

With this in mind going forward, i am looking at making week 2 day 2 kind of a choice day after the top single.
Either subbing in one of the 1-3 rep or 3-6 reps days' worksets, or playing around with heavy triples and/or doubles.
I'd like to hit some heavy rep PRs and treat this next block and a half as a strength block. (Doing 9 week blocks)
I feel like i've done a lot of volume with this template since late 2020, and with the shift to a lot more heavy singles, i'm not sure how useful that one 5-8 rep days is.

That's my rationale anyway.
I won't be sad at all saying goodbye to 55 reps and those sets of 8.

Heavy trips or dubs makes the 3 week cycle kind of a peaking thing for that last day top single now that those are going to be close to, and then above current best PR weights.

[JohnHelton]

bump. This program deserves more attention.

[Famendoza1981]

Yeah I like this program. I just wrapped up session 8 and felt better coming out of the session than coming in. The program feels way less fatiguing than my previous bouts with 5/3/1. With my home gym, it’s easier than ever to chop up a session in case I need to squeeze things between remote work.

[cgeorg]

I started running my now wife on this again, and she's back to or past PR levels in about 3 cycles which is real cool. We don't have room for press right now so I have her doing DB presses for that, and pullover/LTE instead of chins. The 12 sessions end up taking about 4 weeks. Real solid program

[xng]

Thank you for putting this out there, Hanley. I am on my second cycle of the 12-session version, after running through the old two-week version once, and I totally love it. Approaching my old bench PR though I am 40 lb lighter, feeling good all the time. Much appreciate.

[JohnHelton]

Thank you for putting this out there, Hanley. I am on my second cycle of the 12-session version, after running through the old two-week version once, and I totally love it. Approaching my old bench PR though I am 40 lb lighter, feeling good all the time. Much appreciate.

Congrats on the progress!

[Hanley]

Approaching my old bench PR though I am 40 lb lighter, feeling good all the time. Much appreciate.

That's awesome. Really glad to hear it's working so well for you.

[Famendoza1981]

Hi @Hanley in session 11 for the template, is there an option to go for a new PR in the squat? I noticed the default for bench is a new PR in session 11, and in session 12 there’s an option to attempt a new deadlift 1RM, but no such note for the squat.

If the squat is meant to be tested after template is completed, I’ll reserve a week after my second attempt at this template to go for maxes on the squat and the standing press.

[Hanley]

Hi @Hanley in session 11 for the template, is there an option to go for a new PR in the squat? I noticed the default for bench is a new PR in session 11, and in session 12 there’s an option to attempt a new deadlift 1RM, but no such note for the squat.

If the squat is meant to be tested after template is completed, I’ll reserve a week after my second attempt at this template to go for maxes on the squat and the standing press.

Yeah, a PR attempt at session11 is fine.

Though I honestly prefer your idea of testing squat and ohp the week after you finish up the template.

[janoycresva]

The 3 week general strength template is phenomenal for bench, I hit a novel PR for the first time in like 18 months.

I have access to a belt squat now that I’ve been using to accumulate some extra quad volume (I’m a shitty squatter with ridiculously long femurs), any ideas on how best to program this into the 3 week template? I’ve just been hitting low end squat volume and rep range targets, then doing 2-3x15-20 on the belt squat afterwards. Think this interferes with the high peak force rep training effect?

[mgil]

The 3 week general strength template is phenomenal for bench, I hit a novel PR for the first time in like 18 months.

I have access to a belt squat now that I’ve been using to accumulate some extra quad volume (I’m a shitty squatter with ridiculously long femurs), any ideas on how best to program this into the 3 week template? I’ve just been hitting low end squat volume and rep range targets, then doing 2-3x15-20 on the belt squat afterwards. Think this interferes with the high peak force rep training effect?

How often do you hit a heavy single, double, or triple?

[janoycresva]

The 3 week general strength template is phenomenal for bench, I hit a novel PR for the first time in like 18 months.

I have access to a belt squat now that I’ve been using to accumulate some extra quad volume (I’m a shitty squatter with ridiculously long femurs), any ideas on how best to program this into the 3 week template? I’ve just been hitting low end squat volume and rep range targets, then doing 2-3x15-20 on the belt squat afterwards. Think this interferes with the high peak force rep training effect?

How often do you hit a heavy single, double, or triple?

Once a week, usually. Prior to this program I was hitting two 1@8s a week on highbar squat and ssb squat, now just doing highbar and following the 3 week template as written.