What should i do?

[Wilhelm]

TL;DR what adjustments should i make to working my squats pretty heavy for 6 weeks after a small volume block. In light of a meet Feb. 24th

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Mid course correction here. Hopefully there isn't anything horribly wrong with it.

But i'm open to suggestions.
Having a plan i can conceieve of its results is seems really important to me.
I don't want the anxiety of a wholesale change to something i am completely unfamilar with.
Is the following reasonable or are there any simple adjustments that would be useful?
Do i actually have to do something completely different? Meet is Feb. 24th I clearly have not a clear grasp how best to move on from my way of doing things so far.
If there were no meet, i'd simply go back to doing a long period of volume/hypertrophy.

3 days a week is what i can handle. And i would really like to have it be simple.
Can i do what i'm basically already doing? Please say yes.

If i could do it again, i would have stayed longer on the volume block i was already doing. But i had no way to trust the results i would get. c'est la vie

I'll set the scene -
i got 6 weeks fresh LP squat and bench after 5 weeks of volume work ending early october.
That's when i knew i would be doing a meet.
Finished that new LP stretch recently with an "easy" squat single of 350. Pretty sure it was rpe 8. i could for sure have done 3 reps and not lost form.
Accumulated fatigue from this, and the rising DL numbers, had me call off the second squat session of that week, and i deloaded to 315, and also added drop sets for the first time.
Probably still heavier than many would advocate, from what i can tell being here a month now.
Concurrently DL is going up 10lbs a week on SSPT plan, and i do the final week of that this Saturday, then 1rm test the next Saturday.

DL had lagged behind until i started hook gripping and could actually hold onto the bar. I had neglected it, but now it fits into my current plan. I feel quite good to go with this for the meet. Will double up the first two sessions of the new cycle (starts at 65% of tested 1RM) squeezing an extra day in that first week so that i can finish a little more than a week out with my final heavy pulls 90%X1 95%X1 90%X1

Ok, so here is my rudimentary adjustment for squats, and probably for bench too.
Squats are monday and thursdays, and DL is Saturday. Bench is every session.
I did my squats 315 last session for 5X2 6X1 , and drops of 285 at the same reps/sets
I want to keep working back up through my deload, but attenuate thursday squats to accomodate DL day, as well as give my body time to master each weight as i go back up.

I'm sure this has been done before, but i think i can fit it well into my calendar -

Add 5lbs to squats Thursdays, but drop to 3X3+ then Deadlift Sat, then repeat Thursday's squat weight Monday, but go to 5X3. Add five again the next Thursday, droppping again to 3X3+ etc... Drop sets to mirror this.
That will put me back to where i left off, 345 3X3, but i should be ready to then hit it for 5X3, and still have time to continue this pattern a little further, then assess fatigue take a light day, maybe a medium day too ( I'm pulling this part mostly out of my ass.) and still and have time for the heavy singles and doubles in the 2 weeks prior to the meet.

I don't think i'll regress, and i believe i can hit my goal of a 1,000lb total if i can follow the commands hit depth, etc..


If this is less than perfect, but can work, i'll stick with it.
Bench is coming along, and Deadlift is making me happy with the pounds going up.
I feel like if i save energy on squats, it will pay off in deadlift.
It's still somewhat aggressive for the squats, i think, compared to a better long range plan. Is it?
But i think i can do it.

Should i use lower weights for squat as a starting point?
Let's say eRM is 375 (350 rpe8)
80% of that is 300. 75% is 281 ish.

Squat was my most advanced lift, and if i can make gains in the other two, it will really take some pressure off me for squats.
Anything 375 or better for squats will set me up well to meet my goal.

[jake]

Is this roughly your schedule?

Thurs
Squat 3x3+
Bench 3x3+

Sat
Deadlift sspt 1 day/week plan
Bench ?

Monday
Squat thurs weight 5x3
Bench ?

I might be misunderstanding your plan, but I don't think redoing Thursday's squat weight for 2 more sets on Monday is a sustainable plan, especially if Thursday is heavy. That's also likely less than 30 reps a week, 24 if you don't make the amrap. I liked what you did last week with the drop sets. Lot's of reps in a good intensity range. Slowly adding volume is likely the ticket, and maybe a bit lighter than you'd think so you can recover and successfully train the other lifts.

[Wilhelm]

Thanks, @jake.
Bench is all three days, and i plan on having the drop sets for bench and squat every time.

And yes, i am sensing my desire to stay heavyish, is not what is best. But it's so hard to trust getting away from that.
Even though just 5 weeks of volume work had undeniable results
I'll drop the sets a bit in weight today, say 75% of eRM for top squats and 70% for drop sets.

If i start lower, i can maybe keep the volume up and still add weight, but maybe hover longer at a given weight.

In my volume block, i started once a week working up to my prior top work weight for squats for a single.
Just to keep my body familiar with the intensity to a degree.

I think maybe that's my sticking point. Not wanting to lose the feeling for intensity.
But i suppose if i time the drop in volume and ramp up the intensity two or three weeks out, i should do well.

Right? lol

Honestly, my body was telling me this morning i couldn't stay heavy even at reduced weights and sustain it.

Really, thanks for your input.

[Chebass88]

What you have described is incredibly confusing. I had to read it a few times, and I'm still confused on your question.

If I understand this, your schedule is:

S - OFF
M - SQ, BP
T - OFF
W - OFF
R - SQ, BP
F - OFF
Sa - DL, BP

Your progression is:
Week 1, SQ1 (Monday): 5x3 (assuming five triples?)
Week 1, SQ2 (Thursday): SQ1 + 5lbs, 3x3+
Week 2, SQ1 (M): W1 SQ2, 5x3
Week 2, SQ2 (R): W2 SQ1 + 5lbs, 3x3+
etc.

It looks like an okay plan to me. I don't like squatting more than once per week (and don't think it is necessary), but if it works for you - awesome. My main advice is to try it out for a month or two and see how things go. Since your meet is in February, you might want to do a "mock meet" at the end of December, as an added practice with heavy singles, and to make sure you are progressing. If it is not working, you would have plenty of time to make some small adjustments and continue on.

Regarding being able to follow the commands - practice with them now. When you walk out a squat, stand there for a two count, squat, and then stand there for a two-count prior to re-racking. Same with bench (bench, press, rack). For deadlifts make sure to hold them at the top for a little bit, and practice putting them down according to the rules. If you have the rules fully ingrained, you are less likely to fail a lift due to a technical error such as disregarding commands.

[Chebass88]

I'd also comment that it might be good to avoid changing too many things prior to your meet. Keep your schedule as simple as possible, and stick with it.

[Wilhelm]

I'd also comment that it might be good to avoid changing too many things prior to your meet. Keep your schedule as simple as possible, and stick with it.

Yes. So much this is what i'm feeling.
I really want to just tweak things and stay with something familiar until after the meet.

[jake]

@Wilhelm, ok, I must have missed that you were still doing dropsets for both squat and bench. You can probably stick with your plan for now and just do the drop sets in an intensity range that doesn't take you above @7 or something. So do your heavy work, then take weight off the bar and get good, clean reps in. I still think your second squat day needs work, but again I may be misunderstanding what you mean.

[Wilhelm]

Thanks, @jake
I'm taking your advice and dropping top sets a little. 320 was well above 80% e1RM

Just to try and clarify what i am thinking for second squat day, bump the weight just a little, but drop the top sets in volume. so, 3X3.

I think for this deload period, i can add back some weight.
But maybe not as fast as i was thinking, is what i'm hearing you say.

Update Did all squats from 70 to 79% today. 295,275,265 Drop sets were still hard sets
Did 2 count paused bench too.
I think it's a good start to finding my way.
I absolutely did not feel like i took it easy.

[Wilhelm]

I don't like squatting more than once per week (and don't think it is necessary), but if it works for you - awesome.

Do you think this applies to someone like me who is still trying to get to 405?

I've only ever squatted multiple times per week. 3 from the beginning on StrongLifts a year ago, then 2 from some point on.

[Chebass88]

I don't like squatting more than once per week (and don't think it is necessary), but if it works for you - awesome.

Do you think this applies to someone like me who is still trying to get to 405?

I've only ever squatted multiple times per week. 3 from the beginning on StrongLifts a year ago, then 2 from some point on.

You probably could get away with squatting only once per week as well. Squatting once per week means you can do a slightly heavier session - you won’t even think of squatting for a few days! It also lets you do deadlifts in a similar rep & set scheme as squats. You’d need to select your rep& set scheme appropriately, as well as the intensity, but progress can definitely be made.

[Kregna]

I don't like squatting more than once per week (and don't think it is necessary), but if it works for you - awesome.

Do you think this applies to someone like me who is still trying to get to 405?

I've only ever squatted multiple times per week. 3 from the beginning on StrongLifts a year ago, then 2 from some point on.

You probably could get away with squatting only once per week as well. Squatting once per week means you can do a slightly heavier session - you won’t even think of squatting for a few days! It also lets you do deadlifts in a similar rep & set scheme as squats. You’d need to select your rep& set scheme appropriately, as well as the intensity, but progress can definitely be made.

I've also had good results squatting and deadlifting once a week - as Chebass says, heavier workouts for each (I totaled ~20 reps for each exercise)

[Wilhelm]

Thanks, @Chebass88 and @Kregna.
Sounds terrifying, actually lol
It's not something i would do right away, i think wherever my fatigue management is now would get thrown off.

But i could look at a different approach after my post meet 2018 hypertrophy/volume block.
I want to get a full run of that in, since even my 5 week run gave really good results.

I should have stayed with that longer, but i thought i needed to get right back to strength range work for the meet.

[Wilhelm]

Well, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

I've dropped the drop sets from the 3X3 intensity squat day, and am not raising the weight on the 5X3 top and drop set volume day every week now.
Gonna just go for more reps and better AMRAPs there. Then bump the weight a little as needed.
I'm estimating volume sets are 80% e1rm top and 70% drop.
Doing the easy singles on intensity day. As only makes sense. Ramping them up for a PR before resetting.

Looks like i'll eventually deload to a higher starting point and repeat to line up with the meet and my short peak/taper.

[cole]

Chebass must have the exact opposite reaction to squatting that I have. If I squat only once a week my ability to do any kind of intensity (90%+) goes out the window. When I switched from 3 days a week squatting to 2 days I saw immediate decline in strength. I just respond well to high frequency squatting. I think you need to find out for yourself what you respond best to.

[Wilhelm]

Chebass must have the exact opposite reaction to squatting that I have. If I squat only once a week my ability to do any kind of intensity (90%+) goes out the window. When I switched from 3 days a week squatting to 2 days I saw immediate decline in strength. I just respond well to high frequency squatting. I think you need to find out for yourself what you respond best to.

I skipped squats one day at the end of my recent post volume block peak.
I was beat up, and it was the right choice, but i paid for it when i got back to it.
Two days a week is good for me. I'd be wrecked doing more, and i think i have a similar response as you to low frequency.

Now i'm just figuring out doing volume and intensity concurrently.