If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen I’m back to training pretty hard again. Recently, I hit a pretty big pressing PR: 315×10 on low incline press. This was considerably better than my prior PR. I can’t remember for sure if my old best was 315×6 or 315×8, but I’m sure I’ve never hit 315×10. Low incline is one of my main indicators of my overall pressing strength; for me at least, competition-style pronated grip and reverse grip bench press are pretty finicky. They’re influenced quite a bit by the bench I’m using and, more importantly, how much stretching I’ve been doing (and thus, how well I can arch). Performance is 1/3rd strength, 1/3rd technique, and 1/3rd magic. Low incline and feet-up close-grip bench, on the other hand, are honest. The range of motion is longer, I barely arch (it’s still probably a ridiculous arch by some peoples’ standards, but it’s almost nonexistent by powerlifting standards), and performance is pretty consistent day-to-day. So, I use low incline and feet-up closegrip as my barometers of how my overall pressing strength is doing. The rubber will meet the road once I start ramping intensity up, but I’m pretty sure my pressing is the strongest it’s ever been.
A little over three months ago, I could barely grind out 315×3. You can see the videos below.
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Quite a few people have asked me about my programming these last few months, and I’m not interested in typing out long Instagram comments, so I’m writing about it here.
I’m using an upper/lower split, with lower-body days alternating between squats and deadlifts. Each main lift is also alternating between two variations. So, here’s how things have looked:
1a) Close-grip feet-up bench
2a) Deficit trap bar RDL
1b) Low incline
3a) High bar squat
1a) Close-grip feet-up bench
2b) Sumo low block pull
1b) Low incline
3b) Front squat (recently switched for low bar paused squats)
I recently subbed low-bar paused squats in for front squats. I slightly strained my adductor magnus about a week ago doing high bar squats, and I think it’s because my AM was only getting challenged through a long ROM once per 8 workouts (high bar squat day; my AM certainly contributes for sumo block pulls, but the hip ROM is shorter), so it just wasn’t building up the load tolerance it needed. It’s feeling better, though, and otherwise things have been going swimmingly.
In terms of the workouts themselves, I started with ~3RM loads for each exercise, and I’m working up to one top set, trying to beat my prior rep PR. That’s followed by low-rep dropback sets that I aim to move as explosively as possible with reasonably short rest intervals, until bar speed starts substantially slowing down. After that, I end each workout with some accessory work that I do for moderate-to-high reps until failure.
For example, here’s how my last close-grip feet-up bench workout went:
Close-grip feet-up bench: 315×8; 225 10-12×5 (sets x reps) with 60-90 seconds between sets (I don’t count dropback sets; I just do them until I know I’m done).
JM press: 115xfailure, 95xfailure, 75xfailure
Flyes: 40xfailure, 30xfailure
Incline curls: 30 2xfailure, 20xfailure
That’s pretty typical for pressing workouts.
For lower body workouts, I generally do fewer dropback sets due to low back fatigue. Once I get a low back pump that doesn’t want to go away, I’ll end with some long-paused work (e.g. just sitting in the bottom of a squat with 225 for a couple minutes, or holding the bottom of an RDL position with 185 or 225 for as long as I can). I generally just finish lower body days with high-rep hip thrusts and single-leg bodyweight calf raises.
On off days, I’ll hop on a stationary bike for 30-60 minutes, and do some light accessory work (generally single-leg stuff, and occasionally rear delt work) if I have time. Speaking of off days, I’m letting recovery dictate training frequency. Once the muscles I’m about to train don’t feel sore and fatigued, I train again. On weeks I don’t have as much work (and can therefore sleep more), that generally works out to two consecutive training days, followed by one rest day. On weeks I’m busier and sleeping less, I generally take at least one day between workouts, and sometimes two. Overall, I’m pressing a little more than twice per week on average, and squatting and deadlifting slightly more than once per week.
This style of training has really been agreeing with me so far. Each workout is more challenging than I’m used to, and frequency is lower; for a long time, frequency for each lift was a lot higher, but each workout for each lift was quite a bit easier (to allow for higher frequency). I got a lot of mileage out of that style of training, but it hasn’t done much for me in a while; I think I wrung it dry, and that that style of training just doesn’t present a large enough stimulus for me to adapt to anymore. For now, higher per-session stress seems to be productive, which necessitates lower frequency.
I’ve noticed a similar pattern over time with my training. Higher frequency works well for a while until it doesn’t, then lower frequency and higher per-session volume works well for a while. By the time lower frequencies stop working, higher frequencies work pretty well again. I think I have a tendency to be loyal to one particular style of training for a bit too long, though. I think I’d be well-served by being more willing to make big changes sooner when I plateau.
So…that’s about it. We’ll see how long this style of training keeps working for me. Once I hit my goal sets of 10 with all of my current training weights (315 for close-grip feet-up bench, 405 for trap bar deficit RDL, 495 for high bar squat and low bar paused squat, and 635 for sumo block pulls; I’m still deciding if I want to go to 335 for low incline, or sub in another exercise), I should be at or near the strongest I’ve ever been overall. I REALLY want to squat and pull 800, and bench 500. I *think* I’d be able to take a run at the 800 squat and 500 bench once I hit the numbers I’m aiming for with this training cycle, but I’m considering keeping loads conservative until I hit one more batch of 10RMs (335 for my pressing movements, 455 for trap bar deficit RDL, 545 for the squats, and 675 for sumo block pulls). I’ve been so close to an 800 squat and a 500 bench for so long that I want to leave nothing in doubt when I make another run at them. For the time being, though, I’m really enjoying my current approach of aiming for rep RPs with manageable weights instead of chasing progress via more plates on the bar. I’m excited to see if it’ll get me where I want to go.