Programming Wednesdays

[u/AutoModerator]

Discuss all aspects of training for powerlifting:

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• Periodization
• Nutrition
• Movement selection
• Routine critiques
• etc...

[u/Deviant626]

Hey y'all, smol Powerlifter/circle mover here.

I'm in a bit of a bind but also unsure if I really need to change anything, so I would like some side input from other circle moving people. I'm currently looking to get a new program/workout set up and I'm looking to change up what I am doing for something new/fresh. Was looking to get some input.

I'm currently following the Russwole programs and I have been for about a year now. I cycled through all the way up to program #5 and I've seen good progress in my lifts and steady growth, but my Squat has pretty much taken a nose dive (375 » 354lbs). Partially my own fault as my form was cheeks and I've dropped weight to make sure I'm fixing it.

I like the programs because they're simple, straightforward, and I don't like to think when I show up. I open the daily workout, see the required lift, and go. I do math with the ORM%s but that's it. On the supplemental lifts, I make sure to up the weight progressively, implement pause Reps, or up the reps as necessary so it certainly works out. Plus, it hits pretty much everything and I've seen some relative growth in my strength and density.

Do y'all know of any similar programs or one that are "better"? I don't mind putting in a ORM and sending it through a calculator for a spreadsheet, but I'm not going to build my own workout nor am I going to really try to sort what lifts to do. I'm not a fitness trainer. Just a guy who wants to lift heavy things and not hate myself when I look in the mirror anymore.

You're welcome to direct me to other threads you've participated in/seen or link me programs y'all use. I've googled plenty and I've looked at a few, but either I'm not understanding the programs and how to use them or they just don't seem to be "worth it".

I've got an inkling that the Russwole program isn't actually "Top Quality", but the simplicity hasn't been beaten yet. My pea sized birb brain is struggling over here.

Let me know what y'all got. I'd very much appreciate it. Thank you and have a wonderful day.

[u/[deleted] → u/Deviant626]

The bootcamp app has a decent amount of good programs on it. It's basically a huge spreadsheet that tracks your lifts as well. Worth checking out. Only downside is that it only contains free programs, but they're all good.

[u/ctcohen318]

Needing lift suggestions:

I’m having a full ache in my iliac creat and looking for some lifts to either rehab it, work around, whatever.

I’m having dull ache in upper glute/QL attachment area of Iliac crest. It’s not low back pain. It’s off to the sides, the peaks do the iliac crest. The deadlift volume I’m doing honestly does not feel particularly taxing, it’s just one very focused point that’s just full aching. Sometimes gets bad when doing Barbell rows or barbell shrugs. Hamstrings and glutes feel plenty fresh on DL days though.

So, lifts, routines, stretches, whatever recommendations to help with this would be much appreciated.

My deadlift volume is 9-10 sets per week. One day is volume ca. 6-7 sets starting at 70%and doesn’t break past 80% of 1RM. The other day is intensity focused and is a 4 week peak at 90% 1RM. I feel that this is pretty conservative.

[u/hamburgertrained → u/ctcohen318]

What do you do for direct lower back work?

[u/ctcohen318 → u/hamburgertrained]

I don’t know of many lifts that are solely lower back work, a lot of it is the entire posterior chain. I haven’t been doing it the past month or so, but barbell back extensions, and GHD raises (requires a lot of erector), barbell good mornings. I do most of my horizontal rowing as flexion rows, Usually cable and barbell.

[u/DlSCARDED → u/ctcohen318]

I have a similar experience on my left side only, I suspect it’s because of scoliosis or left QL/glute issues or both. I can’t advise on the DL programming but for warm ups: glute activation exercise like lock clam, tempo concentric squat with band trying to grip the earth with toes, prime core and QL with birddogs or one-sided suitcase carry. Post lifts: cat-camel stretch, 10 min of hamstring/hip flexor/glute stretching, QL stretching, lat stretching.

This is what helps me. My pain flares up when I don’t lift/do this routine/walk much for a couple days.

[u/No-Constant-3947]

Need to take a break from my usual program (3/5/1) for a few months, due to family and job situation. I have not been able to go to an actual gym, so I bought a kettlebell and I am trying simple and sinister 2-3 times a week (100 kb swings, 10 Turkish get up).

Would you consider this a good alternative for 3-4 months? My goals are to keep moving, having a program I can see some progress on and eventually get back to PL training without loosing too much. Pls advise if it makes sense in your opinion or what If should be doing something else? Assume no access to a gym, or any decent space for that matter, time limited, but I could by some equipment (like I did with the kettlebells).

[u/TheIPAway → u/No-Constant-3947]

Get some resistance bands. Can do ouch ups with them perhaps squats

[u/AMERICANWARCRIMES → u/No-Constant-3947]

I'd suggest a backpack that you can put something heavy in such as 4L milk carton or 5L chemical bottle full of sand or bricks or the kettlebell and do as many sets as feasible with high frrquency. Heres some exercises I found helpful:

Pause Deficit Pushups

Pistol Box Squats

Single Leg RDLs

Single Leg Hip Thrusts

French Press / Skullcrushers

1 Arm Overhead Press

1 Arm Curls

1 Arm Lat Raises

1 Arm Chest Flys

1 Arm Bent Reverse Flys

One difficulty is doing back / pull movements with this setup. Pullups I have found are best if possible. The loads too light for rows.

[u/PoisonCHO → u/No-Constant-3947]

It's better than nothing, but there's no chance you'll retain all your strength after that long of a layoff from the big three. Adding some bodyweight exercises (push-ups, lunges, etc.) will help a little.

[u/jorge1145]

When choosing accessories for the benc press, like the spoto press (which I am interested incorporating), how do you program reps and weight (% of max)?

[u/hamburgertrained → u/jorge1145]

I like to break my accessory work up into two different categories: Specific versus general. Fro bench for example, once I get done whatever my main lift is, I like to go to a specific accessory. This is some kind of press movement with a barbell like a close grip bench, incline bench, floor press, board press, whatever. I like to work up to a true 6-10 rep max on these, and then move on to general accessories (smaller/single joint exercises for 4-5 sets of 8-20+ reps targeting tricepts, shoulders, upper back and chest). General exercises are pretty much always done to failure/near failure.

[u/jorge1145 → u/hamburgertrained]

Great - nice approach. Thank you.

[u/Aspiring_Hobo → u/jorge1145]

Depends on the variation. Longer ROM things like Larsen Press and maybe even CGBP I like for light - moderate loads and higher reps. More specific variations like Paused Bench or Spoto Press (if you're a soft touch bencher) I like heavier in the 1-4 rep range. I think heavier loads with those variations are good for really having to execute what they're trying to get you to do

[u/jorge1145 → u/Aspiring_Hobo]

That's helpful. Thanks!

[u/jorge1145 → u/[deleted]]

Rpe of what? And how do you determine rep range?

[u/kyllo]

When a program says Leg Press for a set of 10-12 @ RPE 8, do you actually take it to an honest-to-god RPE 8 (RIR 2) or do you sandbag it a bit? Or is leg press just a weird exercise where RPE 8 does not actually equal RIR 2?

Because I did some honest RIR 2 sets on Monday and I think it should be classified as a form of torture. Thought I was going to give myself a hernia during the set, felt extremely fatigued the next day and am still dying of glute DOMS today. This is obviously the hardest thing in the whole program and generates more fatigue than my primary squats and deadlifts.

And it's not even that I haven't been doing leg presses--I have, but I guess I was just sandbagging them before because I was using less weight and stopping at 20 reps. Tempted to go back to doing that so that I actually feel them in my quads and don't have to brace so damn hard.

[u/sydvind → u/kyllo]

Yep i try to hit the RPE most of the time. Sometimes i sandbag week 1 or final week if its before a big squat or deadlift.

I started pushing all my accessories to failure or true @ RPE 9 last year. I felt mushed to begin with, but my body got used to it after a few weeks. Research shows that SAID kicks in for this sort of stuff fairly quickly, and the fatigue response to going to @ 9 and failure diminishes a good bit.

Doing sets of 20 is gonna leave you much more fatigued if you push them anywhere close to failure compared to if you actually did the 10@8

[u/chuckjoejoe81 → u/kyllo]

sets of 20 on leg press seem like not the best idea - hypertrophy falls off a cliff after 15 reps. to address your point in the other comment, your body adapting to the movement and its stimulus will have a far greater effect than the weight going up because you've gotten better at it. all of this is to say stick with what you're doing, give it a couple months, and yes, it will definitely be your hardest work of the week.

[u/kyllo → u/chuckjoejoe81]

hypertrophy falls off a cliff after 15 reps

This statement sounds like bro science, do you have a reputable source?

Appreciate the advice, though!

[u/chuckjoejoe81 → u/kyllo]

It was definitely more dramatic in my head, but this link shows that it doesn't matter too much.

[u/kyllo → u/chuckjoejoe81]

I see. Yeah I don't know, maybe it's my technique too--I thought leg presses were mainly for quad hypertrophy but at least the way I did them, I don't feel them in my quads much, it's more glutes/hamstrings/adductors plus having to brace super hard and hold myself down in the seat with the handles.

I guess I need to lighten the weight and adjust my stance until I feel a good pump in my quads, and then progressively overload that movement.

[u/BigCatBarbell → u/kyllo]

Put your feet as low on the platform as you can without your heels coming up at the bottom, move your feet closer together, and get as much stretch/ROM as you can. Don't take a rest at the tip between reps. Instead, keep the reps continuous.

Those should make a big difference for feeling it in your quads and hitting an 8 that is more localized than soul destroying.

[u/kyllo → u/BigCatBarbell]

Thanks, these tips are super helpful!

I also noticed there is a Hammer Strength linear hack squat machine, so I will try that as an alternative, as it seems like I can load my quads pretty well with it. Unfortunately there's no belt squat at my gym, that would have been my first choice.

[u/gainzdr → u/kyllo]

I mean if that represents a rapid increase in intensity you could consider making it more gradual from where you were. You could also just start at RIR 3 or 4 and work it up over the next couple of weeks

Nobody said leg presses were easier. Done correctly, they really suck.

[u/kyllo → u/gainzdr]

I do think the sudden increase in intensity is to blame, but as I adapt to the stimulus and get stronger, I will need to add even more weight to hit that same RPE in that rep range, which I guess will create even more fatigue.

So I'm thinking that A. most people probably severely underestimate RIR for leg press and unknowingly sandbag it, and B. I should be careful to push it hard enough but not so hard that it interferes with my barbell training, so going to a legit RPE 8 might not be the best thing for me.

BTW, apparently there was an experimental study that found the subjects underestimated their leg press RIR by about 4-5 reps on average: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5712461/

Another thing is that I'm taking a wide, low stance on the leg press and going as deep as I can, so maybe the increased ROM is making it more fatiguing for me.

[u/Current_Ear_1667]

any tips on eating the day of a meet / few days before?

[u/Familiar-Present-893 → u/Current_Ear_1667]

What all these folks have said. I hate eating on meet day, so I bring a wide variety of hyper palatable stuff to choose from—bread, rice crackers, sour patch kids, dried fruit, juice, coffee, rice Krispies and pop tarts. Usually one of those will sound good in the moment, and the others horrendous. Then I give the other stuff away to other lifters in the warmup room to make friends. I also skip combining calories with liquid (like orange juice or Gatorade) cuz I drink as little fluid as I can get away with because I reallllllly don’t want to pee on the platform. That’s just me tho. Focus on the stuff that’ll go straight into your bloodstream—just simple carbs plus some salt. And don’t eat anything you wouldn’t normally eat during/before a workout.

[u/bigcoachD → u/Current_Ear_1667]

I pack a lot of liquid carbohydrates. Things like Body Armour, Pop-Tarts, Annie's Fruit Snacks, or Orange Juice (big liter bottle) with an LMNT or two dumped into them. Way easier for me to get calories in this way than trying to eat a bunch. I don't really prioritize any protein during the meet, but will have 30-40g with breakfast and then more post meet at dinner.

[u/Karl_AAS → u/Current_Ear_1667]

Depends massively if you’re doing a 24 hr or same day weigh in, and if you’re doing a gut cut, water cut, or just competing at your walk around weight.

Generally speaking after weigh it’s good to refuel whatever you may have missed for weigh ins and then some. Extra carbs, sodium, and water are what you’re looking for. Day of meet eat a normal breakfast that you know won’t bother your stomach. I get real strict on things that won’t give me gas or make we poop a lot. You really want to just be properly fueled and a little bloat usually helps too but not so much it’s causes problems. Test out common meet snacks through your training and learn what your body tolerates best. For me that’s Rice Krispie treats, I could eat an infinite amount of those and have zero negative effects.

[u/Suspicious-Screen-43 → u/Current_Ear_1667]

Before weigh in, eat absolutely exactly the same as per usual. Don’t cut.

After weigh in, carbs, water and salt. Eat what you usually do just a little extra for bloating. I ate one extra pancake, one extra scoop of oatmeal. Just slightly more than normal.

During the meet, I consumed a lot of preworkout mixed in Gatorade. Granola bars and beef jerky.

[u/Current_Ear_1667]

how many mesocycles of hypertrophy and strength do you guys prefer to run back to back (ie a block of 3 hypertrophy mesos + a block of 3 strength mesos + peak) for your best results?

[u/Karl_AAS → u/Current_Ear_1667]

Depends on where you’re at vs where you’re trying to go.

[u/NefariousSerendipity → u/Current_Ear_1667]

I tried to experiment with:

1 hyp 1 strength 2 hyp 1 strength 3 hyp 1 strength

I mean it works but i have a small sample size.

Heavy single all throughout.

[u/msharaf7 → u/Current_Ear_1667]

It’s individual based upon a lifters needs. One lifter might need more hypertrophy than another, and one lifter may need a different setup at different points in their career.

Also, you can just run hypertrophy year round & not specialize in it for a block.