Xplora

I've read SS and PPST and started a linear progression 6 weeks ago after 5 months on Wendler 531, hitting my first stall with that programme. I've only been working with barbells for 12 months now and didn't have much structure prior to that. I'm a club level cyclist so I'm skinny as hell, but I've gained 14kgs in the last 12 months, which was a big deal for me as a classic hard gainer.

Now, I've got a ton of confusion from a few statements in these books, but I am happy to take them at face value. My first question is "what is the overarching philosophy for the SS Novice program, particularly as you hit the end of that progression?"

I'm feeling like I'm hitting the end of my run as a Novice quite quickly, obviously since some of that novice period was spent doing 531. At 83kgs, doing fives across, I have squatted 107.5, benched 62.5, pressed 47.5 and deadlifted 130. I haven't put on ANY weight during this couple of months, but I have had all the issues like stress, sleep, eating, a break, plus a ton of riding at times. Given the assumptions laid out in SS, I would have assumed that this wasn't an issue for a very serious increase in weight and strength. I know I'm not biologically explosive, I work best for 45-90 second efforts, rather than 5-10, so I know I won't be a powerlifter, but surely this wouldn't run out after 25 pounds on the squat?

When I look at what I need to do next, PPST implies that I should move from 5s across to 3s across, then singles. Maybe I've mixed up the Texas Method stuff with Novice programming, but would a fair assumption be "we want you to add some weight to the bar, every single time, in a planned fashion, even if you are dropping reps to achieve that, according to the plan" during the Novice period? I don't have access to affordable coaching, but even allowing for mistakes in pounds conversion I don't think I am even in the ball park

Joseph Santaniello

As a fellow cyclist, I agree that (particularly as you suggest you are a hard-gainer), you are not eating enough. I've seen often that cyclist and other endurance athletes are too afraid of losing conditioning to allow themselves to focus enough energy on weight-training. If you really want to make progress in the strength department, carve out a 3 month long chunk of time where you really prioritize it. You probably will surprise yourself with how little (if any) conditioning you lose, and endurance is built up pretty quickly when you resume big miles again anyway. So no more than a few 45 minute (at most) easy spins per week as a recovery aid and to keep your sanity while you work the strength. And eat! Also you don't know that you aren't good at 5-10 sec as you probably haven't trained that in anywhere near the volume or intensity you have trained longer duration, so don't sell yourself cheap!

Dilan

Rip, I read an interview with you recently where you claimed to make a mean chicken fried steak. I, being from England, have never heard of a chicken fried "steak". What is it, and how does one make it Rip style? I need to make a few new dishes on X-mas day, and there will be Amerrycuns present.