Make changes to Novice LP or doing something wrong?

[Dalton Clark]

You figure out your starting weights, as outlined in the book, by titrating the weight up until you hit a 'moderately challenging' set of five. I often interpret this as 'the bar speed noticeably slows down'. Or it starts to feel kind of heavy. By definition, 3 sets of 5 is not a 5rm. A 5RM is - theoretically - going to leave you completely fried to the point where performing reps anywhere even remotely close to that weight is going to be impossible or extremely difficult. What someone can do for 3 sets of 5 is often times around 90 percent of their 5RM. I have done 4 sets of 5 at 88% of my 'really damn close to 5RM' on intermediate programming.

However, you most likely have form issues on the squat as Brodie Butland, esq. mentioned.

[ReeseD]

Whoa, these comments were really helpful.

I haven’t done any form checks or coaching. I’m working on my form by reading the book which I’m working through and obviously missed the part about how to choose you starting weight. Looking for that part right now, in case anyone wants to shout out the page number. Also watching videos (e.g. Alan Thrall) and will record my sets with the correct video angles ASAP to post on the forum.

I don’t think I quit on the lifts. My squat reps will often take 4-5 seconds. Bench is similar. Press and dead less so. Also, I was never a “bencher” before starting SSLP, just bodyweight stuff for the last 3 years.

I’ll do what everyone has suggested and find the right starting weight for each lift. This is what I thought I did already but my form is probably worse than I think and I must have started too high on bench, squat, and maybe the other lifts. It definitely feels like my form starts to break down esp on squat and bench on my work sets. It’s kind of a catch 22 though because if your form isn’t good then you can’t determine the right starting weights and you can’t post form videos of just warm up sets.

[ReeseD]

Thanks for all the advice everybody

[Brodie Butland]

I don’t think I quit on the lifts. My squat reps will often take 4-5 seconds.

Have you actually verified this with video and a stopwatch? Because I will bet a steak dinner at Morton's that if you recorded your next workset and actually timed it, your ascent will be nowhere near four seconds...and I'd bet that the concentric portions of at least 3 of the 5 reps on your last set (i.e., the slowest set) are less than 2 seconds. There have been studies indicating that time "slows down" for a person during heavy exertion, and substantially...so what feels like 4 seconds under a heavy load is usually about half that.

This is also why those of us who record our sets are often surprised by our bar speeds on the later sets...what felt like a horrible grind in real time turned out to be good, consistent bar speed on video.

Just to be clear, I'm not throwing shade here. I did not learn how to really grind lifts until I had already been lifting using SS principles after five years. Then I started realizing that I was giving up on some of the sets too early...it wasn't until I figured all this out that I could hit a 4-plate squat for reps.

[ReeseD]

I am filming my sets and looked at my last squat 3x5 from Monday with a stopwatch. I was counting both the descent and ascent so I was off by a second or two but on my last set of 5 the ascent ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 seconds. The very last rep ascent almost 4 seconds. I'm counting from the moment I hit the bottom of the squat to being back up with locked knees/vertical back. I could probably shave some time off by popping up quicker at the very top. This might not be grinding though and instead just really bad form or something else. I also usu lift at the end of a long, physically demanding day so that could be playing a role.

Thanks for the correction. I'm about to basically start over tonight and find my correct working sets (starting weights) where my form doesn't break down and the bar speed slows a little. I'll record those and post them to the technique forum asap. My form definitely needs help. I can post the previous recordings too as that might help show my form problems even better.

[Dalton Clark]

What is your rest between sets? No rep should be a four second one within a month of starting the lp unless you got insanely little sleep. You're supposed to start conservatively so you can have some momentum when shit gets hard. Typically things like this indicate that you need to familiarize yourself with this article or that your form is really off. An inefficient bar path on the squat can really hurt you.

[ReeseD]

I think my rest between sets on squat is at least 5 mins. Maybe should be more. I know now that it can and maybe should be more than that. I read that exact article you posted last night.

It might be both bad form and not enough rest between sets. I’m worried about going back up to 180 until my form gets better.

I posted my squat of 180 lbs this morning on the technique forum if you want to see it. It’s ugly.