save my bench

[DeanT]

With all due respect, I would like to present an alternate viewpoint. Context: I'm 49, 215 lbs and bench 340. My bench was stuck at 325 from the end of LP for the following 12 months. I had a SSC coach for that entire time.

First, Brent is correct in that what you are doing is most certainly not SSLP as prescribed in the book.
Second, you have failed multiple times at the same weight.
Third, I really think going back to LP is going to result in additional frustration with little to no gains. I stayed way too long on LP with my bench with multiple resets and I made very small progress (1-2 lbs) with each reset.

Bench responds to volume...your e1rm is around 300 lbs. I don't think you will make great progress going back to LP. It seems to me that you should start transitioning your bench to intermediate. Start simple....the first week, start with (3) ramping sets of 5 at RPE 6, 7 and 8. Repeat the process the second week but add some weight. This is essentially a 2 week deload to help fix the aches and pains and get your mind right for the work to come. After that, you need to decide your approach. Here are my recommendations:

1) find the program that interests you the most and set it up for a 12-16 week run. Execute it and see what you think...stay with it for the entire planned length. Make sure you take good notes so that you know what is and isn't working.
2) After the 12-16 weeks, decide if the program is working or if it needs tweaking. If it really isn't working at all, try a new program...just stay with the new one for 12-16 weeks. If it works but needs changes, make the changes and give it another go. Rinse and repeat.... and don't forget your deloads.

Honestly, it took me over 12 months to figure out what works for me. I finally found that a rep progression with deloads after every 4 weeks works very well for me. I need lots of exposure to a weight before I can add weight...if I don't have it, I hurt my shoulders and have to start over. Took a long time to figure it out though.

Good luck.

[Brent Carter]

With all due respect, I would like to present an alternate viewpoint. Context: I'm 49, 215 lbs and bench 340. My bench was stuck at 325 from the end of LP for the following 12 months. I had a SSC coach for that entire time.

First, Brent is correct in that what you are doing is most certainly not SSLP as prescribed in the book.
Second, you have failed multiple times at the same weight.
Third, I really think going back to LP is going to result in additional frustration with little to no gains. I stayed way too long on LP with my bench with multiple resets and I made very small progress (1-2 lbs) with each reset.

Bench responds to volume...your e1rm is around 300 lbs. I don't think you will make great progress going back to LP. It seems to me that you should start transitioning your bench to intermediate. Start simple....the first week, start with (3) ramping sets of 5 at RPE 6, 7 and 8. Repeat the process the second week but add some weight. This is essentially a 2 week deload to help fix the aches and pains and get your mind right for the work to come. After that, you need to decide your approach. Here are my recommendations:

1) find the program that interests you the most and set it up for a 12-16 week run. Execute it and see what you think...stay with it for the entire planned length. Make sure you take good notes so that you know what is and isn't working.
2) After the 12-16 weeks, decide if the program is working or if it needs tweaking. If it really isn't working at all, try a new program...just stay with the new one for 12-16 weeks. If it works but needs changes, make the changes and give it another go. Rinse and repeat.... and don't forget your deloads.

Honestly, it took me over 12 months to figure out what works for me. I finally found that a rep progression with deloads after every 4 weeks works very well for me. I need lots of exposure to a weight before I can add weight...if I don't have it, I hurt my shoulders and have to start over. Took a long time to figure it out though.

Good luck.

While your advice is well intentioned and COULD be accurate a few points to consider:

1) You are 49 HE is 26. He will therefore respond more robustly to strength training in general and therefore has the potential to make more gains with a simple program of progressively heavier weights.

2) We do not define novice/ intermediate/ advance by loads used. He has given no indication that his novice LP has been exhausted. In fact his response to what he has been doing indicates to me that he has NOT exhausted his novice LP. IOW he did NOT do the program. As an aside I have taken folks with a 350+ bench put them on novice LP (because they had not done so before) and made rapid gains with these people. Once again we define novice, int, adv, by the time frame by which they respond to an adaptive stimulus. NEARLY everybody is a novice until proven otherwise.

[hector_garza]

As an aside I have taken folks with a 350+ bench put them on novice LP (because they had not done so before) and made rapid gains with these people. Once again we define novice, int, adv, by the time frame by which they respond to an adaptive stimulus. NEARLY everybody is a novice until proven otherwise.

I didn't know LP would work for such lifters.
How much did the 350+ benchers typically gain from running LP? Over how much time?
Thank you.

[Brent Carter]

It works if they haven't done it before, if they are coming back from injury, or if they are coming back from some other form of detraining.

Length is case specific and should be expected to be very long.