Squat LP and the light day

[Jason Cross]

Is now a good time to introduce a Wednesday light squat day to the standard A/B format, such as in the former college athlete example from PPST3? I have one reset of 10%.

Current squat: 280x5x3
Reset Point: 295x5,5,4 (this happened twice)
Bodyweight: 200lb
BF: 20%ish
Calories: 3000-3300 (fitnesspal to prove it)

[Michael Wolf]

Ya, if you've asked and then properly dealt with the first three questions, then coming back up from your re-set is a good time to add the light day.

[Jason Cross]

Thanks Wolf,

I appreciate your time.

1st 3 questions and answers:

1) Resting 7-10 minutes between working sets on the squat, and 5 minutes after warm-ups. (Timing with gym clock, not guessing.)

2) Before starting SSNLP, I found working weights with each lift and performed one 5's day with 5/3/1. I then decided to switch programs to SSNLP. Initially I had two workouts of 20lb jumps, two workouts of 10lb jumps, and missed reps on the third day of five pound jumps. I am 14 workouts into the program. I had overconfidence and impatience as a returning lifter. I was also not keeping a paper log at the gym and lifted the wrong weight (too heavy) one day. This is the part where I made mistakes.

3) For the first month I have maintained 198lbs body weight and dropped about an inch of belly fat (39.5" navel measurement.) I have slowly increased calories from a base of 3000/day. About 3300-3500/day this week. I have introduced whole milk to the diet. I will slowly taper up to 4000/day as needed. My appetite is definitely increasing. At a certain point I will need to gain body weight, just not sure when that is.

I have since started a paper training log. After the second time missing reps I purchased PPfST3rdE and thoroughly read the programming chapters of each books. I realized I've made a few mistakes. My initial thought was that a 10% reduction in weight, 5lb jumps, and a light day Wednesday would be the best corrective action.

Let me know if any of this information changes your recommendation.

[Michael Wolf]

Sounds like #2 is the big one to correct - no way anyone should miss reps in the 7th workout, as it looks like you did. Those early bigger jumps might have just been too much, too soon.

I like a slightly bigger re-set returned to with slightly bigger jumps, so fatigue is dissipated but not re-accumulated over a long time coming back up, i.e. if you fail at 315 twice, I like to drop back to like 265 instead of 285-295, but come back up with
265, 285, 300
305, 275, 315 - new PR at end of second week.

As an example.

[Jason Cross]

They definitely were too big of jumps. I was still figuring out my nutritional needs at the time too. I misinterpreted "big guy" in the book and also had read in a few places around here that returning lifters can sustain larger jumps for a while.

My 10% reset from 290 went as follows: 260, 270, vacation (2 missed workouts: W & F,) 280, 225, 285, and will go for 290 today.

I guess I'm a bit confused. Are you suggesting to reset again, or to use a 20% reset if this should happen again? Sticking with the A/B format unless you think I should start pulling every other workout. Dead lift is at 330 now, but the PC is only 55 KG.

I found an old log. I seemed to taper out of squat LP at 350x5x3 with a Wednesday light day back in 2011. One important detail: I was 24.

[Michael Wolf]

That makes you 31-32 now, so you're OK on that score. I would have probably not jumped from 270 to 280 after your vacation, but honestly, right now you're asking how to right a ship that's already made several moves off course that I would have warned against earlier so I'm really not sure. If I were there with you to see how the sessions went, this would be a piece of cake but the usual predictability of the LP, necessary to answer questions from strangers with limited background and without the ability to observe the sessions as they take place and course correct if needed, isn't very applicable in such a situation. Sorry.

[Jason Cross]

I understand. Its been helpful regardless. Off course, but not derailed. I think theres still quite a bit left in the tank here. I appreciate the help.

[Michael Wolf]

Ya, I'd say that's right. You'll be OK. Carry on and make gains.

[Jason Cross]

PPST3 says the light day should be 60-80% for 3 sets of 5. But a few articles around here and other podcasts featuring SS coaches have recommended 2 sets. What's the most current recommendation on this?

There is a barbell medicine podcast where Jordan mentions that if a client is deadlifting on the middle day with the light squat, he has them train the deadlift first, press/bench second, and squat last. Where do you stand on that tip and would you apply that to power cleans as well?

Lastly: At what point would you have a trainee start doing back off sets after the first set of 5?

[Michael Wolf]

1. Since training is still very simple, general, and basic at this stage, a small difference like this is unlikely to matter much and be worth worrying about. Everyone wants an exact script to follow instead of understanding and applying principles. I don't recall PPST saying 3 sets, but if it does, it doesn't really matter. The light day is about getting a little bit of easy work and practice in, while still allowing for the recovery needed to be ready to squat a new PR 3x5 on Friday.

Can any person, book, or fortune teller tell you with 100% accuracy whether 2x5 @80% or 3x5 @70% will be better for that, for every single human being regardless of age, sex, weight on the bar, etc?

Since the answer is obviously no, don't sweat it. Do something along those lines, with the principle in mind that I laid out above, and you'll be fine.

2. I never liked deadlifting first, I always found light squats a great warm-up for everything else, but if your personal preference is to DL first, that's fine. The squats are light enough that they won't affect the DL if you squat first, and won't be affected by the DL if you DL first. So again, really not important.

3. I would personally start doing this when I know they're going to start missing reps in 1-2 workouts. But no trainee has the ability to tell this like I do, having coached thousands of people. The vast majority will start doing this too early. When you have already done a re-set and worked back up, then miss a rep on a 2nd or 3rd set, switch to this to squeeze a few more workouts out.

It sounds like you're majoring in the minors here.