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Thread: Programming question: Intermediate lifter wishing to test 1RM (hit a new single)

  1. #1
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    Default Programming question: Intermediate lifter wishing to test 1RM (hit a new single)

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    Coach;

    I'm a middle intermediate running a modified LP right now due to recent illness and life constraints. One of the "modifications" is that my deadlift programming is 1/wk, and rather than a pure LP is your (Coach Baker's) 6-week deadlift program you used for your lightweight law-school guy. The timing seems right since my 5s on DL are still at or near lifetime best despite the recent layoff/setback.

    Question is general enough that I think it's of value to anyone in general strength training:

    Week 6 says "new single."

    I don't know how to do that, as I proved at my last meet, where I went 1 for 3 on deadlifts. So here's the question:

    On "test day," how should I work up to a top single? How would you do it?

    Thanks!

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    It would depend on your most recent numbers.

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    No good recent double or single numbers.

    Less than a month old:
    460x3
    450x4
    425x5

    Older:
    485x1
    475x2

    I'm really trying to beat the 485, but it's admittedly from early January and though I've pulled some good 5s and 3s, I haven't hit singles at all in awhile, except one day when I had bronchitis and that went as expected.

    For realsies, I know I need to shake some budget loose for SSOC but I really can't right this second so I'm blundering thru on programming on my own.

  4. #4
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    If you've pulled 460x3 you are probably in the ballpark of being able to beat 485x1. If you assume a max triple is approx 90% of 1RM....90% of 490 is actually like 440 so you should be okay. Biggest limiting factor is your inexperience pulling heavy singles. Especially on heavy deads you may have no idea how to really strain against a weight that feels like it's gonna stick just a few inches off the ground. This is a skill issue not just a strength issue which is why we like guys going heavy early in their training career so they can figure out when to finsih the lift and when to quit on one that ain't going. So stay with that fucker and give it all you got for a few seconds. Additionally don't do things like shooting hips up, trying to rip the bar off the ground, dip and rip, etc....things guys do when attempting max weights they don't normally do.

    For a 490 pull I'd take you as high as maybe 465-475 for that last single. A little higher than normal but for a guy with no experience pulling singles then big jumps are problematic. If you jump from like 440-450 to 490 that bar is gonna feel like 590 in your hands and you'll quit. Less experience equals smaller jumps.

    135 x whatever
    225 x 5
    315 x 2
    365 x 1
    405 x 1
    440 x 1 (maybe)
    465-475 x 1
    490 x 1

  5. #5
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    I'll do this.

    If you hadn't written, I'd have hit 405, 450, 490.

    I'll circle back here when it's done but I bet this thread's locked by then (5 weeks out).

  6. #6
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    Apparently not locked! I'm glad.

    Results:
    W1: 365x5x5
    W2: 441x3x3
    W3: 405x5x3
    W4: 460x2x2
    W5: 415x4x3
    W6: 490x1 (New Single PR!)

    W6 scheme:
    135x10
    225x5
    315x2
    365x1 (1-second pull)
    405x1 (1.5-second pull)
    440x1 (2-second pull)
    470x1 (5-second pull)
    490x1 (6-second pull)
    495x0 (Welded to floor)

    Thanks coach.

    Follow-up question:

    Should I just run the 6weeks again at +5lbs all weeks?

    Scheme right now:
    M: Squat (rotating rep ranges), Bench (rotating rep ranges), BB curls (helps with chronic biceps tendonitis)

    W: DL (as above), Press (5x5 per recent Delgadillo article)

    F: Squat (rotating rep ranges), Bench (rotating rep ranges), Press (Wx1x5, heavy singles per Delgadillo article), BB curls

    In another universe I might doubt that one day of pulling was providing sufficient volume, but I just popped a new single using your 6-wk scheme so I'm willing to call myself a believer. Perhaps squat transference is helping? (In the rotating rep ranges for squat, I've gotten 2 new 5PRs, 1 new Sets Across PR of triples, a new single PR, and a massive singles-across PR during the same period as using your 6wk DL scheme). Bodyweight has remained static (my usual weekly fluctuation between 218-223).

    Thanks again coach. You've broken my deadlift slump.

  7. #7
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    Did you actually film your attempt and know you were pulling on that bar for 6 whole seconds? I did this with a heavy set of 3 squats recently and I could have sworn the last rep took a literal 5 seconds. On the camera it was right at 2 seconds. Knowing how it felt I don’t think I could imagine actually pulling on a lift for 6 whole seconds at this point in my lifting.

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    I agree. I want to see this 6 second pull. I am 10lbs lower than you for a max set of 5, but 475 went up in under 2 seconds the one time I tried it. Sure as hell felt slow though.

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    You can see it on my Insta. Most recent post as of this message. All the times given were based on video, with me estimating to the nearest half second. I clocked the 6s starting with the bend of the bar immediately before it broke from the ground.

    By my count, the pull starts at 4.5 seconds and locks out at 10.5 seconds.

    I'm @gdbischoff on dat dere Insta.

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    That is interesting. The bar moves reasonably fast below the knee and above the knee, but really slows down at knee height. Without the slowdown around the knee, maybe it would have been 3.5 seconds or so.

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